What challenge or problem could you apply the 6 Ds to in your life right now?
I want to apply the 6 Ds to the problem of helping my students score well on their Cambridge AS General Paper exam, specifically the argumentative essay section. Standardized tests may not be the most effective assessments of 21st-century skills, but as long as my students and parents expect me to help them do well on the exam, I will focus on that. I wanted to approach this challenge of using the 6 Ds from two perspectives, mine and the students’. The 6 Ds help me on the macro level of designing lesson plans while my students are helped more locally by writing individual essays.
| Me | Students | |
| Define | Read and rewrite the Cambridge assessment criteria to ensure teaching stays on task. | Highlight keywords and rephrase the topic prompt to truly understand what is being asked. |
| Discover | Collect writing samples from my students to compare to Cambridge’s sample assessment papers and identify my students’ strengths and weaknesses. | Read and research online in class to build a mental library of examples and evidence that can be deployed as necessary. |
| Dream | Reflect on what previous years’ classes were able to achieve and share their progress with my current classes as motivation. | Identify the essay’s big picture and develop two or three thesis statements worth pursuing. |
| Design | Break down essay writing into discrete, manageable skills such as transitions between paragraphs that can be highlighted and taught in class. Develop lesson plans based on these skills according to the needs of the class. | Mentally review our organizational strategies such as the pyramid of evidence and outline the essay to finalize a thesis statement and the evidence to be used. |
| Deliver | Teach the lessons. | Write the essay while paying extra attention to the skill being taught. |
| Debrief | Regularly record lessons for rewatching and sharing with other teachers to get feedback along with lesson observations from other teachers. Lean on social media personal learning networks to keep up with Cambridge’s assessment requirements and share strategies. | Sit down with the teacher for personalized feedback and reflections. Reflect on only one or two skills per essay instead of trying to fix every small problem. |
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