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I do believe that entering the road backwards helps teachers to make learning meaningful. However, I must aknowledge the fact that there are some difficulties that impeed teacher from writing a 3 pages lesson plan. 

First: teachers do not have the time to go through such a time consuming 3 backward step process.

Second: most teachers have to adjust to a previously stated curriculum that usually fits a set of materials.

At some institutions the curriculum is shaped by the materials. Thus, it is difficult for a teacher to go against the tide and start a backward process when they are being forced to teach by coverage.

Therefore, again we are confronted with the problem of having  wonderful ideas for teaching and improving the learning process of our students, but that are impossible to apply  whatever the obstacles are: lack of resources, lack of time, or lack of freedom.  Thus, what is left for teacher to do is to adapt these ideas, on which I think we are becoming real experts.

First Entry to the Antz Box: Please enter Backwards!

Meaningful learning seems to be the light at the end of the road of teaching. However as teachers and designers walk the path, engaging colourful and sparkling materials appear and diffuse the ultimate goal. Fantastic and entertaining activities offer teachers the opportunity to take a short cut that students seem to like but that never leads them to the finishing line.

Therefore, the lost teachers must wonder what to do with their lost pupils. What to do? What to do?  Go backwards! Do not follow the sparkling materials without first assuring they are not empty and that they subordinate to the great white aim called: Learning Results. Moreover, teachers should not even start walking without having stated what the light is going to be. First step.  Second step: teachers must determine what are going to be the obstacles in the path that will evidence whether students got into the learning results light or not. Finally, third step: Teachers must think on how to make students to walk the path, defeat the obstacles, and fully get the expected results.

         Summing up, the three backward steps to follow before we get ourselves and our students into the road are: 

1.     Identify desired results

2.     Determine acceptable evidence

3.     Plan learning experiences and instruction

(Gran Wiggins and Jay Mc Tighe. P.18)

DON’T GET LOST. PLEASE ENTER BACKWARDS!