Chap 1

• An ideal teacher is described as someone who is dedicated, committed, and capable of total transformation in the teaching profession
• Teaching is defined as an occupation, a set of actions to induce learning, and a process to succeed in learning
• Teaching goes beyond memorizing facts and correct answers, focusing on making learners truly understand concepts under study
• Teaching for Understanding (TfU) framework includes:

  • Generative Topics
  • Understanding Goals
  • Understanding Performances
  • Ongoing Assessment
• Generative topics are central to one or more domains, interesting to students and teachers, accessible, and offer opportunities for multiple connections
• Understanding Goals in the TfU framework include unit-sized goals appropriate to a given topic and year-long overarching goals describing the most important understanding learners should develop during an entire course
• Performances of Understanding are activities that develop, express, and supplement students' current understanding, starting from simple to complex over time
• Ongoing Assessment in the TfU framework involves performance/assessment of understanding and student assessment going hand in hand, providing feedback, learning criteria, and opportunities for reflection throughout the instruction
• Key features of Ongoing Assessment include:

  • Criteria established for each performance of understanding need to be clear, relevant, and public
  • Feedback needs to occur frequently, offer students information on improvement, inform about subsequent classes and activities, and come from a variety of perspectives