UbDDI+B1+Chapter+1

Bridget
Abstract- Understanding by Design and[| Differentiated Instruction] are two models of teaching that work together to create an environment in which all students can learn. Teachers must be aware of who, where, what and how they teach in order to successfully reach their students. UBD/DI provide teaching methods that allow for all students, no matter what their [|learning styles], to gain a deeper understanding of the material at hand. Synthesis- We all feel that UBD/ DI are essential components of an effective classroom. While teaching to many different student needs is a lot of work, the results far outweigh the adaption process. By checking in on students' progress with "quality control," working with colleagues, getting to know our students, and creating a curriculum that is able to adapt to all students needs, we can all become teachers who use UBD/DI to our advantage. By Bridget Ferry

Jesika
toc Chapter 1: UbD and DI: An Essential Partnership This chapter is essentially about providing a platform for all students (DI) to be able to apply the core meanings and concepts and platforms to the real world (UbD). It seems to me that this should have happened in the schools that I have spent most of my academic career in. It also occurs to me that this system directly targets the track system that most schools use as a bad way to go about DI. This will impact my classroom by application. I feel that the combination of UbD and DI is valuable and instrument al in the teaching of a classroom that contains individuals.

Christina
Chapter one of //Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design// talks of what Differentiated Instruction (DI) and Understanding by Design (UbD) are and how they can be effectively used within the classroom. According to this text, there are at least four elements which teachers should consistently attend to. These elements include the teacher knowing who they teach, where they teach, what they teach, and how they teach. With these four basic elements, the teacher is able to create an effective classroom. Another main point within this text is that quality classrooms developed around powerful knowledge that was attuned to each students learning styles. Through combining UbD and DI within a classroom, it will ensure that essential knowledge, skills and understandings are taught while making sure each learner has maximum opportunity to benefit. This chapter has made known the value of reevaluation of instruction and methods. It is important to continue to assess at regular intervals with colleagues as they might have worthwhile insight.

Amanda Martemucci
UbD/DI-Chapter 1: In Chapter 1, I learned about how UbD and DI need each other in order to be successful. UbD resembles a curriculum design model while DI is an instructional model. In my opinion, teaching requires both a curriculum and instruction, which reveals the connection between UbD and DI. This chapter revealed how it is important to have a strong curriculum but a teacher should also know how to use the curriculum during instruction, especially if a teacher has a diverse group of students. The instruction of the curriculum may alter depending on students needs. The examples (axioms/corollaries) in the chapter give clear representations on how UbD and DI can be used in a classroom. From this chapter I realize that UbD and DI could be an excellent focus in my classroom. I want my students to be able to create a deep understanding for the subject matter rather than memorizing hard facts. Using UbD can help me with that. Furthermore, I want to be able to connect all my students with the curriculum. This could be a hard task trying to reach every students needs but, I think if I follow DI such as the examples showed, I will be able to have all my students learn on some level without having to worry about focusing on each student individually.

Kevin Quinn-Kelly
Chapter 1 One thing that is nice about this book is that it gives real examples it isn't purely theoretical. The thing that jumps out most about this chapter and the example with Mr. Axelt is just how much work this requires. To adapt for each student requires massive amounts of time. To have that kind of time for every class seems unlikely. It seems to me that the Understanding by Design model focuses on curriculum building while Differentiated Instruction refers to how we implement our plans so that students will effectively grasp the content. To put them together seems to make sense.

Moe
It is important, as highlighted in this first chapter, to provide you students with the opportunity to explore, interpret, shift perspectives, and self-asses for themselves. I had always valued the teachers I had that applied some of these techniques, but if they had used all of them it would have made my experiences that much better. One of my favorite ways to learn is through the shifting of perspectives activities that we did in high school history. We had to prepare for a debate about something and defend our side, even if we were truly against it. I think that these ideals, coupled with the “quality control” plan, the content of any class would instantly be enhanced. I liked the plan of using a “quality control” system to check on your teaching and how effective it is working. That way your students won’t miss out on any learning opportunities.

Bridget
Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction are two ways of thinking about teaching that work together to create guidelines and support for teachers who want to insure they reach all their students when they teach. Both models support idea that teachers must be aware and responsive to their students, the learning environment in which they work, the subject matter they are teaching, and the way they deliver the information. By focusing on these four parts, teachers are better able to analyze how their students need to be taught and what they can do to meet students’ needs. UBD/DI is all about making sure all students that walk into a classroom have their personal learning styles and their level of understanding recognized, taught to, and supported. When I step into a classroom, I need to be prepared to adapt my curriculum, lessons, and teaching style so that I can insure that none of my students are left in the dark or lag behind. Everyone learns differently and at different speeds, it is my job to present information in ways that everyone can comprehend and make sure that at the end of the day everyone has a better understanding of the material. UBD/DI will be a cornerstone in my teaching practices. The more I advance my knowledge of UBD/DI and my students’ needs, the more I will be able to advance my students’ knowledge of the material.

Chelsea
This first chapter describes why Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design should be integrated together into the classroom. The book describes that there are four elements at all teachers attend to in effective classrooms. The book describes Understanding by Design, as a way for teachers to adapt their curriculum in a way that best reaches students needs. Differentiated Instruction focuses on what creates effective learning for students. Together UbD and DI create a process that provides, structure, tools and guidance in curriculum development. For the classroom, creating a curriculum that is designed to adapt to students is critical.

Kristen
The chapter is introduced where it sounds as though teachers are disheartened by the rules and regulations for education of the time but perhaps with the use of differentiated instruction education can be more gratifying for the teacher and the student. If the teacher loses sight of who he or she is as an educator, no one wins: not the teacher, not the student, not the administration. There are several axioms and corollaries presented to help solidify the idea that teachers can bring the knowledge to the students by using different techniques and they can make change even in tough times. Teachers might teach a concept backwards to make it more understandable or they might bring it up several times in a different context to review. If teachers think about education differently they can work within the system to improve upon it. On page 10 it says that “UbD is a way of thinking not a program.”