Analyse and assess one aspect of programming by UBD (Understanding by design)
By applying UBD, there is an emphasis and focus on teaching for understanding and not a regimented and regulated program. In order for UBD to be a successful tool for teaching, major goals and big ideas must be the focus points which allows the concepts being taught to tie each part of the UBD programming together. In Blue Print of Life (9.3) the major goals and big ideas would be understanding how evolution fits in with the current student's life, understanding the importance of genetics and knowledge of inheritance which icludes chromosomal and DNA structure and current genetic and reporductive engineering which would potentially alter the path of natural evolution. Out of all these major ideas, I will be focusing more so on the basic understandings of evolution and relating these ideas to the student's current life and their society in which they live in. To use UBD as a teaching method, asking open ended questions such as 'how and when do we consider a human being to be called a human being? (looking at human evolution rather than bioethics)' or 'how do we know that there was life on earth before human beings existed?' These open ended focus questions will be answered as students understand, acquire and learn content, knowledge and skills throughout the UBD program. If the beginning of the UBD program is set in position properly and with enough depth for students to genuinely want to know the answers to the big ideas then the rest of the UBD program (assessment and learning) will run smoothly. Therefore the quality of the UBD program really does begin with necessary essentil questions to allow the teacher and students to tie the whole unit of work together whilst the units are bieng learnt and taught.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understanding_by_Design
Wow Gena already bringing in the ethics questions into our conservative catholic schools, but in saying so i used that topic question too at my last prac and got a great response from the student debate. It made them feel like their opinion was heard and taken into account by all. Other than that great points about UBD brought up in ur analysis. Students will response in a positive manor with well prepared UBD's
ReplyDeleteAs with any new philosophy, UbD runs the risk of only being implemented by new teachers or those brave enough to embrace new ways of thinking. Having said that, do you think there will be a disconnect between those willing to embrace and implement UbD and those who prefer to stick to their tried and true older methodologies? Or do you think it will eventually filter through the entire schooling system? Is UbD the new Bloom's?
ReplyDeleteGen, great key questions!! I believe UBD is an innovative way to teach although we as pre-services teachers may find it challenging I think it will benefit both us and the students tremendously. As for your comment Phil, unfortunately as it is not mandated, i strongly feel most teachers will not incorporate this new approach into their teaching program as they feel it is time consuming and possibly useless. On the other hand it may be accepted with enthusiam, I guess we'll have to wait and see!
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