This article explains the importance of unpacking the standards and using learning targets in order to determine if students are learning from our lessons. Including several teaching strategies that you can try with your students to make sure that you are gathering data and supporting students to see their levels of mastery.
How to Use Learning Targets in Your Classroom
One of the challenges we face in the classroom is determining whether our students are really learning from the lessons we develop and deliver. How do we know if they are working towards mastery of a standard?
In this blog post, we will examine how you can unpack the standards and use learning targets in your classroom. Plus the importance of unpacking the standards, learning objectives and using learning targets to determine retention, comprehension and track student progress.
What are learning targets?
As an educator, you are probably already using learning targets but may not realize that is what they’re called.
Learning targets are statements of intended learning. You’re required to list objectives in your lesson plans, but we know that students learn best when clear expectations are set and communicated. You should be informing students of your teaching intentions prior to your lesson. Not only does this prepare them for what’s ahead, but it encourages them to take control of their own learning in powerful ways.
Learning targets are specifically for students. It tells them what you expect them to be able to do after you’re done teaching.
Teachers use learning targets to really get students’ attention and focus. Once you do, anyone can walk into your classroom and ask any child what they are doing in class today in social studies, science, math, or any other subject. The child will be able to clearly communicate the standards-based expectations.
If this sounds like something you want to happen in your classroom (who wouldn’t?), read on to learn how to create a system for implementing learning targets in your room and create an environment built on clear understanding between teachers and students.
Morning Message
A morning message is a powerful thing to leverage to attain learning goals. It is the one moment in class you have everyone together, with undivided attention, alert, and ready to go. Because morning messages are conducted first thing in a lesson, you should definitely consider communicating or reviewing daily learning targets for the day or unit.
You can do this verbally and incorporate a brief discussion (great for activating prior knowledge or doing formative assessments) or jot them down somewhere easy for everyone to see, like a blackboard, whiteboard or anchor chart. No matter the grade level, inserting the learning target first thing at the start of class is a great way to start a healthy and effective education system.
Learning Target Monitoring Sheets
How cool would it be to list all your learning targets on a piece of paper or rubric that monitors if and when your learners have been successful with your aspirations for them? You could keep these monitoring worksheets in a folder by your lesson plans, you could keep them in their math portfolios (easy to pull out during a conference to support teacher feedback), or you could even staple them onto tests for parents to see which targets have been hit, and which ones have been missed so they understand they will be remediated (or better yet, how they can help them at home). If you’d prefer to work online in order to make the resources editable, google sheets or an Excel template would also be appropriate.
Seeing is Believing
If you have a little extra space in your classroom, dedicate it to visual learning targets. The targets should be easy to read and written in student-friendly language. Keep it short and simple. It should be in a place students can see each day so they understand the long-term goal of a unit. This is also nice to have in your room when you get observed (especially informally) so your administrators see that you involve students in your long-term plans and goals and that it’s driving your instruction appropriately while creating a supportive learning experience. Even parents will be able to quickly view what their child is doing if they pop in to help out or meet with you for a conference.
“I Can” Reach Learning Targets
How often have you heard your students say, “I can’t?” This can be incredibly frustrating to both of you.
Instead of focusing on the negative point of view, focus on the positive. Use learning targets to encourage “I can” statements.
At the end of each week or the end of the lesson, ask each child in your room to participate in a classroom assessment that requires them to self-assess their own progress. This is particularly effective in middle or high school classrooms but works well to begin the elementary process. In this self-assessment, they must be able to identify their strengths and weaknesses, thus perpetuating the “I can” statements and providing the encouragement they need to continue to achieve optimal student learning.
When looking at your standards, your students must understand why you’re teaching them what you are and what you want them to know and do as a result.
Consider some simple suggestions above to start the year right and apply clear success criteria to establish a direct learning process.
Looking for more great ideas?
Head over to our Assessment resource hub where you'll find a trove of ideas and forms to make it easier for you to evaluate and grade your students' work, no matter their grade level.
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