Provocative and Reflective

PROVOCATIVE AND REFLECTIVE

If we have identified results and appropriate evidence of understanding,  we should   discuss and think  about  the most suitable  instructional activities to accomplish  the objectives . If we have clearly  recognized  the goals we want to achieve, we could focus  our planning  on  effective and engaging  activities  which make our students feel  committed and motivated  with their  own learning. Easy to write ; hard to get.( like an advertisement ).

According to these beloved authors, the best designs have to be engaging  and effective , promoting challenges , self reflection  and productive work .  They  have to consider not only the cognitive  development  of skills, but also the emotional engagement .Both aspects are relevant  to increase curiosity and  foster  intellectual efforts  to reach understanding. If we are oriented to create fascinating designs which encourage   reflection and enjoyment,  we could  stimulate our  learners´ critical and creative thinking. For this purpose, we have to identify those learning experiences which enable students to achieve  the desire results. , we have to take into account some key elements when planning  instructional activities. Wiggings and McTighe  help us  with the WHERETO  idea which offers a set of tools  that  indicates how students can get actively involved in  the process of achieving understanding.

Finally, I believe that,  committed  and motivated teachers are required   to make  decisions oriented to encourage  thinking and emotional abilities, using  fascinating and powerful  Educational designs.  

  

Facts and Skills

Repeating, memorizing, naming, recognizing and so on are common objectives 

related with learning and teaching  any content. Although they are parts of

the process, they just represent the first step for achieving understanding.

Nobody can deny the importance of these concepts, however, learning

something requires more than that. It implies to go beyond the given

information in order to build mental constructions which allow us to connect

the outside events with our personal lives.

 How could we go beyond information to foster deep and long lasting

understanding? Perhaps, if we consider not only the facts of a discipline, but

also the development of skills underlying those concepts, we could promote

long term learning   and more profound understanding.

 According to Wiggins and McTighe,  big ideas  are considered key concepts

that give meaning and connection to facts and skills. This belief implies to

count with teachers, students,  parents, administrators, program designers  

who are willing to innovate and take risks.  If there are no honest efforts to

make progress in Education, it will  go on being  a passive observation of

isolated pieces of knowledge.