LearningTargets:HelpingStudentsAimforUnderstandingInToday’sLesson

ASCDWebinar17July2012

ConnieM.Moss,Ed.D.Director,CenterforAdvancingtheStudyofTeachingandLearning(CASTL)

AssociateProfessor,DuquesneUniversitySchoolofEducation406CanevinHall•Pittsburgh,PA15282•412‐396‐4778•moss@castl.duq.edu

✧ConnieM.Moss,Ed.D.,Director✧CenterforAdvancingtheStudyofTeachingandLearning(CASTL)

DuquesneUniversitySchoolofEducation•406CanevinHall•Pittsburgh,PA15282Ph:412‐396‐4778•email:moss@castl.duq.edu

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LearningTargets,StudentLook‐Fors,PerformanceofUnderstanding,FormativeLearningCycle

1. LearningTargets• Ifstudentsarenotusingit(aimingforunderstandingofimportantconceptsandbecomingmore

proficientintargetedskills)theyarenotengagedintheformativeassessmentprocess,andyourlearningintentionisNOTalearningtarget.

• Studentsmustknowwhatgoodworkmeansintoday’slesson:o Whattheyareexpectedtolearn.o Howwelltheyareexpectedtolearnit.o Whattheywillbeaskedtodotodemonstratetheirlearning.o Howwelltheywillhavetodoit.

2. StudentLookFors(SuccessCriteria)• Criteriathestudentscanusetojudgehowclosetheyhavecometothetargetinlanguagethat

describesmasteryofthetarget,ratherthaningradingorscoringlanguage(letters,points,numbers,percentageright,numbercorrect,etc.).

3. EveryLessonNeedsaPerformanceofUnderstanding:• Perfectfitforthelearningtargetandmakesitcrystalcleartoeveryone.• Deepensstudentsunderstandingofimportantcontent.• Opportunityforstudentstotryoutthelearningtargetandapplytheirstudentlook‐fors.• Helpsstudentsaimforunderstandingandassesswhattheyknowandwhattheyneedtolearnmore

about.• Producescompellingandundeniableevidenceofstudentlearningthroughwhatstudentsdo,say,

makeorwrite.• Studentsconclude:IfIcandothis,thenIwillknowthatIhavereachedmylearningtarget.• Teacherconcludes:Ifmystudentscandothis,thenIwillhavestrongevidencethatthey’vemastered

thelearningtarget.

4. AFormativeLearningCycleThatFeedsStudentsandLearningForward.• Intoday’slesson,studentsandteacherspartnerduringaformativelearningcyclethatmakes

learningvisibleandmaximizesopportunitiestofeedstudentsandtheirlearningforward.• Itprovidesa“goldensecondchance”thatencourages,expects,andteachesstudentstoimprove

theirworkaspartoftoday’slesson.• Withoutalearningtarget,studentlook‐fors,andaperformanceofunderstanding,feedbackisjust

advice—someonetellingyouwhattodo—andhasnoformativevalue.

✧ConnieM.Moss,Ed.D.,Director✧CenterforAdvancingtheStudyofTeachingandLearning(CASTL)

DuquesneUniversitySchoolofEducation•406CanevinHall•Pittsburgh,PA15282Ph:412‐396‐4778•email:moss@castl.duq.edu

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TheRoleofLearningTargetsandSuccessCriteria“StudentLook‐Fors”1.FormativeassessmentistheMeansnottheEnds.Unlessstudentssee,recognizeandunderstandwhattheyarelearningandhowtheywillknowwhentheyreachmastery,theywillneverbecomeindependent,self‐directed,assessmentcapablelearners.Rememberthegoalhereistoproducecompetent,self‐regulated,andmotivatedlearnerswhocansetgoalsandassesstheirownprogress.2.Instructionalobjectivesaretoobroadandtooimpersonaltoguidelearning.Studentsneedteacherstodescribefortheminstudentfriendlyandageappropriateterms(languagetheycanunderstand)exactlywhatisimportanttolearn(notwhatisimportanttodoortoscore)inthelesson/activityathand.Thisdescriptionshouldbeframedfromthepointofviewofastudentwhohasyettomasterthecontent.3.Learningtargetsdescribewhatthestudentwillcometoknoworbeabletodoasaresultoftoday’slesson.Theydonotdescribewhattheywillscoreordo.Learningtargetsarenot“directionsforanactivity”.Theyareanexactdescriptionofwhatstudentswilllearn.Theyusuallybeginwithaphraselike:Todaywearelearning…4.Itisnotenoughforstudentstohearwhattheyaregoingtolearn,theymustunderstandhowteacherswillassessthequalityoftheirworkandhowtheycanassessthequalityoftheirownwork.Teachersshouldsharesuccesscriteria(studentlookfors)studentscanuseastheyarelearningandworkingthatanswerthequestion:HowwillIknowwhenIamproducingqualitywork?5.Thepurposeofsharinglearningtargetsandsuccesscriteria(studentlookfors)istoguidethelearningofthestudents,theactionsoftheteacher,andtheevidencethattheclassroomlearningteamwillcollecttosupportanassumptionthatlearninghasoccurred.Workthatstudentsdoshouldprovideteachersandstudentswithstrongevidenceoftheirstandinginrelationtomasteryofthelearningtargetfortoday’slesson.6.Thebestwaytosharealearningtargetistodesignactivitiesandassignments—performancesofunderstanding—thatprovidethestrongestevidenceofwhereeachstudentisinrelationtotoday’slearningtarget(Moss&Brookhart,2012).Whatarestudentsactuallydoingduringtoday’slessonto:deepentheirunderstandingofcontent(knowledgeandskills),assessthequalityoftheirworkastheyarelearning,provideevidenceofwhattheyknowandcandoandhowwelltheyknowitandcandoit.7.Toraisestudentachievement,youmustbeveryclearaboutwhatachievementactuallymeans!Achievementmeansthatyouarelookingforevidenceof“something”.TeachersandstudentsshouldknowEXACTLYwhatthat“something”isfortoday’slesson,andgathercompellingevidencetodetermineifstudentshave“achieved”thatexact“something”.RaisingstudentachievementduringTODAY’slessonandeverylessonmeansthatsostudentsachieveshortterms(lesson‐sized)goalsthatadduptolong‐termachievementgoals.Thekeytoraisingstudentachievementistohavealearningtargetfortoday’slesson!

✧ConnieM.Moss,Ed.D.,Director✧CenterforAdvancingtheStudyofTeachingandLearning(CASTL)

DuquesneUniversitySchoolofEducation•406CanevinHall•Pittsburgh,PA15282Ph:412‐396‐4778•email:moss@castl.duq.edu

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BuildingaLearningTarget

CharacteristicsofaLearningTarget(Moss&Brookhart,2012)• Alearningtargetdescribesforthestudentsexactlywhattheyaregoingtolearnbytheendoftoday’s

lesson.• Itdescribeslearningindevelopmentallyappropriatelanguagethatthestudentcanunderstand.• Itisstatedfromthepointofviewofastudentwhohasyettomasterthecontent,skillorprocess

thatmakesupthetarget.• Thelearningtargetisconnectedtothespecificperformanceofunderstandingfortoday’slesson—

whatyouwillaskyourstudentstodo,make,say,orwritethatwilldeepentheirunderstanding,helpthemaimformasteryofthetarget,allowthemtoself‐assessthequalityoftheirlearning,andwillprovideyouandthestudentwithevidenceofwhatthestudent’slevelofunderstanding?

• Ahigh‐qualitylearningtargetcontainsstudentlook‐fors—criteriathestudentscanusetojudgehowclosetheyhavecometothetargetinlanguagethatdescribesmasteryofthetarget,ratherthaningradingorscoringlanguage(letters,points,numbers,percentageright,numbercorrect,etc.).

A4‐StepFrameworkforVerballySharingtheLearningTarget:Tosharethelearningtargetwithyourstudentsatthebeginningofalesson,askyourselfthefollowingthreequestionsfromthestudents’pointofview:

1. WhatwillIbeabletodowhenIfinishtoday’slesson?2. Whatidea,topic,subjectisimportantformetolearnandunderstandsoIcanusethisinformationto

doit?3. HowwillIbeaskedtoshowthatIcandothis?And,4. HowwellwillIhavetodoit?

Whatisthepurposeofsharingthetargetverbally?Yourmissionistohelpstudentsaimforunderstandingintoday’slesson.Itisthe“WHY”ofthelesson.Itanswersforstudentswhyyouareaskingthemtolearnthischunkofinformation,onthisday,sothattheycandeepentheirunderstanding,showwhattheyhavelearnedinthisway,anddescribeforthemexactlyhowwelltheywillbeexpectedtodemonstratetheirnewlearning.

✧ConnieM.Moss,Ed.D.,Director✧CenterforAdvancingtheStudyofTeachingandLearning(CASTL)

DuquesneUniversitySchoolofEducation•406CanevinHall•Pittsburgh,PA15282Ph:412‐396‐4778•email:moss@castl.duq.edu

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ElementaryLevelExampleLessononQuestionMarksWhatwillIbeableto

dowhenIfinishtoday’slesson?

Whatidea,topic,subjectisimportantformetolearnandunderstandso

Icanusethisinformationtodoit?

HowwillIbeaskedtoshowthatIcandothis?

(PerformanceofUnderstanding?)

HowwellwillIhavetodoit?

(StudentLook‐Fors?)

Yesterday,welearnedaboutthequestionmark,whatitlookslikeandthatitcomesattheendofanaskingsentence.Todaywearelearningtowriteanaskingsentencethathasaquestionmarkattheend.

Tobeabletodothiswemustlearnandunderstandthatsomeaskingsentencesbeginwitha“question”wordlike:Who,what,where,when,whyorhow.

Youwillshowthatyoucandothisbyrewritingalistoftellingsentencesasaskingsentencesandendingeachonewithaquestionmark.

Youwillknowthatyouhavehitthelearningtargetwhenyouareabletosay:• Icanuseoneofthe

askingwordstochangemytellingsentenceintoaquestion.

• Icanplaceaquestionmarkattheendofmyaskingsentence.

• Icananswermynewaskingsentencebyusingmy“telling”sentence.

*Aftertellingthestudentsaboutthetarget,shareitinotherwayslikegivingstudentsexamplesandnon‐examplestoexamineandassessusingthestudentlook‐forsaspartoftheirguidedpractice.

✧ConnieM.Moss,Ed.D.,Director✧CenterforAdvancingtheStudyofTeachingandLearning(CASTL)

DuquesneUniversitySchoolofEducation•406CanevinHall•Pittsburgh,PA15282Ph:412‐396‐4778•email:moss@castl.duq.edu

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MiddleLevelExampleLessonontheAssassinationofPresidentJohnF.KennedyWhatwillIbeableto

dowhenIfinishtoday’slesson?

Whatidea,topic,subjectisimportantfor

metolearnandunderstandsoIcanusethisinformationtodo

it?

HowwillIbeaskedtoshowthatIcandothis?

(PerformanceofUnderstanding?)

HowwellwillIhavetodoit?

(StudentLook‐Fors?)

Yesterday,welearnedhowtoperformanhistoricalinvestigationandpracticedthestepsthatweshouldusetofindoutwhathappenedandwhyithappened.Todaywearelearningtolookcloselyatanhistoricaleventthatpeopledisagreeabouttothisday—theydisagreeaboutwhathappenedandwhyithappened.

Tobeabletodothiswemustlearnandunderstandthatevenwhenanhistoricaleventisdocumentedinavarietyofways,peoplecanstillquestiontheeventandlookatitfromdifferingpointsofview.

Youwillshowthatyoucandothisintwophases.FirstyouwillworkinyourgroupstoexaminethehistoricaldocumentsIhavechosenforyouanddecidewhatweknowforsureandwhatwedonotknowforcertain.Theneachofyouwillwriteashort2‐paragraphstatementthatexplainsonedisagreementthatpeoplehaveaboutthisevent.

Youwillknowthatyouhavehitthelearningtargetwhenyouareabletosay:• Icanbrieflydescribe

aspecificdisagreementthatpeoplehaveabouttheassassinationofPresidentKennedy.

• Icandescribespecificpiecesofevidencethatexisttosupportthetwosidesofthedisagreement?

*Aftersharingverballytheteachercanshareinotherwayslikegivingstudentsachecklistoftheir“lookfors”sotheycanself‐assessastheyareproducingtheirshort2‐paragraphstatement.

✧ConnieM.Moss,Ed.D.,Director✧CenterforAdvancingtheStudyofTeachingandLearning(CASTL)

DuquesneUniversitySchoolofEducation•406CanevinHall•Pittsburgh,PA15282Ph:412‐396‐4778•email:moss@castl.duq.edu

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HighSchoolExampleLessonontheCountriesofWesternEuropeWhatwillIbeabletodowhenIfinishtoday’s

lesson?

Whatidea,topic,subjectisimportantfor

metolearnandunderstandsoIcanusethisinformationtodo

it?

HowwillIbeaskedtoshowthatIcandothis?

(PerformanceofUnderstanding?)

HowwellwillIhavetodoit?

(StudentLook‐Fors?)

Yesterday,welearnedthatmigrationpatternsimpactedthepolitical,social,andeconomicdevelopmentofthecountriesinWesternEurope.TodaywearelearningtoevaluatetheimpactthatmigrationhadonSwitzerlandin2008.

Tobeabletodothiswewillstudywhathappenedduringthe2008electioninSwitzerlandandpayparticularattentiontothe“BlackSheep”postersusedtoprotestagainstforeignersmovingintoSwitzerlandfromothernations.

Afterourdiscussionyouwillbeaskedtooutlineawell‐supportedopinioninfavorof,oropposedto,Switzerland’sstrongstanceagainstimmigrantsfromothernations.

Youwillknowthatyouhavehitthelearningtargetwhenyouareabletosay:Icancreateanoutlinethat:• Beginswithan

introductionthatstatesmyposition,providessomebackgroundinformationandpresentsathesisstatement.

• Presentsmythreestrongestpoints,onebyone,supportingeachpointwithconcreteevidence.

Aftersharingthetargetverbally,teacherscanshareitinotherwayslike:

• providingstudentswithexamplesoftheoutlineforthemtocomparewiththelook‐forsaspartofguidedpractice,

• givingstudentsatemplateforcreatingtheoutline,• supplyingadescriptive,analyticalrubricstudentscanusetojudgethequalityoftheiroutline

astheyareproducingit.