Road Trip with No Map

Road Trip with No Map 

The concept of Backward Design has been repeatedly discussed throughout the many education courses I have taken.  It seems to me, that this process of understanding where you are going is the only ethical and reasonable method of proceeding through any task.  In the world of education, clear goals and understanding the reasoning for an end result not only guide a student’s progression, but they also keep individual tasks or activities in perspective which assists and enriches the learning process.

For example, one would most likely not embark on a road trip without a clear understanding of a destination in mind.  Without knowing where to go, the journey would be a blind attempt to reach the unknown.  With a set destination, one can check a road map to assure they are on the correct path towards where they want to be.  This same concept can be applied to instruction planning.

A backward design approach to teaching allows for instructors to use mandated standards to create a framework for instruction.  By using standards, teachers can then establish the desired goals and provide students with essential questions that will help guide their understanding of key concepts, specific knowledge, and the skills they will learn throughout a lesson or unit.  Therefore, standards provide a sort of destination and the teacher needs to decide which path to take.

This path that the teacher chooses is where differentiated and meaningful instruction guide learners toward the desired goals.  Through established acceptable evidence of progress, teachers can plan proper instruction that clearly indicates student comprehension and also assess the need for redirection.