Backward Design Pedagogy pt. 2: In Practice

The purpose of this lesson plan is to incorporate Wiggins and McTighe's backward design pedagogy into the teaching of Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken." To critique our own backward design lesson plans effectively, I think we should see how an ineffective "forward design" of this would look like: an in-class reading, a response critique, and perhaps worst of all, covering Frost's other canonical poems to compare, and researching the cultural contexts of the piece--all with no clear or constructive purpose in mind. But wait a minute dot dot dot my lesson plan looks somewhat similar to this. Have I failed you again, mother?

I don't think so. I do feel that the backward design is more effective. But why? That forward design and backward design lesson plans can look similar on paper is maybe why some of us don't see the latter as anything more than a neatly repackaged version of the first. One difference for me now, however, is more clear in that the actual process of backward design forces us to keep in mind the greater purpose of the "Results." Asking students to respond because "that's what has been done and what is expected by them, us, the institution" and asking students to respond because "sharing and comparing their responses in class will show the subjective nature of interpretation, and lead to discourse on individualism vs. conformity" are two very different approaches.

Wiggins/McTighe's backward design may still have a major limitation--it is mostly speculative until it has been tested. But speculating with a clear purpose is still better than wandering around aimlessly like headless chooks.