Backward Design & Learning Objectives

Backward design begins with the learning you want students to achieve, not with the content you want to cover. Gerry will facilitate an interactive session that will give you the opportunity to design one of your courses to incorporate SMART course-level goals and lesson-level objectives.

How This Workshop Supports Teaching Expectations in FRED

• Clear, learner-focused course design organized around explicit learning goals. (Montclair Teaching Principles)

• Engaging activities and assessments aligned to the competencies students are expected to develop.

• Measurable student development: objectives make expectations and evidence of learning visible.

• Transparent expectations that help students understand what they are learning, why, and how success will be assessed.

• Ongoing self-reflection, innovation, and professional learning in the science and art of teaching.

• Explicit attention to discipline-specific concepts and skills students need to develop and apply.

• Concrete evidence of teaching excellence: syllabi, assignments, activities, assessments, rubrics, and learning-outcome data.

• Collegial improvement of courses, curricula, and pedagogy across departments and career stages.

New to Teaching Commons @ CSAM?

FROM CSAM, FOR CSAM: We share the same Montclair students and the realities of teaching science and mathematics here.

USE IT RIGHT AWAY: Leave with ideas and techniques you can begin using as soon as your next class meeting.

LEARN TOGETHER: Interactive workshops create space to learn from the facilitator and colleagues across CSAM departments.

BRING A LESSON OR OBJECTIVE YOU ARE WORKING ON. Come ready to try ideas, compare approaches, and leave with a concrete next step.