ILI Blog - Week 6 - Planning

Questions
What are the essential considerations of the planning process? What are the differences between program, teaching, and student assessments? Describe an "aha" moment you had this week, if any.

Answers
The first thing to consider is the goal, the outcome of whatever is being planned, otherwise there's no guide, no path, no reason for the planning. Specifically in terms of lesson planning, you need to consider what the students should be able to do by the end of the lesson, what they will hopefully have learned and practiced, the reason for needing to teach a lesson in the first place. This can be informed by curriculum and standards (in K-12 at the school, district, state, federal, professional organizational levels, etc., and in collaboration with classroom/course teachers).

You have to consider who your students are, how you can be inclusive and equitable (what is their access to technology and information outside of the lesson context), what accommodations are necessary, and what their background knowledge is (subject knowledge, technical skills, etc.) and even what their goals are, their motivation, why they're attending your lesson.

You also have to consider how long the lesson will be, how much time you have to plan it, what your resources are, what you can give to or share with your learners in terms of physical and digital learning objects. Also how you can encourage collaboration and creation among your learners, and how you can give your learners a voice in and ownership of their learning. Finally, once you've conducted the lesson, you must consider how well the lesson went and how it might be adapted or improved.