Part 2
The transformation I would like to see my students make is to see geography, and human geography specifically, as an interactive process. Whether we are studying population, migration, ethnicity, or politics they should be able to apply aspects of geographic content knowledge to understand how these processes affect society.
The facets of understanding by design that will be most important to this process are students’ differentiation between knowledge and understanding, overcoming the expert blind spot, and the students’ display of their understanding. Wiggins and McTighe differentiate aspects of knowledge (i.e. facts, right vs. wrong, and response on cue) with understanding (i.e. meaning, the use of theory, and judgment) to gauge a person’s transformation in a content area. It will be essential to use the same standards within my classroom.
I can teach a student to memorize a definition, find something on a map, or repeat main ideas, however to make this subject truly interactive I will have to go beyond simple knowledge and have students find deep meaning in the area of human geography. Another complicated aspect of this process will be my ability to overcome what Wiggins and McTighe call the expert blind spot. This is the first time our school will be offering a class in human geography and it may be difficult for me to understand my own students’ lack of understanding. Therefore, as Wiggins and McTighe contend, I must provide clear and concise core ideas for my students, identify the key questions that my students will need to ask, and identify their misconceptions about the subject matter. Through these steps, understanding my own students’ difficulty with the subject matter can be achieved. Later in this section the question of student assessment will be discussed.[i]
Now that difficulties in understanding have been identified, I must develop the skills that I would like my students to possess by the end of this class. Through the integration of differentiated instruction, identification and documentation of current research, and the inclusion of modern technology as assistive devices, I believe I will be able to accomplish the goal of having my students view human geography as interactive. By providing a multitude of learning strategies, every student in the class will be able to benefit through their particular learning style and see different topics from many angles. Heath and Heath convey, “The trick for convincing students they need our message, according to Loewenstein, is to first highlight some specific knowledge they are missing. You can pose a question or puzzle that confronts them with a gap in their knowledge.”[ii] Therefore, the way to make students feel integrated into the material they are learning is to put them in situations where they are solving the issues they are currently studying. To continue on this thread, students will need to be well informed on the topics they are studying if they are expected to fill in the gaps. Through the use of our vast library resources and current topics students will have to explore and document articles and other available resources to help them make their own conclusions. As a way to help them search, document, and share this information, students will need the use of assistive technology to bring everything together. Through the integration of iPads students can use applications such as GoogleDrive, multimedia outlets, and geographic tools to help them fill in the gaps to the essential questions and ideas posed in this human geography course.
I would like to now turn to the importance of assessment in understanding as stated by Wiggins and McTighe. Though the use of common assessments such as reading quizzes, content tests and essays can be important to checking for knowledge and will be used in this class, it does not fit with my transformational goal of helping students understand human geography by having them fill in gaps and overcoming a problem. Wiggins and McTighe argue, “Evidence of understanding that is transferable involves assessing for students' capacity to use their knowledge thoughtfully and to apply it effectively in diverse settings—that is, to do the subject.”[iii] In this class the overall goal is to make human geography interactive, therefore the major assessments should relate to figuring out and presenting information on current topics. Presenting each assessment as a step in answering a larger question will allow students to consider the information that has been provided for them and their own research to help fill in the gaps of their knowledge. As an example, I would like the major question for assessment in the class to be, “What is the greatest issue facing the human species in the 21st century?” This question is relevant to the learner, will force them to consider such topics as population, migration, and politics, but will also require them to do their own research as they steadily narrow down the possibilities. Through the use of assistive technology provided through iPads, students can share their work and use a multitude of applications and programs to complete this task.
The facets of understanding by design that will be most important to this process are students’ differentiation between knowledge and understanding, overcoming the expert blind spot, and the students’ display of their understanding. Wiggins and McTighe differentiate aspects of knowledge (i.e. facts, right vs. wrong, and response on cue) with understanding (i.e. meaning, the use of theory, and judgment) to gauge a person’s transformation in a content area. It will be essential to use the same standards within my classroom.
I can teach a student to memorize a definition, find something on a map, or repeat main ideas, however to make this subject truly interactive I will have to go beyond simple knowledge and have students find deep meaning in the area of human geography. Another complicated aspect of this process will be my ability to overcome what Wiggins and McTighe call the expert blind spot. This is the first time our school will be offering a class in human geography and it may be difficult for me to understand my own students’ lack of understanding. Therefore, as Wiggins and McTighe contend, I must provide clear and concise core ideas for my students, identify the key questions that my students will need to ask, and identify their misconceptions about the subject matter. Through these steps, understanding my own students’ difficulty with the subject matter can be achieved. Later in this section the question of student assessment will be discussed.[i]
Now that difficulties in understanding have been identified, I must develop the skills that I would like my students to possess by the end of this class. Through the integration of differentiated instruction, identification and documentation of current research, and the inclusion of modern technology as assistive devices, I believe I will be able to accomplish the goal of having my students view human geography as interactive. By providing a multitude of learning strategies, every student in the class will be able to benefit through their particular learning style and see different topics from many angles. Heath and Heath convey, “The trick for convincing students they need our message, according to Loewenstein, is to first highlight some specific knowledge they are missing. You can pose a question or puzzle that confronts them with a gap in their knowledge.”[ii] Therefore, the way to make students feel integrated into the material they are learning is to put them in situations where they are solving the issues they are currently studying. To continue on this thread, students will need to be well informed on the topics they are studying if they are expected to fill in the gaps. Through the use of our vast library resources and current topics students will have to explore and document articles and other available resources to help them make their own conclusions. As a way to help them search, document, and share this information, students will need the use of assistive technology to bring everything together. Through the integration of iPads students can use applications such as GoogleDrive, multimedia outlets, and geographic tools to help them fill in the gaps to the essential questions and ideas posed in this human geography course.
I would like to now turn to the importance of assessment in understanding as stated by Wiggins and McTighe. Though the use of common assessments such as reading quizzes, content tests and essays can be important to checking for knowledge and will be used in this class, it does not fit with my transformational goal of helping students understand human geography by having them fill in gaps and overcoming a problem. Wiggins and McTighe argue, “Evidence of understanding that is transferable involves assessing for students' capacity to use their knowledge thoughtfully and to apply it effectively in diverse settings—that is, to do the subject.”[iii] In this class the overall goal is to make human geography interactive, therefore the major assessments should relate to figuring out and presenting information on current topics. Presenting each assessment as a step in answering a larger question will allow students to consider the information that has been provided for them and their own research to help fill in the gaps of their knowledge. As an example, I would like the major question for assessment in the class to be, “What is the greatest issue facing the human species in the 21st century?” This question is relevant to the learner, will force them to consider such topics as population, migration, and politics, but will also require them to do their own research as they steadily narrow down the possibilities. Through the use of assistive technology provided through iPads, students can share their work and use a multitude of applications and programs to complete this task.
[i] Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, “Chapter 2: Understanding Understanding,” Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, accessed on June 28, 2013, http://punya.educ.msu.edu/summer/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/understanding-understandingch2.pdf.
[ii] Chip Heath and Dan Heath, “Teaching That Sticks,” (Random House, 2007), 4.
[iii] Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, “Chapter 2: Understanding Understanding,” Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, accessed on June 28, 2013, http://punya.educ.msu.edu/summer/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/understanding-understandingch2.pdf., 12.
[ii] Chip Heath and Dan Heath, “Teaching That Sticks,” (Random House, 2007), 4.
[iii] Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, “Chapter 2: Understanding Understanding,” Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, accessed on June 28, 2013, http://punya.educ.msu.edu/summer/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/understanding-understandingch2.pdf., 12.