Throughout the course of assignment 2, I feel as though I learned of the importance in the Backward Design Model that Wiggins & McTighe (2004) suggest in putting the learner first. I have found in the past with the constraints of the curriculum and the “must cover all aspects of the learning outcomes” centralizes a focus on completing this task as fast as possible to ensure that you cover everything. In British Columbia as a Grade 6/7 Teacher, there are far too many outcomes for one teacher to cover over the course of the year. As a result, one must be very selective of how they will do their very best to incorporate all of the outcomes into their teaching. Wiggins & McTighe (2004) have also given me the opportunity to assess how I as the teacher effectively deliver my lessons and whether I am focusing more on the teaching aspect then the learning aspect. Thinking with the end in mind first certainly makes more sense in terms of delivering lessons that focus more on the learning then the teaching.
In thinking of the collaborative process that Assignment 2 has afforded, I am reminded of the successes that I see in the collaborative process between my students and I over the course of the year. My partner for this assignment was as I am, very reflective on the process, and this is something that I work hard at instilling in my students throughout the course of the year. Reflective learners in my eyes are the ones who will be most receptive to the challenges they will face as 21st century learners.
Overall, I have found the learning that has gone on for myself throughout this assignment to be very rewarding and I have become more reflective of my best practices as a teacher and the need to be learner, knowledge, assessment and community centered (Anderson, 2008a) when ever I design interactions between myself and my students.