KUD'S

I think KUD’s are fantastic! The two lessons that I liked are the Social Studies unit: We’re all in it together and the Language Arts unit: We each have a role to play. I just finished a classroom management presentation in building a community in the classroom. The social studies unit struck a chord with me so much that I could visualize this social studies unit helping to build community in my classroom. Also in my classroom management presentation, my classmate Brittany talked about belonging, and that each student must feel that they belong in the classroom. After reading the Language Arts lesson, I felt that this lesson would help to create an atmosphere of belonging in my classroom. Each student has a role to play and each and every role is important.

I liked these lessons, because with the KUD’s given, the lesson details provided, I was able to visualize what the classroom setting looked like, and how the classroom atmosphere felt. I tried to put myself in the students’ shoes, and ask myself if I was a student would these lessons be engaging for me or would I be bored out of my mind. After reading the lessons, I felt that they were both engaging and fun for the students, and what was mostly important to me was that there was a purpose for this unit, there was a purpose for each lesson.

I think the KUD’s are essential to the success of the lesson. If you don’t know what you want your students to accomplish in a unit, then you have to ask yourself why are you putting so much effort into something that is basically fluff. So, my new mantra, I’ve decided in lessoning planning is to eliminate fluff. If my unit or one of my lessons, doesn’t serve an important purpose in helping the students understand, know, and do, then its fluff and I should get rid of it!!

I do have a question though, what is the difference between “the students will know” and “the students will understand”? To me knowing and understanding come and in hand, why is there a separation between the two?