What is learning, really? How do I set the stage to maximize learning?

Some classrooms look like this—lots of movement going in circles…..

And with a little luck, students learn…….

The Millau bridge Privacy policyPrivacy policy | Terms & conditions | Advertising guide | A-Z index | About this siteTerms & conditionsAdvertising guideA-Z indexAbout this site Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited Some lessons start big, but go off to some unknown place….

Some lessons have a lot going on with little focus………

But the best lessons are very strategic and intentional— with everything aligned!

How can instructors be more strategic and intentional about the learning in their classrooms?

Are your students really thinking?

The greatest enemy of understanding is coverage. As long as you are determined to cover everything, you usually insure that most kids are not going to understand. You’ve got to take enough time to get kids deeply involved in something so they can think about it in different ways and apply it- --not just at school but at home and on the street and so on. Howard Gardner

You’ve got to go below the surface… to get to the really big ideas!

What will kids remember 5 years from now? “We did a bunch of things with magnets.” “Magnets can attract and repel. When they repel, they push away and you can feel the force n your hands.”

Enduring Understandings Involve the “big ideas” that give meaning and importance to facts Can transfer to other topics, fields and real life May provide a conceptual foundation for “basic skills” Are deliberately framed as generalizations-the “moral of the story”

Figure 4.1. Framework for Establishing Curricular Priorities Enduring Understandings are at the core. They anchor a lesson.

Examples Art -- Great artists often break with established traditions, conventions, and technique to better express what they see and feel. History -- History involves interpretation; historians can and do disagree. Math -- Statistical analysis and data display often reveal patterns that might not be obvious.

What is critical to know about the Civil Rights Movement in America?

Create an Enduring Understanding What is critical to know about the Civil Rights Movement in America? A statement that answers the question, “If the unit on Civil Rights is a story, what’s the moral of the story?”

What is learning, really? How do I set the stage to maximize learning?

Once you have determined your Understnding it is time to craft your Essential Question This question will help students uncover the Enduring Understanding.

Essential Questions At the heart of the discipline Recur naturally through our learning Raise other questions Have no one “right” answer Promote student engagement Examples What value do outcasts bring to society? Is every story about me?

What is critical to know about the Civil Rights Movement in America?