Kim Steele Southeastern Randolph Middle School Lead Teacher & Governor’s Teacher Network Participant Bridgette Kiser Southeastern Randolph Middle School 6 th Grade Science Teacher CCSA Presentation – March 31, 2015
Kim Steele Lead Teacher – Southeastern Randolph Middle School Bridgette Kiser 6 th Science Teacher – Southeastern Randolph Middle School
Be attentive Participate in all activities Silence cell phones
I can create clear and appropriate learning targets for my students. I can explain why learning targets should be an essential part of every lesson. I can list at least 3 ways to incorporate a learning target into every lesson. I can summarize the findings of the presented action research project on learning targets.
Established by NC Governor Pat McCrory and NC Department of Instruction Spring 2014 Funded by Race to the Top grant Selected 450 out of 1400 teacher applicants across NC to serve as instructional and professional development experts and facilitators Teachers applied for one of two pathways: 1. Professional Development 2. Instructional Resources Video - GTN Update
GTN Pathway 1 Create professional development sessions and materials to address classroom instructional needs through action research in the classroom and increase the PD offerings in the state-wide Professional Development system in Home Base. Face to face (School, District, Region/State) Wiki Space on Homebase My Focus – LEARNING TARGETS
Systematic inquiry conducted by teachers and other educators to find solutions for critical, challenging, relevant issues in their classrooms and schools. Mills, Geoffrey E, Action Research: A Guide for the Teacher Researcher, 2014
Main Goals Include: Positively impact student outcomes Identify and promote effective instructional practices Create opportunities for teachers to become reflective practitioners Share research results with other educators Mills, Geoffrey E, Action Research: A Guide for the Teacher Researcher, 2014
Think of a learning target you have posted or seen posted in your school. Turn and talk to a partner and share: 1. an example learning target 2. how you have seen learning targets used with students.
My school is successful at implementing learning targets in the classroom. A. Strongly Agree B. Agree C. Neutral D. Disagree E. Strongly Disagree
Why Have Learning Targets?
Learning Targets may have been included in lesson plans and displayed in the classroom, but they were NOT: Introduced orally to students Written down by students Always the focus of the lesson Formatively assessed Included in the lesson’s closure “Students who don't know the intention of a lesson expend precious time and energy trying to figure out what their teachers expect them to learn. And many students, exhausted by the process, wonder why they should even care.” -Moss, Brookhart, and Long Knowing Your Learning Target 2011
In my action research, I will examine how the implementation of lessons highly focused on learning targets coupled with summarizing strategies centered around the learning target affect student growth and mastery of concepts and standards.
6 th Grade Science with Bridgette Kiser 4 Groups of students 2 classes – experimental group 2 classes – control group Research Questions 1. Does keeping a daily Learning Target log assist students in mastering material taught in class? 2. Are there specific summarizing strategies that enhance a students ability to address the Learning Targets presented? 3. Do students who keep a Learning Target log and complete summarizing strategies that are focused on the Learning Target perform better on formative and summative assessments than students who do not?
Specific to that day’s lesson Student friendly language Statement of intended learning Tells students what to learn Tells students how deeply to learn it Tells students exactly how to demonstrate their new learning Directly connected to assessments
With your table group, arrange the statements in the envelope into one of two groups: Group 1 – YES, a clear learning target Group 2 – NO, not a learning target
YES Clear Learning Target NO Not a Learning Target ADEFHLADEFHL BCGIJKBCGIJK
Experimental GroupControl Group LT posted LT introduced orally Students record LT in log LT mentioned during lesson LT center of the lesson Summarizing strategy centered around LT Closure with orally reviewing LT Students reflect and record response to LT in log LTs available on teacher website for parents to view LT posted LT introduced orally LT center of the lesson Closure with orally reviewing the lesson
Surveys (Teacher and Student) LTs recorded on Lesson Plans Teacher daily LT Checklist/Reflections Student daily LT Log/Reflections Summarizing Strategies Formative and Summative Assessments Pre assessments Post assessment District Benchmarks Report Card Averages Parent guestbook on website
Student PRE SurveysStudent POST Surveys 56% could define a LT Is it helpful to have the Learning Target: Posted – 78% Orally introduced – 59% Orally used in closure – 51% Written in log – 46% 93% could define a LT Is it helpful to have the Learning Target: Posted – 85% Orally introduced – 78% Orally used in closure – 63% Written in log – 63%
PRE Surveys POST Survey Learning Targets are: Posted Sometimes introduced orally Not necessarily the center of the lesson Rarely used in designing assessments and closure of a lesson LT Areas of Improvement: Introduced Orally Center focus of the lesson Used in summarizing and closing lessons Requiring students to write and reflect on LT Designing assignments and assessments around the LT
Teacher Results Student Results LT Introduced Orally 95% experimental group 89% control group Summarizing Strategy 88% experimental group 10% control group LT Used in Closure 69% experimental group 2% control group Average 25 students or 52% of students per week noted improvement in learning and understanding in experimental classes with an intense focus on LTs
Ticket Out the Door (TOD)19 Turn and Talk8 Student Drawings/Diagrams6 Absent Student Note Demonstrate2 Mock Interview1 Write Around1
Students answer any question or address the learning target at the end of class and turn it in as they leave the classroom.
In response to a summary prompt or question, direct students to turn and talk to a shoulder partner.
Students are asked to make a non-linguistic representation of a concept based on what they learned in class.
Students write a quick letter to an absent student explaining what was learned that day.
Students list 3 main points, 2 ideas, and 1 question they still have. This can be tweaked for what the teacher needs to know from the students.
Students physically demonstrate a concept learned that day in class.
Students are partnered and create leveled questions based on the LT. Students conduct interviews based on their questions. These can be heard by the teacher circulating around the room or they can be recorded.
Students in a small group are asked to respond to questions in writing. After one minute, they shift papers and respond to the thinking on the paper they receive. They add to the paper and continue writing and rotating until all questions are answered or time is up.
Sign student learning target logs weekly Send home LTs in a unit syllabus Include LTs in weekly newsletters Post LTs on teacher website How do we let parents know what students should be learning each day?
Increase in Growth Growth increased significantly more for the experimental teacher than the two control teachers in both units of study PRE-TEST / POST-TEST RESULTS Standards Tested
BENCHMARK RESULTS Class Avg. District Benchmark Tests 63.4% 58.2% 64.5% 58.9% 50.4% 54.1%
REPORT CARD CLASS AVERAGES Class Avg. Grading Term The class average per grading term was higher for the experimental teacher than the two control teachers. 88% 81% 92% 75% 86% 87%
Students made close connections between learning targets and their own work Students went into testing sessions with increased confidence Making clear decisions about summarizing strategies and being deliberate in facilitating them brought lesson plans in alignment with research strategies for getting student to synthesize and remember information. Students found satisfaction in completing the LT response and marking themselves higher on the self-evaluation tool than they did just 50 minutes before. Beginning with a LT, summarizing, and responding to the LT at the end of class has shown improved student achievement at the end of a unit.
1. Find the one quote that speaks to you the most. 2. Walk to the corner of the room where that quote is posted. 3. After reviewing the results of this study, discuss with others why you feel that particular quote is so important for student learning.
Having an intense focus on learning targets DOES increase student learning and performance.
All students deserve the best education in order grow and become productive citizens. It is our job as teachers to learn from research and implement teaching strategies that are proven to increase student learning.
Teachers Support Staff Administrators LEA Leaders STUDENTS!!!
Bell to bell teaching, centered around the methodical plan of incorporating standards based learning targets, will ensure that our lessons are focused on the right student tasks and we are able to assess our students on the mastery of the required standards. Teachers will be able to determine specific tasks and skills that correlate to each standard and will find it easier to differentiate instruction for students when a specific learning target has or has not been mastered.
All teachers should post a learning target every day for their students. All teachers should introduce and close their lessons with the learning target. All teachers should plan all parts of a lesson with the end in mind – the learning target. All teachers should develop class activities and assessments around their learning targets. LTs are the foundation of all lessons. WHAT WE WANT OUR STUDENTS TO LEARN SHOULD NOT BE A MYSTERY!!!
1. You will work in groups of You will use the Write Around summarizing strategy to respond to 4 separate statements. 3. You will have about 30 seconds to write. 4. When time is up, you will pass your paper to a group member, and you will receive a different paper from another group member. 5. Read what was written by the other group member(s) and try not to repeat anything already written. 6. You will follow this rotation until you have responded to each statement.
3 New Ideas You Learned Today 2 Things You Will Share 1 Idea You Will Implement
Brookhart, Susan M., Long, Beverly A., Moss, Connie M. (2011) What Students Need to Learn - Knowing Your Learning Target. Educational Leadership, 68(6), Hougan, Eric. (2010). 5 Ways to Teach with Learning Objectives. Teaching Community – Where Teachers Meet and Learn. 5-ways-to-teach-with-learning-objectives#comment_formhttp://teaching.monster.com/benefits/articles/ ways-to-teach-with-learning-objectives#comment_form Worksheet Library. (2008). 10 Things to do When You Only Have 5 Minutes Left in Class. only-have-5-minutes-left-in-class?print=true only-have-5-minutes-left-in-class?print=true Brookhart, Susan M., Moss, Connie M. (2014) Learning Targets on Parade. Educational Leadership, 72(2), Marzano, Robert. (2013) Art and Science of Teaching / Targets, Objectives, Standards: How do They Fit? Educational Leadership.70(8), Mills, Geoffrey E. Action Research: A Guide for the Teacher Researcher. 2014
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Contact Information Kim Steele Lead Teacher GTN Participant Southeastern Randolph Middle School Randolph County Schools, NC Project Wikispace: Bridgette Kiser 6 th Grade Science Southeastern Randolph Middle School Randolph County Schools, NC Teacher Website: s/serms/Teachers/b1kiser/Pages/De fault.aspx