1. Reflecting on Learning
Design Question 2 – Element 13:
How do teachers help students examine their level of understanding and identify where they are clear and where they are confused?

2. Before we begin…
Before we begin talking about element 13, let’s be sure that there is an understanding about how the elements in Design Question 2 are related. This is important as you plan your lessons. Directions: watch the video on the next slide. Please take notes, documenting how the elements in Design Question 2 are related.

3. Video – how do the elements in DQ2 relate to each other?
Please click on the link to view the video from Pasco County Schools that provides an introduction to the elements in Design Question 2.

4. How do the DQ2 elements relate to each other?
You should have noticed that
the elements in DQ2 can be taught at the same time, need to be intentionally planned for, and are directed by the teacher or the student.
elements 6-9 are teacher directed but elements are more student directed.
it requires adults to be exposed to new information 7 different times in 7 different ways to learn something so it makes sense that students require more than 7.
Now let’s talk about element 13, specifically.

5. Review Teacher and Student Evidence NOTE: This list of evidence is not all inclusive but is instead a list of possible examples.

6. Review Scale for Element 13

7. Desired Effect in the Students
The desired effect is, “Students examine their level of understanding and identify areas where they are clear and confused.” To receive an Innovating rating, the teacher must monitor and make accommodations so that every student in their classroom achieves this desired effect. In other words, every student must examine how well they understand the material and then identify where they feel confident and where they have questions.

8. Task While watching the video, which is on the next slide, identify:
strategies the teacher uses to help students to reflect on what they have learned and how well they learned it.
why the teacher believes it is important to have students reflect on their learning.
After watching the video you will be asked to identify the teacher and student evidence to rate the teacher on this element.

9. Video – what strategies are used and why is this important for teachers and students?
Click on the link to view a video from the Pasco County Schools about Design Question 2, Element 13: How do teachers help students examine their level of understanding and identify where they are clear and where they are confused?

10. Video Questions and Answers
Q1: What strategies does the teacher use to help her students reflect on what they have learned and how well they learned it? A1: think logs, journals, exit slips, Venn diagrams, Q&A session using a ball, strategy If you would like step-by-step procedures for using these strategies, sign into and then click on this link and this link to read directions for how to incorporate the strategies into your classroom. Q2: Why does the teacher believe it is important to have students reflect on their learning? A2: She mentions two benefits. First, she says that it is helpful to identify which strategies work best for her students. Second, she can verify if students are actually learning the information. She can verify that all of her planning and use of best strategies are paying off.

11. Task
On the next slide is the teacher and student evidence. What evidence did you see and were able to document? Use this to rate the teacher as you walk through the next few slides.

12. Review Teacher and Student Evidence What did you see?

13. Review Teacher and Student Evidence What did we see?

14. How to Rate Teacher Evidence
You can only give credit for what you see.
Teacher Evidence
Teacher asks students to state and record what they are clear about and what they are confused about.
Using the Venn diagram and journaling, the students identified what they learned and what they were struggling with.
Using the Q&A session with the ball, the teacher can help students identify what material they know with confidence and what material they need more help with.

15. How to Rate Student Evidence
You can only give credit for what you see.
Student Evidence
When asked, students can explain what they are clear about and what they are confused about.
As students complete their Venn diagrams and try to answer questions during the Q&A session, they can identify the material they “have down pat” and the material they still need help with.

16. Review Scale for Element 13 to Rate the Teacher

17. How we Rated the Teacher
We rated the teacher as Developing because she engaged the students in activities to help them identify what they had learned, how well they had learned it, and what questions they still had; however, there was no evidence in the video that the teacher was monitoring any of her students for the desired effect. We didn’t see her walking around while the students were doing their Venn diagrams and we didn’t see her reading their journals. Without this evidence, we cannot give her an Applying rating. If she was monitoring the majority of her students for the desired effect then she would deserve an Applying rating and we would give her an Innovating rating if she did so for every student.

18. Other Resources
There are additional resources for you to use. First, sign into Then click on the link of the document you want to read or the video you want to watch. If the links aren’t working, you can search for them in the Resource Library by using their titles.
Monitoring in Action Clip 2: a video showing how to use an Exit Slip to monitor students for the desired effect.
Reflecting on Learning (Kindergarten): a video showing how a kindergarten teacher helped her students identify what was easier to learn and why and vice versa.
Freeology.com: a website with free graphic organizers and journal topics
Pinterest: ideas other teachers use to have their students reflect on their learning

19. What is next?
Identify a lesson you have coming up in the next week that is teaching new information.
Design a process your students can use to identify what they have learned, what was difficult, what was easy, and why.
If you want an Applying rating, determine how you will monitor the majority of the students to make sure they are reflecting on their learning.
If you want an Innovating rating, determine how you will monitor every student to make sure they are examining their level of understanding and identifying areas where they are clear and confused.

20. Is this element in your PGP? Then you need to…
sign into Click on the Growth tab and then click on the Plans option. Open your current plan and fill out a new Reflection Log, answering the appropriate questions.
decide how you will change your teaching as a result of viewing this module.
execute your change, reflect on its impact, and fill out another Reflection Log in iObservation.

21. Further questions?
Here are resources in case you have further questions:
Your evaluator
Another evaluator on your campus
Your school’s classroom practice mentor (CPM)