UBD/DI Chapter 1

The first chapter of Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design gives a really clear definition of the concepts mentioned in the title. It also explains to us the significance of these two methods of educating, as they are both currently being widely discussed, and are seen as practical and logical in the classroom. These methods are seemingly an effective way to combat the learning standards and accountability tests that teachers feel are “impoverishing” (p.1) their students. Understanding by Design (UbD) is set up to not only give students the information that they need, but also allowing them to use their minds and actually understand the information complexly. Differentiated Instruction (DI) plays into it by having the teachers using understanding by design to alter bits of the lesson to cater to the diverse learners in their classes. 

These together address a huge challenge to today’s teacher, which is, they say, “crafting a powerful curriculum in a standards-dominated era and ensuring success for the full spectrum of learners.) (p.2). The two techniques are reliant upon each other, because each of them attend to one of the four elements of teaching: “whom they teach (students), where they teach (learning environment), what they teach (content), and how they teach (instruction)” (p.2). UbD, of course, addresses what we’re teaching and how it is done, as it is used to effectively deliver both information and understanding, while DI is about the whom and where, as it is about knowing your students and instructing to their individual needs. These two tactics seem incredibly necessary to deal with these problems of teaching to tests, and of teaching to a diverse classroom of learners. They also encourage student exploration, and relevant assessments that also to gauge a real comprehension, rather than just empty memorization.