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Six Facets of Understanding

Transfer manifests itself in a variety of ways. More specifically, we propose that understanding as transfer is revealed through six facets of understanding, summarized here. Individuals who understand and can transfer their learning:

1.  Can explain: make connections, draw inferences, express them in their own words with support or justifi cation; use apt analogies; teach others.
2. Can interpret: make sense of, provide a revealing historical or personal dimension to ideas, data, and events; make it personal or accessible through images, anecdotes, analogies, and stories; turn data into information; provide a compelling and coherent theory.
3. Can apply and adjust: use what they have learned in varied and unique situations; go beyond the context in which they learned to new units, courses, and situations beyond the school.
4. Have perspective: see the big picture; are aware of, and consider, various points of view; take a critical or disinterested stance; recognize and avoid bias in how positions are stated.
5. Show empathy: perceive sensitively; can “walk in another’s shoes”; fi nd potential value in what others might fi nd odd, alien, or implausible.
6. Have self-knowledge: show metacognitive awareness; refl ect on the meaning of new learning and experiences; recognize the prejudices, projections, and  habits of mind that both shape and impede their own understanding; are aware of what they do not understand in this context.

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Common characteristics for effective learning design:

1.  Expectations. The best learning designs

• Provide clear learning goals and transparent expectations.
• Cast learning goals in terms of specifi c and meaningful performance
• Frame the work around genuine issues/questions/problems
• Show models or exemplars of expected performance and thinking.

2.  Instruction. In the best learning designs

•  The teacher serves as a facilitator/coach to support and guide learner inquiry.
• Targeted instruction and relevant resources are provided to equip students for expected performance.
• The textbook serves as one resource among many (i.e., text is resource, not syllabus).
• The teacher uncovers important ideas and processes by exploring essential questions and genuine applications of knowledge and skills.

3. Learning Activities. In the best learning designs

• Individual differences (e.g., learning styles, skill levels, interests) are accommodated through a variety of activities and methods.
• There is variety in work and methods; and students have some choice (e.g., opportunities for both group and individual work).
• Learning is active/experiential to help students make sense of complex content.
• Cycles of model-try-feedback-refi ne anchor the learning.

4. Assessment. In the best learning designs

•  There is no mystery as to performance goals or standards.
• Diagnostic assessments check for prior knowledge, skill level, and misconceptions.Students demonstrate their understanding through real-world applications (i.e., genuine use of knowledge and skills, tangible product, target audience).
• Assessment methods are matched to achievement targets.
• Ongoing, timely, and descriptive feedback is provided.
• Learners have opportunities for trial and error, refl ection, and revision.
• Self-assessment is expected and encouraged.

5. Sequence and Coherence. The best learning designs.

• Start with a hook and immerse the learner in a genuine problem/issue/ challenge.
•  Move back and forth from whole to part, with increasing complexity.
• Scaffold learning in doable increments.
• Teach as needed; don’t overteach all of the “basics” fi rst.
•  Revisit ideas—have learners rethink and revise earlier ideas or work.
•  Are flexible (e.g., respond to student needs; are revised to achieve goals.

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• research on learning and cognition that highlights the centrality of teaching and assessing for understanding, and
• a helpful and timehonored process for curriculum writing (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005).

1. UbD is a way of thinking purposefully about curricular planning, not a rigid program or prescriptive recipe.
2. A primary goal of UbD is developing and deepening student understanding— the ability to make meaning of learning via “big ideas” and to transfer learning.
3. UbD unpacks and transforms content standards and mission-related goals.
4. Understanding is revealed when students autonomously make sense of and transfer their learning through authentic performance. Six facets of understanding—the capacities to explain, interpret, apply, shift perspective, empathize, and self-assess—serve as indicators of understanding.
5. Effective curriculum is planned “backward” from long-term desired results through a three-stage design process (Desired Results, Evidence, Learning Plan).
6. Teachers are coaches of understanding, not mere purveyors of content or activity. They focus on ensuring learning, not just teaching (and assuming that what was taught was learned); they always aim—and check—for successful meaningmaking and transfer by the learner.
7. Regular reviews of units and curriculum against design standards enhance curricular quality and effectiveness.
8. UbD refl ects a continuous-improvement approach to achievement. The results of our designs—student performance—inform needed adjustments in curriculum as well as instruction; we must stop, analyze, and adjust as needed, on a regular basis.

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Standards-based Assessment: (What it is?)

• Indicates what students know and are able to do;
• Measures a student’s progress toward the attainment of a standard;
• Indicates if the student has mastered the standard;
• Is on going;
• Clearly communicates expectations ahead of time;
• Is authentic to the learning experiences of the students, based on complex tasks, as opposed to rote memory;
• Occurs when appropriate, not just on scheduled days. Often uses tasks that reveal common misunderstandings so teachers can see whether students have truly learned the material;
• Grades are based on the results of multiple experiences over time.

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Interpretive Test

• The teacher carefully selects or design an appropriate material and generates test items based on the material.
• Essays, poems, paragraphs, diagrams, frameworks, tables, graphs, labels, mini-stories, cartoons, news articles, features, etc.

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USES OF DIFFERENT ASSESSMENTS

Diagnostic Assessments: ( How far have you gone?)
Assessment for learning:

• To check for misconceptions;
• To identify extent of previous learning;
•  To inform teachers on selecting appropriate strategies, activities and materials.

Formative Assessments: (How well are you doing and how well can you be doing better?)
 Assessment for and assessment as learning:

• Checking for understanding, are they attaining the objectives;
• For immediate feed backing;
• Results are recorded, not graded;
• For modifying strategies and learning activities;
• Insightful (for both teachers and students);
• Basis of intervention.

Summative Assessments: (How well did you do?)
Assessment of learning/assessment as learning :

• For making objective judgment on the level of proficiency the learner has attained;
•  Recorded, graded;
• Can be used to further improve strategies;
• Unit tests, periodical tests, transfer tasks/ culminating activities.

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Graduates of  K to 12 will be holistically developed Filipinos with 21st Century Skills:

• Acquire mastery of basic competencies;
• Be emotionally mature;
• Be socially aware, pro-active, involved in public and civic affairs;
• Be adequately prepared for the world of work or entrepreneurship or higher education;
• Be legally empliyable with pontential for better earnings;
• Be globally competitive.

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Every year before the school year starts. The teachers are required to attend seminars or in-service training in order to updates the education curriculum. Yes, this is very important for us to know how and understand well the new methods, strategies to introduce in this particular year. For this year as mandatory by DepEd Department of Education our school, adopt the new curriculum entitled UbD. At first UbD is a strange word for me. I do not know the meaning, purpose and the real essence of applying this UbD. However, with help of seminar sponsored by phoenix publishing house, in-service trining, reading, and co-teachers little by little I learned about UbD.

By its acronym UbD, it stands for Understanding by Design according to the proponents  Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, 2005. The UbD focuses more on performance, assessments and classroom instruction. This is about on teaching for understanding and backwards designing of curriculum. As what I erudite, UbD is a good planning design of curriculum. However, it needs more materials, references, patience and of course time to prepare a lesson compare to a typical teaching instructions. I hope this year we will be given ample time to prepare, familiarize the whole processes of UbD. In addition, feed backing and constant monitoring of this program. This is great help for us to know, if we are on the right track.

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Let’s us learn more and Gain more for the very first Cebu Blog Camp encounter. The event will be free of charge. However, it’s on first come first served basis. So, hurry and register now!

See you on 22nd of May 2010 Saturday, at 8:00 am at the CAP Auditorium, CAP Complex, Jones, and Cebu City.


For more information please visit: Cebu Blog Camp

The Cebu Blog Camp 2010

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School is not yet over!I've seen familiar faces again and again. It was my first week of summer classes. Unfortunately, many students failed in regular school year or semester, about to 2-3 subjects. And now students enroll summer classes to be able to transferred or promoted to higher grade or level.
Oh...What a waste of time, effort and financial assistance of going back to school. If only they value the real essence of education and embrace changes in their lives. As what John F. Kennedy said “change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future”. Pretty sure, they'll be more fruitful, productive and can enjoy summer break.

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Summer is here!

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