Teaching+for+Understanding


 * What Is Teaching for Understanding?

To understand is to make sense of what one knows, to be able to know why it’s so, and to have the ability to use it in various situations and contexts (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005). “Any curriculum aiming for student understanding requires** [|uncoverage] **of the material – inquiring into, around, and underneath content instead of simply covering it” (Wiggins & McTighe, 1998, p. 98). “Designing lessons for understanding begins with what we want students to be able to do and proceeds to the evidence we will accept that they have learned it” (Brandt in //Understanding by Design//, p. vi).

Articles** [|Teaching for Understanding] By David Perkins**
 * //American Educator: The Professional Journal of the American Federation of Teachers,// Fall 1993

[|Put Understanding First] By Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe**
 * //Educational Leadership,// May 2008

[|Understanding by Design and Random Acts of Learning] By Greg Farr**
 * //Big Ideas,// November 2007

[|Review of the Unschooled Mind:How Children Think and How Schools Should Teach] By Beth Krasemann**
 * //Big Ideas,// August 2007

[|Teaching for Understanding]
 * //Educational Leadership,// February 1994 - Theme

For Discussion:**

What does teaching for understanding look like?

Do teachers in your school work in collaborative teams to intentionally plan learning experiences that aim for student understanding of key concepts and skills?

What are the barriers to teaching for understanding?

Are some concepts more important than others? How do teachers in your school make decisions about what is worth teaching for introduction and what is worth teaching for understanding?

Educators are welcome to share their experiences, articles related to this topic or modify the existing page.