As a future educator, we are currently learning how to create a tangible unit plan for the classroom we are assigned to teach. The goal for our unit plans are for our students to learn through various ways, while balancing the traditional and authentic assessments that are required for us to evaluate and examine our student’s progress. We started our classroom discussion by introducing the UbD template under the USASK College of Education page tools and resources, which is under field experience. We are able to use this template, as we will be doing our pre internship and our internship in between our four years at the College of Education campus. We discussed the desired outcomes that our students should attain based on our own personal experiences as High School students. Another topic we discussed was evidence of achieving these outcomes, how much we should apply, when, and how? Although I wasn’t able to suggest or apply knowledge towards our class discussion today, I was able to write it. I suggested that our students are not alike when it comes to learning. Our generation should know this and should apply this and create around this as we are assessing our students. I have learned to consider using the method of backwards planning. The idea of backwards planning is assessing first in order to create a common goal within the classroom for inclusion throughout, and accessible learning strategies.
As we began to unpack our personal goals for our unit plans and how we can shape our unit plans to suit the goals of the whole classroom, we were also introduced to the “traditional and authentic” assessments that are currently used, used in the past, what worked and what didn’t work. During this time, I especially enjoyed our classroom discussion on the pros and cons of “teacher structured” versus “student structured”. I believe in equality in the classroom. Teachers may have more resources and experience, but if students and teachers collaborate in the classroom to showcase classroom inclusiveness, assessments can be created around everyone’s exceptions and abilities. Breaking down formative and summative assessments and essential questions is another idea for classroom discussions/motivational set. Presenting the idea and goal with collaboration gives students the chance to invest and relate to the topic of discussions, which can create interest throughout.
