The Understanding by Design Handbook [Spiral-bound]

Grant Wiggins (Author), Jay McTighe (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0871203405 | ISBN-13: 978-0871203403 | Publication Date: July 1, 1999

What is understanding, and how does it differ from knowing? How will we know that students truly understand and can apply their knowledge in meaningful ways? How might we design our courses and units to emphasize understanding and "uncoverage" rather than "coverage"? These are questions that The Understanding by Design Handbook guides users in answering.

The handbook is the companion book to Understanding by Design (ASCD, 1998). Understanding by Design provides the conceptual foundation for a theory of understanding that is based on six facets of understanding. The handbook offers the practical side: a unit planning template, worksheets, exercises, design tools, design standards and tests, and a peer review process for learning and applying the ideas in Understanding by Design. Following the logic of the authors' backward design approach, handbook materials show users how to plan curriculum, assessment, and instruction.

The handbook was developed to assist educators interested in designing units and courses of study that focus on developing and deepening students' understanding. It is also intended to serve as a resource for undergraduate and graduate-level coursework and in-service professional development. Various users, including teachers (elementary through graduate levels), school-based administrators, curriculum directors, subject matter specialists, staff developers, and assessment-evaluation personnel, will benefit from these practical and proven ideas and resources.

Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 287 pages
• Publisher: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Deve (July 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871203405
• ISBN-13: 978-0871203403
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #823,519 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jay McTighe brings a wealth of experience developed during a rich and varied career in education. He served as Director of the Maryland Assessment Consortium, a state collaboration of school districts working together to develop and share formative performance assessments. Prior to this position, Jay was involved with school improvement projects at The Maryland State Department of Education where he directed the development of the Instructional Framework, a multi-media database on teaching. Jay is well known for his work with "thinking skills," having coordinated statewide efforts to develop instructional strategies, curriculum models, and assessment procedures for improving the quality of student thinking. In addition to his work at the state level, Jay has experience at the district level in Prince George's County, Maryland as a classroom teacher, resource specialist, and program coordinator. He also directed a state residential enrichment program for Gifted and Talented students.
Jay is an accomplished author, having co-authored eleven books, including the best-selling Understanding by Design series with Grant Wiggins. He has written more than thirty articles and book chapters, and has published in a number of leading journals, including Educational Leadership (ASCD) and The Developer (National Staff Development Council).
Jay has an extensive background in professional development and is a regular speaker at national, state, and district conferences and workshops. He has made presentations in forty-six states in the U.S., seven provinces in Canada, and eighteen countries outside of North America on six continents.
Visit Jay's website -- jaymctighe.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential to Understanding Understanding (that's no typo), July 21, 2003

By 

Jennifer Barnes "Teacher/Writer" (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Understanding by Design Handbook (Spiral-bound)

In order for us as educators to effectively assess our students, we must decipher how our students learn and understand.

That's essentially what McTighe and Wiggins help us do here. I also bought their textbook for a course I took in Assessment. It was fascinating.

This book, along with the textbook is very useful in Unit Planning and shows its readers how to effectively use the "backward design" technique. Teachers, I can only describe the technique as assessment the way WE think it should be.

This handbook is a step-by-step guide with tons of reproducibles.

Very useful find for planning the school year!

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great resource, August 6, 2004

By 

Dr. (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Understanding by Design Handbook (Spiral-bound)

One of my pet peeves is books on applied topics that talk about theory but can not bridge the theory to application. This handbook does a great job of assisting educators from going from the ideas of backward instructional design to implementing these ideas in actually developing educational plans.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Focused Book on Education that I've Read!, August 14, 2004

By 

R. Rowe (Arlington, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Understanding by Design Handbook (Spiral-bound)

I'm re-reading this fabulous resource as I start my fifth year of teaching since it keeps me focused on what I'm teaching and how to most appropriately assess how my students can apply their knowledge. The details and worksheets in this workbook help me put the book into practice day to day. Thanks Jay.