Instructional Alignment

Optimizing Objectives, Methods, and Assessment for Developing Unit Plans

Suzanne Houff

In response to a quagmire of jargon based and convoluted curriculum textbooks, Instructional Alignment offers a concise and basic approach to instructional design. By exploring the areas of planning, assessment, and methodology, the text explains how these three areas provide an essential framework for effective teaching and illustrates how they align in order to maximize student learning.

Houff guides the reader through the process of developing objectives that identify what the learners should know and be able to do at the end of the lesson. Next, the readers study assessment strategies and tools that correlate with the stated objective in order to accurately determine if the objective has been met. Direct and indirect instructional strategies are then explored to provide the reader with a variety of options or methods to best meet the objective. Final alignment is demonstrated through a project-based unit example that provides a visual representation of theory into practice. With the concluding glossary of current trends and terms in instructional design, readers will finish this key guidebook with a thorough understanding of effective instruction, as well as the capacity to adopt methodical, tested, lessons in the classroom.

R&L Education

Pages: 96 • Trim: 8⅜ x 11

978-1-60709-453-1 • Paperback • September 2012 • $38.00 • (£29.00)

978-1-60709-454-8 • eBook • September 2012 • $34.00 • (£26.00)

Subjects: Education / Classroom Management

Instructional Alignment

Optimizing Objectives, Methods, and Assessment for Developing Unit Plans

Paperback

eBook

Summary

In response to a quagmire of jargon based and convoluted curriculum textbooks, Instructional Alignment offers a concise and basic approach to instructional design. By exploring the areas of planning, assessment, and methodology, the text explains how these three areas provide an essential framework for effective teaching and illustrates how they align in order to maximize student learning.

Houff guides the reader through the process of developing objectives that identify what the learners should know and be able to do at the end of the lesson. Next, the readers study assessment strategies and tools that correlate with the stated objective in order to accurately determine if the objective has been met. Direct and indirect instructional strategies are then explored to provide the reader with a variety of options or methods to best meet the objective. Final alignment is demonstrated through a project-based unit example that provides a visual representation of theory into practice. With the concluding glossary of current trends and terms in instructional design, readers will finish this key guidebook with a thorough understanding of effective instruction, as well as the capacity to adopt methodical, tested, lessons in the classroom.

Details

R&L Education

Pages: 96 • Trim: 8⅜ x 11

978-1-60709-453-1 • Paperback • September 2012 • $38.00 • (£29.00)

978-1-60709-454-8 • eBook • September 2012 • $34.00 • (£26.00)

Subjects: Education / Classroom Management

Author

Suzanne G. Houff instructs pre-service teachers in the initial licensure and Master of Education programs at the University of Mary Washington. Before entering higher education, she taught at the elementary and middle school levels as both a classroom teacher and library media specialist.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1Planning: Designing a Plan for Effective Instruction
Chapter 2 Assessment: Using assessment to drive instruction
Chapter 3Instruction: Instructional strategies for maximum learning.
Chapter 4Alignment: A Project-based Learning Unit

Appendices
A:Lesson Plan Template
B:Unit Template
Glossary
References
About the Author

Reviews

Instructional Alignment provides readers with a comprehensive look at effective standards-based planning and instruction through the use of meaningful assessment. With case studies and practical tools provided, the text is a 'must have' for all classroom teachers as they work to align standards to assessments, planning, and instruction in a common sense way to meet the needs of all learners.
— Jennifer Jones, associate professor of literacy education, Radford University, Radford, Virginia; president, Virginia State Reading Association

With Instructional Alignment, Dr. Suzanne Houff extends her excellent series of books of practical advice for classroom teachers. Based on sound scholarship but told through a practitioner's voice, Dr. Houff shows the importance of planning, the purposes of assessment, and variety of instructional techniques that can be aligned to achieve student success. Case studies are engaging while illustrating the concept at hand. This book provides practical advice as well as many references for further study. It can serve as a pocket mentor for a new teacher or a handbook for those supervising classroom teachers. In my role as an educational consultant, I am always looking for resources to recommend to teachers and administrators. This book is definitely on my 'go to' list for best practices.
— John St. Clair, senior manager, advisory & consulting services, Desire2Learn Incorporated