Abstract & Synthesis:Chapter 9 UbD/DI

The goal of chapter nine is to "offer a sample of how instructional planning might look for a teacher who uses backward design..." (page 141). This chapter is basically a review to what UbD DI has taught us to this point. Examples of how to design a lesson using the backward design model in this chapter are useful as they provide us with an outline to go by when creating a lesson plan of our own. Chapter nine stresses the importance of differentiating lessons to benefit the students. Understanding by design is a sophisticated planning process that that requires in depth knowledge, attention to students thinking, and the ability to think like an assessor. Differentiated Instruction demands attention to the strengths and requirements of learners and the ability to be a flexible teacher. The result of integrating both models in the classroom will yield a more engaged and effective classroom.

It was important and useful for the book to include an example of what it has been trying to teach us throughout the reading. Having the visual of a backward design template in front of us is a good guide. It touched on various methods of assessment that should be integrated into the classroom, and how the flexibility on the part of the instructor is most crucial. The aspect of differentiation is key to the chapter, because with differentiation, the students will be more engaged, and a higher level of mastery achieved.

Abstract & Synthesis

Teaching MI theory is simple because all eight intelligences are linked to things that all children can relate to: words, numbers, pictures, the body, music people, the self, and nature. When describing MI theory, it is best to use simple terms when discussing the eight intelligences so the students can better understand the meaning of each one. Terms such as word smart to define linguistic intelligence, number smart to define logical-mathematical intelligence, picture smart to define spatial intelligence, and so on and so forth. Asking simple questions pertaining to each intelligence helps to build inclusion and makes every student feel intelligent themselves. Simple questions such as "How many of you can do math?" and "How many of you can draw?" are questions that a teacher can pose. Doing activities to introduce the model in real life instances so the students can experience all eight intelligences is a good way to introduce how the intelligences work. For example: having a career day in which people from different professions such as having an editor come in to discuss how he uses "word smart" activities in his job, or a tax accountant to see how he uses his "math smarts" in his area of work is something that could be done. Or going on a field trip and taking students to places in the community where each of the eight intelligences are practiced. The idea is to continue these activities throughout the year to give the students plenty of exposure to familiarize them with MI theory.
Most everyone of my classmates agree that teaching MI theory to students is important as it introduces them to different ways of learning. Through this, students can find the ways they learn best and incorporate it when in school and out in the "real world". It is important to get the students involved in activities that give them experience with each of the eight intelligences so they can get a feel for how they can be used. Keeping MI theory relevant to what goes on in the class helps familiarize the students with the model and keeps them focused on their strengths in learning.