Exploring WIDE World:

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Heart
Exploring WIDE World Learning to Use the
Collaborative Curriculum Design Tool July 18,
2006 Ann Koufman-Frederick, Ph.D. Shannon Martin
Croft, M.Ed.
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Inspiring Great Teachingthrough Online
On-site Professional Developmenthttp//wideworl
d.pz.harvard.edu
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Todays Journey and Goals

• Goal 1 Learn about WIDE Worlds origin and focus
• Goal 2 Unpack the meaning of "Understanding" and
  consider how the "Teaching for Understanding"
  Framework can be used to clarify and focus
  existing practice
• Goal 3 Explore the structure of WIDE World and
  the Collaborative Curriculum Design Tool (CCDT).

WIDE Widescale Interactive Development for
Educators CCDT Collaborative Curriculum Design
Tool
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Teaching for Understanding with New Technologies
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The Challenges in Education

• Take a moment to think about the challenges you
  face in your classrooms today.
• Now, consider what kind of professional
  development could help overcome these challenges.

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What one teacher shared with us
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Understanding Exercise

• Lets Explore Understanding Together...
• Think of something that you understand
• How do you know you understand it?
• How did you come to understand it?

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• Understanding is developed and demonstrated
  through performances.
• Understanding is a capacity to think and act
  flexibly with what you know.

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The Origins of Teaching for Understanding (TfU)

• 1991-1997 Harvard research project set out to
  clarify the nature of understanding, then define
  features of educational practices that lead to
  deep, flexible understanding
• The TFU Framework emerged as researchers and
  teachers analyzed effective practice

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Introducing the TfU Framework

• Essential Educational Questions
• What topics are worth teaching for understanding?
  
• What exactly do we want students to come to
  understand?
• How can understanding be developed and
  demonstrated?
• How can we assess and improve understanding?

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Introducing the TfU Framework

• Generative Topics What is worth teaching?
• Understanding Goals - What do we want learners to
  understand?
• Understanding Performances - How can learners
  develop and demonstrate understanding?
• Ongoing Assessment - How can we assess
  understanding?

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Generative Topics

• What topics are worth teaching?
• Connect required curriculum with students and
  teachers interests
• Provide multiple entry points
• Are central to one or more disciplines

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Understanding Goals

• What exactly do we want students to come to
  understand?
• Connect with standards or required curriculum
• Are made explicit and public
• Align with performances and assessment
• Focus on students understanding of discipline or
  topic, rather than recall of facts

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Understanding Performances

• How can understanding be developed and
  demonstrated?
• Require active engagement using multiple modes of
  learning and forms of expression
• Provide opportunities to work with knowledge
• Sequenced to ramp up understanding
• Align with goals and assessments

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Ongoing Assessment

• How can we assess and improve understanding?
• Makes criteria explicit and public
• Aligns with goals and performances
• Occurs frequently and from multiple sources
• Includes both formal and informal ways to assess
  student learning and inform teacher planning

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Putting TfU to Work
http//wideworld.pz.harvard.edu
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MyWIDE
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Collaborative Curriculum Design Tool

• common framework for instructional design
• visual, online workspace
• enables educators to co-create curriclum plans

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Plan lessons with elements of Teaching for
Understanding
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Attach files, add links, plan technology,
address standards
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Collaborate and communicate with colleagues and
coaches
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Publish Online and Print
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Take the JOURNEY
http//wideworld.pz.harvard.edu
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Join the CCDT Community
http//learnweb.harvard.edu/ccdt/join
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Questions Thanks!
Ann Koufman-Frederick koufman_at_post.harvard.edu Sh
annon Martin Croft croftsh_at_post.harvard.edu ht
tp//wideworld.pz.harvard.edu