1. Professional Learning Communities Really Clarifying Learning Targets Module 8

2. Mixer: The Magic Wand  You have found a magic wand that allows you to change three work-related activities.  You can change anything you want.  Consider how would you might change yourself, your job, your supervisor, those you work with, an important project, etc.?  Why is it important to make the change?  Be ready to discuss with a partner.

3. Agenda  Welcome/Mixer  Current Progress  Independent Reading & Group Discussion  Clarifying & Unwrapping Standards  Wrap up

4. PLC Overview

5. Current Progress Discuss with your table the progress at your school with Team Norms, SMART Goals, and Determining Essential Learning Standards

6. What might be some reasons you would further clarify your essential standards?

7. Possible Scenarios  Revisiting your essential standards annually  New team members  CST data indicates there was an area in which the students struggled  School or grade level made API but not AYP goals

8. Collaborative Learning Opportunity  Read chapter 4 from Common Formative Assessments by Larry Ainsworth and Donald Viegut  Select two index cards of the same color.  On one, write a thought-provoking idea on the four-step “unwrapping” process.  On the other, write a key point about moving from “unwrapped” standards to common formative assessments.

9.  At the signal, form groups of four with the same color cards.  Place all cards in a pile and shuffle them.  Take turns selecting and reading a card as a prompt for group discussion.  Discuss at least four cards during the 15 minutes.

10. “The process of ‘unwrapping’ the standards is a simple yet powerful practice to accomplish a more effective implementation of the standards.” Larry Ainsworth

11. Clarifying What Students Must Learn Unpacking Standards

12. Criteria for Identifying Essential Common Outcomes 1. Endurance: are students expected to retain these skills so future skills can be built upon them? 2. Leverage: is this skill/knowledge applicable to many academic disciplines 3. Readiness for the Next Level of Learning: is this skill/knowledge preparing the students for success in the next grade/course Douglas Reeves 2002

13. Clarifying What Students Must Learn  The essential learning established must be aligned with state standards and district curriculum goals  The identified essential learning must ensure students are well-prepared to demonstrate proficiency on state, district and national assessments

14. Other Considerations  What essential understandings and skills do our students need?  Which standards and/or indicators can be clustered or incorporated into others?

15. Unwrapping Standards  Examining a standard to determine exactly what the students need to  Know (concepts or content)  Be able to do (the skills) through a  Particular context (what educators will use to teach the concepts and skills)

16. Unwrapping the Standards  Determine your essential standards  Underline nouns & circle verbs  Create an organizer  Analyze & discuss the standard  Write big ideas  Write essential questions  Decide on topics & context

17. Writing Strategies, Grade 4 WS 1.1 Select a focus, an organizational structure, and a point of view based upon purpose, audience, length, and format requirements.

18. Blooms Taxonomy  Knowledge: defines, describes, identifies, knows, labels, lists, matches, names, outlines, recalls, recognizes, reproduces, selects, states  Comprehension: comprehends, converts, defends, distinguishes, estimates, explains, extends, generalizes, gives examples, infers, interprets, paraphrases, predicts, rewrites, summarizes, translates  Application: applies, changes, computes, constructs, demonstrates, discovers, manipulates, modifies, operates, predicts, prepares, produces, relates, shows, solves, uses  Analysis: analyzes, breaks down, compares, contrasts, diagrams, deconstructs, differentiates, discriminates, distinguishes, identifies, illustrates, infers, outlines, relates, selects, separates  Synthesis: categorizes, combines, compiles, composes, creates, devises, designs, explains, generates, modifies, organizes, plans, rearranges, reconstructs, relates, reorganizes, revises, rewrites, summarizes, tells, writes  Evaluation: appraises, compares, concludes, contrasts, criticizes, critiques, defends, describes, discriminates, evaluates, explains, interprets, justifies, relates, summarizes, supports.

19. Create an Organizer  focus  organizational structure  point of view  purpose  audience  length  format requirements  select a focus  select an organizational structure  select a point of view  connect writing focus, organizational structure, and point of view to purpose, audience, length, and format requirements  formulate/generate ideas from which to select a focus  communicate across domains  write clear and coherent sentences and paragraphs  understand and progress through the stages of the writing process Concepts: Students will know: Skills: Students will be able to:

20. Big Ideas  Key understandings for students to discover for themselves during the instructional period.  The “ah-ha” moments of the learning process.  The important understanding that we want students to ‘get inside of’ and retain after they have forgotten many of the details.

21. Big Ideas WA 1.1  Focus involves more than just knowing what the story is about, but understanding why it was written in the first place. It answers, “So what?”  A clear focus helps readers understand the point of the writing, to learn something new, to gain a new insight on an old idea, and/or to view something from a new perspective.  Organizational structures are patterns in which ideas are presented and include: cause/effect, chronological, compare/contrast, problem/solution, sequential, etc.

22. Essential Questions  Represent the essence of what students should examine and know from instructional time.  Focus instruction on “unwrapped or clarified standards  Align instruction w/assessment  Lead student to discovery of the big ideas on their own

23. Essential Questions WA1.1  How do I determine a focus and clear structure for my writing?  What is my goal or my purpose for this piece of writing?  How will my writing address the audience?  How do I want my readers to feel?  What point of view will best suit the topic I have chosen?

24. Clemens/Heflebower PLD = Performance Level Descriptors

25. Common Assessment Verbs  Infer  Compare  Describe  Contrast  Evaluate  Explain  Formulate  Predict  Summarize  Support  Trace Larry Bell

26. Grade 4 WS 1.1: Edit and revise selected drafts to improve coherence and progression by adding, deleting, consolidating, and rearranging text.

27. Grade 6: LRA 3.2 Analyze the effect of the qualities of the character on the plot and resolution of the conflict

28. Deciding Topics or Context  Specific lessons, activities or units of instruction to be used to teach the concepts and skills “unwrapped” from the standard.

29. Topics or Context: WA 1.1

30. Practice Clarifying Standards  Select an essential standard from you grade  Use the provided organizer and follow the steps to “unwrap” it  Be prepared to explain your thought process and clarified standard

31. Collaborative Study of Essential Learning…  Promotes clarity  Promotes consistent priorities  Is essential to the common pacing required for formative assessments  Can help establish a curriculum that is viable  Creates ownership of a curriculum among those who are called upon to teach it.

32. When we let our students see our vision clearly, we eliminate the mystery surrounding success

33. Questions & Next Steps  On the back of your question card, please indicate the following:  What do you need to facilitate this for your teams?  How might the district aid or assist your efforts?

34. Resources  Learning By Doing: Chapter 3, pp 43-54  Unwrapping the Standards: Larry Ainsworth  Common Formative Assessments: Larry Ainsworth/Donald Viegut  Allthingsplc.com  cde.ca.gov (CST Blueprints)

35. Knowledge defines describes identifies knows labels lists matches names outlines recalls recognizes reproduces selects states Comprehensio n comprehends converts defends distinguishes estimates explains extends generalizes gives examples infers interprets paraphrases predicts rewrites summarizes translates Application applies changes computes constructs demonstrate discovers manipulate s modifies operates predicts prepares produces relates shows solves uses Analysis analyzes, breaks down, compares, contrasts, diagrams, deconstructs, differentiates, discriminates, distinguishes, identifies, illustrates, infers, outlines, relates, selects, separates Synthesis categorizes, combines, compiles, composes, creates, devises, designs, explains, generates, modifies, organizes, plans, rearranges, reconstructs, relates, reorganizes, revises, rewrites, summarizes, tells, writes Evaluation appraises, compares, concludes, contrasts, criticizes, critiques, defends, describes, discriminates, evaluates, explains, interprets, justifies, relates, summarizes, supports.

36. Common Formative Pre-AssessmentsDifferentiated Instruction Common Formative Post-Assessments Reteaching & Enriching Classroom Formative Assessments Learning Activities Reteaching & Enriching Assigned Student Work Power Standards Common Summative Assessments