What motivates you to search for supplemental materials? In this lesson, we'll look at different perspectives and methods to consider so you can identify the best content for your needs. The results of this exercise will include:
Using a well-established instructional design process can benefit your instructional material search and integration journey. Let's take a look at one such process, called Backward Design, developed by Wiggins and McTighe (1998). The creators of this method state that, "Our lessons, units, and courses should be [constructed] from the results sought, not derived from the methods, books, and activities with which we are most comfortable" (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005, p.14).
Backward Design calls for starting with the end in mind—that is, what you want students to know or be able to think, feel, or do by the end of the course.
The Backward Design method occurs in three stages:
Vanderbilt's Center for Teaching states that the Backward Design method is beneficial to teachers because "It continually encourages the instructor to establish the purpose of doing something before implementing it into the curriculum," and if done thoroughly, it removes extraneous activities and tasks that were added for the sake of doing them—as is the case with activity-focused or just-for-coverage types of instruction. Similarly, this can help highlight areas of strength in the curriculum, where additional materials may not be needed. If the process is followed, "every task and piece of instruction has a purpose that fits in with the overarching goals and goals of the course."
The backward design method was talked about in podcast and blog formats on Cult of Pedagogy, where the author/speaker reflected on her journey through the process and shared examples of what a middle school science lesson looked like before and after. As shown in the video from Edutopia below, using backward design can shift teachers away from simply "covering" material to injecting authentic, meaningful learning that deepens their understanding of the content.
Educators participating in a INFOhio professional development workshop generated the following list of other lenses through which one could identify needs in the classroom.
The ISKME OER Academy suggests these questions that you may ask during this stage:
In the long run, analyzing your current curriculum and referring to the established standards and learning objectives for the topic(s) will save you lots of time by setting you up for a successful, targeted search. With these lenses in mind and your "why" for wanting supplemental materials answered, refer back to the Search and Filters, Collections, and Ohio Reviewed Instructional Materials Hub lessons for details on finding the content you need.
Pause and Reflect. Answer the following to yourself:
Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design. ASCD.
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