The learning intention is to use the “I can” language to help students understand the learning goals and expectations. For example, the new B.C. Curriculum lists “force of gravity” as part of the content for grade 7 Science, and has “compare data with predictions and develop explanations for results” as part of the curricular competencies. If one decides to incorporate these two together, one can write the learning intention as “I can explain why does the weight scale show differently when we measure different objects”. Such language ensures that students can understand the learning goals more clearly. Moreover, the language itself is also very encouraging; it shifts from a demanding tone to a proactive and confident tone.

The backward design ensures that we, as teachers, remember the purpose of the lesson(s) throughout lesson planning. It requires teachers to answer questions such as “who are the students”, “what can/can’t they do”, and “what do they need”. Knowing the purpose and methods to assess, it is clearer for teachers to know whether students have achieved the expectations. Deciding on the learning intention and assessment of a lesson plan before going into details about the procedure and class activities makes better sense to me since it leaves some room for flexibility and student’s inquiry.

“Plan is nothing. Planning is everything.” Dwight D. Eisenhower

The idea of universal of learning is one of my favorites. It promotes multiple means of representation, expression, and engagement, which allows students to learn and express themselves in unique ways. For instance, if my goal is to teach a historical event, then my assessment should be the understanding of the historical event. And maybe expand it to students’ ability to connect the event with their own experiences. Thus, student’s ability to write with correct grammar should not be my concern. Students can choose to write an essay, present the story through acting or storytelling, or illustrate the event with visual arts etc. The idea of universal of learning respects each student’s uniqueness and creativity.