Chapter+3+Notes

//**__Big Idea #2__**// "Assessment must be planned, purposeful, and accurate. Planning must ensure that assessment is aligned with curriculum, instruction, grading, and reporting."
 * __Planning with the End in Mind__**

The focus of Chapter 3 is a "Three Stage Model" that is designed to address the question - "By the end of this unit, term, semester, what is essential for students to understand and be able to do?"

__**Stage 1: Identifying Essential Learning**__ This "Backward Design" Model is not new, but Cooper's approach focuses on teachers really planning out in advance what the overall and specific learning expectations are and precisely how the students will arrive there; "identify, from all that //could// be learned, that which //must// be learned." Cooper discusses "INTU: I Need To Understand" - student formulated inquiry as a starting place for really engaging students. A question that is developed by a student is likely to engage that student more fully in the study of the topic than content based lessons.

__**Stage 2: Assessing Essential Learning**__ This section of the three stage model is the assessment planning. The assessment must logically connect to the curriculum targets being measured. Cooper addesses this in his book using examples which can be helpful in understanding the connections. __**Stage 3: Planning Instruction**__ This section "involves mapping out the instructional sequence that will prepare students for assessment" - planning with the end in mind. He includes three elements of the instructional sequence: 1) initial assessment - student knowledge //before// instruction 2) the lessons / skills essential for learning the unit 3) assessments for learning (formative) and assessment of learning.

Some of the examples that Cooper provides in this chapter - Template 3 specifically - may be helpful to teachers who may not be as comfortable with this planning to use as an exemplar.

With the curriculum expectations that teachers face in every subject area this chapter will teachers buy in to this backward design? Do you already do this in a formal or less formal way? Isn't this just logical unit / course planning?

Please post your comments about this chapter under the discussion tab, I look forward to comments about this chapter.

Sara