Grant Wiggins - Understanding by Design (1 of 2)

Summary

Grant Wiggins discusses the concept of Understanding by Design (UBD) as a planning framework rather than a teaching philosophy or approach. He emphasizes the importance of aligning short-term teaching plans with long-term educational goals, such as fostering critical and creative thinking. Wiggins highlights the need for educators to be prepared for teachable moments and to help students develop strategic thinking and autonomy. He also stresses the importance of embedding long-term goals in daily classroom activities and the role of assessment in guiding instruction towards these goals.

Takeaways

• 📈 **Understanding UBD**: Understanding by Design (UBD) is a planning framework, not a teaching philosophy or approach. It aims to make teaching more goal-focused and effective.
• 🛠️ **Planning for Success**: A good plan can make a teacher more prepared, but it doesn't necessarily make them a better teacher. Pedagogical skills and attention to group dynamics are still crucial.
• 🎯 **Goal-Focused Teaching**: The goal of UBD is to help teachers think both short-term and long-term about what they want to accomplish with their students.
• 🧠 **Prepared Minds**: Being prepared for teachable moments is essential, but it's not about letting students dictate the curriculum; it's about using student comments as entry points to the planned learning goals.
• 🚀 **Long-Term Vision**: Teachers should have a clear vision of the long-term goals, which includes developing autonomous, proactive, and thoughtful individuals, not just passing through content.
• 🔄 **Content and Performance**: The ultimate goal is a blend of content and performance, where students can effectively and fluidly apply what they've learned.
• 🔍 **Misalignment Issue**: There's often a misalignment between short-term plans and long-term goals, which can lead to students achieving high grades without necessarily developing critical and creative thinking skills.
• 🏫 **School's Role**: Even prestigious schools can fail to add value in terms of pedagogical effectiveness, as seen in the example of a prep school where critical thinking did not improve over four years.
• 🤔 **Strategic Thinking**: Developing strategic thinking is important, and it requires more than just telling students what to do; it involves fostering proactive control and a long-term view.
• 📝 **Self-Assessment**: Encouraging students to self-assess against their long-term goals is a powerful way to ensure they understand and are working towards those goals.
• 📋 **One-Sentence Mission**: Teachers should be able to articulate a one-sentence mission statement for their course, which encapsulates the purpose and desired outcomes of their teaching.

Q & A

What is UBD and how does it differ from a teaching philosophy or approach?

UBD, or Understanding by Design, is a planning framework rather than a teaching philosophy or approach. It is designed to make teaching more goal-focused and effective by preparing educators to think both short-term and long-term about what they aim to accomplish with their students.

Can a bad teacher have a good plan according to the transcript?

Yes, the transcript suggests that a bad teacher can have a good plan. However, it emphasizes that a good plan does not necessarily make one a better teacher, as teaching skills and pedagogical moves are still essential.

What is the role of being prepared in teaching according to the speaker?

Being prepared in teaching is crucial as it allows teachers to be ready for teachable moments and to guide students towards the intended learning outcomes effectively. The speaker likens this to Pasteur's famous line, 'chance favors the prepared mind.'

How does the speaker define critical and creative thinking in the context of education?

Critical and creative thinking are defined as long-term goals in education. The speaker argues that these skills should be embedded in short-term plans and assessments to ensure that students develop them, rather than just achieving high grades through compliance and thoroughness.

What is the 'fatal mistake' of prep schools mentioned in the transcript?

The 'fatal mistake' of prep schools, as mentioned, is the assumption that because they hire intelligent and well-educated staff, critical and creative thinking will naturally occur in the classroom, without explicitly planning for it.

What example does the speaker give to illustrate the misalignment between short-term plans and long-term goals?

The speaker gives the example of a well-known prep school that conducted an assessment of critical thinking skills in 9th and 12th graders and found no improvement, despite admitting smart students and having high expectations.

Why is it important for students to have a long-term view according to the transcript?

Having a long-term view is important for students because it helps them to develop proactive control over their learning and to understand the relevance of their current work to their future goals, which in turn can lead to more meaningful and effective learning.

What does the speaker suggest as a simple test for whether students understand their long-term goals?

The speaker suggests asking students to self-assess against their goals for the year as a simple test to determine if they understand their long-term objectives.

What is the significance of the 'freeze tag' rule introduced by the speaker during a soccer scrimmage?

The 'freeze tag' rule was introduced to encourage strategic thinking among soccer players. If players could not explain their actions in relation to the game's strategy, the speaker would switch the ball to the other side, highlighting the need for players to think critically about their moves.

How does the speaker relate the concept of backward design to the development of long-term goals in education?

The speaker relates backward design to the development of long-term goals by emphasizing the need to start with the desired outcome (the goal) and then work backward to determine the necessary assessments and instructional strategies to achieve that goal.

What exercise does the speaker suggest for educators to clarify their course's mission?

The speaker suggests an exercise where educators write a one-sentence mission statement for their course to clarify its purpose. This exercise helps to focus on the long-term goals and the desired outcomes for students.

Outlines

00:00

📘 Understanding UBD as a Planning Framework

Grant Wiggins discusses the concept of Understanding by Design (UBD) as a framework for planning rather than a teaching philosophy or approach. He emphasizes the importance of being goal-focused and effective in teaching, suggesting that a good plan can be utilized by even a less skilled teacher. Wiggins clarifies that UBD does not directly improve pedagogical skills but helps in preparing for both short-term and long-term educational goals. He uses the analogy of Pasteur's quote, 'chance favors the prepared mind,' to illustrate the idea of being prepared for teachable moments. Wiggins argues for the development of autonomous and thoughtful individuals, not just those who passively receive education. He points out the common misalignment between short-term teaching plans and long-term educational goals, using the example of critical and creative thinking, which is often valued but not necessarily developed through traditional academic success.

05:01

🏫 Embedding Long-Term Goals in Short-Term Plans

The paragraph continues with Wiggins highlighting the need to embed long-term educational goals into short-term plans. He shares a story from a prep school that despite having intelligent and motivated students, failed to show improvement in critical thinking skills, indicating a lack of value-added in their education. Wiggins stresses the importance of focusing on long-term goals and not just being satisfied with admitting and graduating smart students. He discusses the need for strategic thinking in educational programs, using a soccer analogy to illustrate the point. He shares an experience where he introduced 'freeze tag' in a soccer scrimmage to encourage players to think strategically about their actions on the field. Wiggins also talks about the importance of self-assessment against long-term goals and the need for transparency and reinforcement of these goals in students.

10:01

📚 Backward Design and Goal-Oriented Instruction

In this paragraph, Wiggins delves into the concept of backward design, starting with the end goal in mind and working backwards to plan instruction and assessment. He encourages educators to think about what should be assessed if the goal is to develop critical and creative thinking skills. Wiggins suggests that traditional grading methods may not align with the goal of fostering a love for reading and cautions against requiring students to do everything, which could potentially undermine their interest. He prompts educators to consider what instructional strategies would make it more likely for students to develop a love for reading and to be cautious about how these goals are pursued. Wiggins invites participants to engage in a 'think, pair, share' exercise to craft a one-sentence mission statement for their courses, emphasizing the importance of aligning instruction with long-term goals.

Keywords

💡UBD

UBD stands for Understanding by Design, which is a curriculum design framework created by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe. In the context of the video, UBD is emphasized as a planning tool rather than a teaching philosophy or approach. It is used to ensure that educational goals are clearly defined and that instruction is aligned with these goals. The speaker uses UBD to illustrate the importance of backward design, starting with desired results and then working backwards to plan instruction and assessment.

💡Pedagogical moves

Pedagogical moves refer to the strategies and techniques that teachers use to facilitate learning. In the video, the speaker clarifies that while UBD can help in planning effective lessons, it does not teach pedagogical moves. These moves are essential for teachers to skillfully manage classroom dynamics, engage students, and ensure learning occurs. The concept is used to highlight that good planning complements, but does not replace, the need for teachers to develop their instructional skills.

💡Teachable moments

A teachable moment is an unplanned opportunity that arises during teaching when students show interest or curiosity about a topic. The speaker discusses how being prepared with UBD allows teachers to seize these moments effectively, using them as entry points to guide students towards the learning objectives. The concept is used to emphasize the importance of being goal-focused and prepared to take advantage of spontaneous learning opportunities.

💡Long-term goals

Long-term goals in education refer to the enduring objectives that guide the overall direction of teaching and learning. The speaker stresses the importance of keeping these goals in view and aligning short-term instructional activities with them. The video uses the example of critical and creative thinking as a long-term goal that should be embedded in both short-term planning and assessment.

💡Content and performance

Content and performance are two key aspects of student learning. Content refers to the subject matter being taught, while performance relates to how students apply this content in real-world situations. The speaker argues for a focus on both, suggesting that the ultimate goal is for students to perform effectively and creatively with the content they have learned. This concept is central to the video's message about the purpose of education.

💡Misalignment

Misalignment in education occurs when there is a disconnect between the short-term activities (like daily lessons) and the long-term goals of education. The speaker uses the term to highlight a common issue in schools where students can achieve high grades without necessarily developing critical and creative thinking skills. The concept is used to emphasize the need for alignment between instructional practices and educational objectives.

💡Strategic thinking

Strategic thinking in education involves planning and decision-making that align with long-term goals. The speaker uses the analogy of soccer to illustrate the importance of strategic thinking, noting that even in elite sports, players may not develop this skill without explicit coaching. The concept is used to argue for the importance of teaching students to think strategically about their learning and to take proactive control of their education.

💡Self-assessment

Self-assessment is the process by which students evaluate their own learning against set goals or criteria. The speaker suggests that students should be able to self-assess their progress towards long-term goals, such as critical and creative thinking. This concept is used to argue for transparency in educational goals and the importance of students taking an active role in monitoring their own learning.

💡One-sentence mission statement

A one-sentence mission statement is a concise statement that captures the essence of a course or educational program. The speaker encourages participants to create such a statement for their courses, which should reflect the long-term goals and the purpose of the learning experience. This concept is used to prompt reflection on the core objectives of education and to ensure that planning and instruction are focused on these objectives.

💡Backward design

Backward design is a planning approach where educators start with the desired outcomes and then work backwards to determine the necessary assessments and instruction. The speaker explains that this approach is fundamental to UBD and is essential for ensuring that teaching and learning are goal-focused and aligned with long-term objectives. The concept is central to the video's message about effective curriculum planning.

Highlights

UBD is a planning framework, not a teaching philosophy or approach.

Good planning can make teaching more goal-focused and effective.

A good plan doesn't necessarily make a teacher better, but it prepares them to be more goal-oriented.

UBD helps in thinking short term and long term about educational goals.

The importance of being prepared for teachable moments.

The difference between serendipity and letting students write the curriculum.

The role of a teacher in guiding students towards the intended learning outcomes.

The goal of developing autonomous, proactive, and thoughtful individuals.

The need for a blend of content and performance in education.

The misalignment between short-term plans and long-term goals in education.

The example of how it's possible to get straight A's without critical and creative thinking.

The importance of focusing on critical and creative use of content in planning.

The story of a prep school that failed to improve critical thinking despite admitting smart students.

The value added concept in education and its significance.

The need for students to gain proactive control and a long-term view in their learning.

The example of a soccer coach using strategic thinking to improve the team's performance.

The importance of self-assessment against long-term goals for students.

The exercise of creating a one-sentence mission statement for a course.

The logic of backward design in education and its application.

The conversation about what should be assessed and how it should be taught to align with long-term goals.

The caution against requiring students to do everything as it may undercut their love for learning.

Transcripts

GRANT WIGGINS: UBD is not a philosophy of teaching,

it's not an approach to teaching,

it's a planning framework.

And it's really important to keep this in mind

that what you're trying to do is make it more likely by design

that when you teach, you are more goal-focused, more effective.

You could be a bad teacher with a good plan.

In other words, we're not saying that a good plan makes you

a better teacher necessarily.

You have to learn pedagogical moves,

you have to learn to be as facile and skilled with how

to pay attention to group dynamics.

UBD doesn't help you with that, but it

does prepare you to think short term, long term, what

are we trying to accomplish.

And it's like the famous line from Pasteur,

"chance favors the prepared mind."

You're totally prepared for teachable moments

not in the sense of, oh, well that's a cool student comment.

Let's just run with that for five days.

That's not serendipity.

That's letting the students write the curriculum,

and that's not what I'm talking about.

I'm talking about being so prepared about where

you want to end up that you hear a potential student

comment as a fantastic entry point

to go where you want to end up.

In other words, it's your job to know where we want to end up.

I don't think we make any apologies about that.

But part of where we want to end up

is building autonomous, proactive, thoughtful people,

not just march through some stuff

causing some typical learning.

So we're trying to keep long-term goals in view.

We're trying to get the blend of content and performance.

Notice I didn't say process, content and performance,

because that's the ultimate goal.

The student performs as in the soccer situation--

on their own, effectively, fluidly,

drawing from their repertoire.

And this also tends to better engage people

as I think you already know.

What we see over and over again is

that there is a misalignment between short-term plans

and actions and long-term goals.

Here's a simple example.

We value something called critical and creative thinking.

It's in every program's goal statement.

It's in many school's mission statement.

It's clearly something we care about.

But it is possible to get straight A's

at every school in America without critical and creative thinking.

As long as you're smart, compliant, do your work,

are thorough, you're going to get straight

In almost every school in America.

So a very basic backward design premise then

if critical and creative thinking

is the goal long term, using content critically

and creatively, to say it a different way, then when

we go to a plan, we have to make sure week in and week out

that we're focusing on critical and creative use of content.

Otherwise, we're not going to get it.

And this is, I think, the fatal mistake of prep schools.

They think because we're smart, because we're

motivated, because we hire really

intelligent, well-educated people,

that this is just going to happen.

Sobering story, but this is a true story.

Well-known prep school in the top 10 or 20

of prep schools in the country, they say,

we're really interested in this pedagogical effectiveness stuff.

And the guy in question is a really fantastic educator

who's done a lot of work in the wider world.

And so he's really interested in the question

of value added at this school.

So they contract with ETS, pre-assess 9th grade,

assess 12th grade, critical thinking test, no gain.

No gain.

We admit them smart, we graduate them smart,

we pat ourselves on the back, and we

start teaching all over again.

The value added thing is huge.

You can't just pat yourself on the back

because you admit smart people when they do good things.

You guys have a higher calling than that.

So we want to focus on these long-term goals

and we want to embed them in our short-term plans.

And the more you start to think this way,

the more you'll realize you're not doing it.

Again, I saw this on the soccer field.

I saw that we were not developing

any strategic thinking.

One day I was in a scrimmage, and I'm

looking at the scrimmage.

I'm there in the middle of the field reffing it.

I'm watching people and I'm saying,

there's a lot of aimless running around here.

So the ball's over here, what are you doing

and why are you doing it?

I don't know, I don't know.

So I said, all right, new rule.

We are going to do freeze tag.

If I don't like your answer, the ball goes over the other side.

I'm always going to have somebody on offense.

And for like two weeks there was no good answer.

And of course, I realize that's my fault.

There's no strategic thinking.

My daughter is an elite soccer player.

She's a senior at the George School.

She's in North Carolina tournament right now.

She doesn't have a good strategic thinking,

because she's had all these elite coaches that tell

you what to do all the time.

She had a coach though who doesn't coach at George School

anymore.

He's a retired Princeton coach who did it for $1 a year--

one of those great gigs.

He did the coolest thing at halftime.

So you know, they get in the circle

that you always do at halftime.

So, he said, what's working?

What's working for us?

Again, same thing-- for a couple of weeks, they couldn't answer.

We're winning.

Yeah, I know that.

What's working on the field?

What's not working for us?

What do we need to work on in the second half?

In other words, Socratic questions

was all he did at halftime.

But the coolest question is, what's working for them?

What do we have to stop?

She was a different player. So were her teammates.

So there is this tendency in even really good programs

in schools to not help kids gain proactive control

of the situation and have a long term view.

Simple test-- all of you are teaching now.

Ask kids to self-assess right now-- now's a good time,

January--

against your goals for the year.

What is her goal for the year?

I mean, that's what's going to happen.

And they're going to cherry pick some random little things,

and you're going to be depressed.

But that's a good experience.

That's a really good experience.

It's the kid who has the meet the goals.

It's the kid that has to understand

via transparency and reinforcement

the long-term goals.

So critical and creative thinking,

to go back to our example, is a goal,

then that should be so obvious that the kids will self-assess

against critical and creative thinking.

Let's try it as a quick and dirty exercise.

Think. Pair. Share.

If you had to write a one-sentence mission statement

for your course, what would it be?

Jot some thoughts, try it out on the person next to you.

One-sentence mission statement.

What is the point of my course?

And I'm using the word course to cover everything

from pre-K to graduate school, from soccer to physics.

If you are an elementary person,

you could think of course in either one of two ways.

You could say what's the point of what

I do with first graders, or what's

the point of the language arts strand? Or the social studies strand.

So you can go either way since you have so many duties.

Let me ask you to pause for a minute

and let's do a little bit of backward design thinking,

Then this is the basic logic of backward design.

We'll say more about it later, and many of you know this.

If that's the goal, what follows?

If that's the long-term goal, what follows?

What follows for assessment?

What follows for instruction?

Go back to your conversations and just together

play out casually and informally,

at this point, the answers to those questions

as they occur to you.

If that's the goal, what should we be assessing?

And by assessing, I do not mean grading,

I mean assessing just like you would do as a soccer coach.

You don't give a grade as a varsity--

well, maybe in some schools you do.

I never did.

But you're assessing, you're judging

how we're doing against the goal, you're coaching,

you're giving information about how we're doing against the goal.

So what should we assess?

And what should we be doing instructionally?

Or, what should occur in the classroom?

And let me tell you one quick story before we do it.

When I asked this question, and a fourth-grade teacher pulled

me over and she said, well, there's two parts to my answer.

I want students to be good readers,

but more importantly, I want them to love to read.

I said, let's just focus on the love to read.

We know something about how to make good readers,

but focus for me on love to read.

What would be evidence that they love to read?

And what do you have to do instructionally

to make it more likely that they love to read?

And I said, be careful.

Requiring them to do everything isn't likely to cause it,

in fact, it may undercut it.

We know this about boys.

So, that's the caution.

If that's your goal, what's the assessment?

What needs to happen instructionally

to support and head toward your goal?

Somebody go first, do it together,

and somebody go second, do it together.

5, 10 minutes.