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An important criteria for being an effective teacher is knowing the content of the material
competently and skillfully design learning goals, activities, and assessments. Even more
important is knowing how to teach the subject. Johnson (2013) posits that great teachers don’t
teach, they “engineer learning experiences that maneuver the students into the driver's seat and
then the teachers get out of the way.” The Industrial Revolution Unit presented with this paper
uses this philosophy of teaching by actively engaging students minds and hearts in the learning
opportunities for active learning, both mind and body, coupled with authentic performance based
and written assessments to show what each student had learned by the end of the unit.
I planned the lesson using The Backward Design model by Wigging, G. and McTighe, J.
(2005). For the unit I first had to consider what it was that I wanted my students to come away
from the experience understanding. These learning goals came directly from my state standards
for the grade I was planning the unit for. Wigging, G. and McTighe, J. says, “Only by having
specified the desired results can we focus on the content, methods, and activities most likely to
achieve those results” p. 15. The learning goals I chose were taken from several subject areas
that included reading, writing, speaking, technology, science, and cultural standards. Once these
were decided upon, I was then able to determine the evidence and material I would use, create
formative and summative assessments, and design learning activities to meet those goals.
Throughout the unit, I made sure to provide ample opportunities to check for student
in performance” Wiggins, G. and McTighe, J (2005). Included in the assessments were two
authentic performance tasks which included realistic prompts that encourage critical thinking and
problem solving. Importantly, these tasks also added meaning and purpose to what was learned,
while also giving the students the opportunity to practice the information taught. Miller (2008)
says, “When we’re thoughtful in our planning, we lend purpose, focus, and direction to our
teaching. Likewise, when students are clear about what they’re to be learning, why it’s
important, and how it will help them, it gives purpose, focus, and direction to their learning, too”
pg. 85.
Although I did not teach this specific unit to a class at this point, my goal would be to
continually provide feedback to students on their formative and summative assessments, giving
them an opportunity to resubmit their work after they revised it based on suggestions I have
given them. Tomlinson, C. and McTighe, J. (2006) say that, “Learners need to find out promptly
their strengths and weaknesses in order to improve. The greater the delay, the less likely it is that
the feedback will be helpful or used” pg. 78. This is important for me as a teacher because I want
my students to do their best, and when they submit work that is not their best, I believe they will
learn far more if they are given the opportunity to revise their work using guidance from a
teacher, rather than just receiving a grade for it and moving on.
Due to the rise of technology in the world, I believe students should be provided with
frequent opportunities to use and interact with it in their daily studies. Dede (2010) suggests that
the use and interaction with technology in curriculum can, “improve success for all types of
learners and may differentially enhance the performance of at-risk students.” Throughout the unit
I wrote, I made sure to incorporate the use of technology in multiple ways to support student
Johnson, B. (2013, June 28). Great Teachers Don't Teach. Retrieved June 05, 2018, from
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/great-teachers-do-not-teach-ben-johnson
Tomlinson, C. A., & McTighe, J. (2006). Integrating differentiated instruction & understanding
by design: Connecting content and kids. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development.
Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: