Book Recommendations

Understanding by Design
by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, 2000

What is understanding and how does it differ from knowing? What do we want students to understand and be able to do? What enduring knowledge is worth understanding? How will we know that students truly understand and can apply knowledge in a meaningful way? How can we design our courses and units to emphasize understanding and "uncoverage" rather than "coverage"? Understanding by Design explores these questions and provides 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 authors propose a multifaceted approach, with the six "facets" of understanding. The facets combine with backward design to provide a powerful, practical framework for designing curriculum, assessment, and instruction. This is not a book for beginners. Its in-depth considerations of curriculum design are for more experienced educators who are ready to tackle the “next level” of instruction and assessment. In this age of standardization and accountability, it is an excellent resource for reflecting on the outcomes we want from our classroom teaching. ISBN: 013093058X