Establishing Clear Targets: Grade Group follow-up

Review key ideas from June 29 th session Use time to work in groups on a specific subject area to convert learning targets into student friendly language.

Look at what our next steps might be with this process, as a grade group.

Assessment for Learning Organizer

What do we want students to learn?

Where am I going?

How will we know they learned it?

Where am I now?

What do we do when they have or haven’t learned it?

How do I close the gap?

Today’s Intended Outcome

…to focus on the importance of student learning outcomes in learning.

Pre-Learning Questions

 What’s the benefit for spending valuable class time in writing out or verbalizing curricular outcomes?

 Can students even understand the outcomes the way they are written?

 What are the current levels of involvement with this group in using SLO’s (specific learning outcomes)as part of teaching strategy?

 When this is in place, what does it look like for teachers? Students?

Without Clear Targets We Can’t Do Any of the Following…

      Know if the assessment adequately covers and samples what we taught.

Correctly identify what students know and don’t know and their level of achievement.

Plan next steps in instruction.

Give detailed, descriptive feedback to students.

Have students self-assess or set goals likely to help them learn more.

Select instructional activities that actually help students achieve the target.

“Students can hit any target they can see that holds still for them”

Rick Stiggins, 2004

“…a possible reason for low achievement…may be that many students do not understand what they are supposed to learn.” Frederiksen and White, 2002.

Clear Targets

Impact on students: Impact on teachers:

          More focused (especially underachieving students).

Demand learning target.

More likely to express learning needs – specifically.

Develops a learning culture.

Quality of work improves.

Behavior improves.

Persevere longer.

Greater ownership of learning as responsibility shifts from teacher to student.

Automatically self-evaluative.

More enthusiastic about learning.

        More focused.

Sharpens teacher understanding of learning target.

Expectations rise.

Focus on quality rather than getting everything done.

More critical of activities.

Reinforces relevant vocabulary.

Assists in reflection of lesson and learning that occurred. Strengthen connections with parents related to child’s strengths and weaknesses.

The general effect of setting goals or objectives produces a gain of between 18% and 41%) [Marzano,

Classroom Instruction that Works

, p. 93].

34% Why is it important to focus on student learning outcomes?

FACT: Many students focus on what they are doing as opposed to learning.

for example : Ask a child what they learned today, and most will draw a blank. Ask a child what they did today in class and they will likely be able to tell you - "we did a math sheet", "we did a poster on our novel "," we played a game in social studies", etc.

Something to keep in mind: Task or Target.

The ability to distinguish between • the task, the activity the students will engage in, and • the learning target, what they are to learn by engaging in the activity...

is crucial to creating an accurate assessment.

Why does this matter?

• There is a body of research that indicates when students are clear about their

learning goal

, a goal that describes the intended learning, they perform significantly better than those who are given goals that focus on task completion.

• Making the intended learning clear, substitutes a learning goal mindset for their activity-oriented way of thinking.

 It focuses the attention to learning by helping them understand that the assignment is the means to the learning .

Clear Targets - the teachers' role

Know what kinds of targets are represented in curriculum

– Knowledge – Reasoning – Performance Skill – Product •

Master the targets ourselves

•

Know which targets our assessments measure

•

Make learning targets clear to students, too.

Classifying Targets



Target Type Teacher's Role

Knowledge and Reasoning Skills convert to student friendly language if needed Performance Skills and Product skills Identify under-pining skills using a student friendly rubric or criteria checklist– (a performance or product may require knowledge, reasoning and skill targets also)

Making Outcomes Student Friendly

Developing “I Can” Statements

Student Friendly Terms

   “In order for the learning intention to be shared effectively, it needs to be

clear and unambiguous

, so that the teacher can explain it in a way that makes sense to her children.” “…the task has to

match

the learning intention for the children to have a chance of fulfilling it.” The learning intention “needs to be the main focus of

feedback

.” Shirley Clarke in

Unlocking Formative Assessment

Considerations…



I can tie my shoes.



I can complete my work on time.

Remember This…



Learning targets need to be clear to all students.



Not all learning targets are unclear and need to be converted into student friendly language.



Activities should be selected/planned AFTER the learning targets are established.

A Mathematics Example

Subject

 Math  Decimals

Topic

 Page 152 in the book

Assignment Activity

 Going on a decimal hunt  Read decimals and put them in order

Learning Target

Converting Learning Targets to Student-friendly Language

Steps:

1

.

Identify an important or difficult learning goal.

2

.

Identify word(s) needing clarification.

3

.

Define the word(s). 4

.

Rewrite the definition as an “I can” statement, in terms that your students will understand.

5

.

Try it out and refine as needed.

6

.

Have students try this process.

Considerations…



Don’t oversimplify!!



IDENTIFY is not the same as ANALYZE!

Grade 2 Math Foundational Objective: demonstrate a sense of spatial awareness and familiarity with two- and three-dimensional shapes and recognize relationships between geometry and the environment.

Learner Outcome



Addressed:

design classifications and sort three dimensional objects according to various characteristics

Student “I Can” Statements:

  I can sort 3D objects into groups and explain why I put them into each group. OR I can sort 3D objects into groups and create names for each group.

Grade 8 Arts Education Foundational Objective: Develop an understanding of the elements of art and the principles of design and learn to apply this understanding to their expressions and responses to works of art.

Student “I Can” Statements

:

Learner Outcome Addressed:

 continue to extend their understanding of the elements of art through exploration and analysis  continue to apply their understanding of the elements of art when discussing, analysing, developing and reflecting on visual art works   I can analyze and discuss how an artist chose to manipulate line, colour, texture, shape and form for a particular purpose/effect.

I consider and choose the best way to manipulate line, colour, texture, shape and form when creating visual art works.

Learner Outcome



Grade 4 Science Foundational Objective: Explain some aspects of cell theory.

Addressed:

Recognize the relationships between cells, tissues, and organs.

Student “I Can” Statements

:  Your turn!!!

 Recognize the characteristics of cells, tissues, and organs.

Activity

in your grade group

Using the activity sheet “Sharing Learning Targets ” as a guide, look at the outcomes (targets) for a topic you are or will be teaching this year.

MECY LINK a. Identify the type of target b. Determine whether to share as is or to convert it to student friendly language c. Determine whether a student friendly rubric or checklist is needed d. Convert it to student friendly language if deemed necessary.

Strategy 1: KEY POINTS

Provide a Clear Statement of the Learning Target

•

Convert complex or unfamiliar targets to student-friendly language

•

Post them or have students keep them

•

Connect learning targets to activities

Posting clear targets and regularly connecting student activities to the targets is the foundation for all other assessment practices. Investing time in this will have one of the biggest impacts on your students’ learning The following page is a sample of one way a teacher connects the target to the learning in an ongoing way.

Reflections? Suggestions?

 Do we want to save our work and have it added to our division assessment folder on our website (Click on the sample work done by some Alberta teachers) ( Database "I can" statements )?

 What would you like to do in follow up to this session?

 How can the assessment committee assist?

Works Cited

 Mulgrew, Anne and Rawe, Elisa.

Conversations to Enhance Learning, 2008.

 Stiggins, Rick.

Classroom Assessment for Student Learning, 2006.

 Stiggins, Rick.

Student Involved Classroom Assessment,

1997.