Visual Learning ?We are surrounded by increasingly sophisticated visual images.? (Howells, 2003) Everywhere you look, information is being transmitted visually. Pick up a magazine, glance at a newspaper, look at a television news program or check out the news online. Chances are that visual models-charts, graphs, diagrams, and other forms of illustration-are the primary source of the information that you will understand and retain.
Understanding by Design Essential Questions. Big Ideas. Backward Design. Transfer. Do these terms sound familiar? You might have heard teachers and other educators use them. They are key components of Understanding by Design (UbD)-a groundbreaking but also common-sense approach for designing curriculum, instruction, and assessment. At the core of the UbD framework is the goal that students achieve deep understanding of ideas-not just for ?the test?, but for life.« less