Chapter 1 Understanding Teaching
Objectives
At the end of this chapter, the learners should be able to:
►Define teaching according to different contexts
►Construct own definition of teaching; and
►Discuss possible applications of the Teaching for Understanding
framework, including generative topics overarching goals,
performances of understanding and ongoing assessment in one’s
future classroom.
Chapter 1 Understanding Teaching
Chapter 1 Understanding Teaching
The Teaching Profession:
An Overview
► Teaching is a noble profession
► It is a calling more than a commitment
► Teaching is an ideal profession
► Teaching produces something significant
► Teaching profession demands a total commitment to total
transformation
What is Teaching
►Teaching is an occupation
►Teaching may also mean the myriad of activities associated to
teaching
►Teaching is an act itself.
►Teaching is a process or set of actions to induce learning and
eventually to succeed in learning.
What is Teaching
► The purpose of teaching goes beyond memorizing facts and knowing all the
correct answers.
► Teaching lies in making learners truly understand the concepts under study.
► Teacher should know how to teach in the classroom.
► Teaching requires effective delivery of the course content.
► A teacher has become facilitator.
► A teacher needs to know his/her student’s interests, learning styles, and
background.
What is Teaching for Understanding (TfU)
Framework
Four Central Questions about Teaching TfU Elements Addressing
Each Question
1. What shall we teach? Generative Topics
2. What is worth understanding? Understanding Goals
3. How shall we teach for understanding? Understanding Performances
4. How can students and teacher know Ongoing Assessment
what student understand and how
students can develop deeper
understanding?
What is Teaching for Understanding (TfU)
Framework
►TfU framework is a set of general guidelines that provides
“optimal ambiguity” – there should be enough structure
and enough flexibility to serve classroom teachers’ needs.
►TfU serves as guide to focus educational practices on the
development of student understanding.
Generative Topics
►Generative topics are issues, themes, concepts, and ideas that provide
adequate depth, significance, connections, and variety of
perspectives to nurture students’ development in terms of powerful
understanding or discernment.
►Adding a theme to a given topic can help add new entry points into a
potentially challenging topic making it more accessible and
understandable to students.
Generative Topics
►Central to one or more domains or disciplines
►Interesting to students
►Interesting to the teacher
►Accessible
►Offer opportunities for multiple connections
Generative Topics
► Planning generative topics
►Brainstorming
►Creating idea webs
►Consultation
► Teaching generative topics
►Teachers should know what issues spark their students’ interests.
► Common questions about generative topics
►Generative topics can be taught across disciplines or even through a single
discipline or specific subject.
Understanding Goals
►Unit-sized goals are those goals appropriate to a given
topic
►Year-long overarching goals or throughlines are
compounded goals of short topics for the duration of a
school year. These describe the most important
understanding that learners should develop during an
entire course.
Understanding Goals
►Identifying Throughlines
►Planning Throughlines
Performances of Understanding
►These are activities that develop, express, and supplement the
students’ current understanding.
►Initial performances are usually simple. Overtime, the performances
of understanding transcend from simple to complex.
►These help students both develop and demonstrate their
understanding and execute practical applications.
Performances of Understanding
►Planning Performances of Understanding
►Introductory Performances
►Guided-inquiry performances
►Culminating performances
►Teaching with Performances of Understanding
►Teachers should be “floating coaches” who keep an
eye on the progress of the students.
Ongoing Assessment
►Performance / assessment of understanding and student
assessment go hand in hand.
►Teachers should provide feedback, learning criteria, and
opportunities for reflection throughout the instruction.
►Assessment that advances understanding has to be more than an
end-of-the-unit test.
Key Features of Ongoing Assessment
► Criteria established for each performance of understanding need to be:
► Clear
► Relevant
► Public
► Feedback needs to
► Occur frequently
► Offer students with information about how they might improve them
► Inform students about the intended subsequent classes and activities
► Come from a variety of perspective
Ongoing Assessment
►Planning Ongoing Assessment
►Teaching with Ongoing Assessment
►Common Questions about Ongoing Assessment
►Techniques to Manage Ongoing Assessment
►Difference between Performance of Understanding and
Ongoing Assessment
►Questions for Refining Ongoing Assessment
