UbD, Constructivism and K 11

Although I had already written my UbD for chapter 11, I restructured it so that it was truly something different... something to push me out of my comfort zone... and push me into a place I think can be the base of a lot of growth.
I took Chapter 11 and put it into the terms of quizzes/test and expectations they needed to reach... and then I gave them a resource sheet for the information. We will be having a hybrid class: some whole-class work, some group work and some individualized work. I'm excited to try it because it's a step toward that constructivist classroom... in a way that I can definitely handle. It's also a way to eliminate truly "busy work" and have meaningful work opportunities for everyone. Theoretically, if it goes well, it's also a way for me to spend some more time on differentiating resources for the students... and that seems like a bite that's easier for me to take than the words of differentiating instruction... which seems overwhelming and unmanageable.
I showed Shawn the plan the students will receive tomorrow and he asked some clarifying questions that helped me touch up some of the semantics... but he also made a connection I hadn't come to yet: this is preparing the kids for college and the real world, where your boss/professor doesn't care how/when you get the project/work done... they just care that you get it done and that it's your work. Exciting idea... preparing them with the skills of goal-oriented work at their own pace. This goes beyond curriculum then and into life skills. If it goes well.
My questions:
1. What do I do when kids aren't working on German?
Is this truly a personal attack on me for not having enough planned or not making it challenging/engaging enough for them? Or is it a case of them truly being able to plan their own time and they're prioritizing, perhaps other class homework, above the German? Is that something I am okay with? Do I just trust the process? What kinds of discussions do I need to have with the kids about this?
2. How will I know if this worked?
What questions can i ask the kids as they reflect on the unit as a whole to know what went well, what could be better and (perhaps) what should be completely dropped? Will the test/quiz grades drop initially and then go up? Will they always be up? Will they cheat?
3. Will I enjoy it?
Will I get to spend time really encouraging and working with kids? Will I get to work with those kids that are at a high level and would love to have a challenge from me? Will I see progress in the skills and talents of the students?
I know it's just one chapter, but there is a little voice in me that says I should have been doing something like this for a very long time... so I and the students can see and know progress more clearly. Then there's the dark horse on the other shoulder saying, "This could just as easily go terribly... and then all of your hopes for it being an answer to a lot of these problems will put you in negative progress in everything. Keeping it status quo would only be neutral progress instead of negative."
Shut up dark horse.
I'm pushing myself.
Trying something new.
If I fail, I will fail gloriously... and learn from it: thus, no matter what, it will be a success.

So, "dark horse", you can just shut up.

PROST!

Vocabulary-Based Instruction

A former student was talking with a couple of my current students saying that my German courses were based so heavily in vocabulary that she felt like she missed out on some of the "other things" that others knew. This stuck with me. Maybe because it was criticism... maybe because it's hard to look at myself in that critical way, but the only way things in life can change for the better is if you can find and reflect on the honest truth.

So I've been thinking about this. And having minor conversations with colleagues about it.

Vocabulary is easy. Vocabulary is low level. And vocabulary is how I learned language.

I want to push it beyond that.

More into the skills of language.

But how can I assess that most efficiently and effectively so that it is the center of curriculum and consideration?

And how does this play into the concept of concept-based instruction? and backward design?

Do themes pull these skills in or do the skills pull the themes in?

Just an idea...

Something I'm throwing around in my brain...
But want to let it simmer as to how it would actualize itself...

What if:
Students chose how they were going to be part of the "Team" that is known as a classroom. Each student takes their strengths and commits to using those strengths (drawing, singing, movies, rote memorization, usw.) to help the class.

I think it's a great idea... it's so much like real life where businesses hire different people to take on the different tasks in order to have the business run smoothly and at its best. Why should we, in education, be different? Yet, I think it might necessitate a few things:

Contract grading of some sort? Perhaps contracted services? I don't want students to not offer their service because they feel that it will be on top of work that might already be overwhelming.

A real use of their skills. Not just a one-time thing and a very minimal one-time-thing at that. It needs to be real... and it needs to be purposeful and fulfilling for the students.

All of this came to mind as I see the amazing artists I have in class and the student who writes and sings her own music... beautifully. How could I harnass that to give them pride in what they do and have German be a part of it?

So I want to think this through a bit more... and then try it on a small scale still this semester... because it might be something truly amazing for my ENORMOUS split class next semester.