How many times a day do we plan by beginning with the end in mind?  Whenever you leave the house you know where you're going, what time you have to be there, and what you are supposed to do when you get there.  You decide whether to walk, ride a bike, take the car or catch a plane.  When you arrive, you know immediately if you did what you planned to do.   But what if you didn't begin with the end in mind?

Building a house is the perfect example of how the kind and quality of our planning  can make all the difference.  

Scene 1:  You have an idea of what your house should look like but no real blueprints.  You've got a lot of friends that will help, so you all gather together for the big event.  Let's get started!  Everyone agrees to begin by digging a hole in the ground, pouring a foundation, and then each person starts building a room.  You walk through the construction noting the progress but wondering if everyone's efforts are fitting together like they should.   Some people are making changes that you didn't even know about.  There are some unused spaces and some areas that are really cramped. Some rooms are almost done and some have barely been started.  Now you wonder how your house is really going to turn out?  You "hope" it will look like you wanted it to, when you wanted it to be done... but how will you be sure?  

What if there had been a shared vision and then a plan?   Maybe just starting from the beginning without a real plan in place is not the  best way to build a house.  What if you had begun with the end in mind?

Scene 2:  You have an idea of what your new house will look like; what will be included; what will not be included; why it will be included (or not); and when it will be done. By having those thoughts, you are indeed beginning with the end in mind.  But you realize there are many questions that need to be answered before you can actually start building.  What are your goals?  What functions or facilities does your new house need to have so that you can live comfortably and efficiently?  How long will the building process take?  What resources do you need?  How will you know the building project is proceeding in a timely and effective manner so the end result will be what you want it to be, when you want it to be done?  

So you do your homework, looking around for ideas, asking questions, and prioritizing needs vs. wants.  Then you draw a sketch, make a plan, talk to the builder and/or the architect, create a blueprint, and get started building from the bottom up.  Revisions occur as unforeseen problems arise or new ideas come to light.  But all the revisions are made with the end goal in mind.  Checkpoints tell you things are progressing in a timely manner.  And the day you open the door to your new home, you are pleased, but not surprised, that it looks exactly as you imagined it would!

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Beginning with the end in mind:  In an educational setting, this is how curriculum should be planned; units of study should be planned; and even daily lessons should be planned.  What is the learning goal?  What are the essential questions that promote higher order thinking, inquiry, and deeper understanding?  What are the enduring understandings that go beyond the content of the lesson or unit, that apply to the real world?  What should students know and be able to do when the learning is completed?  How will you know the students have learned what you wanted them to learn?  These questions make teachers think beyond assembling day to day, albeit engaging activities.  By answering them during the planning process, then delivering them in an engaging and effective manner, learning will be richer and more useful.

Understanding by Design (developed by Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins) provides a framework for backwards design which is in effect, beginning with the end in mind.  This process goes beyond the days of Outcomes, which were also centered around the concept of backwards design (design down, deliver up) where schools established Exit Outcomes (for seniors) and worked their way back to Kindergarten where it would all begin.  But UbD takes it a step farther by taking this philosophy into  unit and lesson planning, not just system planning.  

As schools begin understanding and implementing the Common Core State Standards, UbD becomes a valuable tool in this process.   Common Core Standards ask students to be college and career ready:  to know what to do with the information and skills they have acquired and when to use those as well.  No longer will they just be able to memorize facts or identify specific items.  That knowledge is only useful if we know when and how to use it.   

Consider the elements of UbD and how they contribute to deeper levels of thinking and understanding:  

• Determine the learning goal(s).  
  
• Identify what will be taught (standards).
  
• What are the enduring understandings (that transfer to other content, situations, and/or real world)?
  
• What are the essential questions (ones that cannot be answered simply and easily; that require deeper thinking and inquiry)?
  
• How will we know they have learned "it"  (authentic, problem based-assessments that require students to use the skills and knowledge they have acquired)? 
  
• What will we do to accommodate different learning needs, assist students who struggle and provide extensions for those who excel?
  
• What activities allow for the best learning experiences?
  

So whether you are building a house, deciding what clothes to wear tomorrow, or educating students, your success depends on focused planning that begins with the end in mind.  

Where are you today?  Where do you want to be in the future?  What is your plan to get there?  
These are all questions that we must ask ourselves whether we are individuals, teachers, schools, doctors, businesses, or churches.  Seek ye first to understand then get busy putting that understanding to good use!

So many things in our everyday lives represent education in general, and the many challenges that we must work through to improve what we provide students and how we offer it.   Common Core State Standards and how we implement them are the latest challenge as we seek to ramp up the value of our educational buck.  While some may feel this is the latest scholastic fad, I believe it is an adjustment to our path, a fine tuning of our journey.  Just as in life, education, business, medicine, or in our own faith, if we remain stagnant we will not grow or improve.  While we may be comfortable in our current existence, things change as a result of new understandings that come to light.  If we are to grow and remain viable, we too must consider the revisions that could improve our situation, or make us believe or think more deeply, and ultimately make the necessary changes.  There is a beautiful world awaiting us if we look for the possibilities.  But how and if we get there is all about the plan.

My favorite vacation spots are in the mountains where I can breathe in the fresh air and enjoy the magnificent views.  Imagine yourself standing in awe, looking at a serene lake, surrounded by densely forested pines, and the majestic Rocky Mountains jutting up above the tree line.  Then you begin to wonder.... What would the view be like from the top?  How could you get there?  Through the trees, there are trails that could lead you to the top of those beautiful mountains.  You could walk or ride a horse.  Or you could paddle across the lake to get closer before taking a particular trail.  

As you consider how you will get to the top, you must look at the big picture, including the beautiful sites along the path, as well as those obstacles that must be dealt with or avoided.  What tools do you have or need for this journey?  To identify the challenges, you must do your research, consult with the experts and your hiking partners, and then select the best path.  Keep in mind, your journey will not be without forks in the trail and fallen trees.  What unforeseen obstacles will block your path and cause you to revise your journey?  Always remember this is a collaborative journey because the rules require us to never hike alone and always let people know what your plan is, including a time table.  And when it's all said and done, how much more enriching will the experience be to enjoy the view at the top with someone else!

Read on for another metaphor of life ...

We have been remodeling a house for over a year that our daughter and her family will soon live in.  The project started as a “cleaner upper” and turned into a “fixer upper.”  Initially we had a vision of clean up and then realized there was so much more that needed to be done to make the house not only livable but safe.  So our plan changed.  This would be no easy task.  The “data” told us that there was much to do to fix the problems that existed.  It also told us there was much we could salvage, but many things would have to be ripped out, replaced, renewed, and resolved before this house would become what we wanted it to be.  So the question became, what do we want the finished product to look like?  That question was followed by:  What can we keep?  What must we gut and clear away?  What treasures will we uncover that can be restored and used again to achieve the goal?  What tools do we have or need?  What unforeseen obstacles will get in the way?  How long will it take?  There was also the realization that it would take a collaborative effort between the owner, the planner, and the builder. (And that might be a future problem since this was a do-it-yourself job!)

Even with a plan, the project uncovered new issues that had to be included in the restoration.  The timeline became extended.  Frustration threatened to erode the joy and hope of the ultimate goal.  But the plan could be revised, and was always in place to help refocus us and keep the project moving forward.  But it got easier when we asked for help.  Others would come in to lend a hand.  Suddenly the work got done more quickly and frustration would subside.  Progress monitoring was important – to take time to step back and realize how far we had come on this journey and recognize that the list was getting shorter.  Then we could put our heads together, make some new adjustments, and continue to implement the plan.  Celebrating the checkpoints along the way is critical to success!   It is just a few weeks away from being completed.  Then the new question becomes, “What next?”

Regardless of the metaphor or the setting – improving education comes down to these common things: The Plan - what will it look like and how will you get there?   Implementation:  The hard work that comes with implementing that plan side by side with those who dream the same dream …. But oh how you will enjoy the fruits of your labor when you see the joy of learning and understanding return for both the teacher and the student!

Next:  Using Understanding by Design to help teachers implement Common Core Standards within their content areas.  Click on the link to access information on Curriculum and Common Core on this website.