Learning Target Info.pdf

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Learning!Targets!Rubric!!

Accomplished Developing Beginning Standards-based and rigorous

They are derived from national or state standards and school or district documents such as curriculum maps and adopted program materials. Targets fall across multiple categories in a cognitive rigor matrix.

They are derived from general academic tasks but not grade-specific standards, or they describe learning or tasks that do not meet proficiency standards. Targets fall across limited categories in a cognitive rigor matrix.

They are not derived from standards and do not clearly reference academic tasks. Targets fall primarily in one or two columns/rows of a cognitive rigor matrix, or learning targets are not rigorous enough.

Student- friendly

They are written in student-friendly language (accessible vocabulary and from a student perspective) and begin with the stem I can.

They begin with the stem I can but may not use student-friendly language; i.e., they sound like objectives.

They do not begin with I can and/or are simply reiterations of state objectives.

Measurable They are measurable and use concrete, assessable verbs (e.g., identify, compare, analyze). The verb suggests the way in which the target will be assessed (e.g., analyze suggests a writing or problem-solving assessment, not a multiple choice quiz).

They are measurable but may contain two verbs or have too broad a scope in content (e.g., I can draw a raccoon and describe its habitat).

They are not measurable (e.g., I can understand, or I can commit).

Specific and contextualized

They are specific, often referring to the particular context of a lesson, project, or case study.

They articulate only long-term targets that can be generalized for any similar academic task (e.g., I can write a persuasive essay).

They are too broad for students to see progress (e.g., I can read) or too narrow for students to own their learning (e.g. I can put my name on my paper).

Learning-centered

The verb following the "I can" stem clearly identifies the intended learning, articulating what the students will learn rather than how they will demonstrate their learning.

They verb following the I can stem focuses on the academic tasks students will do rather than what students will learn (e.g., I can complete a graphic organizer).

The targets are focused only on compliance and completion (e.g., I can retake my test).

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Learning%Targets%in%Action:%Snapshots%from%Classrooms% In order to provide a clear and understandable vision of each learning target, teachers in Expeditionary Learning Schools use a variety of strategies in their daily lessons to get students discussing and interacting with them. Some of these are listed below.

For all lessons Target is posted unless theres a specific instructional reason to keep it a mystery or have students

otherwise discover it. One target may apply to only one lesson or to a series of lessons. Target is explicitly discussed or reviewed early on in the lesson. Target, or aspect of the target, is referenced with each part of the lesson and/or checked-on before

moving on. Target is referred to again during the synthesis/debrief/closing of the lesson, often with evidence that

shows where students are now, and some full-class or self-assessment of that evidence.

Strategies Post the target and have students brainstorm specific ways they might show mastery. List these possible

pieces of evidence. Critique them against the target as a class (or in pairs/triads). Share findings and make final decisions about what students must show as evidence of mastery.

Critique a piece of work and/or video of a class in action in relation to a learning target (and its accompanying criteria list or rubric).

Students sort samples of work and samples of targets and place the appropriate work under each target. Discuss.

At the beginning of a lesson, students self-assess their level of mastery toward a target and then are placed in groups with others at their level. Groups are given tasks to move them to the next level.

Hold status conferences with small groups of students at the same level. Follow this with goal-setting and lessons/assignments that get students to the next level.

Use a variety of quick-check assessment strategies around a target. Discuss what it means to be at a certain level, trends, areas of challenge, lessons/support needed to get the whole class to mastery. Quick checks may include: Four Corners: each corner represents a different level of target masterystudents go to the corner

that represents their perceived status and discuss why they belong in that group. Share. Stand in Line: students get in order based on where they fall on a continuum of beginning to

exemplary on a target. Variation: all students stand in line and step forward or back a given number of steps to represent where they are in their learning.

Graphing My Progress: students mark their place on a graph of beginning to exemplary for a certain target, with stickers, markers, symbols, etc. Analyze/discuss. Variations: whole-class public tracking charts or individual Graphing Me charts.

Fist-to-Five: students hold-up the number of fingers that represent where they stand on a given target. Fist is lowest level, while five fingers represent mastery.

!Excerpted!from!Leaders'of'Their'Own'Learning:'Transforming'Schools'Through'Student8Engaged'Assessment'(2013)!!!1!

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Learning!Targets:!The!Foundation!of!Student?Engaged!Assessment!'

Introduction*The process of learning shouldnt be a mystery to students. Learning targetsstudent-friendly goals beginning with the stem I canprovide learners with concrete statements that they can understand and work toward. Unlike what educators commonly refer to as objectives, learning targets are shared with students, posted in the classroom, and tracked carefully by students and teachers during the process of learning. Rather than the teacher taking on responsibility for meeting a lessons objectives, learning targets transfer ownership from the teacher to the student. The seemingly simple work of reframing objectives written for teachers to learning targets written for, and owned by, students turns assessment on its head. The student becomes the main actor in assessing and improving his or her learning. !

Sources*of*Learning*Targets*and*Attributes*of*Quality*Learning targets are derived from a number of sources: from Common Core, state, or local standards, school-developed habits of scholarship, and published curricular materials aligned with standards. Teachers often work from curriculum maps created at the school or district level indicating which standards they will address during a given time frame. Crafting learning targets from these sources ensures that teachers attend to required standards, even though in the beginning stages of using targets, teachers typically craft targets that can be met and assessed in a daily lesson. !

Quality learning targets have the following attributes. Learning targets are: Standards-based and rigorous Student-friendly, beginning with the stem I can Measurable, using a verb that is able to be assessed Specific, often referring to the particular context of a lesson, project, or case study Clear about the intended learning (rather than naming tasks) Using*Learning*Targets*in*Daily*Instruction**Learning targets can also be distinguished from standards and unit objectives in how they are used. Learning targets are made public, used to support student learning, and are referred to often in the ongoing life of a classroom. In most lessons, the learning targets are shared with students at the start of the lesson and then referred to throughout as teachers and students assess progress. Some teachers have students read the targets aloud, unpack key vocabulary, restate them to a classmate, or discuss them in small groups or as a class to ensure that they understand what they are aiming for. As students become more sophisticated with using learning targets, they may wish to critique or revise them. Teachers can choose to collaborate with students in revising them to be more clear, specific, or measurable, and even in creating new learning targets. This process of sharing and discussing learning targets provides meaningful learning opportunities, especially for building vocabulary.

For some lessons, it is better to hold off on sharing learning targets with students until partway through the lesson. For lessons that open by engaging students with a mystery piecesomething provocative that stimulates interest and generates questionsor by allowing students to experiment with scientific or artistic materials, it is often best to hold off on revealing learning targets so that students will not be constrained in

Excerpted!from!Leaders'of'Their'Own'Learning:'Transforming'Schools'Through'Student8Engaged'Assessment'(2013)!!!2!

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their thinking or discoveries. After discussing the ideas that emerge, the learning targets can be introduced to frame the next steps of work.

In order for students to assess their progress toward meeting their learning targets, teachers must build in checkpoints along the way. Even well written learning targets will contribute little to engaging, supporting, and holding students accountable for their learning if they are not referred to and used actively during the lesson.

There are a wide variety of strategies for checking student understanding and progress toward learning targets during the course of a lesson and at its conclusion. Among the possible strategies: Hand signals (e.g., fist to five, thumbs up, down, or sideways, high, middle, or low) Written checks (e.g., whiteboards, exit tickets, guided practice, reflection journals) Verbal checks (e.g., cold-call questions, lottery-style questions, class whip-arounds) Progress charts (e.g., students posting sticky notes, dots, checks, or initials) Peer check-ins (e.g., pair shares, peer critique, small-group check-ins) Quick quizzes, written or verbal

The end of a lesson is also an important moment for checking for understanding. A well-constructed debrief will allow students to reflect on their learning, returning to the days learning targets to assess their progress. Writing good learning targets takes time and care, but it is only the beginning. The practice really gains traction when students internalize the value of learning targets and use them to assess their progress. As a result, they have a strong sense of responsibility and capability. Working*with*Learning*Targets*Over*the*Long*Term*There are many layers to learning targets. Writing and using discrete learning targets for daily lessons is the first step in gaining facility with the practice. Employing learning targets for longer-term goals takes this work further, requiring that teachers consider more sophisticated features of the practice. Three features are discussed here; for more information, see the chapter Learning Targets in Leaders of Their Own Learning. !! !

Identifying long-term and supporting learning targets As teachers become more proficient with crafting and using targets, they work with both long-term and supporting targets. Long-term targets are often closer to the original language of a standard, while the supporting targets provide the building blocks needed to achieve the long-term target. Supporting targets nest underneath long-term learning targets in a sequence that guides a teachers daily lessons. Working with both long-term and supporting targets ensures that teachers are planning backwards and anticipating students needs throughout a series of lessons. The example below shows two sets of long-term and supporting targets from a grade 4-5 learning expedition on energy.


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!Considering Rigor Learning targets also address the cognitive learning that students engage in. The framework of knowledge, skill, and reasoning as three types of learning targets is a helpful starting place for analyzing what teachers expect a student to understand and do. All three types of targets are important, and distinguishing the difference among types helps teachers make choices about instruction and assessment. Through analyzing target type, teachers can make informed decisions about instructional sequencing and good estimates about how much time students will need to reach proficiency with a target. They are also better equipped to select assessments that are effective and efficient.

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However, just labeling learning targets as knowledge, skill, or reasoning can oversimplify the issue of rigor. Teachers need to also consider the complexity of students tasks and assessments linked to learning targets, and a cognitive rigor matrix (see below) is a useful tool. Once teachers have learning targets and an associated task or assessment in mind, they are ready to use the matrix. The first step is to identify the type of thinking a task requires, using Blooms Taxonomy. Next, consider how deeply students need to understand the content, and take into consideration how complex or abstract the content is. Knowing where a task falls on the matrix can inform backward planning, helping teachers ensure that the learning targets will scaffold students learning appropriately. Using the matrix also pushes teachers to consider tasks that fall in the Extended Thinking column, emphasizing real-world application, cross-discipline connections, problem-solving, and creative thinking all important aspects of the Common Core State Standards and Deeper Learning.

Standard* LongAterm*targets*

Supporting*targets*

I can explain the many forms that energy takes.

I can define energy. I can describe how energy can be used or stored. I can list the energy sources that exist on Earth. I can identify forms of energy in my daily life. I can explain and give examples of the difference between

renewable and nonrenewable energy.

Energy comes in many forms such as light, heat, sound, magnetic, chemical, and electrical. (4th grade physical science standard)!

I can explain the science of electricity.

I can explain how electrons move to create electricity. I can describe the energy transformation that takes place in electrical

circuits where light, heat, and magnetic effects are produced. I can explain the role that magnets play in producing electricity. I can create a complete electrical circuit without trial and error.

* Knowledge* Skill* Reasoning*Explanation Knowledge, facts,

concepts to be learned outright or retrieved using reference materials

Use of knowledge to perform an action. Demonstration is emphasized.

Thinking proficienciesusing knowledge to solve a problem, make a decision, plan, etc.

Sample Verbs

Explain, describe, identify, tell, name, list, define, label, match, choose, recall, recognize, select

Observe, listen, perform, conduct, read, speak, write, assemble, operate, use, demonstrate, measure, model, collect, dramatize

Analyze, compare/contrast, synthesize, classify, infer, evaluate


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Integrating character learning targets Including character learning targets during both daily lessons and longer units of study is a powerful way for teachers to reinforce the importance of work habits and social and emotional learning. Alongside standards, clearly defined habits of scholarship are the starting point for quality character learning targets. Habits of scholarship are generally developed at the school-wide level and reflect the character values of the school in relation to performance (e.g., work habits, collaboration with others, respectful communication).

The Common Core State Standards offer descriptions of students who meet the standards and are thus ready for college or career. The descriptions closely align with the habits of scholarship identified in many Expeditionary Learning schools. In fact, actively teaching these habits is what will enable students to become citizen scholarsindependent learners who are able to critique the reasoning of others, value inquiry and evidence, and persevere in solving problems.

In*Summary*Learning targets enrich standards, and learning targets are an essential first step in developing student ownership of learning. Given the Common Core requirements for higher-order thinking, learning targets are more important than ever. As teachers embrace higher and clearer expectations for all students, they must empower students to truly understand what is required of them and what they are capable of. Clear learning targets are the starting point for building such awareness and capacity in students.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1 Hess, K. (2011). A New Lens for Examining Cognitive Rigor in Standards, Curriculum, and Assessments. Retrieved from http://www.nciea.org/publications/rigorpresentation_KH11.pdf

Cognitive*Rigor*Matrix*with*Sample*Tasks1* Recall and

Reproduction Basic Application of Skills/Concepts

Strategic Thinking and Reasoning

Extended Thinking

Remember Recall or locate basic facts, details, events

N/A N/A N/A

Understand

Describe/explain who, what, where, when, or how

Explain relationships, summarize, identify main ideas

Explain, generalize, or connect ideas using supporting evidence

Explain how concepts or ideas specifically relate to other content domains

Apply

Use language structure or word relationships to determine meaning

Obtain and interpret information using text features

Apply a concept in a new context

Select or devise an approach among many alternative to research a novel problem

Analyze

Identify whether information is contained in a graph, table, etc.

Distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information

Analyze interrelationships among concepts, issues, or problems

Analyze complex/abstract themes or perspectives

Evaluate

N/A N/A Justify or critique conclusions drawn

Apply understanding in a novel way, providing justification

Create

Brainstorm ideas about a topic

Generate hypotheses based on observations or prior knowledge

Develop a complex model for a given situation

Articulate a new voice, new knowledge or perspective

Documents

Learning Target Info.pdf