What motivates you to search for supplemental materials? In this lesson, we'll look at different perspectives and methods to consider so you can identify the best content for your needs. The results of this exercise will include:

• A more efficient search—knowing what you need before you begin.
• Better alignment to learning objectives and assessments.
• Identification of gaps and extraneous information.
• The chance to share the most relevant, targeted information with others.
• More strategic, intentional teaching practices.

Backward Design Primer

Using a well-established instructional design process can benefit your instructional material search and integration journey. Let's take a look at one such process, called Backward Design, developed by Wiggins and McTighe (1998). The creators of this method state that, "Our lessons, units, and courses should be [constructed] from the results sought, not derived from the methods, books, and activities with which we are most comfortable" (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005, p.14).

Backward Design calls for starting with the end in mind—that is, what you want students to know or be able to think, feel, or do by the end of the course. 

The Backward Design method occurs in three stages:

• Identify desired results: What should students know or be able to do by the end of the unit or class? What are the big ideas? Most often these results are your class learning objectives and Ohio's Learning Standards for the topic.
• Determine acceptable evidence: How will you know if students have reached the desired results? What criteria will you use to assess student work? What does student understanding or proficiency look like? Think about the formative and summative assessments that are, or could be, used to measure learning.
• Plan learning experiences and instruction: Which instructional materials will help student understanding and preparation for the assessments? How will students interact with and use the content? Content found on Open Space lives within this third stage.

Vanderbilt's Center for Teaching states that the Backward Design method is beneficial to teachers because "It continually encourages the instructor to establish the purpose of doing something before implementing it into the curriculum," and if done thoroughly, it removes extraneous activities and tasks that were added for the sake of doing them—as is the case with activity-focused or just-for-coverage types of instruction. Similarly, this can help highlight areas of strength in the curriculum, where additional materials may not be needed. If the process is followed, "every task and piece of instruction has a purpose that fits in with the overarching goals and goals of the course."

The backward design method was talked about in podcast and blog formats on Cult of Pedagogy, where the author/speaker reflected on her journey through the process and shared examples of what a middle school science lesson looked like before and after. As shown in the video from Edutopia below, using backward design can shift teachers away from simply "covering" material to injecting authentic, meaningful learning that deepens their understanding of the content.

Additional Lenses for Identifying Needs

Educators participating in a INFOhio professional development workshop generated the following list of other lenses through which one could identify needs in the classroom. 

• Considering the vertical (up and down grade levels) and horizontal (within grade level) alignment of classwork
• Evaluating the depth of knowledge reached by activities
• Examining the authority, currency, or relevance of existing materials
• Considering material types for multi-modal learning (e.g., interactives, visuals and illustrations, video)
• Student needs, such as differentiation or engagement opportunities
• Opportunities for project-based learning
• Passions, experiences, and methodology of the teacher
• Looking for opportunities for cross-curricular projects, collaborating with other teachers
• Considering the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines
• Adjusting content and activities to the local community
• Recommendations from a business advisory committee (in Career-Tech fields) or other relevant community group

The ISKME OER Academy suggests these questions that you may ask during this stage:

• Are there any specific content gap areas in my existing curriculum? For example, I might have an urgent need for math modeling or STEM literacy resources.
• Have students done poorly on a topic or in achieving a certain standard? For example, my 6th grade students consistently underperform in identifying different rocks (Ohio Learning Standard 6.ESS.2).
• Are there new types of digital materials that I would like to integrate into my existing curriculum? For example, I might want to offer my students more opportunities to use interactive games and simulations.
• Are there current events and news topic areas that I need resources for? For example, I might be interested in finding the latest resources on climate change or refugees.

In the long run, analyzing your current curriculum and referring to the established standards and learning objectives for the topic(s) will save you lots of time by setting you up for a successful, targeted search. With these lenses in mind and your "why" for wanting supplemental materials answered, refer back to the Search and Filters, Collections, and Ohio Reviewed Instructional Materials Hub lessons for details on finding the content you need.

Pause and Reflect. Answer the following to yourself:

• What is your "why" for searching for instructional materials?
• Which lenses are the most important to you when examining your current curriculum?

References

Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design. ASCD.