Deciding What to Teach & Test: Developing, Aligning, and Leading the Curriculum, by Fenwick

W. English
Chapter 1 Notes

While curriculum is often decided by the state (those in power), it does not often match
the state- or nation-mandated tests (English, p. 9, 2010).
The main purpose of curriculum is to focus teaching, connect teachers from different
areas, and providing a framework for teachers to work within (English, p. 11, 2010).
Socioeconomic level is one of the biggest factors in a schools testing success level, but
this factor decreases if teachers teach to the test, (English , p. 15, 2010).
Teaching to the test has developed negative connotations, but it is not a bad thing to do;
in fact, it is logical since the state-administered tests are what rate a school (English, p.
22, 2010).
Three requirements for a curriculum are that it provides for consistency, continuity, and
flexibility in the classroom (English, p. 33, 2010).

Understanding by Design, by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe

Chapter 1 Notes

Lessons designed in a backwards manner deciding what student outcomes are desired
first, then working backwards through activities and lesson plans are more effective for
achieving results (Wiggins & McTighe, p. 14, 2005).
This backwards design would encourage teachers to rely less upon a textbook and more
upon outside activities (Wiggins & McTighe, p. 15, 2005).
Using activity-based teaching is ineffective if clear learning goals havent been
established (Wiggins & McTighe, p. 20-21, 2005).
State standards should be used to review curriculum in a self-assessment that all teachers,
both new and veteran, should engage in (Wiggins & McTighe, p. 27, 2005).
With backward design lesson planning, textbooks may be relied upon less and less, which
will shift [them] from being the primary resource to a support (Wiggins & McTighe, p.
33, 2005).

Chapter 2 Notes

Understanding and knowing are not identical; understanding causes us to use

judgment, drawing upon skill and knowledge to meet a challenge (Wiggins & McTighe,
p. 39, 2005).
The ability to transfer information is important, and gives an indication of a students
understanding (or lack of understanding). Transferring knowledge is taking information
obtained in one setting and applying it in an entirely new manner (Wiggins & McTighe,
p. 40, 2005).

In order to ensure transference and understanding, designing lesson plans around big
ideas enables students to learn in a more effective and efficient manner (Wiggins &
McTighe, p. 44, 2005).
The Expert Blind Spot is something that all educators fall victim to. Although teachers
may cover something more than adequately, we sometimes fail to realize that simply
teaching something does not ensure understanding from the students perspective
(Wiggins & McTighe, p. 45, 2005).
To gain evidence of our students understanding, we should consider testing in a different
manner, because the multiple choice, recall method we currently use does not indicate a
true grasp of the content or the ability to transfer learning (Wiggins & McTighe, p. 49,
2005).
Misunderstanding is not ignorance (Wiggins & McTighe, p. 51, 2005). This is an
important note, because students become as frustrated as teachers when they dont
understand something. If a student lacks the knowledge to do what the teacher is asking,
they will grow frustrated and less willing to work.

Chapter 3 Notes

Long-term goals are crucial to planning; what should the students understand by the end
of the unit, what can/should be left out, what can/should be included all of these are
important to developing a unit that effectively teaches students (Wiggins & McTighe, p.
58, 2005).
Particularly in secondary education, teachers sometimes ask for students to complete a
task that they may or may not have taught the students how to complete (Wiggins &
McTighe, p. 59, 2005). For example, asking students to create a PowerPoint for a project
is common, but how many actually teach how to make a PowerPoint? This ties back to
the Expert Blind Spot mentioned last chapter.
Focusing on the big idea enables a unit to be successful, much like using long-term goals
to plan helps enable success. Students must grasp the structure of an idea in order to best
understand the idea at its core (Wiggins & McTighe, p. 68, 2005).
Teachers need to be cautious not to assume that students immediately grasp the big idea
or concept being explored. The example in the book likens it to the fable, The Emperors
New Clothes. This is an accurate analogy; while to teachers and professionals, the big
idea immediately pops out, to students, it may and probably will take much more time
and coaxing before the big idea becomes apparent (Wiggins & McTighe, p. 75, 2005).

Chapter 4 Notes

Empathy has always been a desirable trait. However, chapter 4 suggests that [a] failure
to understand interpersonally typically involves a failure to consider or imagine there
being different points of view (Wiggins & McTighe, p. 83, 2005). Empathy can
enhance both a students ability to learn and a teachers ability to teach.
It is important to let students struggle through some things on their own, in order to
develop their own interpretations of a text (Wiggins & McTighe, p. 91-92, 2005). As an

English teacher, I especially found this noteworthy, because there are no hard-and-fast
rules in literature. Everything is open to interpretation, as long as there is support for that
interpretation.
Students should not be subjected to frivolous or fanciful problems. They relate better to
problems that have immediately grasped real world implications (Wiggins & McTighe, p.
94, 2005).
Tying into the empathy note mentioned earlier, it is important for students to develop
their own perspectives. These perspectives should be unique to them; there may be
contributions from parents, friends, and teachers, but their worldview should be
something that develops through their own understanding of the material (Wiggins &
McTighe, p. 96, 2005).