It is a funny thing that the last chapter to be commented is Chapter 1 called Backward Design”, does it mean we were going backwards through the readings? We have finally come to the last reading from a book that has certainly given us much to think about and to view our daily work and mission in a different way.
This chapter somehow summarizes the main ideas developed in the previous postings. The key issue, once again is focused on our goals, and from there we should start our planning. And as a main goal is of course, having our students to “understand” the contents and through them, develop critical thinking to have active and critical citizens of the society of the future.
However, a change in the view is not enough. When we center our lessons in learning rather than in teaching, we are taking one step forward, and a complete shift in the design would certainly bring such improvement in the quality of education in our system. On the other hand, we teachers seem to be alone in this crusade for better opportunities for our students. Every time interesting article about how to improve education, we feel delighted with the idea of a change and we comment and encourage our colleagues to follow us in this idea. But it is hard to start when all the conditions to carry it out are not given. Think of the poor schools in this country, with crowded classroom where teachers are not even provided with a decent radio or students have to struggle with the cold in winter.
I trust that the more we read and learn about education and learning, the closer we will be to change things. We’ve just taken the first step where our mission is to build a world where all students will have the same opportunities to get a better future for their lives.
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I agree on the ideas that you have developed in your comments, for example the fact that we are fighting alone to make the shift that the current system needs, because although we are aware of it, the rest of the educational world is not, therefore this shift should be made atttacking the root of the problem which is in the received formation of the future educators by the different universities. The question is if the most experienced people who teach in this country are aware of the flaws of the system why they do not give a new focus and purpose to education?. It is impossible to think that this task can be carried out for just few teachers; on the contrary this responsability lies on the authorities who have the duty to give solid basis to education which envisages the development of a clear mean and an end.
ReplyDeleteI guess encouraging and being enthusiastic to spread such a good text is a good first step. It's obvious that we are constrained by many factors that do not depend on us. So what's left it's to take initiative by ourselves and see whether with our own experience, and hopefully with our future good results, we can convince and cajole colleagues.
ReplyDelete:)
Claudio
Dear M,
ReplyDeleteMaybe it is a matter of empathy. If teachers were students and were taught by themselves things would change from day one!
We now have the tools to make changes in our own classrooms. The difficult part comes when we need to involve the others when - as you said - conditions are not given, or there is no will whatsoever to do any changes. It is surely more comfortable to follow the same dull routine over the years. Instead of backward desing, maybe we need to do BRAINWASH deisgn...
It is true that usually conditions are not given to make changes, and most of theachers don't want to do anything to improve education, because it is too tireful, demanding and time consuming. Besides, authorities are too bussy with administration issues to support teachers in the process of learning.
ReplyDeleteHowever, as you said, we have now tools to improve our current educaton scenario. Hopefully, we will use them to start giving students equal opportunities.
You are right...
ReplyDeleteSometimes we teachers don't do our job as we should not because we don't want to, but because the conditions are not given or simply because we were not taught how to do things right.
at least for me this is the first time I hera aboout backward desing, and I think that training opportunities for more teachers were given, the scenario in this country would be different.
Vicky
My dear friend,
ReplyDeleteYou are right my friend! Maybe we were exercising our thinking by reading backwards. Anyway, your post makes me reflect on the idea that we are essential referents nowadays thus we have had the opportunity to know the other side of the coin and maybe that one that can contribute to that “better future” you mention, but to achieve it we need our educational authorities’’ support so the change not only is up to us but also to our system. An urgent need, don’t you think?
Thx for all yourreflections!
Dear Marianella:
ReplyDeleteI haven´t realized that we were reading the chapters backwards. What a practical way to learn.
As you mentioned in your post, backward design is a very constructive way to start teaching. Nevertheless, there are many obstacles which hinder the design from being carried out such as the authorities who regulate education. However, we have to be positive. Nothing is perfect and we do not have to wait that other people or situation change in order to do it for ourselves. I am convinced that when just one person changes, he/ she encourages that other people do it too. We have to become role models. Do you agree?
Dear Marianella,
ReplyDeleteIt's true what you mention of how demotivating is to whitness the lack of resources, support, willingness, etc. towards our profesional field. Unfortunately,I totally agree on that, yet we are the ones to start a change in our classrooms. It is true that everything seems so unreal when thinking about changes as a general scenario in education but if we simply start in our classroom everything makes sense.
On the one hand, I consider this chapter, as well as the whole book, a bit utopian. On the other hand, I think that if we take some ideas from it we can make a significant improvements in our teaching practices.
My dear HC,
ReplyDeleteOnce again, you are right (as always). If it has been so difficult for us, MA students, to put into practice everything we have been learning these terms in this MA, imagine those teachers who completely ignore the "light" we have seen and we have been trying to follow through these readings...and much worse, imagine those situations where there's nothing else than poor facilities, as you said, when the conditions are not given...could we have "good learning" there? Well, some people could say YES, but it is not fair, because it is a matter of possibilities, i.e. MONEY...well, it rules the world, so we can't do much...but as you said, we may start not only doing our own job properly, but also helping our colleagues on doing things that way...show them the "light" we have somehow seen, in other words...to start spreading the "good news"....(it sounds like I'm preaching...well, somehow I am)
Marianella,
ReplyDeleteIt was a bit strange for me to start reading some other chapters first and at the end read and comprehend the first one. However, it makes sense because it is Backward design what we are dealing with. More importantly, the lesson we have to learn is that aims do come first. It is a realization and viewpoint we have to be convinced about. Then, we have to be optimistic we can achieve dramatic changes. On the whole, Wiggins grants us coherence to our lesson planning. This coherence is for assesment as well as for activity design.