What has helped you as a learner as you progressed through the assignment thus far? Why?

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Some things which have helped me as a learner as I have progressed through the lesson plan assignment is first being able to change how I think of lesson planning and to be able to accommodate new information within the lesson planning process. There are so many things to keep in mind when lesson planning. Backwards design, assessment, big ideas, learning goals, success criteria and so much more. It is important that I stay informed and continue to learn about proper lesson planning format. Another thing which has helped me as a learner has been to be as detailed as possible. When lesson planning it is better to have more than less and it is important to keep detailed notes on things such as preassessment and timing so that you can create an engaging and rich learning experience.

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What has hindered your learning as you progressed through the assignment thus far? Why?

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Something which has hindered me as a learner as I have progressed through the lesson plan assignment has been to change the way I think about lesson planning. Before coming into the Faculty I had mostly created learning experiences through inspirations I found or from lesson plans I saw other educators implement. I now have to change the way I think of planning and learn to embrace backwards design into my routine. Sometimes it seems easier to fall back on my old practices but I know that using backwards design is right and will benefit the students much more.

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How might you address what you have identified in number 2 above moving forward?

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I think that the best way in which I can address my changing routines in lesson planning is to be a more conscientious planner. I need to keep the UOIT lesson plan template in my mind when I create new lesson plans and internalize the steps I need to take to complete proper backwards design.  I think the best way to accomplish this would be to not look to websites and old lesson plans first and instead look to my curriculum expectations first and find out what the needs and strengths of my students are before going any further.