Backwards Design for Skill Mastery in the Middle Grades

Backwards Design for Skill Mastery

in the Middle GradesTim Corkran

timcorkran@gmail.comhttp://middleschoolskills.blogspot.com/

Essential Questions for this Session

Why is middle school a crucial age for development of core academic skills?

What is the experience of middle schoolers when they master skills?

When you prioritize skill mastery, how do you avoid marginalizing content mastery?

What will middle schoolers do when you empower them with skills??

What is this Session About

The value of a skill-centered curriculum for the middle grades

The basics of Backwards Design

How to scaffold skill development in your units so that your students master skills and use them to do engaging activities

How to balance skill and content mastery

What is this Session is not About

Developing the 21st century skillsCritical thinking and problem solving Communication Collaboration and leadershipCreativity and innovationTechnology fluency Character

Essential Questions for this Session

Why is middle school a crucial age for development of core academic skills?

What is the experience of middle schoolers when they master skills?

When you prioritize skill mastery, how do you avoid marginalizing content mastery?

What will middle schoolers do when you empower them with skills??

Essential Question #1

Why is middle school a crucial age for development of core academic skills?

Essential Question #1

Why is middle school a crucial age for development of core academic skills?

Develop important abilities that will ensure success in high schoolSkills are abilities that get applied, abilities in action- and action is what this age student is all about. Active skill development really suits their nature at this ageNot so much for what they will do, but for the process they will undergo as they master these skills what they need to feel fulfilled and their instincts honored at this time in their livesSkill mastery = autonomy, ability to perform, independence, a chance to show what you can do. What more does a middle schooler want?

Principals of Backwards design

The backward design process of Wiggins & McTighe begins with the end in mind: One starts with the end - the desired results (goals or standards) - and then derives the curriculum from the evidence of learning (performances) called for by the standard and the teaching needed to equip students to perform (Wiggins and McTighe, 2000, page 8).

The Backwards Design process involves teachers planning in 3 stages, each with a focusing question Stage 1 - What is worthy and requiring of understanding?

Stage 2 - What is evidence of understanding?

Stage 3 - What learning experiences and teaching promote understanding, interest and excellence?

Skill HierarchyPrimary Skill

Subsidiary Skill #1

Subsidiary Skill #1.1

Subsidiary Skill #1.2

Subsidiary Skill #2

Subsidiary Skill #2.1

Subsidiary Skill #2.2

Core Academic SkillsDefinition: A core academic skill or Primary Skill is a multi-faceted ability of which a class will facilitate mastery

Examples: Language Arts: make a coherent written or oral argument that supports an original thesisMath: solve and create word problemsScience: formulate and answer a single variable question using the scientific methodModern Language: feel comfortable engaging a native speaker in simple conversationVisual Art: express original ideas in a medium of one’s choiceSocial Studies: research and clearly present- visually, orally, or in written form- thorough understanding of the facts and significance of an historical event.

Primary Skills

Write down one primary academic skill that the teaching of your subject will impart to students this year.

(think about: what is the real value of your class for skill development in students? )

Demonstrating Mastery of Primary Skills

Write down one activity or project or assessment that your students could do that the successful completion of would demonstrate that they have mastered this primary skill

I call this a Mastery Demonstration Activity- something we can define as any activity which the successful completion of requires mastery of the skill or skills in question

Essential Question #2

What is the experience of middle schoolers when they master skills?

Essential Question #2

What is the experience of middle schoolers when they master skills?

They feel proud of what they have doneThey feel excited to share what they have doneThey feel in control of their workThey feel attached to the curriculumThe experience a sense of ownership, control, and pride, autonomy

Backwards Design for Skill Mastery modifies the original

steps of Backwards Design and adds two more

Stage 1 - What primary skill do you want the students to be able to show mastery of?

Stage 2 - What activity will they perform in which they will demonstrate mastery of this skill?

Stage 3 - What are the subsidiary skills they need to master first to successfully perform this activity?

Stage 4 - For each subsidiary skill, what activity will students perform to demonstrate mastery of it?

Stage 5 - What content can be covered as they engage in these activities?

Skill Hierarchy

Primary Skill:

Subsidiary Skill #1

Subsidiary Skill #1.1

Subsidiary Skill #1.2

Subsidiary Skill #2

Subsidiary Skill #2.1

Subsidiary Skill #2.2

Subsidiary Skills

Definition: Subsidiary Skills are those skills which students master and then utilize to show mastery of a primary skill

Examples:Math: determining the variable in a word problemScience: accurate measurement with a rulerLanguage Arts: formulating a clear thesis statementSocial Studies: citing a sourceVisual art: shading in two dimensional art

Subsidiary Skills

Brainstorm a list of the skills which students must have already mastered to actually perform this core skill with autonomy.

(think about skills they have learned in your class- or other classes- already that were subsidiary- coming before- they were ready to perform the core skill)

If you have time, put them in a hierarchical list from most complex at top to most simple at bottom

Primary Skill:__________

Subsidiary Skill #1_____________

Subsidiary Skill #1.1

____________

Subsidiary Skill #1.2

___________

Subsidiary Skill #2__________

Subsidiary Skill #2.1

___________

Subsidiary Skill #2.2

___________

Primary Skill:__________

Mastery Demonstration Activity__________________

Subsidiary Skill #1_____________

Mastery Demonstration Activity__________________

Subsidiary Skill #1.1____________

Mastery Demonstration Activity

__________________

Subsidiary Skill #1.2___________

Mastery Demonstration Activity

__________________

Subsidiary Skill #2__________

Mastery Demonstration Activity__________________

Subsidiary Skill #2.1___________

Mastery Demonstration Activity

__________________

Subsidiary Skill #2.2___________

Mastery Demonstration Activity

__________________

Planning tools

Mind Map on the web: www.mindmup.com/

Inspiration

Essential Question #3

When you prioritize skill mastery, how do you avoid marginalizing content mastery?

Essential Question #4

What will middle schoolers do when you empower them with skills??

Backwards Design for Skill Mastery

in the Middle GradesTim Corkran

timcorkran@gmail.comhttp://middleschoolskills.blogspot.com/