What is unpacking of competencies?

Unpacking is a technique teachers can use to make sense of standards and then
create focus learning targets to make them actionable this process also called
deconstructing or unwrapping standards.
A collaborative dialogue that supports growth and effectiveness.
Why do we need to unpack competencies?
Standards need to be analyzed because they may be too ambiguous, too broad or
too narrow and/or reflect different kinds of goals simultaneously.
Unpacking these standards is useful so that we can help students to the best of our
knowledge. The more we know about the standards, the better we will be able to assist
our students in their learning.
Important to help us stay on task.
Teachers unpack the competencies they better understand them. Teachers feel more
confident when creating lessons when they understand the standards. Unpacking the
standards will help teachers focus on all students learning, no mater their level.

Unit 3: Designing and Developing Assessments

The process of designing and developing assessment tools begins with a critical analysis of the
assessment context. This is why assessment design is an important aspect of unit design, ensuring that
formal and informal assessment reveals students’ progress toward intended learning goals.

Assessment design considers the what, when and how of assessment.

The 'what' of intended learning is what students are expected to know,

understand, do and become, or the development of:

 knowledge and understanding

 capabilities and skills
 attitudes, motivations and dispositions.
The 'when' of assessment illuminates where students are in their learning at the
start, middle and end of a unit, which includes determining:

1. the entry levels of students in relation to intended learning

2. how to monitor learning progress as curriculum or unit designs are implemented, so that
teaching can be adapted to better target student learning needs
3. the overall impact of a unit's learning experiences, which can be determined through a
culminating assessment plus other targeted assessment.
The how is the additional consideration best to uncover different dimensions of
learning. This involves inviting students to say, make, write or do something to
reveal:

 the depth of their knowledge and understanding

 the level of proficiency in their skills and capabilities
 how disposed they are to learn.