A Research-Based Strategy for Increasing Student Achievement Setting Objectives A Research-Based Strategy for Increasing Student Achievement

So, what does the say? RESEARCH

Three generalizations from the research of Marzano, Pickering and Pollock: Instructional objectives narrow what students focus on. Instructional objectives should not be too specific. Students should be encouraged to personalize the teacher’s objectives.

What Are Objectives? Statements of what students are to learn within a lesson, including facts, concepts, relationships, procedures and strategies. Achievement expectations for students on the path toward mastery of a goal. Statements that students and teachers understand about what students are to learn. Targets to be formatively assessed to monitor progress toward the goals.

Why Are Objectives Important? Objectives become your road map for instruction. Objectives tell us where we need to go. They guide our plans for how to get there and help us know when we have arrived. How do you know what your students have learned if you don’t know what you are trying to teach them?

Why Do We Set Objectives? “You got to be careful if you don’t know where you’re going, because you might not get there.” -Yogi Berra

Four Basic Questions Questions to guide you as you set objectives: What do you want students to learn? How do you know when they’ve learned it? What do you do if they don’t learn it? What do you do if they already know it?

Planning Objectives-Elementary Broad Year-Long Goals Measuring objects with non-standard units Unit Goals Use iteration of non-standard units to measure the length of objects Specific Objectives for Daily Lessons Measure the length of objects in the classroom using a single nonstandard unit in order to begin to understand iteration

Planning Objectives-Middle School Broad Year-Long Goals Understand the use of argument Unit Goals Use problem-solution process to construct essays/presentations that respond to a given problem by proposing a solution that includes relevant details Specific Objectives for Daily Lessons Use a multi-flow map to develop solutions to a specific problem

Planning Objectives-High School Broad Year-Long Goals Understand the physical, chemical and cellular basis of life Unit Goals Compare and contrast the structure and functions of carbohydrates and proteins Specific Objectives for Daily Lessons Use a circle map to brainstorm all characteristics of carbohydrates and proteins

Different Kinds of Objectives Learn factual information (Declarative) Develop skills or learn new processes (Procedural) Acquire strategies to solve problems Understand the meaning of a concept Help students gain confidence, develop a positive attitude towards the subject, or learn to cooperate or work as a team

Unpacking Objectives In determining objectives, think about vocabulary and prior knowledge…. What vocabulary do we want to ensure students learn? What vocabulary do we, as teachers, need to use as we are teaching a concept? What skills and understanding do students bring with them from previous experiences and grade levels? What misconceptions do students have?

Setting Objectives Objectives should be flexible and general. Objectives that are too focused limit learning potential. But how does it relate to other parts of the engine? How does a piston work? Limited student learning potential of overall engine concept Too-focused objective

Student Involvement Objectives must be clear to both the teacher and the students. Why is it important for students to be aware of the objectives and goals of the lesson? What are ways to effectively communicate objectives to students?

Student Ownership Makes a Difference Set an objective and encourage students to personalize that objective by identifying areas of interest to them. Sentence starters like “I want to know…” and “I want to know more about…” get students thinking about their interests and actively involved in the objective-setting process. Now, about that piston……

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Surveys/Forms Student objective form created in Google Documents. Goal setting using self-assessment tools such as Survey Monkey or the Forms tool in Google Documents allow easy, free creation of surveys/polls to establish prior knowledge, desired learning outcomes, lingering questions, etc. A video explaining how to create a survey using the Google Forms tool can be viewed at http://randyrodgers.edublogs.org/2008/03/04/google-spreadsheet-survey-tool/. Source:339 Web (http://339web.blogspot.com/2008/04/google-forms-for-student-goals.html) 17

Learning Contracts Use contracts to outline the specific objectives that students must attain and the grade they will receive if they master those objectives. Contracts can be used in all subjects and all grade levels.

Mastery How will you know when students have mastered the objectives you are teaching? What does mastery look like for the objectives? How long will it take students to master the objectives and how will you plan for that time?

Once again…. Questions to guide you as you set objectives: What do you want students to learn? How do you know when they’ve learned it? What do you do if they don’t learn it? What do you do if they already know it?