When I first began teaching, my Units and classroom plans were all about just that - teaching. I arrived buttoned-up, prepared, loaded with great information that I would share with my students that day. Lots of online resources, a packed Moodle page, links, articles, worksheets - the dog and pony show is here! By the end of class I knew my students would leave well informed, stimulated, and begging for more. I had thrown everything I had at them, praying that some of it would stick well enough for the big assessment. Where we were going? Ummm...nobody really knew...
Through Standards Based Learning and Grading my classroom is transforming from a teaching environment to a learning one. At the beginning of each Unit, students have a clear definition of our goals and content through an in-depth KUD. In addition, learning targets are presented so the transferable skills - not content - are clearly defined. My summative assessments are now (mostly) written ahead of time so kids will know at the outset what I will be looking for in their learning. No longer do they have to ask, "what are we being tested on?" They now know - because they've done it already. Like teams on the sports field, my intellectual athletes will practice and practice again - preparing for the big game.
As I become better educated and practiced in how to engage students in learning, flying blind is no longer an option. No matter what I decide my students need to learn, not much will be accomplished without a clear definition of why this must be learned, how they are going to learn it, and why this learning is relevant to their lives today and in the future.
What is the neuroscience behind what we do? During this course, teachers learned that SBL is based on the science of how we process information. In this Transferable Skills diagram, I am reminded how important the analysis piece is in the learning process. As students ask their own questions about a topic, they access prior knowledge and take ownership of their learning. It is in this part of the learning process that practice is so important, allowing students to work and re-work those transferable skills that make learning relevant - as well as guiding the teacher toward next steps.
Through Standards Based Learning and Grading my classroom is transforming from a teaching environment to a learning one. At the beginning of each Unit, students have a clear definition of our goals and content through an in-depth KUD. In addition, learning targets are presented so the transferable skills - not content - are clearly defined. My summative assessments are now (mostly) written ahead of time so kids will know at the outset what I will be looking for in their learning. No longer do they have to ask, "what are we being tested on?" They now know - because they've done it already. Like teams on the sports field, my intellectual athletes will practice and practice again - preparing for the big game.
As I become better educated and practiced in how to engage students in learning, flying blind is no longer an option. No matter what I decide my students need to learn, not much will be accomplished without a clear definition of why this must be learned, how they are going to learn it, and why this learning is relevant to their lives today and in the future.
What is the neuroscience behind what we do? During this course, teachers learned that SBL is based on the science of how we process information. In this Transferable Skills diagram, I am reminded how important the analysis piece is in the learning process. As students ask their own questions about a topic, they access prior knowledge and take ownership of their learning. It is in this part of the learning process that practice is so important, allowing students to work and re-work those transferable skills that make learning relevant - as well as guiding the teacher toward next steps.