Chapter 1 deals with how to design a lesson, unit, course, etc. We learn that the best method to design a course is a backwards method. That is, we should first consider the desired results before planning anything else. It seems that we most often in EFL teaching choose a book that we want to cover and plan our lessons and activities from there. Wiggins explains that using that method may not be the most effective. He states, "too many teachers focus on the teaching and not the learning" (15). We tend to lose sight of the results we are aiming to achieve in our students and focus more on our own teaching. If the results are what we're aiming towards, using the backwards design will keep us more concerned with students' learning, which in the end is what really matters.
This method is very similar to how some Chicago Public Schools create their lesson plans. Each school has a different format, but from what I've seen, many lesson plans begin first with "What will students understand from this lesson?" which corresponds to what Wiggins describes in Chapter 1. This can be very time consuming, but now I understand why most schools use this format. The author also makes a good point in Chapter 1 when explaining the error of activity-oriented design being “hands-on without being minds-on” (16). I can admit that I have felt satisfied with a lesson if the students enjoyed it. Now I am thinking about whether or not that lesson, although fun, really did a good job in achieving the intellectual purpose of the lesson.
I really like this method of designing a course. I believe it really makes us as teachers focus on our students' learning and make sure they're actually taking something away from our classes. I think it will take some practice at first, to really get the hang of it, but will be worthwhile in the long run.
