Module One Discussion

While there were many great ideas that I gleamed from the weekly readings, three of

these ideas stuck out the most to me. The first idea that I found to stick out was in the Unger

1994 article, in which it suggests finding relevance in the content and applying this in the

instruction, lessons, and activities (Unger, 1994, p. 1). A second idea that I found in the readings

was in the Ermeling, Hiebert & Gallimore 2015 article, was that a move from best practices

towards Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and more effective practices; as this will benefit

more students within the learning environment (Ermeling, Hiebert & Gallimore, 2015, p. 50).

The third idea that I found in the weekly readings was in the Klemm 2015 article, in which it

describes learning as more than just understanding; which is a concept that I work diligently to

incorporate into lessons and activities in my classroom (Klemm, 2015). Even though there were

other great ideas contained within the readings, these three ideas stuck out the most to me, as

these have influenced the way I design and deliver lessons within the classroom.

When reading the articles, I began connecting several of these concepts to my

experiences in education, and it allowed me to see assess my current teaching practices in my

classroom. Relevance is one aspect that I have started to place more emphasis on in my

classroom this semester, as I am working on designing lessons that are relevant and that teach

skills for students to use inside and outside of the classroom. This year, I am using an online

curriculum for my group of students, and have found that implementing UDL lessons within my

history courses has increased student motivation and engagement. I am currently trying to

implement UDL in other subject areas that I teach, as this is a process that I would like to see

implemented more in my school and district. Understanding content information still remains a

goal of each educator, however, I believe in taking this a step further and combining it with
application. Combining understanding and application about a lesson, skill, or activity allows for

more meaningful learning to take place. While there were other connections that I could make

with past and current experiences, these are currently some of the most relevant connections that

I employ in my teaching.

While the readings and materials covered many different aspects and questions that I

have regarding many topics within education, there are still some questions and concerns that

were unanswered. The biggest question that I have remaining revolves around changing view

points on best practices, and that is how can this type of thinking be implemented across schools

more effectively? Despite best intentions, it can be very challenging for all educators to change

perspectives from best practices to effective approaches in a short amount of time. The topic this

week has allowed me to evaluate my current practices and see aspects where I can make

improvements and adjustments.

References

Ermeling, B.A., Hiebert, J. & Gallimore, R. (2015). “Best practice”—The enemy of better

teaching. Educational Leadership, 72(8), p. 50.

Klemm, W.R. (2015). Understanding/synthesis. Conference handout presented at the annual

meeting of Learning and the Brain Conference San Francisco, CA.

Unger, C. (1994). What teaching for understanding looks like. Educational Leadership, 51, p. 1.