Chapter 3 Gaining Clarity on Our Goals: “With no long-term goals, there is no perspective”

In Chapter 3 of UbD, the author wants us to understand the relevance of our decisions when designing the learning objectives. These objectives will vary depending on the nature of the target (such as state content standards, school goals and the like). In order to collaborate with the decision-making process about what to teach, what to emphasize and what to discard, this chapter provides a general description of Stage 1 of UbD Template to help us identify the desired results. Another aim of this template is to avoid the two common mistakes among teachers: to plan activity-centered lessons and content-based lessons. In this template, we can find five important elements to design and define goals: Established Goals, Understandings, Essential Questions, Knowledge and Skills. Each of these will contribute to prioritize and build the goal.

I found very interesting the importance of unpacking standards to reach the big ideas and take advantage of them to define the desired learning goals. However, what are big ideas? How can we recognize them and finally reach them? Most of big ideas are abstract and not obvious. The book offers information about how to reach these big ideas.

Another thing that caught my attention was the fact that in Chile we have the same problem described in the book related to content: too much to cover in no time. That is something we must work on. Furthermore, we must be aware of the perspective of stage 1 of the template. It intends to transfer the teachers’ perspectives and not the learners’ perspectives.

Once I recognized the value of UbD, I have tried to apply this learning into my daily teaching practice. I have tried to establish concrete, clear and coherent objectives for my students. I have to admit that it is not an easy task but it is a worthy one. Now that I recall, I can say that probably some of my students already have what can make them be better adults or better human beings in the future. I really hope so.