What is understanding and how does it differ from knowledge? How can we determine the big ideas worth understanding? Why is understanding an important teaching goal, and how do we know when students have attained it? How can we create a rigorous and engaging curriculum that focuses on understanding and leads to improved student performance in today's high-stakes, standards-based environment? Authors Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe answer these and many other questions in this second edition of Understanding by Design. Drawing on feedback from thousands of educators around the world who have used the UbD framework since its introduction in 1998, the authors have greatly revised and expanded their original work to guide educators across the K-16 spectrum in the design of curriculum, assessment, and instruction. With an improved UbD Template at its core, the book explains the rationale of backward design and explores in greater depth the meaning of such key ideas as essential questions and transfer tasks. Readers will learn why the familiar coverage- and activity-based approaches to curriculum design fall short, and how a focus on the six facets of understanding can enrich student learning. With an expanded array of practical strategies, tools, and examples from all subject areas, the book demonstrates how the research-based principles of Understanding by Design apply to district frameworks as well as to individual units of curriculum. Combining provocative ideas, thoughtful analysis, and tested approaches, this new edition of Understanding by Design offers teacher-designers a clear path to the creation of curriculum that ensures better learning and a more stimulating experience for students and teachers alike.

Intended to be used by librarians, this guide will also be useful to boards of trustees, governing officials, members of funding agencies, and community support groups involved in planning on a local level and within the context of regional and state library service. It provides information to help libraries plan and evaluate their services and meet the needs of users in the most effective way their resources will allow. Information is presented in three major sections: (1) administration and planning (structure and governance, planning, finance, public relations, friends and junior friends of the library); (2) resources (facilities, collections, personnel, staff development, volunteers, automation); and (3) services (access to service, reference, interagency cooperation, programming, extension). Each section contains a philosophy statement, goals, guidelines, and a bibliography. Appended materials include selected sections from Virginia's Freedom of Information Act; requirements for grants-in-aid; library lighting standards; a site evaluation questionnaire; the "Library Bill of Rights"; "Freedom to Read" statement; "Freedom to View" statement; "Free Access to Libraries for Minors"; "Guidelines for Library Services to an Aging Population"; "Standards of Practice for Professional Librarians"; "Statement on Professional Ethics"; "Children's Services Suggested Guidelines"; "Young Adult Services Guidelines for Virginia"; and a glossary. (SD)

From the author: This 3rd edition is about organized common sense in the fire service. Section One provides support to fire departments that already have a strategic plan and just need to update and revise their existing plan. I have found over my 30 years of consulting with fire department’s that they want to accomplish their next iteration of their strategic plan as rapidly as possible. Section Two provides a detailed “How-to” guide to help a fire department create its first strategic plan. Section Two is divided into four parts: (1) Understanding the Department, (2) Understanding the Situation, (3) Understanding the Strategic Issues Facing the Department, and (4) Creating Organizational Change. A new chapter (Chapter 20) provides assistance to those departments having challenges with their strategic plan and obtaining the desired outcomes/results. It adds a new troubleshooting process for those departments having challenges to create an effective and successful strategic plan. The book is designed to be effective as a manual to develop an individual fire department’s strategic plan as well as a textbook for use in upper division college/university courses or as a text for post-graduate courses.

Strategic planning is not just a business tool—it can be used to improve all aspects of your life. Kenneth E. Rupert, an experienced businessman and consultant, shares strategic planning and Christian principles in this guidebook that can help you change your life. Assess your current state, determine what you want in your future state, and then use analysis and action to get there. By choosing to live a life of purpose, you’ll be better equipped to face challenges. It is imperative to establish a personal vision and mission for your life if you want to succeed. This guide shares business concepts that will help you develop a personal life plan; principles that touch the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of your life; ways to influence the world in which you exist; methods to serve others with your God-given gifts and natural talent. Become the CEO of your own life; don’t just let life happen—make it happen. By using business processes such as vision, mission, and purpose, you can place yourself on the path to Planned Excellence.

Today's congregational expectations regarding ministry events and campaigns are viewed through the lens of excellence not only is this an expectation, it is also a requirement if the church intends to maximize those programs in which it has invested precious resources of time and people. A God-given vision for a ministry program, after prayer and vision sharing, begins with planning, and comes to fruition through effective promotion and marketing. In Excellence in Planning and Promotion, Trace Howard has provided churches and their leadership an outstanding resource by reminding readers of the importance of these elements in delivering ministry events and campaigns that make a kingdom difference. The principles of this book are at the same time incredibly simple yet will reap great benefits for church leaders in our day. This book brings helpful and practical insights to the pastor's approach to ministry and event planning that can be utilized in any ministry leadership context.

Perspectives in Artificial Intelligence, Volume 1: Case-Based Planning: Viewing Planning as a Memory Task focuses on the processes, methodologies, and techniques employed in viewing planning as a memory task. The publication first elaborates on planning and memory and learning from planning. Discussions focus on learning from cases, learning plans, learning to predict failures, case-based planning, structure of case-based planning, and learning from planning. The text then elaborates on planning from memory and planning Thematic Organization Packets (TOPs) and strategies, including TOPs in understanding and planning, TOPs and strategies, and function of memory. The manuscript takes a look at modifying and repairing plans, case-based planning, and planning and planners. Topics include CHEF as a program, case-based planning as planning and learning, noticing and explaining the failure, storing the plan, different situations for altering plans, and introduction of failure. The publication is a vital reference for researchers interested in viewing planning as a memory task.