Know your ABCS and SPDs!


Last Thursday, Dawn had us complete an activity where we were given a topic that is not related to our content area (I had Economics), and she asked us to identify the SPD’s and ABCS. The activity was incredibly impactful for me as I reflected a lot about how I learn and how I design. Below, I’ve shared those reflections with all of you: 

  1. I need a visual outline to help me think. I always thought I could make sense of my stream-of-consciousness notes that I take, but in completing this activity, I realized that I need structure - specifically in the way information is presented visually. My partner and I created a table; the left side included the topic and the right side included elements that belonged to that topic. It’s nothing fancy, but I needed the organization for my brain to process the activity and information. 

  1. You can create a design even if you’re not the SME (Subject Matter Expert). This was my biggest “ah-ha” moment during the activity because it’s something I struggle with so often in my job. I create and design professional development for engineers, but I’m not the SME!! I struggled with this so much, and I often felt that I was underperforming because I didn’t know the content. Dawn’s activity proved that I could identify the SPD and ABCS even if it’s not something I know in-depth. A little research goes a long way in design. 

  1. Parts of speech really do matter when it comes to designing. In AP Language and Composition, I would always give them a trick for how to answer specific prompts. For example, if they received a prompt that asked them to discuss “purpose,” then their claim (or thesis statement) would need to identify the purpose using an action verb. Therefore, each claim would include a part of speech (noun, verb, adjective) according to the prompt the student is answering. It was the same teaching strategy Dawn used when she told us to identify the SPD’s. 

Structure = noun 
Process = action verb or word that ends in -ing
Discourse = communication words

Each element didn’t necessarily have a focused “part of speech” attached to it, but that strategy was extremely helpful. Dawn didn’t tell us what to write, so her strategy allowed for creativity. Associating each element with a different part of speech helped me organize and understand the purpose of each element in my mind. 

While I didn’t really learn much about economics, and I will probably never be able to teach it, the activity itself was extremely enlightening.



Comments

  1. Caitlin CordovaSeptember 22, 2019 at 3:50 PM

    Your reflections echo my thoughts about our first experience as non-SME designers. I also attempted to develop the SPs & ABCS for the NM Economics standards. Although I felt completely inept in my econ knowledge, I felt comfortable harnassing the power of the Interwebs to brainstorm the nouns, verbs, and authentic activities of the discipline of economics. That was excellent coaching on Dawn's behalf.

    ReplyDelete
  2. PHD-HairmanSeptember 23, 2019 at 2:31 PM

    Learning is uncomfortable sometimes. I'm glad that you had an open mind and saw the big picture. We as educators owe it to our learners, so that they can navigate the next phase in the education. The SPD activity was an eye opener to me as well..

    ReplyDelete

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