Some of the ideas I've gleaned from the reading:
[Teacher Clarity, from the book: Teaching Literacy in the Visible Learning Classroom]
Teacher clarity in terms of:
The teacher knowing what students are supposed to be learning (understanding content and demands of the syllabus)
The students know what they are supposed to be learning
The teacher and students know what success looks like
Dimensions of teacher clarity:
Organisation - such that lesson tasks, assignments, and activities include links to the objectives and outcomes of learning (constructive alignment?)
Explanation - such that information is relevant, accurate, and comprehensible to students (Reminder to self: would be good to use consistent vocab)
Examples and guided practice - such that the lesson includes information that is illustrative and illuminating as students gradually move to independence, making progress with less support from the teacher (scaffolding, hands-on practice, thinking routines in order to achieve meta-cognition)
Assessment of student learning - such that the teacher is regularly seeking upon the feedback he or she receives from students, especially through their verbal and written responses [Pre-emptive formative assessment to plug learning gaps BEFORE the summative assessment; providing timely feedback (prevent cumulation of learning gaps, especially when prior knowledge is important in their next phase of learning)]
Learning intentions vs success criteria
Learning intention = daily statement of what a student is expected to learn in a given lesson; can focus on knowledge, skills, or concepts
Should be intentionally inviting
Intentional - keeping in mind needs of students; purposeful and effectively transmit a sense of instructional urgency
Inviting - relevant; positive/optimistic about students’ capabilities
*As teachers set the learning intentions, they also set the tone for thier classroom
Success criteria = communicates learning intention
Components: What should your students be able to do
Condition: Under what conditions do you want your students to be able to do it? (E.g. individual/in groups, timed/ not timed, etc.)
Criteria: How well must it be done to be considered competent
Student ownership of learning intentions
“Students ‘own’ their data (information about what they have and have no learned), and teacher’s role is to teach them how to interpret what they own”
Students need to know whether they are on the right track too
Without clearly defined criteria, teachers and students are not sure what type of learning has occurred, if any
The more specific the learning intentions and the criteria for reaching those intentions, the more likely it is that your students will achieve them.
Learning intentions should be proximal
Learning is Social
Value of S-S interaction
“They can read what others have to say, and the result is that they ask each other questions. It means I’m not the only one who’s leading the inquiry.”
Social skills
Since high-quality lessons involve a good deal of collaboration, it makes sense for teachers to set social learning intentions too
Social learning intentions = focus on the social skills that foster effective collaboration and communication
E.g. Ask your teammates for help
E.g. Listen to really understand what your group members are saying
E.g. Explain your reasoning
E.g. Give helpful feedback to others
"Consider our students as young adults; they do not need the simple ‘rules of discussion’ they used as little kids"
Action Plan
Asking myself and students these formative assessment questions at the start/end of our lessons
Making a conscious effort to connect what they have learned previously to new content (provide opportunities for students to experience the ‘aha’ moments that relate concepts to previous lesson’s content)
Better capitalise on students’ prior knowledge in preparing them for new knowledge acquisition
Be actively engaged with the class so that I can gain a solid sense of what they know
*Prompts should be linked to content of the lesson
E.g. (from the reading):
We are going to read an article about cell phone tracking devices today. How do you use your cell phone for navigation/location purpose?
Today we will examine rhetorical appeals. Write a few lines about the last advertisement you saw and how it tried to convince.
Reflection Questions
How are the ideas and information connected to what I already know?
That success criteria are important in giving students’ a sense of direction.
Tech tools can facilitate students’ learning.
Students learn better by doing; student-student interaction is an important element of learning in the classroom.
How does the reading on 'Teacher Clarity' extend your understanding on e-Pedagogy?
Importance of communicating these success criteria in an intentionally inviting manner (+ the more specific the success criteria is, the more likely students are going to achieve them)
*Meaningful use of technology can facilitate students’ learning (otherwise we are better off without it)
Importance of “in-building” social learning intentions to allow students to take greater degree of responsibility for the quality of their discussions
Reinforcement of the idea that students should be more involved in their own learning; that my role as a teacher is not to teach content, but rather teaching them the frame/concept, and students will make sense of information in whatever ways that works for them
What are some challenges that I still face in the design of lessons?
AFIs in relation to success criteria:
Refining success criteria and giving more thought to the “criteria” component
Communicating success criteria better - so students will think to use these criteria as a checklist to check their own learning progress
Another AFI:
Better connecting what students have learned previously to new content - I feel that I am currently more focused on connecting what they are about to learn to real-world context (still feel this is important, but perhaps after their prior knowledge has been activated!)
Self-affirmation:
I believe in myself and my abilities.
I will get better each day.
It will get easier!!!
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