I did not go to school to be a teacher...at least not initially. My focus was on journalism, mass media, and all things MarCom. I was a Communication major who was fortunate to land some great jobs with the local CBS station and several radio stations as a college student at McMurry University in Abilene, Texas.
Teaching came into view about 3 years after graduation. I'm not sure if my professors planned my classes and lessons with UbD in mind, but they certainly gave me some transfer goals that worked well moving from a career in journalism to a career in education. These include: Knowing my audience, writing with intentionality & in a non-editorialized manner, getting to the point and heart of a story, flexibility, and working within a set timeframe to acoomplish a specific individual or group goal.
As I thought of my course design for 5313, and my greater INNOVATION PLAN, I began with the end in mind, just as I would in producing a news report or lesson plan. I had to ponder what I wanted to accomplish for my organization and for the individual learner. In a newsroom, this is how we planned a newscast. In the classroom, this is how I planned a Unit. I see the 3-Column Chart vs. my UbD Plan play vital, but very different roles. . In planning for the overall purpose and goal of my project and innovation plan, Fink's (2003) 3-column table helps set the overall guidlines. In planning for the individual lessons to be taught and learner's goals to accomplish, planning with UbD allows for a deeper level of planning and intentionality. Overall, in order to achieve the goals set forth in the 3-Column Chart, I'd be looking, at a minimum of 9 classes, conducted a month apart, created by using the UbD Planning Template.
References
Bowen, R. S. (2017). Understanding by Design. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Retrieved Dec. 1, 2023 from https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/understanding-by-design/
Fink, L. D. (2003). Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach to designing college courses. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Wiggins, G., & Mctighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design, Expanded 2nd Edition. Danvers, MA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
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