Educational Frameworks

I was surprised by how much the frameworks and ideas in module two contributed to creating stronger and more thoughtful learning designs.

Backwards Design and Understanding by Design (UbD) stood out to me because we have repeatedly been told to teach with the end goal in mind during the teacher education program. In fact, I consider it one of the most important pieces of advice I’ve received over the last four years. I’m glad I heard it so often because it influenced how I planned lessons and units. It wasn’t always successful though. There were times I thought I had the end goal clear, only to find that the unit had lost the focus. However, I found a lot of success with this design during my final practicum. When I was a student, I remember one biology teacher who posted learning outcomes for lessons and assignments. It was always clear what we needed to understand for any lesson or assessment. As a student, I appreciated this straightforward approach. It helped me know what I was supposed to focus on.

Design Thinking is relatively new to me, but I can connect it to many situations now that I understand it better from this class and my design thinking course this semester. I value the approach that leads with empathy, and I truly believe this process can be beneficial in more areas of life than I can’t even fathom. I see it as a valuable tool for educators because it allows you to meet students where they are and create accessible learning goals. Including students in the trial process can lead to a more personalized learning experience. I also think using a design thinking framework teaches various life skills, such as empathy, a growth mindset through trial and error, problem-solving, collaboration, reflection, resilience, and initiative. I believe starting the year in a grade 5 to 8 classroom with a design thinking project to create the ideal classroom would be a great way to set the tone in the room. Students could interview peers about improving the learning environment. They could empathize with different perspectives, identify common challenges, brainstorm creative solutions, prototype ideas like new seating arrangements or classroom systems, and test these with their classmates. This not only helps build classroom community but also provides me with valuable insights into what would benefit this group of learners. In my own experience, I remember a time when my siblings and I fought over chores. It was clear that a solution existed but could only be found through empathy. We argued about who was responsible for what, leading our parents to listen to our problems. Together, we created a perfect weekly chore schedule. It took some time to find the right system, but it has worked ever since. Acting with empathy has shown me consistent better outcomes.

In my design thinking exploration, I came across this video and it was a nice reminder that even though I know what design thinking is, I still need to keep practicing.

Regarding Learning Outcomes and Taxonomies, I find Bloom’s Taxonomy easier to work with. Its verbs, like “analyze,” “create,” and “evaluate,” provide me with a clear sense of what is being asked. This clarity helps me write objectives and plan assessments. For instance, a weak outcome I have used before is “students will understand fractions,” as it’s vague and hard to measure. A stronger outcome I used later (final practicum) “students will compare fractions using common denominators and justify their reasoning,” which is specific and can be measured. Understanding this framework was a significant shift in my teaching. During my practicum, I used a lot of formative assessments like exit tickets. However, my initial questions were often too weak, allowing students to respond with one-word answers that were ~technically~ correct. I felt disappointed, because I was always looking for proof of deeper understanding. Back then, I was honestly likely comparable to the “anyone, anyone?” teacher in terms of engagement and by students showing a lack of comprehension (Stein, 1986). Eventually, I recognized this was a problem on my end. I began to ask more thought-provoking questions, which initially frustrated the seventh graders since they had to work harder but ultimately led to a better grasp of their understanding and increased engagement throughout the lesson.

Better Learning Design has also made me reflect on my experiences with surface level vs. deep learning. I think of the time I crammed for a Spanish vocabulary quiz; I memorized lists of kinds of clothes but could not tell you what shirt is a week later. That was pure surface learning. In comparison, when I wrote a research paper in university, I engaged in deep learning that forced me to question, synthesize, and apply ideas. The difference was in the design…one task focused on short-term recall, while the other required making connections. I remember my Spanish teacher in the UK being very quick to put the students into categories based off how we would do on these kinds of tests. When in reality, even when I did well on a test, it wasn’t true proof that I had a high comprehension level. This reminds me of the “teacher levels” and Torben K. Jensen explaining that humans are not very good at remembering random information (Teaching Teaching & Understanding Understanding, 2025). Now with the education I do have on engaging the learner, I believe that I would have remembered how to say different clothes in Spanish if it were delivered in a more engaging manner, like a fashion show that was narrated in Spanish.

See the table below to further understand the difference between deep and surface learning.

Finally, Inquiry and Project-Based Learning seems to fit well with my studies and future teaching. Open-ended projects give students responsibility and made their work feel authentic. For example, I’ve planned a project where students create their own civilization in social studies; this combines creativity, research, and problem-solving. The challenge was helping students gather the tools to do their own explorations while still allowing student choice. But the payoff was significant, and I remember being surprised during the gallery walk with how everything turned out. Their curiosity made all their projects unique and memorable.