Chapter 5: Considering Evidence of Learning in Diverse Classrooms

The photo album analogy was helpful to me as there is no way to understand student growth if the teacher only sporadically examines the work of the student. Instead, by constantly observing the work of the student as well as the student’s learning style, the teacher may gain a more complete image of who the student is as a learner. While testing remains important in the classroom, relying on a single test to evaluate the work of a student will not give the teacher a full concept of how the student is progressing. When a school uses testing as the primary means of understanding student progress, many important aspects of learning are missed. There is a tendency to focus primarily on the standardized test topics than upon a well rounded curriculum, and many important methods of learning are missed as students are only asked to show their linguistic and logical intelligences. In addition, I thought it was valuable that the chapter discussed the various testing styles used for each educational goal. For example, an art evaluation should never be done through a test, but instead by allowing the student to create artwork or find another way to show their proficiency.

I enjoyed that the chapter discussed the difference between knowledge and understanding. While this should be a rather simple distinction, it is nice to have the lines drawn and an explanation given. Understanding can be seen as shades of gray, as there is a large scale of how students understand a concept. In addition, there are many types of understand, thus assessing a student’s level of understanding of a concept can be difficult. When students are capable of explaining as well as applying skills, it can be understood that they understand the concept.

Chapter 4: Teaching Students About MI Theory

This chapter works to build a sense of inclusion within the student by showing the multiple intelligences seen within each student. Rather than focusing upon whether a student is talented at reading or mathematics, the teacher instead should attempt to show each student their individual strengths. The teacher should work to make each student feel not only involved, but confident in their intelligence. If students are given real life examples which captivate their imagination and prove that they can succeed, they will happily participate in activities which allow them to showcase their talents. In order to show students the way various intelligences are used within the real world, it is important to bring in community members who can explain their own roles, while at the same time explaining that they each use a variety of intelligences to succeed.

Chapter 3: Describing Intelligences in Students

This chapter discusses the ways in which teachers may pick up on students various intelligences. Rather than asking students to take tests, teachers are better off observing students and taking notes on their behavior. For example, if a teacher were to simply write a few lines of notes a week on a student, they would have a steady documentation by the end of the school year. Another method is taking pictures of students as they work in the classroom as well as where they tend to gravitate during free time. At the same time, the teacher should be examining previous school records to find the strengths of the student, while also keeping track of various strengths and placing them in a folder for the student’s future teacher. In keeping such fastidious records, the school system can ensure that students are progressing and continuing to learn. In addition, the teacher should talk to other teachers as well as the parents of students.

Chapter 4: What Really Matters in Planning for Student Success

I really enjoyed chapter four as it began to examine teachers as humans teaching other humans and passing on a passion for learning. Rather than focusing purely on curriculum, this chapter instead instructs the teacher to look at the student’s needs and work toward engaging the learner. There must always be a balance between teaching to the students and teaching a well thought out curriculum. This chapter explains teacher attitudes and beliefs which enable student growth. Another interesting element was that the chapter discussed the importance of maintaining an equal work load for all students. While it may appear logical to give less homework to a struggling student and more to a student who understands concepts, this is actually far from beneficial. The student who is struggling is given less work, yet she is also given less practice, and thus not able to develop a proficiency in the topic. At the same time, the student who understands the topic will eventually lose interest as they are essentially being asked to do busy work which does assist their learning.

An interesting aspect of this chapter was that it discussed that as well as a teacher may teach a lesson, there are still students who may not understand. While this is a reasonable concept, it is more important to realize that a student not understanding is not the fault of the student, thus the teacher needs to find a more effective approach. Although very intimidating, the teacher must evaluate the way in the class was taught and then attempt to teach the students in a different manner.

Chapter 3: What Really Matters In Learning? (Content)

Chapter three of UbD/DI speaks of the difficulties of incorporating all content standards into the classroom, and gives the shocking fact that it would take nine extra years of school if all of the benchmarks were to be even touched upon. Rather than selecting enormous concepts which can easily be misunderstood, standards should instead be addressed as big concepts broken into smaller guiding questions. At the same time, it is not necessary to break every concept down as thoroughly as this destroys the overall concept. Students as well as teachers get lost in the details and miss the important issues. In addition, the chapter instructs the teacher to work backwards with a goal in mind, beginning with identifying desired results. In identifying the results, the teacher should understand what the student needs to learn and be able to reapply in a daily context. The next step is to determine the evidence which will help us to assess the student’s results. The final step is to plan effective lesson plans which will assist the teacher through achieving the desired results. The final thing I enjoyed about this chapter was the explanation of the “twin sins”, an interesting way in which teachers either teach based upon the activities they plan or use curriculum to support the book rather than the book to explain the curriculum.

Chapter 2: What Really Matters in Teaching? (The Students)

The final chapter of this book began by providing examples of students who had once performed well and suddenly encountered difficulties performing in class, thus challenging the teacher to manipulate the curriculum to the students needs. In the case of one of these students, the teacher was able to diagnose an otherwise unseen learning disability. The chapter goes on to explain the methods of teaching responsively, and ways in which teachers may do so on a daily basis.

Chapter 1: UbD and DI: An Essential Partnership

The aim of the first chapter of “Integrating Differentiated Instruction & Understanding by Design,” works to explain the necessity of pulling together the learning methods of understanding by design and differentiated instruction as students are increasingly diverse in both background as well as learning style. While this may feel intimidating to many teachers, they must collaborate in order to effectively teach all students. Teachers must always keep in mind the standards of the district, the objective of their curriculum, and the learning needs of each individual student, thus this chapter helps teachers to combine each of these needs. This chapter discusses the way in which the most organized curriculum means nothing if students are not learning. At the same time, if the teacher attempts to focus upon each student’s individual needs but applies no organized curriculum, the teacher does not assist the student as he will learn nothing, therefore this chapter is helpful in explaining the way in which a teacher may incorporate both an organized curriculum and teach to each student’s needs. A great aspect of this chapter was that it provided realistic explanations of axioms and their corollaries, making it much easier to understand the application of axioms.

Chapter 2: MI and Personal Development

In chapter two, the book focuses upon how teachers may utilize various intelligences within the classroom. While a teacher may tend to thrive in a logical manner, she must still focus upon students who prefer bodily kinesthetic or linguistic. This was valuable to my learning as it applied our class discussions regarding each student’s preferred learning method. In an effort to reach all students, the teacher must expand her own comfort zone by either asking for help from other faculty members or asking the students for input, thus allowing them involvement in their own education. As the book discussed the factors which impaired students’ learning, it is important for future teachers to remember that they too can become negative influences on students various intelligences. Instead, teachers should encourage each student to utilize each of their various intelligences and learn in their own way.

Chapter 1: The Foundations of the Theory of Multiple Intelligences

In chapter two, the book focuses upon how teachers may utilize various intelligences within the classroom. While a teacher may tend to thrive in a logical manner, she must still focus upon students who prefer bodily kinesthetic or linguistic. This was valuable to my learning as it applied our class discussions regarding each student’s preferred learning method. In an effort to reach all students, the teacher must expand her own comfort zone by either asking for help from other faculty members or asking the students for input, thus allowing them involvement in their own education. As the book discussed the factors which impaired students’ learning, it is important for future teachers to remember that they too can become negative influences on students various intelligences. Instead, teachers should encourage each student to utilize each of their various intelligences and learn in their own way.