THE COLLEGE-READY PROMISE COLLEGE-READY OBJECTIVES Indicators 1. 1A, 1 THE COLLEGE-READY PROMISE COLLEGE-READY OBJECTIVES Indicators 1.1A, 1.1B

Objectives To acquire knowledge and skill in writing objectives to high levels of rigor and cognition To deepen understanding of what makes a learning goal measurable.

T-P-S “Master teachers spend more time unpacking standards and objectives than they do planning learning activities because they understand that clear learning goals will drive everything else they do.” -Robyn R. Jackson, “Never Work Harder Than Your Students & Other Principles of Great Teaching”

Learning Objectives High expectations Rigorous Sequenced appropriately Measureable Learning, not activity based Interdisciplinary* Multiple methods of measurement*

Tips for Creating Rigorous Learning Objectives Use of Bloom’s verbs (see handout) Use Conley’s article cognition verbs Key Cognitive Strategies Intellectual Openness* Inquisitiveness Analysis Reasoning, Argumentation, and Proof Interpretation Problem Solving Precision and Accuracy*   *may not be appropriate for the main objective, but may be included as secondary skills to be developed Bloom’s Terminology Creating Evaluating Analyzing Applying Understanding Remembering

Cognitive Verbs evaluate analyze synthesize argue construct apply create Cognitive Verbs prove problem solve reason These verbs are taken from Bloom’s and from Conley’s Key Cognitive Strategies. interpret evaluate inquire

Passive Verbs believe learn know enjoy realize understand like As we are striving for our students to be cognitively engaged – we need to make sure the objective showcases the cognitive thinking that we expect from our students. appreciate

Doing Verbs cut and paste take a quiz work underline watch show demonstrate make a chart

Standards and Objectives Teacher’s stated objectives: 1. Develop vocabulary for studying the Holocaust Examine and cite primary and secondary source materials Could they be rewritten using the language of Bloom’s? Students will acquire knowledge and comprehension of academic language pertaining to the Holocaust. 2. Students will analyze primary and secondary source materials, and will use these sources to support a political or ideological viewpoint.

Rigorous all the time? College Ready Objective Students will research the evolution of welfare reform and legislative efforts to address persistent poverty in America from the 1960s to the present by using their textbook and web-based resources to answer given questions as a means of preparing for an upcoming debate on the topic.   Scaffold Objectives Students will create a timeline of milestones in welfare reform from the 1960s to the present. Students will write a 5-paragraph essay on one milestone from their timeline. Using the information obtained from their research, students will prepare 5 arguments either pro or con to debate the topic of the federal welfare program.  

Doing vs. Learning? Isn’t analyzing doing? Isn’t synthesizing doing? Yes, it’s “brain doing,” as opposed to “making a chart” or “performing a skit.” Click to see answer to the questions. What’s the thinking?

Measurability Measurability allows the teacher and students to know how much progress is being made toward attainment of the objective. How much? How many? To what degree? How will I know when it is accomplished?

Measurability Un-measurable objective Students will be able to combine ideas that electric power and mechanical power are equal. How will the teacher know if the students are “able to combine ideas?”

Measurability How will “solving problems” be measured? College-Ready Learning Objective Students will solve problems involving discounts, earned interest, and tips by calculating percentages of quantities. How will “solving problems” be measured? Possible Measurement Student attainment of objective will be measured by the percentage of problems they solve correctly. Because there are 4 problems of each transaction (discounts, earned interest, and tips) I will know they are learning the objective if they accurately solve 3 problems of each transaction.

Measurability How will “analysis” be measured? College-Ready Objective Students will analyze Holden Caulfield’s statement, "Almost every time somebody gives me a present, it ends up making me sad," by using textual evidence from chapter 7 of Catcher in the Rye. How will “analysis” be measured? Click to see possible answer. Possible Measurement Attainment of objective will be measured by the degree of appropriateness of a student’s selection of textual evidence (must have a minimum of two citations) and how strongly they use this evidence to support Caulfield’s statement and explain his loneliness. Students will write a paragraph, and a rubric will describe the performance levels of their analysis.

Measurability College Ready Objective Sometimes, you can write the measurability right into the objective. College Ready Objective Students will prove the Pythagorean theorem by creating three 2-dimensional models and writing an algebraic equation for each.   The how and the how many are already answered.

Measurability There is no one right way of stating measurability. The best thing to do is to ask yourself if your verb is measurable. If the measurability isn’t clearly stated in the objective, write a statement into your lesson plan that answers any of these questions: How much? How many? To what degree? How will I know when it is accomplished?

Application Think back to your learning objective for today. Is it rigorous and measureable? If not, rewrite it so that it is. Check in with your elbow partner. Reflection: How will this impact student learning if your objectives are clear, rigorous and measureable?