Grant P. Wiggins Knihy

Revised edition of: Assessing learning in the classroom. Washington, DC: National Education Association, c2000.

Thousands of educators worldwide are already using Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe's Understanding by Design (UbD) as a framework for designing curriculum units, performance assessments, and instruction that lead students to deep understanding of content. This book, based on data gathered from surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions, reflects what educators have learned about effective UbD implementation and explores how schools and districts can leverage UbD principles and strategies to improve student achievement, staff performance, and organizational productivity. Educators who have used the UbD framework for several years in various school settings present advice, strategies, and processes for using Understanding by Design to* Design purposeful, coherent curricula* Deliver instruction that promotes understanding for all* Unpack district standards* Expand assessment repertoires* Create meaningful and effective professional development and teacher-induction programs* Sustain a successful process of continuous improvement and strategic planning.Each chapter concludes with organization-focused assessment questionnaires and related resources that can help you—as an individual or as a member of a study group or action research team—develop a clear, strategic sense of how to make the most of Understanding by Design as a catalyst for real learning, increased student achievement, and school and district renewal.

The highly anticipated second edition of Understanding by Design poses the core, essential questions of understanding and design, and provides readers with practical solutions for the teacher-designer. The book opens by analyzing the logic of backward design as an alternative to coverage and activity-oriented plans. Though backward from habit, this approach brings more focus and coherence to instruction. The book proposes a multifaceted approach, with the six “facets” of understanding. The facets combine with backward design to provide a powerful, expanded array of practical tools and strategies for designing curriculum, instruction, and assessments that lead students at all grade levels to genuine understanding.The second edition, a refined work, has been thoroughly and extensively revised, updated, and expanded, including improvement of the UbD Template, the key terms of UbD, dozens of worksheets, and some of the larger concepts. The authors have successfully put together a text that demonstrates what best practice in the design of learning looks like, enhancing for its audience their capability for creating more engaging and effective learning, whether the student is a third grader, a college freshman, or a faculty member.

Whether you are an experienced curriculum designer or new to Understanding by Design(R) (UbD), you will benefit from the latest design tools and the updated UbD unit Template 2.0. UbD authors Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe share their insights and the practical tips that have helped thousands of educators design curriculum based on the UbD framework. The Guide features a set of modules containing guiding worksheets and exercises that take you through the three-stage unit design process to: Identify Transfer and Meaning-Making goals (Stage 1). Develop performance tasks to assess understanding (Stage 2). Use the A-M-T construct to create more focused and powerful lessons (Stage 3). The new UbD Template is illustrated with fresh unit samples, and readers have access to more than 100 additional pages of online resources, including additional unit examples and helpful responses to frequently asked questions. Both novices and veterans alike will unquestionably benefit from this newest resource in the UbD series.