The role of instructional planning in the process of teaching should not be underestimated. The primary aim of the teacher is to adhere to the curriculum and employ all necessary strategies and methods to provide students with the lesson that is maximally useful. The planning is directly connected with the definition of the learning opportunities of pupils. The purpose of the instructional planning is to set the goals that should be achieved and the ways for their accomplishment. The value of instructional planning lays in the fact that every teacher should be prepared for all activities that will be conducted in the class. Although there are different types of planning, all of them have the typical essential structure.
Thus, the teacher should define the objectives of any lesson. Then, it is necessary to clarify resources and materials that will be used. The next element is the description of all class activities. The home assignment comes next. Finally, every lesson planning should end with the assessment as far as it is the significant part of the teaching process. Hunter’s model includes seven essential steps for the lesson while Common Core aligned instructional plan adapts the lesson planning to the state standards of education. Despite these facts, the understanding by design should be regarded as the most efficient instructional plan because it represents the modern approach to teaching with the emphasis on three-stage backward design.
One of the most widespread and famous models was developed by Madeline Cheek Hunter. Hunter was a teacher and psychologist. Madeline Hunter introduced hew vision of the teaching process. Thus, she considered that teachers always faced the decision-making processes. These processes concern three primary areas. The first area is content or what should be taught. The second aspect is instruction or the way content is to be taught. The third component is learning that reflects the necessary knowledge and skills that students have to acquire (Gouwens, 2009).
Hunter created a seven-step plan. Regardless of the level of education, every teacher should follow all steps. The first thing to do is to activate prior knowledge of children. Then, he or she has to define the objectives. Instructional input and modeling come next, and these are the parts where teacher represents new information and explain the ways of its demonstrating. Checking for understanding and guided practice are the following constituents of the lesson plan. The independent practice or the homework is the last step in the Hunter’s lesson plan (Madeline Hunter’s Lesson Plan n.d.).
As far as this plan was one of the first, it had undergone numerous modifications. However, it became the basis for the teaching practice for a long time. The unique element of this plan is anticipatory set. Common Core and understanding by design lessons plans do not define this significant component. The Gradual Release of Responsibility Model is present in the plan under analysis to some extent. Thus, the teacher shows the usage of new skills and knowledge. However, the guided instructions part of the model is not defined in Hunter’s model. According to it, the teacher should assist students in doing the task if they make mistakes. The work with the teacher and between students is combined in the model. The teacher should assess students on the basis of their activity at class. If they have demonstrated necessary mastery, the teacher has to give the corresponding homework. The instructional plan stimulates students’ critical thinking by their gradual involvement in the process of learning.
The New York State Educational Department aimed at modeling the lesson plan that would meet the requirements predetermined by the Common Core Standards. The Common Core is a combination of academic standards in such subjects as English language arts and literacy and Mathematics. This governmental initiative has been established to enhance the learning abilities of pupils. The aim of the Common Core is to promote the high-quality education (About the Common Core State Standards n.d.). Common Core aligned lesson plans vary due to the different approaches to teaching ELA and Mathematics. However, every teacher defines the objectives of the lesson (Common Core Aligned Lesson Plan Template n.d.). The guided practice and adjust instruction presuppose the conducting of various activities. The assessment is formative.
The distinctive element of this plan is monitoring. First, teacher controls the engagement of student while presenting new information. Second, teacher evaluates the level of understanding of pupils. Formative assessment is a tool for necessary guidance in studying (Lefrancios, 2013). This type of assessment is included in the Common Core instructional plan. The Gradual Release of Responsibility Model is presented better in this model than in the previous one. All four stages are clearly defined in the lesson plan template. As far as there are specially designed plans for different subjects and study levels, the approaches to enhancing of critical thinking vary depending on the subject.
Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe have introduced understanding by design (UbD) lesson plan model. It is a modern template for lesson planning that aims at promoting students’ understanding. Besides, the model presupposes that the effective curriculum should be designed backward with the help of three stages. These steps comprise the lesson plan. The desired results are the first phase. The objectives are defined here. The second phase is the assessment evidence, and the third one — learning plan (Understanding by Design — Backwards Design Process, n.d.).
This lesson template differs from others significantly. Besides objectives, there are essential questions that should be answered in the process of studying. However, the teacher’s monitoring of all procedures is not mentioned in the plan. The Gradual Release of Responsibility Model is presented there to some extent as well. All necessary components of the model are shifted in the scheme. I should admit that the assessment is described in UbD model better than in previous models. The second stage is fully devoted to the appropriate assessment. The plan has all necessary features for the development of students’ critical thinking as well. Thus, it contains the authentic, performance-based tasks and includes informal methods of teaching.
In my opinion, the UbD — backward design lesson template is the best in comparison to Hunter’s model and Common Core aligned lesson template. The backward design represents a new vision of the lesson planning. The primary strength of the plan is the enhanced attention to the assessment evidence. Thus, the evaluation of students’ understanding is central to this planning. One way to make UbD more efficient is to use modern technologies in the process of studying. Teachers should take advantage of the fact that the current generation of students is technological. The other way of improvement is to follow the notion of “six facets” correctly (Roth, 2007). Six facets is a part of the lesson plan that presupposes that all pupils should have the ability to interpret, explain, emphasize, shift perspective, apply, and conduct self-assessment.
References
About the Common Core State Standards. (n.d.). Web.
Common Core Aligned Lesson Plan Template. (n.d.). Web.
Gouwens, J. (2009). Education in Crisis. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
Lefrancios, G. (2013). Of Learning and Assessment. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
Madeline Hunter’s Lesson Plan. (n.d.). Web.
Roth, D. (2007). Understanding by Design: A Framework for Effecting Curricular Development and Assessment. CBE-Life Science Education, 6(2), 95-97.
Understanding by Design — Backwards Design Process [Image]. (n.d.). Web.