1. Current Comfort Level with Learning Targets
Take a sticky note.
Write your name on it.
Self assess your current comfort level of your personal knowledge on writing daily learning targets.
1- don’t think I am doing them correctly.
3- I think my learning targets are solid but could be better.
5- Rock Star: I am confident I have this down.

2. Unpacking Standards to Develop Learning Targets
Standards, Learning Targets, Success Criteria and Formative Assessment.

3. Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals Executive Director
Wendy Zdeb-Roper
Michigan Association of
Secondary School Principals
Executive Director
on Twitter
Find me on Linkedin
Join #masspchat Monday
nights from 8-9pm 3

5. Session Learning Targets
First Chunk of Learning…
I can unpack a standard.
I can create an effective learning target.
I can identify appropriate learning targets.

6. Why Unpack the Standards?
Unpacking a standard is done to develop a deeper understanding of the standard for planning, instruction, and assessment.

7. “A simple process to make standards manageable.”
“Unpacking”
“A simple process to make standards manageable.”
- Larry Ainsworth

8. What is Unpacking?
The analysis of standards and indicators to determine exactly what students need to do:
Know (concepts)
Be able to do (skills)
Through particular context or topic (selected learning activities)

9. How to Unpack a Standard
Underline key concepts (important nouns)
Circle skills (verbs)
Identify the particular context or topic (selected learning activities)
Represent the “unwrapped” concepts and skills in a bulleted list

11. Represent Unwrapped Concepts
Write narrative & other creative texts
Recount events or short sequence
Describe actions, thoughts, feelings
Use temporal words to signal order
Provide closure

12. Group Practice

15. Learning Targets
“The most effective teaching and the most meaningful student learning happen when teachers design the right learning target for today’s lesson and use it along with their students to aim for and assess understanding.” Moss & Brookhart

16. Learning Target… Describes intended learning outcome
Guides student learning
Specific to the day’s lesson “in chunks”
Written in “student friendly” language
Written from CCSS, MI GLECs or National Standards

17. What Information Does It Need to Work Effectively?

18. Informs Your Decision Making
Guides you every mile and turn.
Uses language you understand to get you to exactly where you need to go.
Knows exactly where you are.
Alerts you to the challenges ahead and provides strategies to help you deal with them.
Doesn’t “grade” your driving- “it recalculates”.

19. Creates a Learning Partnership
Cannot do the driving for you, but it monitors your progress and feeds you forward.
Only works when you are actually doing something…using its insights and information to drive more effectively toward your destination.
You have to continually self-assess- monitor your driving against the criteria provided to make sure you are on the right track.

20. Characteristics of a Learning Target
Describes exactly what student’s will learn in today’s lesson.
Written in student friendly language that students can understand.
From the point of view of students who have yet to master the content, skill or process that makes up the target.
Is connected to the performance of understanding from today’s lesson.

21. For Today’s Lesson
Learning targets have an expiration date- they are only good for one lesson.

22. Supports our Students…
To Answer….
What will I be able to do at the end of today’s lesson?
What will I have to learn & understand so that I can use this information to do it?
How will I be asked to show that I can do it?
How well will I have to do it?

23. How do you create a clear learning target?
Reflect:
How do you create a clear learning target?

24. Start with the Standard
Identify the essential parts of the objective or standard- the “Unpacked Standard”
Each essential part (unpacked concepts) can become a learning target
Put each target into “student friendly” language
Ensure that each target is written “in chunks” for today’s lesson

25. Your Turn

26. How did you do?

27. Session Learning Targets
First Chunk of Learning…
I can unpack a standard.
I can create an effective learning target.
I can identify appropriate learning targets.

28. “Learning targets make the difference, from a student’s point of view, between complying with teachers’ requests and pursuing their own learning.” Moss & Brookhart

29. Learning Targets Need to Be…
Posted daily
Shared with students at the start of each lesson
Revisited during the lesson and at the end
Visible from anywhere in the classroom
Measurable, actionable
Formatively assessed

30. Guide for Effective Learning Targets

31. Work with your elbow partner to…
Select one of the ineffective targets and correct it to make it effective.
Select one of the somewhat effective targets and correct it to make it effective.
Proof your newly created targets against the checklist for creating learning targets.

32. Session Learning Targets
First Chunk of Learning…
I can unpack a standard.
I can create an effective learning target.
I can identify appropriate learning targets.

33. Final Word Activity

34. Final Word Protocol
Useful for short reads, when there is a need for your group to learn from examining research and written materials together.
Give the group time to read the article and complete the protocol…then share out as a group some key learning.

35. Session Learning Targets
Second Chunk of Learning…
I can ensure that my learning targets include a measurable student outcome (success criteria).
My success criteria will provide students with a clear understanding of what they need to know, learn, or do at the conclusion of the lesson.

36. LT to Success Criteria
How can we take the learning target and ensure that it is measurable for both students and teachers?
How can we provide opportunities for students to assess their progress toward mastery without a penalty (of a grade)?
How can we gauge where students are on their journey toward mastery and use that information to guide our next steps of instruction?

37. Success Criteria
The student should be able to say: If I can do this, then I will know that I have reached my learning target.
The teacher should be able to say: If my students can do this, then I will have strong evidence that they’ve mastered the learning target.

38. Revisit the LT to Include Success Criteria

39. Session Learning Targets
Second Chunk of Learning…
I can ensure that my learning targets include a measurable student outcome (success criteria).
My success criteria will provide students with a clear understanding of what they need to know, learn, or do at the conclusion of the lesson.

41. Building Blocks of Effective Instruction
Lessons Built on State Standards
Learning Targets- beginning, throughout & end of lesson
Activating Prior Knowledge
Intellectual Student Engagement
Feedback to Students Throughout
Activities Aligned to Learning Targets

42. 4 Essential Questions When Planning Instruction
What is it we want all students to learn?
(Michigan and Common Core Standards)
How will we know when each student has learned it?
(Formative, interim & summative assessments)
What happens when a student doesn’t learn it?
(Interventions)
What happens when a student already knows it?
(Enrichment)

43. “Learning targets have no inherent power
“Learning targets have no inherent power. They enhance student learning and achievement only when educators commit to consistently and intentionally sharing them with students.”
Educational Leadership - March 2011

44. Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals Executive Director
Wendy Zdeb-Roper
Michigan Association of
Secondary School Principals
Executive Director
on Twitter
Find me on Linkedin
Join #masspchat Monday
nights from 8-9pm 44

45. Current Level of Comfort with Learning Targets
Re-assess your current comfort level w/your personal knowledge on writing daily learning targets. Move your sticky if your learning today has impacted your initial placement on the continuum.
1- I still don’t feel prepared to do them correctly.
3- I think I can do “ok” but could be better.
5- I am confident I have this down.