“Learning is not a spectator

sport.” ~D. Blocher

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

47% labeled classes as uninteresting

43% missed too many days and

couldn’t catch up

69% were not motivated to work

hard

66% would have worked harder if

more were expected

High School Dropouts

~ The Silent Epidemic: Perspective of High School Dropouts (2006)

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

RIGOR

STUDENT

ENGAGEMENT MOTIVATION

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

What is RIGOR? • Rigor helps create an environment in which each

student: • Is expected to learn at high levels • Is supported so he or she can learn at high

levels • Demonstrates learning at high levels

• Rigor exhibits quality – not quantity • Rigor involves everyone – All means ALL

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

“It is possible for a learning activity to become increasingly difficult without becoming more complex.”

~David Sousa, How the Brain Learns

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

“Teachers are more likely to increase difficulty, rather than complexity, when attempting to raise student thinking.”

~David Sousa, How the Brain Learns

Complexity

establishes the level of thought

Difficulty

determines the amount of effort the learner must expend within each level

of complexity

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

Difficulty = more work at lower levels

Complexity = work that requires in depth thinking at higher levels

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

CREATE - generate new

ideas

EVALUATE – justify a decision or choice

ANALYZE – break into component parts

APPLY – use information in a new setting

UNDERSTAND – explain idea or concept

REMEMBER – recall information

Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

Assimilation

Acquisition

Adaptation

Application

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

Gather & store bits of knowledge – Remember or Understand

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

Apply knowledge in

real-life situations

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

Use knowledge to

analyze & solve school-

based problems

Work under the specific directions of the teacher

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

Apply knowledge &

skills in complex ways to analyze and solve real world problems and

create solutions

Confront real-world

unknowns

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

What does instruction look

like in each quadrant?

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

I can recall information important to the teacher

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

I can recall information important to the teacher

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

Work with a peer to agree

on a summary

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

I can recall information important to the teacher

Work with a peer to agree

on a summary

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

Use an organizer to

analyze elements of an image

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

Use an organizer to

analyze elements of an image

I can recall information important to the teacher

Work with a peer to agree

on a summary

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

Listen to a story and draw a

summary that depicts action and sequence

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

Use an organizer to

analyze elements of an

image

Listen to a story and draw

a summary that depicts action and sequence

I can recall information important to the teacher

Work with a peer to agree on a summary

Math - Elementary

Find values in number

sentences when represented by

unknowns

Develop a formula for

determining large quantities

without counting

Memorize multiplication

tables

Collect outside temperatures for several days and make a graph of

results

English – Middle School

Analyze commercials for fact and

opinion

Write directions for assembling a product or

carrying out a procedure

Locate information in

a technical manual

Assemble a product following written

directions

Social Studies –High School

Participate in a Socratic

seminar on an issue, such as

privacy

Develop a school policy

on First Amendment rights in a

school setting

Describe provisions of one of the Bill

of Rights

Conduct a student survey

on First Amendment

rights

Teacher/Student Roles

Assimilation Adaption

Acquisition Application

Students think & work

Students work

Students think

Teachers work

Did Students Get it Right?

Assimilation Adaption

Acquisition Application

Asked the Right

Questions

Followed the

Correct Procedure

Provided a Rational

Answer

Provided a Correct Answer

Control

Assimilation Adaption

Acquisition Application

Student Controlled

Externally Controlled

Teacher Directed

Teacher Controlled

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

Examine your videos • Get a partner from a similar school level

(elementary or secondary). • Watch each video. • As you watch your video, focus on the four areas

of the Rigor/Relevance framework. • Record indicators/evidence in the appropriate areas

on the sheet provided for you. • Be ready to share!

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

Using Bloom’s Revised Cognitive

Domain to Improve Instructional

Practice

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy Pyramid

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

Links to RESOURCES • Full PowerPoint – on CCS C & I Wiki

• www.ccscandi.wikispaces.com

• Digital Blooms • www.usi.edu/distance/bdt.htm

• Bloom’s Cognitive • http://farr-

integratingit.net/Theory/CriticalThinking/index.htm

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

Where Should I Begin? • Have a vision for RIGOR in your school

• Collaboratively write a school-wide vision for rigor • Reread it weekly and clarify details • Focus on the school’s vision for rigor while planning,

observing, monitoring and conferencing

• Determine 3 changes that YOU can make to support the increase of rigor school-wide • Incorporate 3 new ideas to increase rigor • Continue to adapt and introduce new strategies

• Determine the support you need from C & I

Creating and Maintaining Rigor in the Classroom

How can I help my teachers understand RIGOR? • Present the information from today’s session to

your teachers. • Work with your teachers to create a vision for

RIGOR in your school. • Share new strategies with your teachers during

meetings and conferences. • Share the PowerPoint that is available on the CCS

Wiki.

Ideas presented were taken from:

Blackburn, Barbara R. (2008), Rigor is NOT a Four-Letter Word. San Antonio, TX. Eye on Education. Cumberland County Schools. (2009), Creating Rigorous Classrooms. Fayetteville, NC. Cumberland County Schools. Sousa, David (2006), How the Brain Learns. Thousand Oaks, CA. Corwin Press. Tomlinson, Carol A (1998), Teach Me, Teach My Brain: A Call for Differentiated Classrooms. Educational Leadership. 56. 3. Retrieved from www.pdonline.ascd.org. Bridgeland, J., DiIulio, J., and Morison, K (2006), The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of High School Dropouts. Retrieved from www.civicenterprises.net.

Other electronic resources:

www.peterpappas.com/files/defining_rigor_and_relevance.pdf www.Farr-integratingit.net/Theory/criticalthinking/revisecog.htm www.usi.edu/distance/bdt.htm www.slideshare.net/cliotech/reaching_for_rigor_and_relevance www.leadered.com http://capitol.osd.wednet.edu/media/capital/academics/cte/meeting_minutes/rigor_relevance.pdf http://curriculumpowwow.wikispaces.com/file/view/Rigor_Relevance_Framework_Part+1.ppt#507