Diving into more authentic learning topics, I’ll share some insights from Jay McTighe’s book “Teaching for Deeper Learning” which has some great ideas for making learning more meaningful.
One of the first concepts McTighe discusses is framing learning around big ideas. Curriculum experts advise prioritizing a smaller number of conceptually larger, transferable ideas because there is too much information to cover everything (which is why essential standards are important), and trying to do so results in superficial learning. Focusing on larger ideas enhances knowledge retention and application, which is crucial in our rapidly changing world.
One way to reimagine how we plan units is to think of them as “A Study In…” some concept or big idea. McTighe gives these examples:
- Argument Writing: A Study in Craftsmanship
- Impressionism: A Study in Revolution
- The Four Seasons: A Study in Change
- The Pentagon Papers: A Study in Deception
- Four Films by Hitchcock: A Study in Obsession
- Weight Training: A Study in Proper Technique
- Whole Numbers: A Study in Rules and Relationships
This is a very different way of thinking about unit planning, and it would be a great conversation for teachers, coaches, and principals as we begin another school year.
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