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June is National Indigenous History Month

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June is National Indigenous History Month

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During National Indigenous History Month, Indigenous Peoples celebrate their history in the spirit of pride and preservation. For non-Indigenous Canadians, it is an opportunity to learn and show recognition of the role Indigenous Peoples have played and continue to play in shaping Canada.

National Indigenous History Month is a time to reflect on the history, cultures, contributions, and strengths of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis Peoples. It is also a time to celebrate and honour Indigenous heritage and diversity, as well as the outstanding achievements of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples throughout Canada.

Please use the following links to access resources to support classroom learning: FNMIEA0, resources & other Indigenous History Month Resources.

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Pride month honours past history and future advocacy related to civil rights and gender diversity. It is also an opportunity to celebrate gender identity.  In doing so, we can help to create more safe environments for everyone. Click here for more information and resources.

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If you want a copy of the book above, please email Taryn.

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See this site for more examples.

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When you're planning a task for a wide range of students, the terms "floor" and "ceiling" are easy mental shortcuts to increase the range of success for all kids.
* I believe the "high ceiling, low floor" phrase comes from Jo Boaler, but I heard about it via Dan Meyer.
The Floor

The floor tells us how easy it is to get going with the task. A low floor means it's easy for everyone to get on board.

Tic-Tac-Toe is an example of a game with a low floor. It's easy to understand and even the youngest of kids can start playing pretty quickly. A low floor is inviting.

Chess has a high floor - evidenced by how many college-educated adults I've met who cannot play. Chess's floor appears so high that they just never got going. A high floor is a barrier.

We want tasks with low floors so many students can get started easily.

If the floor's too high, some kids can't get started. They get frustrated.

The Ceiling

The ceiling is the potential room for a task to grow. If it strikes a fancy for a particular student, how far can a kid go before they hit the ceiling?

Tic-Tac-Toe has a very low ceiling. It's too easy to master. Play anyone with even a basic level of skill and you'll end up with a tie. Tic-Tac-Toe has a low floor and a low ceiling - the board game equivalent of a worksheet.

Chess has a very high ceiling. You could play for a lifetime and still learn more. With its high floor and high ceiling, Chess is rewarding, but only for the most determined of board gamers.

We want a high ceiling - it gives students room to explore an idea before getting bored.

Lowering Floors

Here's where we come in. A skilled teacher can lower the floor of any task. We do this all the time through modeling, guided practice, scaffolding, feedback, and proximity.

To lower the floor for chess, you'd use these classic scaffolding tools:

Modeling: you'd show how each piece moves - not just verbally explain it. You'd play a few sample turns. You'd give students a chance to watch the magic happen.

Guided Practice: you'd give kids a chance to practice with each other and with your input. Don't jump right into a full game, practice a couple moves with a partner.

Start Simple: you'd try to reduce the complexity early. Start with simple examples. In the case of chess, there's no reason you can't play with just a king, a queen, and a couple of pawns on a smaller board. Then, once the student "gets it," bring in the rook. Build towards the full game.

Proximity and Immediate Feedback: if you give kids a chessboard and then go sit at your desk, they'll get confused, frustrated, and give up. When you stay close to correct mistakes, give advice, and gently guide the players, the chances for success increase.

A highly complex game like chess can be scaffolded so that any learner can begin playing. Then we can raise the complexity until they're eventually playing the full game.

This is also true for complex tasks in the classroom.

Low Floor AND High Ceiling

It should be our goal to develop tasks that all students can get started with, but that also scale up for students who are ready for more. This is the easiest way to create a task that can work for everyone.

My friend Lisa has a fantastic piece of differentiation advice:

Plan for your highest-ability students first, then figure out how to onboard your other learners.

Why? Because it's really hard to increase the ceiling on a worksheet. It's much easier to lower the floor on, say, a research project. You can always scaffold down (this is what teachers are good at!) - but you can't always raise the ceiling.

"More" Doesn't Cut It

No matter how many times you play Tic-Tac-Toe, it doesn't raise the ceiling. It doesn't get more interesting, it doesn't increase the strategy. In fact, it's some form of hell to be forced to play Tic-Tac-Toe over and over after you've already mastered it!

More math problems won't raise the ceiling nor will another worksheet. Writing vocabulary words ten times isn't any more complex than writing them one time. It's just more.

Aiming for a low floor and high ceiling supports all students. Plus, it gives even low-performing kids a chance to go somewhere interesting. You'll never know who will take advantage of that high ceiling.

When we offer a high ceiling to all of our students, we open the door for unexpected students to go further than we might have expected. Just as Steph Curry's incredible three-point shooting made it possible for the entire league to get better at shooting threes, aiming high for our gifted students can benefit their classmates.

What To Look For

👎 Low Floor but Low Ceiling

👍 Low Floor and High Ceiling

one answer

many right answers, including answers you've never seen before

one, already-known way of getting the answer

many ways of getting to an answer, including pathways you've never thought of

kids who are good at it can go really fast and get 100% (leaving you with " early finishers ")

kids who are good at it can keep going deeper

no need to ask for or check an explanation

the explanation is the most interesting part

a robot can check it

an intelligent human needs to see it

you're bored when you're checking this task for the 5th year

you're interested to "see what this class came up with"

And with High Ceiling, but High Floor (👎): your kids will struggle to even know how to get started.

Really, the simplest way to sum this up is to check: am I asking students to think or merely remember?

Examples of Low Floor, High Ceiling

Is the floor still too high for you to create your own ideas? Not sure where to even start? I'll lower the floor (😉) by providing more specific examples below:

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When you're planning a task for a wide range of students, the terms "floor" and "ceiling" are easy mental shortcuts to increase the range of success for all kids. * I believe the "high ceiling, low floor" phrase comes from Jo Boaler, but I heard about it via Dan Meyer.

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Prioritize the Curriculum and Identify the ‘BIG IDEAS’ and ‘SKILLS’

Review the ‘Front Matter’ of the Curriculum document

Review the Course Overview and Overall Expectations

Review the Course Overall Expectations from the pre-requisite course(s) to know where they might be coming from

Review the Course Overall Expectations for the course following to know where they are heading

Determine the priority - What are the enduring understandings (need to know/understand/do in order to be transferable or successful in the next course, be able to use in the future) vs. what is nice to know or is not actually in the curriculum

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May's posts will focus on the HOW of de-streaming. The Supporting and Designing Learning site is where de-streamed board plans are located.

Effective instruction in a de-streamed course requires high academic expectations of all students, appropriate supports for learning, and the belief that all students are capable learners.

By placing students’ well-being and academic success at the centre of their planning, teaching, and assessment practices, teachers can understand how the learning experiences they provide will improve achievement of all students.

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This will be the final post around the WHY of de-streaming.

May's posts will support the HOW.

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A Brief History of Academic Streaming in Ontario

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The research and advocacy group ‘People for Education’ recommended that students not be forced into choosing between academic or applied levels until Grades 10 or 11, given that taking applied courses is linked to

fewer credits earned;

lower graduation rates; and

just one in five applied students go on to college.

Ontario was the last province to eliminate streaming in Grade 9.

Long-term data showed that streamed groups map onto socio-economic groups perpetuating current economic disparities. Streaming has an especially negative impact on Indigenous and Black students.

Based on their international research, The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recommended that education systems should “avoid early tracking (streaming) and defer student course selections until upper secondary.”

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After years of calls for change from researchers like Dr. Carl James at York University, and Rob Brown a the TDSB, from groups like CASE and People for Education, and youth organizations such as the Ontario Student Trustees' Association, and the Toronto Youth Council, Ontario has announced a partial end to streaming in grade 9.

The Minister of Education announced that in 2021, students entering grade 9 will no longer have to choose between applied and academic mathematics. At the time of the announcement, he did not provide concrete information as to how the change will be implemented, or what resources will be provided to support it.

De-streamed schools require targeted supports and resources

Several school boards in Ontario have already made the move to "de-stream" classes. However, they are clear that to be successful, de-streaming requires a wide range of supports. These supports can include much smaller class sizes, extra courses such as Learning Strategies, and increased staff including guidance counsellors, student success teachers and support staff.

Original intention of high school course choices did not match reality

Streaming was introduced in Ontario in 1999 ostensibly to provide more chances for students to succeed. Unfortunately, it had the opposite effect.

The original intention was that students would choose between two types of courses - applied or academic - which would provide similar knowledge delivered in different ways - one more hands-on, with practical, real-world applications, and the other more theoretical or "academic." It was assumed that students would mix and match courses, taking some applied and some academic courses in grades 9 and 10, and moving freely back and forth between them.

None of these assumptions were realized:

Streaming closes doors for students

Students in Ontario are currently required to make the choice between applied and academic courses when they are in grade 8; teachers often play a key role in that choice, making recommendations between the two streams. The choice has an impact far beyond grade 10. It affects which courses students can take in grade 11 and 12, and subsequent choices for post-secondary education and even employment.

The long-term social and financial costs of educational failure are high. Those without the skills to participate socially and economically generate higher costs for health, income support, child welfare and security. OECD, No More Failures - Ten Steps to Equity in Education

The evidence of problems has been clear for years:

Success will require comprehensive implementation plan and increased resources

Changing streaming policy will require a comprehensive implementation plan. In creating that plan, it is vital that the province learns from boards that have already engaged in this process, and brings all the stakeholders to the table to ensure the plan is feasible and supported with adequate resources. Because streaming involves multiple courses, it will also be vital that the province moves beyond simply de-streaming one course.

Students, educators, support staff, researchers, deans of education, principals, directors of education must all be included in the planning, which must go well beyond token consultation and instead involve real collaboration. To be successful, this new strategy must come with a commitment to provide adequate resources, which may include smaller class sizes for grades 9 and 10, increased support staff, team teaching, as well as changes to teacher education.

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End to streaming requires comprehensive planning - People for Education

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Watch the FESI Conference Introduction with Norah Marsh:

https://www.youtube.com/live/2OuJ8Z5ogy0?si=Uhb5b1qLss8PPlzh&t=967

Introduction will start at about 16:07 - runs to about 28:47 (about 12 minutes).

Why Now:

The timing of this important but necessary change is strategic…we know that this call to action on the part of educators is mired by the shadows of staff shortages and no new curriculum to drive the process. However, even though the current conditions are not necessarily the ideal settings for change and could become an excuse to delay, we cannot delay this work.

De-streaming to the Academic Grade 10 curriculum may require some adjustments, however; the curriculum is not new. Systemically, we are working with teams of teachers to support this call to action and design of learning opportunities to support students as well as teachers in implementing an academic only pathway through Grade 10. You are not alone in this work.

The discrepancy in access to postsecondary education is particularly concerning, given its emerging importance in overall life outcomes. It has been demonstrated that postsecondary education is linked to improved long-term health and securing financial independence and well-being (Berezina, Lior & MacLaughlin, 2015; Fonseca Benito & Zheng, 2011; Pew Research Centre, 2014).

The value of a strong public education system is equity of outcomes  - this is the work we have to do; the research is clear that we have not yet achieved this yet and we have work to do here to positively affect trajectories…this is our moral imperative.

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FESI 2020-2021 -Session 5 - Streaming in Schooling

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Our FESI webinar series for the 2020-2021 academic year wrapsup with a dynamic, diverse panel that will explore streaming andeducational pathways in Ontario ...

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As we prepared to rollout de-streamed courses in Grade 10, RLDHS is sending teacher leads to central planning events in the areas of Science, English, Math and History.

Most of our PD for the remainder of the year will focus on the WHY and the HOW of de-streaming.

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HOME > De-streaming Understanding de-streaming This section contains a curated collection of resources aimed at articulating why de-streaming is not only a good thing for students, but an ethical imperative.

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The Power of Purposeful Reading Practice Week April 9 - 11

Accelerate reading gains with high-impact practice with Renaissance.

REGISTRATION LINK

Join us for a series of webinars from April 9–11 on unlocking the power of purposeful reading practice at every grade level. Expert panelists Anita Archer, Linda Diamond, and others will share proven strategies for:

Maximizing opportunities for practice within daily literacy instruction

Cutting through the distractions to capture students’ interest in reading

Identifying the right supports and maximizing practice in Tier 2 & 3 interventions

Ensuring students are practicing the right skills—and are on track for success

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Consider registering for a free course through Sonderly to increase your knowledge and skills in supporting students with Autism.

Courses include:

Introduction to Autism

Understanding and Supporting Students with Autism

If you already have a Sonderly account, you can log into your account and register for the course directly. If you do not already have a Sonderly account please complete the following to create an account.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: DO NOT register directly from the Sonderly.io website, Sonderly.csod.com or with an incorrect link. This may prevent you from being able to receive the funded training.

If you have any difficulties creating your Sonderly account, please email contactus@sonderly.io.

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Think like a beginner.....

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A worked example demonstrates all the steps required to complete a task or solve a problem. By scaffolding student learning through practical demonstration, worked examples support skill acquisition while reducing a learner's cognitive load. Essentially, by seeing it done, students can often pick up steps faster or with increased confidence.

What do worked examples look like?

Worked examples feature routinely in subjects where problem-solving is a prominent goal, such as Maths, Science and other technical subjects. The educator presents a worked example, explaining each step as they go. Students are then asked to explain the solution and answer follow up questions. This may look like a step-through of an algebraic equation in senior Maths or a junior secondary Physics question about forces.

Benefits of using worked examples

Useful for revision

Students can use worked examples during their independent practice, to review and embed new knowledge. Textbooks provide examples, with numerous samples to be found online. Or, you can create your own.

Offer learning benefits in many studies

Worked examples are useful in a range of subjects, especially if students have low levels of prior knowledge. There are ways to maximise the benefits of using worked examples. Teacher-explained examples should ideally alternate with problems for students to solve on their own. This allows students to gradually build their expertise and confidence to complete questions independently.

How ClickView helps you use worked examples

Many ClickView videos provide step-by-step guidance for solving problems. Students are encouraged to watch these videos to see multiple worked examples.

The next step in the worked examples strategy is self-explanations, which are crucial to get the full worked example effect. It's one thing for students to work out the answer, but another to be able to explain their process. To help scaffold this particular type of learning, you can place interactive questions into a worked example video to get students thinking about how a problem is being solved.

Learn more about interactive videos

4 tips to help you implement worked examples effectively

1. Alternate worked examples with independent questions

Worked examples are a natural fit for STEM areas and problem-solving based learning. Remember to alternate them with questions for students to solve independently. There are plenty of resources available on ClickView to get you started.

2. Use worked examples for complex tasks

Worked examples can also be useful for any complex task accompanied by detailed annotation and explanations of the solution, such as an annotated video.

3. Think like a beginner

When creating worked examples, try to tap into your long-lost novice. Think about how beginners may think about the subject and anticipate difficulties they may have with the problem.

4. Start a new topic with worked examples

Worked examples are useful for students beginning a new topic. Once there is some level of understanding, you can gradually withdraw worked examples to let students solve problems on their own. Research shows that there is an expert reversal shift in which worked examples can hamper the progress of students who already know the basics and need to develop fluency in solving problems on their own. Allow students who have a solid grasp of the basics to develop this skill, to encourage their progress.

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Worked Examples In The Classroom For Teachers | ClickView

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Looking for worked example strategies you can use in the classroom? Get expert teaching advice from ClickView UK today.

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Worked Examples are another example of direct or explicit teaching.

From the attached article:

When introducing a new task or skill, it may seem counterintuitive to provide students with worked examples to study instead of giving them practice time to solve or complete the task. When students are introduced to a new task, they often do not have a firm grasp of the material and principles being represented in the task and may resort to ineffective problem-solving strategies such as aimless trial-and-error or plug-and-chug (Renkl, A., 2023). Trial-and-error involves trying various solutions without a proper problem-solving strategy, while plug-and-chug involves looking for existing problems with similar surface-level features without considering if their underlying structure aligns with the current problem. For example, when faced with a mechanics problem presented in the context of an inclined plane, novice students may search for another “inclined plane problem” without considering whether the underlying concept is the same (Figure 2 and Chi et al., 1989).

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1. Home

2. How People Learn

3. Worked Examples

What are worked examples?

Worked examples are step-by-step illustrations of the process required to complete a task or solve a problem. In a worked example, students are provided with the task or problem formulation, the procedure or the step-by-step process for solving the problem, and the solution. When using worked examples effectively, instructors engage students in self-explaining these procedures or solutions, encouraging them to reflect more deeply on the principles illustrated in the worked example. Worked examples can be designed to teach well-structured tasks, such as applying Newton's Second Law, as well as more ill-structured tasks, such as constructing an argument, modeling biological pathways, or devising a mathematical proof (Renkl, 2023).

Worked examples are useful in the initial acquisition of cognitive skills because they allow students to understand principles and their applications more deeply before applying them on their own (Renkl, 2014b). Worked examples have shown to be particularly effective for novice learners, who may experience high levels of cognitive load when learning new concepts and procedures simultaneously (Renkl, 2014a). In fact, worked examples tend to be more efficient and effective for initial skill acquisition compared to problem solving (Renkl, 2014a). If designed well, worked examples can provide models for learners to follow when tackling similar problems, allowing them to transfer knowledge from one task to another (see Caveats section below).

Worked examples can be applied to a wide range of disciplines and contexts beyond STEM.

Worked examples can be created for any procedural task. For instance, in the field of law, worked examples have been used to teach students how to reason through legal cases and construct legal arguments (Nievelstein et al., 2013; Schworm & Renkl, 2007), while worked examples have similarly been used to assist learners in understanding negotiation strategies (Gentner et al., 2003). In language and literature, worked examples can be used to help students write essays or understand different writing styles (Kyun et al., 2013), while in the arts, worked examples have been used to teach students to differentiate between artistic styles (Rourke & Sweller, 2009).

Furthermore, worked examples can be used inside and outside of class time and for a variety of class types. For instance, during class, instructors can either demonstrate a worked example interactively or provide students with a written worked example for students to work on individually and/or in groups. Outside of class, worked examples can be provided for students to study on their own time (see Caveats section for what to avoid when implementing worked examples). In lab-based courses, for example, instructors can convert any demonstration, which is often performed when modeling a procedure, into an effective worked example by asking students to reflect on specific and important aspects of the demonstration (e.g., Why would you do X instead of Y first? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using this type of protocol for isolating X?).

Why are worked examples important?

Early research conducted by Sweller and Cooper (1985) showed that after an initial introduction to a series of algebraic problems, replacing practice problems with worked example counterparts resulted in higher learning gains. The worked example condition was also more efficient; learners given problems to solve took almost six times longer to complete the learning sequence and had more errors than those provided with worked examples to study from. Subsequent studies have supported the finding that if implemented well, studying worked examples is more effective in the initial stages of learning than learning primarily through problem solving (Figure 1 and Salden, Koedinger, Renkl, Aleven, & McLaren, 2010). Though students may usually be provided with examples or demonstrations in the initial stages of learning, the number of worked examples is typically low and insufficient for learning underlying principles. These demonstrations are also often done passively with little student engagement, which does not lead to deep learning and neutralizes the worked example effect. In fact, when implementing worked examples with features that get students to actively study the solutions (see the Caveats section for more), the worked example effect nearly doubles (Hattie, 2009).

Why are worked examples more effective for initial skill acquisition than practice?

When introducing a new task or skill, it may seem counterintuitive to provide students with worked examples to study instead of giving them practice time to solve or complete the task. When students are introduced to a new task, they often do not have a firm grasp of the material and principles being represented in the task and may resort to ineffective problem-solving strategies such as aimless trial-and-error or plug-and-chug (Renkl, A., 2023). Trial-and-error involves trying various solutions without a proper problem-solving strategy, while plug-and-chug involves looking for existing problems with similar surface-level features without considering if their underlying structure aligns with the current problem. For example, when faced with a mechanics problem presented in the context of an inclined plane, novice students may search for another "inclined plane problem" without considering whether the underlying concept is the same (Figure 2 and Chi et al., 1989).

These ineffective problem-solving strategies are taxing on cognitive load because they lead students down unproductive paths while already processing a lot of new information, including understanding newly introduced concepts and making sense of the problem being presented. Engaging prematurely in problem solving without fully understanding the task domain and procedure leaves little working memory capacity for learners to understand the validity of a particular solution or the ability to integrate new knowledge for future use (Sweller, 1988).

Providing step-by-step illustrations of a solution or procedure in worked examples reduces cognitive load by allowing students to focus their cognitive resources on understanding the principles illustrated in the solution. Therefore, providing worked examples for students to study can help them understand the principles and strategies needed to approach the task effectively, without overtaxing cognitive load (Clark & Mayer, 2011).

As learners become more proficient, educators can transition to more practice exercises and tasks to help students automate problem-solving strategies or procedures (see Caveats section below). In fact,when students have sufficient prior knowledge about the specific task or problem, asking students to study worked examples can decrease competencein performing said task (often called expertise reversal, Kalyuga & Renkl 2010). It is important for instructors to balance the use of worked examples with independent practice to maximize learning outcomes for students at different stages of proficiency within a learning sequence.

Examples

During recitations, students were provided with a handout containing worked examples. The teaching assistants (TAs) would lead the class through at least one of the worked examples, step by step, to ensure that students understood the problem-solving strategies illustrated in those worked examples. Then, students were given a set of slightly more complex but similar additional problems to solve independently. One or several students would then volunteer to guide the class through the steps they used to solve these additional problems. By incorporating both worked examples and problems to solve for a given concept, students had the opportunity to more deeply understand the concepts learned, and instructors could better monitor progress by observing what happened when the surface features and the complexity of the problems changed.

Students were provided with two examples of an informal interview protocol and informed which one was well constructed and which was not. After reading both worked examples, students were asked to annotate each example and provide suggestions for improvement. They were then able to review the instructor's own annotations and explanations for suggestions. By beginning with the knowledge of which examples demonstrated good or poor interview protocol (correct and incorrect worked examples), students could engage more meaningfully with the worked examples, reflecting on their annotations and exploring their reasoning for suggested improvements. Using incorrect worked examples, either alone or in combination with correct examples, has been shown to be more effective than using correct worked examples alone (Booth et al., 2013).

The instructors in this course also utilized worked examples of interview techniques by providing example videos of interviews. One video demonstrated good interview techniques (a correct worked example), while the other demonstrated poor interview techniques (an incorrect worked example). After watching these videos, students were asked to assess them for improvements regarding best practices in conversational interviewing. They were then able to compare their assessments with the instructor's explanations, designed to help reinforce their understanding of effective interview techniques.

Caveats (and how to address them)

Worked examples effectively teach new tasks or solve new problem types. However, the worked example effect can be negated if certain design features are not considered. Here are some concerns that instructors have often brought up about worked examples and strategies for ameliorating them:

Resources

For best practices for how to design effective worked examples see:
Renkl, A. (2014a). Learning from worked examples: How to prepare students for meaningful problem solving. In V. A. Benassi, C. E. Overson, & C. M. Hakala (Eds.), Applying science of learning in education: Infusing psychological science into the curriculum (pp. 118-130). Society for the Teaching of Psychology. HTTP (downloaded PDF freely available)

For specific considerations when designing worked examples for ill-structured tasks see:
Renkl, A. (2023). Using Worked Examples for Ill-Structured Learning Content. In Overson, C. E., Hakala, C. M., Kordonowy, L.L., and Benassi, V. A. & (Eds.), In Their Own Words: What Scholars and Teachers Want You To Know About Why and How To Apply the Science of Learning in Your Academic Setting (pp. 207-224). Society for the Teaching of Psychology. HTTP (downloaded PDF freely available)

References

Booth, J. L., Lange, K. E., Koedinger, K. R., & Newton, K. J. (2013). Using example problems to improve student learning in algebra: Differentiating between correct and incorrect examples. Learning and Instruction, 25, 24-34. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2012.11.002

Chi, M. T. H., Bassok, M., Lewis, M. W., Reimann, P., & Glaser, R. (1989). Self‐Explanations: How Students Study and Use Examples in Learning to Solve Problems. Cognitive Science, 13(2), 145-182. http://doi.org/10.1207/s15516709cog1302_1

Chi, M.T.H., Feltovich, P.J. and Glaser, R. (1981). Categorization and Representation of Physics Problems by Experts and Novices. Cognitive Science, 5, 121-152. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15516709cog0502_2

Clark, R.C. & Mayer, R.E. (2011). Leveraging Examples in e-Learning. In e-Learning and the Science of Instruction (eds R.C. Clark and R.E. Mayer). https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118255971.ch11

Gentner, D., Loewenstein, J., & Thompson, L. (2003). Learning and transfer: A general role for analogical encoding. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(2), 393-408. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022- 0663.95.2.393

Hattie, J. A. C. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. New York, NY: Routledge.

Kalyuga, S., & Renkl, A. (2010). Expertise reversal effect and its instructional implications: Introduction to the special issue. Instructional Science, 38(3), 209-215. http://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-009-9102-0

Kyun, S., Kalyuga, S., & Sweller, J. (2013). The Effect of Worked Examples When Learning to Write Essays in English Literature. The Journal of Experimental Education, 81(3), 385-408. http://doi.org/10.1080/00220973.2012.727884

Nievelstein, F., van Gog, T., van Dijck, G., & Boshuizen, H. P. A. (2013). The worked example and expertise reversal effect in less structured tasks: Learning to reason about legal cases. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 38(2), 118-125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2012.12.004

Paas, F. G. W. C., & van Merrienboer, J. J. G. (1994). Variability of worked examples and transfer of geometrical problem-solving skills: A cognitive-load approach. Journal of Educational Psychology, 86(1), 122-133. http://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.86.1.122

Renkl, A. (2014a). Learning from worked examples: How to prepare students for meaningful problem solving. In V. A. Benassi, C. E. Overson, & C. M. Hakala (Eds.), Applying science of learning in education: Infusing psychological science into the curriculum (pp. 118-130). Society for the Teaching of Psychology.

Renkl, A. (2014b). Toward an instructionally oriented theory of example-based learning. Cognitive Science: a Multidisciplinary Journal, 38(1), 1-37. http://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.12086

Renkl, A., & Atkinson, R. K. (2010). Structuring the Transition From Example Study to Problem Solving in Cognitive Skill Acquisition: A Cognitive Load Perspective. Educational Psychologist. http://doi.org/10.1207/S15326985EP3801_3

Renkl, A. (2023). Using Worked Examples for Ill-Structured Learning Content. In Overson, C. E., Hakala, C. M., Kordonowy, L.L., and Benassi, V. A. & (Eds.), In Their Own Words: What Scholars and Teachers Want You To KNow About Why and How To Apply the Science of Learning in Your Academic Setting (pp. 207-224). Society for the Teaching of Psychology.

Rourke, A., & Sweller, J. (2009). The worked-example effect using ill-defined problems: Learning to recognise designers' styles. Learning and Instruction, 19(2), 185-199. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2008.03.006

Salden, R. J. C. M., Koedinger, K. R., Renkl, A., Aleven, V., & McLaren, B. M. (2010). Accounting for Beneficial Effects of Worked Examples in Tutored Problem Solving. Educational Psychology Review, 22(4), 379-392. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-010-9143-6

Schworm, S., & Renkl, A. (2007). Learning argumentation skills through the use of prompts for self-explaining examples. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99(2), 285-296. http://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.99.2.285

Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive Load During Problem Solving: Effects on Learning. Cognitive Science, 12: 257-285. http://doi.org/10.1207/s15516709cog1202_4

Sweller, J., & Cooper, G. A. (1985). The use of worked examples as a substitute for problem solving in learning algebra. Cognition and Instruction, 2(1), 59-89. https://doi.org/10.1207/s1532690xci0201_3

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Home How People Learn Worked Examples Worked examples are step-by-step illustrations of the process required to complete a task or solve a problem. In a worked example, students are provided with the task or problem formulation, the procedure or the step-by-step process for solving the problem, and the solution.

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Please let Taryn know if you are interested in this PD on March 19th in Dryden.

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This article clearly defines and provides examples for the three critical steps of explicit teaching.

This week we watched students flounder when moved to 'You Do' too quickly.

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The I Do - We Do - You Do model involves you in following a series of steps starting with you leading instruction and finishing with students working independently. In the I Do stage, you explain what students need to understand or model how to do a process. Then, in the We Do stage, you help your students by providing scaffolds such as prompts or partially completed procedures. Finally, in the You Do stage, your students do the procedure or show their understanding on their own.

Why You Should Use the l Do - We Do - You Do Model

When used well, the I Do - We Do - You Do model:

Suits novice learners (which most students are)

Nurtures self-efficacy

Reduces task anxiety

Students feel less anxious due to the clear modelling and the scaffolded opportunities to practice. These same factors help students to experience independent success, which in turn builds their self-efficacy ¹.

The I Do We Do You Do model is based upon the gradual release of responsibility from teacher to student.

Next, let's explore each stage in more detail.

This is true whether the procedure involves a younger student writing the letter m in cursive or a senior student keeping an historical research journal. Modelling is a powerful tool that draws on Albert Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory. Modelling involves: If you want to increase students' knowledge and understanding of a topic, you need to explain it. Research on the modality and multimedia effects² shows that you should explain things both:
Example

I Do Conceptual Learning

Visually

Example

The examples are faded as you start by completing many of the steps yourself and progressively get your students to more steps with each example.

Examples

We Do Conceptual Learning

The key to conceptual learning is getting your students to think about the material they need to understand. This involves helping them encode and retrieve the material in an organised way. Within the We Do stage of the I Do - We Do - You Do model you provide support through prompting comparative and organised thinking. You can make use of partially completed information and have your students fill in the gaps.

You can help your students encode information by getting them to:

You can help your students retrieve information using 2 strategies:

You can also do this:

Example

You Do Procedural Learning

With You Do activities as the procedural level, you simply have your students complete all of the steps involved in the task themselves.

Some people ask if you should get your students to apply what they have learned to solve problems at this stage. The answer depends on whether you showed them how to so and then did so together in earlier stages.

You Do Conceptual Learning

At the conceptual level, You Do activities involve recalling information without prompts. This can involve:

You Do Conceptual Example

More Than Just A Lesson Structure

Many people think of the I Do We Do You Do model as a way of structuring a single lesson, and it can be. Yet, it can also be much more. The structure can also occur:

When you believe your students will find lesson material to be quite challenging, you can break it up into more manageable chunks. You follow the the I Do - We Do - You Do structure for each chunk and may get a few chunks covered within a single lesson.

By contrast, you can also use the structure over several lessons. Especially as students get older, learning doesn't occur over a single lesson, so you follow the structure over a small series of lessons - with each lesson picking up from where the previous lesson finished.

Beyond the I Do We Do Model

The essence of the I Do We Do You Do model is scaffolding tasks as your gradually release responsibility to your students. Yet, many of the strategies listed above are grounded in research that fits nicely with, but is separate from, the I Do We Do You Do model, particularly:

However, there is one potent strategy that wasn't mentioned. It is a simple but powerful strategy - spaced practice (also known as distributed practice). Below, this is shown as a new stage Do Again (and again, and again).

Beware

You can adapt the model but some adaptations fly in the face of strong research. Be particularly wary of:

The rapid release of responsibility model turns the I Do We Do You Do model on its head and starts with the You Do stage. It is a euphemism for inquiry learning (and its cousins discovery learning and problem-based learning). The research is clear that while experts learn well from such approaches, novice learners do not. Most school students are novices in what they are learning, although they build expertise as they progress. As a result, you should not use inquiry learning with novice learners. Experts are competent in both the material and the processes or procedures involved.

You should also be wary of the we do stage being confused with collaborative learning. Collaboration can extend the model in useful ways, but the essence of the we do stage is teacher + student,not student + student. That said, some productive ways to use collaboration within the I Do We Do You Do model are:

Retrieval Pairs

One example of retrieval pairs would be flash card buddies, where one student holds up a card (or paper) with an explanation of a concept on the side facing their buddy and the name of the concept on the side facing them. Next, their student gives their buddy the first sound of the answer or of each word (prompts). The buddy answers and gets told if they were right or wrong, as well as the correct answer. The process repeats with different concepts and with students reversing roles. You could use a similar process with other retrieval exercises, such as prompted concept mapping. The teacher involvement in this stage is largely about preparing cards or other prompts.

Brain Dump 1-2-4

Students write down everything they can remember from a lesson or topic (brain dump 1). Then students pair up (brain dump 2), discuss each others' brain dumps, then make corrections and additions based on that discussion. They agree on a single, merged brain dump. Pairs then join with another pair (brain dump 4) and repeat the discuss and amend process. Note although there are 4 people in the group they are only discussing 2 merged brain dumps from the previous stage.

1 Person per Step

If your students are learning a multi-step procedure such as 2 digit by 2 digit multiplication you can use the one person per step strategy. 2 digit x 2 digit multiplication has 3 steps:

Multiply the top number by the ones

Multiply the top number by the tens

Add the answers from steps 1 and 2 together

Place you students into groups of 3, then have each person complete one step. Give your students at least 3 problems to solve and have them rotate the step they do each time. For uneven groups, one person may do 2 steps (groups of 2 are better than groups of 4). Note, you should use this strategy after your students have done independent practice as it reduces social loafing.

Footnotes

SHAUN KILLIAN
(MEd., MLead.)

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The I Do WE Do YOU Do Model Explained - Evidence-Based Teaching

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The I Do, You Do, We Do model is a simple yet potent way to use explicit instruction to improve your students learning. Discover how you

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As we focus on explicit teaching that supports EQAO (and classroom) achievement, I want to highlight anchor charts. The use of anchor charts is one of the reasons students do EQAO, and exams, in the same classrooms they learn in.

Used correctly, anchor charts can be an effective way to build independence in students. Anchor chart should be built into teacher modelling, or think-alouds, as the teacher refers to the anchor chart to check understanding and/or determine a next step.

Have a look around you room and ask yourself if you are using this teaching strategy to support explicit teaching.

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If you are interested in attending, please reach out to Taryn.

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The Ontario Ministry of Education has provided funding for the Ontario Educator Online Autism Training Program being offered through Sonderly. We ask that you forward this opportunity to your teachers, EAs, and ECEs and as Administrators you are welcome to register for a course as well. Courses are to be completed on staff’s own time.

Spaces are limited and registration is on a first come first serve basis and is limited to 1 course per person. Registration deadline is Tuesday, February 27.

Please see the attachment for a description of available course.

To register:

If you already have a Sonderly account, please email pamela.fregeau@kpdsb.ca with the name of the course you would like to register for.

If you have not previously registered for a Sonderly account, please email pamela.fregeau@kpdsb.ca with the name of the course you would like to register for and for further registration instructions.

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As we get into intensive OSSLT preparation, it is necessary that we focus on explicit teaching around content specific vocabulary.

To explicitly teach vocabulary, it is essential to understand that words can be taught in tiers. Have a look at the definitions below. As content area teachers, we focus on Tier 3 words which REQUIRE content and context to teach.

TIER 1

Tier one words are high frequency words, used over and over again in the course of general conversation. Because tier one words are basic everyday words, most of them are learned through oral communication with family members, peers, or teachers.  There is no need for specific instruction with tier one words. Examples of tier one words include table, happy, baby, and clock.

TIER 2

Tier two words are also referred to as academic vocabulary.  They are cross-curricular words, appearing frequently across topics and content areas.  Tier two words are not common words used in conversation, making them ideal candidates for direct instruction. Examples of tier-two words include complex, analyze, restrict, ultimate, and foundation.  In addition to being cross-curricular, tier two words often have multiple meanings, making them an integral component of reading comprehension. The more students learn high-utility (tier two) words, the better they will be able to comprehend text that contains those words.

TIER 3

Tier three words consist of low-frequency words that occur in specific domains.  Tier three words are central to understanding concepts within various academic subjects and should be integrated into content instruction.  Examples of tier three words include molecule, tundra, and legislature.

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Teachers can apply for a subsidy for the following courses if the course is completed between September 1, 2023, and August 31, 2024. (Subsidy MAX $650.00)

Mathematics:

Primary and Junior, Parts 1, 2, 3

Grades 7 &8

Intermediate

Senior

Honours Specialist

Equitable and Inclusive Schools, I, II, or Specialist

Special Education I, II, or Specialist

Teaching Students who are Blind/Low Vision I, II, or Specialist

Teaching Students who are Deaf/blind I, II or Specialist

Teaching students with:

Behavioural Needs

Communication Needs:

ASD

Speech and Language

LD

Intellectual Needs:

Developmental Disability

Giftedness

Mild Intellectual Disability

Multiple Needs

Physical Needs

Use and Knowledge of Assistive Technology

Teaching Students Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Teaching Students Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, Specialist

Below are the steps that need to be taken when requesting to apply for the subsidy AND for reimbursement for a course that has been approved by Chantal:

1. Approval from Chantal Moore prior to registering for a course

2. Proof/letter of registration

3. Proof of payment

4. Letter of successful completion

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Retrieval practice is a key component of Explicit Teaching as we regularly check for understanding by asking students to retrieve what they have learned and share it back with us in various ways.

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The concept of Retrieval Practice is a potent tool in the realm of education, particularly recognized for its efficacy in enhancing long-term retention of information.

This cognitive strategy pivots on the principle of actively recalling information, which strengthens memory and facilitates learning. It's not merely about rote memorization, but a dynamic process that engages the learner in a deeper, more meaningful interaction with the material.

Retrieval Practice is often contrasted with passive study techniques, such as re-reading or rote memorization. A study published in Science found that retrieval practice produced more learning than elaborative studying with concept mapping. This finding underscores the power of active recall in fostering a robust learning environment.

In the context of the classroom, retrieval practice can take various forms, such as low-stakes quizzes, practice questions, or even group discussions.

These activities encourage students to retrieve information from their long-term memory, thereby reinforcing the learned material. This process is not limited to factual recall but extends to higher-order learning as well. For instance, after studying a concept, students might be asked to apply it to a new context, thereby engaging in a deeper level of cognitive processing.

The benefits of retrieval practice extend beyond academic performance. It also fosters a sense of self-efficacy among students, as they witness their own progress and mastery over the material. This can lead to increased motivation and engagement in the learning process.

However, it's important to note that the effectiveness of retrieval practice is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It should be tailored to the individual needs and abilities of each student, taking into account factors such as their prior knowledge, learning preference, and the nature of the material being studied.

In conclusion, retrieval practice is a powerful teaching strategy that leverages cognitive psychology to enhance learning and memory. It's a tool that every educator should consider integrating into their teaching repertoire.

Key Insights:

Retrieval practice enhances long-term retention of information.

It produces more learning than elaborative studying with concept mapping.

It can be applied to higher-order learning.

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Using Retrieval Practice in Classroom Environments

Depending upon the grade levels, the Retrieval Practice condition isappliedin several ways in the school environment. It can be as easy as trying to recall initial learning mentally or on a paper without involving complex materials or without reviewing the learning materials. Following are some ways to use retrieval practice in the classroom:

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1. Practice tests: Teachers can ask students in a Middle School Science Classroom to write their practice questions; students can use practice questions from the textbook or use those provided by the teacher; they can make and share questions with their study partner, or use online sources to find questions. Teachers can also ask students to first write the correct answers to the questions in short answer format and then ask students to find the correct answers to the same questions presented as multiple-choice questions in the final test or unit exam.

2. Flashcards - For students in primary grade levels, teachers can ask students to write questions on one side of the index card and answers on the other side of the card. Students can also use flashcard software systems or create flashcards on a computer and print them out.

Flashcards can be easily tailored to a particular topic, and students can recall information by looking at one side of the card and giving the answer on the other side. This makes it easier for them to test their knowledge quickly and effectively through an interactive retrieval practice exercise.

3. Writing prompts - The writing prompts technique is very effective for encouraging students to think about a specific subject and to show what they know. For example, the teacher can write an incomplete sentence on a card and ask the students to complete the sentence e.g. "A plant needs sunlight to ________".

Writing prompts present a question or a statement to the student that they have to answer, employing their knowledge of a given subject. Writing prompts can be used to gauge how well the student understands the material, and help them prepare for upcoming exams.

4. Concept maps: Karpicke Et Al. (2014) explained that creating concept maps, is like writing prompts; but, students create a keyword map of related words instead of writing complete details of retrieval tasks. Students will create concept maps by writing the title at the top of the page and drawing a large circle. Then, they will add circles with keywords about the topic. For different grade levels, the concept maps would indicate what the students don't know while showing what they already possess in their long term memory.

Concept maps are an effective way to improve student learning. They help to engage the student in making connections between different concepts and ideas, providing a deeper understanding of the material. Creating concept maps encourages students to think critically and form hypotheses when developing connections in their maps.

5. Elaborative Interrogation: This is an effective method, which mostly includes detailed 20 questions, which is useful retrieval practice in classroom settings. Elaborative interrogation does not involve the writing of any sort, but a student may write the answers and is better with two or more students. To use the Elaborative interrogation technique in an educational setting, the teacher would make pairs of the students, and give each pair of students a topic and several questions to ask. The main purpose is to encourage students to think deeply about the topic and recollect what they truly know.

Below are some examples:

When did this happen?

Why did this happen?

How does it work?

Why does it work?

6. Quizzes: For different grade levels, quizzes are the key ingredient that can be performed in several different ways. These can be performed individually or in groups, pairs, or as a class. Teachers can give colour cards or clickers to the students for answering or they can make the different teams in the class. While considering the level of difficulty, teachers can also use different apps and websites to ask multiple-choice questions or to conduct multiple-choice tests.

Quizzes are an essential part of retrieval practice as they help to reinforce knowledge. Furthermore, quizzes can be used to track student learning and measure their understanding of concepts. This can provide invaluable feedback on how well students are absorbing the material and what areas might require further practice. The benefits of retrieval practice cannot be understated, and with quizzes, teachers can ensure that their students are learning the material in an effective manner.

7. Placemats: Itis easy to make placemats. Worksheets provide a great way to assess prior knowledge. However, like other study strategies placemats can give great results when they are used alongside other popular methods and educational materials. Placemats are more effective for teaching elementary school children; but, there remains a risk factor for children becoming bored or just stopping to care. Therefore, placemats must be used to perform complex tasks in intentional and responsible ways.

8. Copy-cover-and-check method: To apply this retrieval practice in school environments, teachers would ask students to simply cover their lecture slides with a card, try to recall the text on the slides, and then remove the card to check. This technique provides the learning assessment without needing little-to-no extra effort before starting to apply retrieval activity in classroom settings.

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Examples of Test-Enhanced Learning in Practice

In the realm of education, the application of test-enhanced learning can be a game-changer. Here are seven fictional examples of how this effective strategy can be integrated into various subject areas without adding extra workload for teachers:

1. Mathematics: In a 5th-grade class, Mrs. Johnson uses retrieval practice to reinforce the concept of fractions. After teaching the basics, she conducts mini quizzes at the start of each class, asking students to solve problems or draw representations of different fractions. This not only helps students recall the concept but also apply it in different contexts.

2. Science: Mr. Thompson, a high school biology teacher, uses flashcards as a retrieval practice tool. After a lesson on cell structure, students create their own flashcards with diagrams and definitions. In the following classes, they use these flashcards to quiz each other, enhancing their recall and understanding of the topic.

3. History: Miss Davis, a middle school history teacher, incorporates retrieval practice in her lessons on the Civil War. She uses a technique called "exit tickets," where students write down three things they learned during the lesson before leaving the class. This encourages students to reflect on and consolidate their learning.

4. English: Mrs. Robinson, an English teacher, uses retrieval practice to enhance vocabulary learning. After introducing new words, she regularly revisits them in different contexts, asking students to use them in sentences or identify synonyms and antonyms.

5. Geography: Mr. Smith, a geography teacher, uses online quizzes as a form of retrieval practice. After teaching about different countries and their capitals, he assigns online quizzes that students can take multiple times, helping them remember and reinforce the information.

6. Art: Miss Baker, an art teacher, uses retrieval practice to teach different art styles. After a lesson on impressionism, she asks students to identify characteristics of this style in various artworks, aiding their recall and understanding.

7. Physical Education: Coach Williams uses retrieval practice to teach the rules of different sports. After explaining the rules of basketball, he conducts a quick Q&A session at the start of each class, helping students remember and apply the rules during the game.

In each of these examples, retrieval practice not only promotes long-term retention but also engages students in deeper learning practices. It's a testament to the power of this approach in enhancing learning across different subjects.

Key Insights:

Retrieval practice can be integrated into any subject area.

It promotes long-term retention and deeper understanding.

It doesn't add extra workload for teachers and engages students in their learning.

For further reading, check out these academic sources: Evidence-based teaching in contact lenses education: Teaching and learning strategies and Use of practice tests with immediate feedback in an undergraduate molecular biology course.

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Getting retrieval practice right

If teachers know the kind of questions that will be asked in the course exam, they can also help students by providing successful retrieval practice conditions suitable for similar kinds of questions. Therefore, retrieval condition in classroom settings increases the possibility that students would successfully recall relevant information for their upcoming high-stakes exams.

Depending upon the level of difficulty, teachers can implement cued recall tests and use cue cards to remind students of complex materials and complex concepts. After using the retrieval method, it is suggested to check notes and textbooks to ensure correct and complete retrieval of the information. Cue cards strategy would rectify any mistakes, and give immediate feedback about what one knows and what one doesn't know.

‍ Retrieval practice activity becomes more effective when it is performed along with othereffective learning techniques. There are many benefits of testing but the following are some other revision techniques that can have positive effects on retrieval educational practice in making it more effective through creating new memory paths for the knowledge being recalled.

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Spaced Retrieval Practice

Spaced retrieval practiceis a popular method and a useful retrieval-based learning strategy of Cognitive Science, which means studying a topic more than once but having long gaps between learning sessions. In other words, it divides learning into time. Research in cognitive psychology shows that the spacing effect is more beneficial for long-term, meaningful learning.

The space must be of longer duration rather than very short breaks. This strategy works better than rote learning because students get the time to forget the details before striving to access them. The best way to use spaced retrieval practice in classroom settings is to not quiz the students for some time after studying the information. Afterwards, students can be engaged in ret rieval-based learning activities or they will be asked short-answer questions using flashcards or other learning techniques for practising spacing and retrieval.

Long-term retention is key when it comes to retrieval practice. Spaced retrieval practice can be a great way to help students retain information in the long-term. Studies show that having regular intervals of study, followed by taking a break before repeating the process, helps increase the student's ability to retain information. Furthermore, by lessening the duration of study periods as well as choosing which topics to revisit at random from previous sessions increases their recall capabilities even more.

Educational practice games are another way to use retrieval practice techniques. They can provide students with a fun, competitive environment in which they can learn and review material in an engaging way. Educational practice games also provide the opportunity for students to compare their ideas and knowledge against others, encouraging collaboration in the classroom.

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Interleaving techniques

The process of changing subjects or topics rather than just paying attention to one topic for long periods is called interleaving. For instance, rather than studying Biology for four consecutive hours, a student would study Chemistry for an hour, Biology for an hour, History for an hour, and Mathematics for an hour.

In this study time, the student would be using flashcards, making mind maps, or self-quizzing for a long-term, meaningful learning and effective retrieval practice in classroom settings.

Both spacing and interleaving techniques can help increase students' long-term meaningful learning and memory retention of important information.

When a student utilizes interleaving alongside spacing and effective retrieval practice, it improves test-enhanced learning and improves the effectiveness of all three of them.

Interleaving is also a useful Retrieval based learning strategy to retain several topics into memory in a specific amount of time. Interleaving improves meaningful retrieval-based learning by mixing up topics closely related to one another. This improves students' learning process and their ability to differentiate between numerous concepts.

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What are the advantages of using Retrieval Practice?

Retrieval practice, a cornerstone of cognitive psychology, is a powerful learning strategy that has been shown to significantly enhance the learning process. Here are nine child-focused benefits of retrieval practice:

1. Enhanced Long-Term Retention: Retrieval practice strengthens memory and enhances long-term retention. It's not just about rote learning but about deeply understanding and remembering information over time.

2. Improved Higher-Order Learning: By freeing up working memory, students can engage in higher-order learning tasks such as critical thinking and problem-solving.

3. Promotes Transfer of Learning: Retrieval practice helps students apply what they've learned in new contexts, promoting the transfer of learning.

4. Boosts Confidence: Regular retrieval practice can boost students' confidence in their learning abilities, as they see their progress over time.

5. Encourages Self-Reflection: The process of recalling information encourages students to reflect on their understanding, helping them identify gaps in their knowledge.

6. Enhances Engagement: The active nature of retrieval practice can make learning more engaging and enjoyable for students.

7. Supports Formative Assessment: Regular retrieval activities provide teachers with valuable insights into students' understanding, supporting formative assessment practices.

8. Fosters Independent Learning: As students experience the benefits of retrieval practice, they're likely to adopt this strategy in their independent study, enhancing their self-directed learning skills.

9. Reduces Test Anxiety: Regular practice with retrieval can help reduce test anxiety, as students become more comfortable with recalling information under pressure.

As Pooja Agarwal, a cognitive scientist, puts it, "Retrieval practice is a powerful tool for improving learning... It's not just about getting items out of memory, but getting them out in a way that is meaningful and that really improves learning and performance."

Key Insights:

Retrieval practice enhances long-term retention and promotes higher-order learning.

It supports formative assessment and fosters independent learning.

Regular retrieval practice can reduce test anxiety and boost students' confidence.

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Challenges of using Retrieval Based Learning

Both teachers and students show concerns about classroom practice of r etrieval-based learning activities. Some teachers do not recognize the effectiveness of retrieval practice and they are hesitant to use retrieval practice because they feel that they might have to change their teaching styleor the textbook. But, it's not true because the effectiveness of retrieval practice is not only about receiving the information.

Teachers must see how their students use spacing and practice the things that have been taught. Also, some teachers believe that retrieval practice would waste their class time. But, it's not right too. Application of r etrieval practice will act as a learning tool that will enable students to learn more quickly and retain more information in their long term memory.

The topic of retrieval practice has been studied extensively over the past decade. This research shows that it improves memory retention and learning outcomes. Retrieval practice involves testing yourself on what you've learned. If you're practicing retrieval, then you should test yourself on the information you've just learned. In addition, you need to use different types of questions to stimulate recall. For example, instead of asking someone to repeat something verbatim, ask them to tell you why or describe an event. These kinds of questions will make sure that you remember more than just the facts.

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Using Mental Modelling for Retrieval-Based Learning

The block building methodology that we have been using across schools in England was initially seen as a knowledge-building tool. Some of our member schools quickly realised that this engaging pedagogy was a useful way of finding out what students knew. We have seen educators ask students to build a conceptual model of a body of knowledge. This type of creative retrieval based activity is more engaging than multiple-choice tests.

Unlike multiple-choice and short answer questions, students have to create a structure that represents a particular piece of knowledge. This for example could be a timeline, I hierarchical structure or categorising items into groups. The process uses student creativity to make sense of complex materials. These types of alternative learning strategies are more accessible than traditional classroom tasks as they free up the working memory to do more critical thinking. You can see the learning tool in action on the dedicated webpage.

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Reflecting on Retrieval-Based Learning

As we conclude this exploration of retrieval practice, it's essential to remember that this approach is not just another educational fad. It's a scientifically-backed method rooted in cognitive psychology that can significantly enhance learning outcomes.

The power of retrieval practice lies in its simplicity and versatility, making it a valuable tool for any teacher's arsenal, regardless of the subject matter.

Consider the impact of retrieval practice on long-term learning. A study published in the Journal of Educational Psychology found that students who engaged in retrieval practice outperformed their peers in unit exams. This finding underscores the positive effects of retrieval practice on memory retention and academic performance.

But beyond test scores, retrieval practice also fosters a deeper understanding of the material. It encourages students to engage in critical thinking, to make connections between different concepts, and to apply their knowledge in various contexts.

For instance, a teacher might use retrieval practice to help students remember the steps of the scientific method. But more importantly, this practice will enable students to understand why these steps are necessary and how they can be applied in different scientific investigations.

However, as with any teaching strategy, the effectiveness of retrieval practice depends on its implementation. It's not enough to simply incorporate memory tests or practice questions into the curriculum. Teachers must also create an environment that encourages students to engage in retrieval practice regularly and reflect on their learning process.

In the words of educational researcher Henry Roediger, "The goal of education is not to make students cram for exams, but to let them know what they know and what they don't know." This is precisely what retrieval practice allows us to achieve.

Key Insights:

Retrieval practice enhances long-term learning and improves academic performance.

It promotes critical thinking and a deeper understanding of the material.

The effectiveness of retrieval practice depends on its regular implementation and integration into the learning process.

As we move forward, let's ponder on these questions: How can we integrate retrieval practice more effectively into our teaching? How can we use it not just to improve test scores, but to foster a deeper, more meaningful learning experience for our students?

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References

Blunt, JD & Karpicke (2014). Learning with retrieval-based concept mapping - Journal of Educational Psychology.

Carpenter, Lund, Coffman (2016) A classroom study on the relationship between student achievement and retrieval-enhanced learning, Journal of Educational Psychology, Springer.

Mark A. Mcdaniel & Barbie J Huelser (2011). Test-Enhanced Learning in a Middle School Science Classroom: The Effects of Quiz Frequency and Placement, May 2011Journal of Educational Psychology 103(2):399-414

Pooja Agarwal, (2013). How to use retrieval practice to improve learning.

Roediger and Karpicke (2006). Test-enhanced learning: Taking memory tests improves long-term retention, Educational Psychology Review, journals.sagepub.com

Yana Weinstein (2012). Testing improves true recall and protects against the build-up of proactive interference without increasing false recall. Taylor & Francis.

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Why should retrieval practice be an integral learning technique for the classroom?

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As we move toward the semester's end, I wanted to review some of the HITS to ensure our students are best prepared for our exams and summative tasks.

Today's post presents the challenge of why some students cannot independently get through learning tasks, resources to help teachers identify why, and tools and strategies to support student growth in this area.

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CAEP standards for the accreditation of educators are designed to improve the quality and effectiveness not only of new instructional practitioners but also the evidence-base used to assess those qualities in the classroom.

Standard 1: Content and Pedagogical Knowledge

CEC standards encompass a wide range of ethics, standards, and practices created to help guide those who have taken on the crucial role of educating students with disabilities.

Standard 1: Learner Development and Individual Learning Differences

Standard 5: Instructional Planning and Strategies

InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards are designed to help teachers of all grade levels and content areas to prepare their students either for college or for employment following graduation.

Standard 1: Learning Development

Standard 8: Instructional Strategies

NCATE standards are intended to serve as professional guidelines for educators. They also overview the "organizational structures, policies, and procedures" necessary to support them.

Standard 1: Candidate Knowledge, Skills, and Professional Dispositions

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CAEP standards for the accreditation of educators are designed to improve the quality and effectiveness not only of new instructional practitioners but also the evidence-base used to assess those qualities in the classroom. Standard 1: Content and Pedagogical Knowledge CEC standards encompass a wide range of ethics, standards, and practices created to help guide those who have taken on the crucial role of educating students with disabilities.

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There are a million articles about the importance of disconnecting over the holidays to increase wellbeing. Attached is just one of these articles.

Please enjoy a restful holiday and watch for January's posts on January 7th.

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The upcoming end-of-year school break is likely to be the first taste of respite that teachers will get - a 'pause' on the strain of constant uncertainty of sharp lockdowns, upended schedules and locations, and relentless work hours.

However, for many, the relief may be bittersweet and even emotional, after running on constant adrenaline and with so many boundaries and limits tested. Plus, this time of year often brings its own looming stresses of arranging family get-togethers, shopping and entertaining.

An exhausting end to an unforgiving year

We know all too well how fast the holidays can slip by. It's also likely that as a teacher you'll be so depleted, it's hard to know how make the most of this precious time off in terms of getting what you need. And, according to Hannah Jamieson, National Education Advisor for headspace Schools, that's to properly recover.

Teachers must remember to give to themselves before others over this holiday season, she says. "Students won't benefit from a teacher who is a martyr and gives everything of themselves.

"What they need next year is an educator who is energised, compassionate and engaged - and you simply cannot be those things if you haven't rested yourself."

It's essential that over the Christmas break, teachers shift their perspective and start to see rest as purposeful, rather than indulgent, she says.

Teaching tops the tables for stressful careers

When it comes to stressful careers, teaching is a serial offender, consistently making the top 20. COVID-19 and its repercussions have taken the stress and expectations on teachers to the next level. Australian mental health support organisation Beyond Blue reported record numbers of education professionals accessing wellbeing advice since the beginning of the pandemic; the rise equating to around 65% year on year.

A proactive psychological reset: The first steps

Plenty can be done to de-stress and reset during the holidays, according to Hannah. Her organisation, Headspace Schools, an initiative by youth mental health charity Headspace, works with school leaders on enacting school wellbeing change using the Be You framework, a national mental health in education initiative delivered by Beyond Blue in collaboration with headspace and Early Childhood Australia.

"The nuances of teaching have become quite challenging, driving the need for frank discussions around self-care," Hannah says.

Self-care is more than bubble baths

One of the issues is that the term self-care is often misunderstood. We teach ourselves that self-care means indulgence. Little luxuries. "I want to challenge that idea about self-care being a Band-Aid we slap over an injury. A bubble bath, light a candle and it all goes away," says Hannah. "Except it doesn't."

Trivialising self-care in this way undermines the experiences of teachers. Good self-care comes down to three components; the three Rs: Rest, Recover and Re-engage.

10 checkpoints for getting adequate rest

"Importantly, we can't start recuperating until we are rested," Hannah says. The holiday period is the ideal time for teachers to move through the stages of resting, recovering and then re-engaging for the new school year. Yet rest is a very personal thing. "My rest isn't necessarily restful for you," she says.

The good news is, there are guidelines teachers can follow:

1. Remember when you felt most rested

Think about when you last felt totally rejuvenated. What strategies worked for you? Make a list so that you have those strategies, that are personal to you, to lean on when things get tense.

2. Learn to say 'no'

Self-care isn't just about the good things we do for ourselves, but the things we give ourselves permission not to do. And this means coming to peace with the challenging act of saying 'no'. Whether to a family event, to hosting Christmas, or to staying back at school for a week after term is over, saying no is telling ourselves that we matter.

3. Power down your devices

Have clear expectations around when your phone should be on, making sure you block time for being undisturbed. Whether you spend that time alone, with family, or with friends who don't ask anything of you, what matters is that you are doing something of your choosing with no interruption. "Start gently, by committing to having lunch without your phone," Hannah says.

4. Get good, deep sleep

There are plenty of studies on the positive impact of sleep on stress reduction. This fact sheet from the Sleep Health Foundation emphasises the importance of getting good quality sleep, in uncertain times especially. Another study found that being awake for more than 17 hours a day gives us a level of impairment similar to a 0.05 blood alcohol reading.
"We should encourage teachers to think about sleep as an absolute necessity, like food and water," says Hannah. "
Addressing the issue could simply be about finding a routine that settles you: "Ask a partner for a gentle reminder to put your phone down. Or agree to go to bed together rather than one waking the other hours later," she says.

5. Grant yourself permission to rest

Our bodies aren't wired to experience significant stress over long periods of time. So, when we have stress hormones like cortisol racing through our veins for weeks, or months, it triggers thoughts around being 'up against the wall'. Do these thoughts sound familiar?

"I have to be immediately responsive all the time"

"What if one of the kids in my class is unwell, and I don't notice?"

"I've done this to myself."

If they do, try reframing them to a more forgiving inner dialogue that gives you permission to take the rest you need, such as: "My brain is telling my body that I need to stop."

6. Define what rest means to you

Rest doesn't have to mean sleeping or lying down. It could be doing something else that nourishes you. "For me, having been on screens all day, my rest is knitting." says Hannah. "For one of the women I work with, her rest is being in the sea. It means she can't talk to anybody because she has her head underwater. She rests among this silence."

Active rest is often overlooked. The TED Talk series 'How to be a Better Human' defines seven rest types, of which physical rest - either passive through sleeping, or active through restful activity like yoga - is one. Equally, some find their rest in nature, taking in their surroundings.

7. Use technology to govern rest

Having advised switching off your device, tech can promote rest; for example, software alerts can let you know when you've had enough social media time or those which give you daily screen report, telling you how long you are spending with your eyes down. But: "We need to be careful not to use these apps as a stick to beat ourselves with," advises Hannah. "If it makes you feel awful, don't do it."

Hannah professes to being a fan of the "do not disturb" feature of her phone, but adds that she remembers to tell loved ones how to contact her in an emergency.

8. Plan your availability calendar in advance

Be clear about your availability for work over the summer holidays. Check the expectations for you to read your email, and make sure you've communicated your intention for doing so with your colleagues. For example, if you are back on the 24th of January, do you commit to checking email from the 23rd, or are you happy to have half an eye on them from the 10th?

Out-of-office replies are your friend. We suggest setting yours to say something like: "This is my holiday period. I will be available again on this date".

9. Be selective about social company

Rest and relationships go together. The truth is, relationships with some people can be a drain, even when welcome. A big tip for getting rest is to prioritise time with people who make you feel good about yourself. As difficult as it may be, it's important to focus on people and things that bring you joy when replenishing your energy.

10. Outsource your usual chores

It's all too easy to 'just whip round the home with the vacuum cleaner' or 'just clean the car' when you find yourself with free time. But it's not free time. It's rest time and we need to start thinking of it as already apportioned.

"If you can find a solution that will help you feel rested, such as outsourcing tasks, if it feels beneficial, then it may be worth considering."

Teachers are natural givers

Teachers are incredible professionals whose key priority is their students, and as such, the occupation itself tends to attract those with a giving nature. So, it may take some effort to turn the tables this summer holidays and direct the giving towards yourself. But it will be easier if you remember that the benefits won't just be felt by you, but also by your students.

In the second part of our blog series, we explore the "Recover and Re-engage" aspects of the three Rs of school holiday recovery.
If you're a teacher or school leader interested in more guidance about staying well and supporting your students in staying well too, read more about the Be You educator wellbeing plan and resources here. *headspace Schools is a division of headspace the National Youth Mental Health Foundation. headspace Schools is a national workforce that supports, engages and partners with education and health sectors across Australia, to build the mental health literacy and capacity of workforces. Be You is national mental health initiative led by Beyond Blue in collaboration with headspace and Early Childhood Australia to support educators from early learning services and schools to develop a positive, inclusive and resilient learning community.

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Teachers' Guide To Rest, Recover & Re-Engage - Part 1 | Janison

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For our exhausted teachers, the essential three Rs for the festive holidays are Rest, Recover and Re-engage: A guide in partnership with Headspace Schools. Find out more.

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The teacher models the learning process for students by using an 'I do, we do, you do' strategy and emphasises the importance of providing students with purposeful and understandable feedback to support achievement. In the 'you do' phase the teacher uses an online resource to differentiate teaching to meet individual student strengths and needs.

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Explicit teaching practices involve teachers clearly showing students what to do and how to do it, rather than having students discover that information themselves. Students who experience explicit teaching practices make greater learning gains than students who do not experience these practices.

Connecting Learning Goals, Vocabulary, Exemplars

Resource: What Works Best 2020

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Welcome to a special CESE eight-part podcast series. In this podcast, Mark Scott, Secretary of the NSW Department of Education, speaks with Principal, Paul Sheather, Deputy Principal, Ben Seldon, and students of Northern Beaches Secondary College, Balgowlah Boys Campus. Mark hears first-hand how the school's focus on explicit teaching has helped it become one of the state's top performing schools in English.

To read the transcripts or access the 'What works best' resources go to: www.cese.nsw.gov.au/publications/what-works-best

To watch the video of this conversation go to: https://education.nsw.gov.au/about-us/educational-data/what-works-best-2020-update/teachers/theme-explicit-teaching

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explicit teaching with nbsc balgowlah boys campus - what works best podcast

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‎CESE Podcast: What Works Best: Explicit teaching with NBSC Balgowlah Boys campus - What works best podcast on Apple Podcasts

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Welcome to a special CESE eight-part podcast series. In this podcast, Mark Scott, Secretary of the NSW Department of Education, speaks with Principal, Paul Sheather, Deputy Principal, Ben Seldon, and students of Northern Beaches Secondary College, Balgowlah Boys Campus. Mark hears first-hand how the...

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Please let Taryn know if you want a copy of this resource.

EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT TEACHING

Explicit instruction is systematic, direct, engaging, and success oriented—and has been shown to promote achievement for all students. This highly practical and accessible resource gives special and general education teachers the tools to implement explicit instruction in any grade level or content area. The authors are leading experts who provide clear guidelines for identifying key concepts, strategies, skills, and routines to teach; designing and delivering effective lessons; and giving students opportunities to practice and master new material.

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Effective and Efficient Teaching

By Anita L. Archer and Charles A. Hughes

Explicit instruction is systematic, direct, engaging, and success oriented-and has been shown to promote achievement for all students. This highly practical and accessible resource gives special and general education teachers the tools to implement explicit instruction in any grade level or content area. The authors are leading experts who provide clear guidelines for identifying key concepts, strategies, skills, and routines to teach; designing and delivering effective lessons; and giving students opportunities to practice and master new material. Sample lesson plans, lively examples, and reproducible checklists and teacher worksheets enhance the utility of the volume.

This title is part of the What Works for Special-Needs Learners Series, edited by Karen R. Harris and Steve Graham.

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Explicit Instructions | Effective and Efficient Teaching

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By Anita L. Archer and Charles A. Hughes Explicit instruction is systematic, direct, engaging, and success oriented-and has been shown to promote achievement for all students. This highly practical and accessible resource gives special and general education teachers the tools to implement explicit instruction in any grade level or content area.

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Explicit teaching (KP HIT #6) requires the purposeful use of Learning Goals and Success Criteria.

The attached video demonstrates explicit, systematic instruction in a secondary math classroom.

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Explicit, Systematic Instruction: High School

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This article focus on the how of writing success criteria, including drawing on the Ontario curriculum and associated achievement chart.

When crafting success criteria, I:

describe what it looks like/sounds like to achieve the learning;

align with the high-level criteria described in the achievement chart*;

focus on both qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the learning;

use language meaningful to my students and helpful to their learning;

organize them in a way that is helpful to the learner;

express them in a way that encourages students to take ownership of and monitor the learning;

revisit and refine the criteria as necessary.

*The achievement chart is a framework within which teachers “assess and evaluate student achievement of the expectations...It enables teachers to make consistent judgements about the quality of student learning based on clear performance standards and on a body of evidence collected over time.” (Growing Success, 2010, p. 16)

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Posted by

"Effective teachers start with a standard, break the learning that standard requires into lesson-sized chunks, and then phrase these chunks so that students will be able to understand them." (Hattie, 2017, p. 41)

Whether you're new to the idea of identifying and collaboratively developing learning goals and success criteria with your students, or have been practising this critically important element of the assessment loop, you probably have some wonderings on this topic.
Effective learning goals and success criteria
In this post we describe a process for how educators, when planning, can determine the learning goals and success criteria for a period of learning. In a future post, we'll discuss how to guide students to know and understand them.

If you've read our first posts about learning goals and success criteria, you've already encountered some important criteria for doing this effectively.

Effective learning goals:

identify the important knowledge and skills that students are to learn;

focus the learning on manageable 'chunks';

are written in language meaningful to your students and helpful to their learning, and;

foster a learning community and encourage students to take ownership of their learning.

Effective success criteria:
Getting started

describe what it looks like/sounds like to achieve the learning;

are rooted in the high-level criteria described in the achievement chart*;

focus on both qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the learning;

are written in language meaningful to your students and helpful to their learning;

are organized in a way that is helpful to the learner, and;

encourage students to take ownership of and monitor the learning.

Imagine that you're planning for the next cycle of learning experiences. In Ontario, the curriculum policy documents identify the knowledge and skills that are to be learned, so that would be your starting point. It's good practice to carefully analyse those expectations to be crystal clear on the knowledge and skills identified in them. Once identified, you'll want to think about how to organize these elements in a way that is most beneficial to your students. Further, the curriculum expectations provide clues as to what it looks like to learn, i.e. the success criteria.

We've thought long and hard about what to suggest as a process for doing this. As much as we would like to give you a simple, step-by-step procedure for determining learning goals and success criteria, teaching and learning are complex processes, and it would detract from the effectiveness of learning goals and success criteria to over-simplify this process.
What knowledge, skills and processes are students to learn?
Rather than a list of steps, we suggest using the following questions to guide your thinking process:

It's tempting to pick an expectation and to 'turn it into a learning goal'. However, if we're going to invite students to be active in their learning (to own it!), we need to go beyond telling them what the goal of 'today's lesson' is (not that this isn't important). By looking at a cluster of expectations (an overall and its related specifics), we can plan a period of learning experiences, and share with students not only what they are expected to learn, but how these different bits of knowledge and skill are interconnected, and for what purpose.

The curriculum expectations embody both the broad concepts and the fine details of what is to be learned. Both learners and educators benefit from organizing this information into a 'roadmap' of learning. Here's one way to do that:

Look at a cluster of expectations (an overall and its related specifics).

List the knowledge, concepts, and terms that students are to know and understand.

List the skills and processes that students are to develop.

Here's an example from the Writing Curriculum for Grade 5: (We've colour coded the items in columns 2 and 3 to correlate to the expectations in column 1.)

OVERALL & SPECIFIC EXPECTATIONS Knowledge, Concepts that learners need to understand Skills and Processes that learners are developing

1. generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience;

generate, gather, and organize ideas and information

1.1 identify the topic, purpose, and audience for a variety of writing forms

1.2 generate ideas about a potential topic and identify those most appropriate for the purpose

1.3 gather information to support ideas for writing, using a variety of strategies and a range of print and electronic resources

1.4 sort and classify ideas and information for their writing in a variety of ways

1.5 identify and order main ideas and supporting details and group them into units that could be used to develop several linked paragraphs, using a variety of strategies and organizational patterns

1.6 determine whether the ideas and information they have gathered are relevant, appropriate, and adequate for the purpose, and do more research if necessary

topic, purpose, and audience

writing forms

strategies for gathering information

print and electronic resources

ways to sort and classify ideas and information

difference between main ideas and supporting details

words and phrases that link paragraphs

strategies and patterns to organize writing

generate ideas

gather information to support ideas for writing

sort and classify ideas and information

identify and order main ideas and supporting details

group ideas and information into paragraphs

linking paragraphs

using strategies and organizational patterns to organize writing

assess ideas and information to see if they are relevant, appropriate and adequate

researching

What is the big idea of this learning? What do you want students to know and remember in the long term?
This process of analysing the expectations means we now have a clear idea of what our students are to know and be able to do, providing a starting point for crafting the learning goals and the success criteria.

Looking at the curriculum in this way, it becomes clear that we want learners to see the value of planning before they write, and to know what to consider when they are planning their writing - topic, purpose, audience; choice of writing form; relevance, appropriateness, and adequacy of ideas and information; how to logically and effectively organize the text. A 'big idea' might be:

We can communicate our ideas more effectively if we plan before we write. Or
What is the goal of the learning?
Planning before writing means our ideas will be communicated more effectively.

There's no one right way to express a learning goal. You will need to consider your learners' prior knowledge and prior learning experiences to decide how to express the goal. Here's an example:

We are learning to plan before we begin writing, so that we can communicate effectively with our audience.
What does it look like to demonstrate the learning goal? What are the success criteria?
This goal flows from the overall expectation - the skills of 'gathering, generating, and organizing ideas' have been summed up as 'planning before writing'. What that looks like will be set out in the success criteria.

You can draw on several resources to craft the criteria: the curriculum, the achievement chart*, and your own professional experience and expertise.

The curriculum: Here's where the specific expectations and the work that we did in analysing them will be useful in identifying the success criteria. The specific knowledge, concepts, skills and processes should be reflected in the success criteria so that learners have a clear description of what successful learning looks like.

The achievement chart: In Ontario, educators use the achievement chart as a framework for all assessment and evaluation. The chart sets out high-level criteria that provide clues about what successful learning looks like. You'll see connections with the knowledge, concepts, skills, and processes you identified in the curriculum. Here's an example of some criteria we identified, and their connections to the achievement chart:

Professional experience and expertise: Having expertise in a subject area definitely supports you in your ability to accurately describe what it looks like to achieve the learning. However, it is sometimes difficult to remember what it was like not to know something or know how to do something, once you have mastered it. A great way to put yourself in your learners' shoes is to do a task that is related to the learning goal. In this case, we thought about what is involved in planning to write while we planned to write this post.

Having drawn on all our resources, here are the success criteria we identified for the learning goal:

To show my learning,

I identify and describe the intended audience for my writing.

I decide on the purpose for writing before starting to write.

I know a variety of text forms.

I use a text form that is appropriate to my purpose, and I can justify my choice of form.

I can come up with appropriate ideas for my topic.

I gather relevant information using a variety of ways and a range of print and electronic resources.

I can select and use a graphic organizer to plan out my writing.

I know a variety of patterns for organizing text (cause and effect, procedure, chronological, etc.) and can justify my choice of organization.

I decide if I have enough information to communicate my ideas and message to my audience, and do more research if necessary.

I use paragraphs to organize a main idea and supporting details.

I use linking words and phrases to connect paragraphs.

Having crafted the learning goal(s) and success criteria, we 'self-assess' using the criteria for effective goals and criteria set out at the beginning of this post: Is the language 'meaningful' to students, and supportive of their learning?
(We've again used the same colour-coding to show the connections between the criteria and the curriculum.)

Most often, educators wonder, 'If I use the terminology from the curriculum, the language may be meaningful to my students. What do I do?' Ask yourself - if the terminology is new to students, is it something that they would be expected to learn? Then use it. If it is a barrier to learning, then rephrase it.
Are the success criteria organized in a way that is helpful to the learner?
In our example, we could just as well have phrased the learning goal, "We are learning to generate, gather, and organize our writing, so that we can communicate effectively with our audience." The words "gather" and "organize" are probably familiar to a student in Grade 5; perhaps "generate" would require some explanation.

We have come up with criteria! That's a lot of criteria for learners to keep track of, yet they are all important aspects of the learning goal. One way to help learners is to organize the criteria into categories. For example,

When planning for writing, I need to remember:

Audience, Form and Purpose

I identify and describe the intended audience for my writing.

I decide on the purpose for writing before starting to write.

I know a variety of text forms.

I use a text form that is appropriate to my purpose, and I can justify my choice of form.

Ideas and Information

I can come up with appropriate ideas for my topic.

I gather relevant information using a variety of ways and a range of print and electronic resources.

I decide if I have enough information to communicate my ideas and message to my audience, and do more research if necessary.

Organizing my Writing
Do the learning goals and success criteria foster a feeling of community, while encouraging students to take ownership of their learning?

I know a variety of patterns for organizing text (cause and effect, procedure, chronological, etc.) and can justify my choice of organization.

I can select and use a graphic organizer to plan out my writing.

I use paragraphs to organize a main idea and supporting details.

I use linking words and phrases to connect paragraphs.

Do the success criteria focus on both quantitative and qualitative aspects of the learning?
You'll notice the use of the phrase, "We are learning". The "we" is so much more inclusive than "students will", conveys the idea that 'we are in this together, we are going to help each other". The criteria, on the other hand, use "I", acknowledging that each learner is an individual, and will have individual successes and challenges in learning. Further, to support and motivate learners, it is helpful to include a rationale in the goal. Consider adding a 'so that...' to the statement to provide students a motivation for learning.

Quantitative criteria are like on-off switches - students have either met, or not yet met them; a response is either correct or incorrect. We often see criteria that are very quantitative - and that's ok. It is helpful to learners to, for example, know that they must be able to identify at least three different organizers for their writing.

Qualitative criteria describe characteristics of learning that range in a "continuous gradation" (Sadler, 1989, p. 124) from 'not yet met' to 'met'. The most significant understandings and skills in the curriculum are described using qualitative criteria. For example, relevance. An example presented in a text can be completely relevant, not-at-all relevant, and shades of relevance in between those two extremes. If we want our students to learn these important abstract concepts, we need to embed them in our success criteria.

"Students' understanding of learning goals and what it means to master them is fundamental to their success, because without such an understanding they are unable to monitor their progress or to generate relevant internal feedback." (Timperley, H. & Parr, 2009, p. 57)

One last thought - and call to action! a

As a learner - young, old and in between - knowing what knowledge and skills I'm supposed to develop and what it looks like are critical pieces of information I need. If you're not already using these practices, ? Find a colleague who will learn with you and try it out! If you are, use the resources in this blog to refine and polish this aspect of your assessment practices. We've provided a why not make a commitment now planning template that follows the process outlined in this blog post.

*The achievement chart is a framework within which teachers "assess and evaluate student achievement of the expectations...It enables teachers to make consistent judgements about the quality of student learning based on clear performance standards and on a body of evidence collected over time." (Growing Success, 2010, p. 16)

Hattie, J., Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2017). Visible learning for mathematics: What works best to optimize student learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2010). Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting in Ontario Schools. First Edition, Covering Grades 1 to 12. Toronto, ON: Author.

Sadler, D. (1989). Formative assessment and the design of instructional systems. Instructional Science, 18, 119-144.

Timperley, H. & Parr, J. (2009). What is this lesson about? Instructional processes and student understandings in writing classroom. The Curriculum Journal, 20(1), 43-60.

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Learning Goals and Success Criteria: How to Craft Them

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It's tempting to pick an expectation and to 'turn it into a learning goal'. However, if we're going to invite students to be active in their learning (to own it!), we need to go beyond telling them what the goal of 'today's lesson' is.

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Equally important but different.

The article above explicitly differentiates learning goals and success criteria and highlights the necessity of the learning goal to come BEFORE the success criteria.

Please expect Taryn and Janet in your classes to look for learning goals and success criteria!

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As we continue to work towards meeting the goals of our School Action Plan, we reflect on our past practice around Long Range Plans and the purpose of creating and sharing these plans.

Our next step is to collect teachers' planning documents (Semester II). Prior to that please look at your current plans, make necessary adjustments, and reach out to your Area Leader and/or Administration for support.

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Classroom 180 is a framework for creating trauma-informed classrooms.

If you are interested in this training, please email Taryn and indicate which session/group you wish to join.

Note that training is in the evenings and staff will not be compensated for time spent training.

2023

Group G: Wednesdays

Nov. 1, 15, 29, & Dec. 6

4:30-8 Central Standard Time

2024

Group A: Thursdays

Feb. 8, 15, 22, & 29

4:30-8 Central Standard Time

Group B: Thursdays

Apr. 11, 18, 25, & May 2

4:30-8 Central Standard Time

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FROM THE
BEST-SELLING AUTHOR

This multi-day intensive course is a deep-dive into the groundbreaking new book, Classroom180: A Framework for Creating, Sustaining, and Assessing the Trauma-Informed Classroom, by Heather T. Forbes, LCSW. The Classroom180 Framework is a comprehensive roadmap of what it means to fully create, implement, and sustain a trauma-informed classroom from kindergarten through the twelfth grade. Additionally, Classroom180 includes an assessment tool, the Classroom180 Rubric, that can be used by administrators and others specialists who support teachers on the journey of becoming trauma-informed.

along with each of the clearly defined twenty-seven components and their supporting indicators.

Administrators

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What else should you expect?

Mix and Match If Needed

Session 1: Oct. 12
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11:30am - 3:00pm Hawa ii

We are approved to provide Continuing Education Units/Credits by the above agencies. It is the responsibility of each attendee to ensure this virtual training meets your licensing board requirements!

For more information, click HERE.

Session 1: Nov. 1 Session 2: Nov. 15

Session 3: Nov. 29
Session 4: Dec. 6

12 :30pm - 4:00pm Hawa ii

1. Read "Help for Billy"

2. Complete Online Basic Training

Additionally, each participant is required to complete an online pre-requisite training. With your paid registration, you will be given access to a pre-requisite course on our Classroom180 Virtual Dashboard. Prior to the start of the live sessions, you will be emailed an invitation to signup for access to this dashboard. On this online platform, you will be given access to a short course that has been specifically designed for this training that will satisfy this pre-requisite training. (3.0 Hours for CEUs)

Tuition:

The book, Classroom180, is a required text for this training. You can purchase copies during the registration at a discount! ​

Classroom180 discounted to $47 ($54 value)

You will need the following information to complete registration for the Classroom180 Virtual Bootcamp:

* Purchase Order (if applicable)
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Call or email our office to register to take advantage of our tiered discounts!
PH: 303-993-8379 option 0
Email: classroom180bootcamp@gmail.com

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Classroom180 | Beyond Consequences Institute, LLC

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A virtual training designed to give you the understanding, knowledge, and tools you need to successfully create a trauma-informed classroom featuring Heather T. Forbes, LCSW from the Beyond Consequences Institute.

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Over the past month, I have gathered data about the visible learning goals in our classrooms.  I looked at the walls, on the students' papers, and in Google Classrooms. Click the chart above to see the actual numbers.

This measurement is a way I am keeping myself accountable to our School Action Plan and the implementation of the HITS.

Our current visible learning goal implementation is 34% based on the data I collected.

This suggests to me that we need to continue to work on Learning Goals, and perhaps I need to change how I am presenting and/or monitoring their use.

I will continue to share data in the upcoming weeks.

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During our ALP meetings, the idea of 'sample of excellence' came up a number of time. This video speaks to the power of exemplars.

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John Hattie Learning Intentions and Success Criteria

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Consider the connection between 'purpose' and Learning Goals.

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These short videos support the KP HITS, specifically feedback, and are worth a look!

Our popular series of short videos that break down effective classroom practices for every grade level in literally one minute—all in one place. How’s that for a quick win?

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Our popular series of short videos that break down effective classroom practices for every grade level in literally one minute—all in one place. How’s that for a quick win?

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This week, I walked through the school with our SO, Shawnda Norlock.   We were looking for Learning Goals in all classrooms and on student work.  Further to this, we asked students what they were learning to see if they could articulate a learning goal.

What we saw was a lot of students working and some posted learning goals, both on the board and in Google Classrooms. Yay!   A next step for us would be to return to the HITS document and analyze our Learning Goals to see if or how they are impacting student learning.

One suggestion is to write Learning Goals that articulate a VERB (ex. examine) and a NOUN (ex. text, sample).   Re-thinking our VERB provides clarity to students but also pushes us to rethink what type of questions and tasks we are asking of our students.

Check out this resource on using

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Scroll down to Video 3.1: Creating Learning Intentions and Success Criteria, Part 1

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Video 1.1: Teaching Strategies for Visible Learners, K-5

Video 1.2: Teaching Strategies for Visible Learners, 6-12

Video 2.1: Helping Students Notice What They Do and Do Not Know

Video 3.1: Creating Learning Intentions and Success Criteria, Part 1

Video 3.2: Creating Learning Intentions and Success Criteria, Part 2

Video 3.3: Learning Intentions and success Criteria in High School Math

Video 3.4: Communicating Relevance

Video 3.5: Teacher Clarity

Video 3.6: Developing Academic Self Efficacy

Video 4.1 Choice and Deliberate Practice, K-5

Video 4.2: Choice and Deliberative Practice, 6-12

Video 5.1: Creating Opportunities for Feedback

Video 5.2: Providing Specific and Actionable Feedback

Video 5.3: Teaching Students to Assess their Own Learning

Video 5.4: Viewing Errors as Opportunities

Video 5.5: Viewing Errors as Opportunities in High School Math

Video 6.1: Teaching Young Children to Monitor their Progress

Video 7.1: Assessments Designed to Inform Learners

Video 8.1: The Characteristics of an Assessment-Capable School

Video 8.2: Mindframes of Assessment-Capable Teachers

Video 8.3: Mindframes of School Leaders

Video 8.4: Culture and Climate at Assessment-Capable Schools

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Video 1.1: Teaching Strategies for Visible Learners, K-5 Video 1.2: Teaching Strategies for Visible Learners, 6-12

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The next few posts will re-focus us on the power of Learning Goals.

Janet and I will focus our walkthroughs on seeing evidence of Learning Goals and asking students about "what they are learning."

A quote from the attached article: “Students can reach any target that they know about and that holds still for them.” Rick Stiggins, 2006

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"Students can reach any target that they know about and that holds still for them." Rick Stiggins, 2006

Learning goals, intentions, targets, destinations - lots of names for a concept that is critically important to student learning and motivation. In Ontario, we use the phrase "learning goals".

Learning goals are statements describing for learners what they are to learn. They describe, "in language that students understand, the lesson-sized chunks of information, skills, and reasoning processes that students will come to know deeply". Moss & Brookhart, 2012.

Let's have a closer look at that definition:

"Language that students understand" - the curriculum is written using pedagogical language, as well as language specific to a subject or discipline. Learning goals help students understand what they are striving to learn by using language that is meaningful to them. In some cases, that means simplifying the language; in other cases, it may mean using the terminology of the discipline and guiding them to understand it.

- Learners benefit from knowing their 'immediate' learning goal - what I'm trying to learn in today's lesson - but also from seeing those focused goals in the context of the 'big picture' - over several days, over the course of a unit, or throughout the school year. If you use the "Lesson-sized chunks" backward design method of planning learning, you'll have actually created a 'road map' of the big ideas, the broad learning goals, and the specific learning goals that describe the more focused bits of knowledge and skills that students will be developing.

Why is it important to the learner to know this? Mary Alice White explains it in her article, "The View from the Pupil's Desk", by comparing students' experiences in the classroom to travelers on a ship with an unknown destination - they don't know where they're going, where they are, or even when they will arrive. As a result, the daily activities become their focus, rather than the voyage or the destination. In your classroom, do students know what they are trying to achieve, both in terms of the big picture and the details? Or are they simply passive passengers in the classroom ship? Learning goals - and their accompanying success criteria - make this important information accessible to them.

Identifying the "information, skills, and reasoning processes" that they are to develop - By taking the time to examine the curriculum expectations, and crafting the learning goals, both educators and students will benefit. As you 'deconstruct' the expectations, analysing the knowledge and skills contained in them, you will come to greater clarity about what is to be learned (and isn't!), and when shared and clarified with students, the learning goals will provide them greater clarity and focus for their efforts.

Here is an example of a learning goal developed from an expectation in the Ontario Curriculum: Mathematics that demonstrates the above principles:

"...the more transparent the teacher makes the learning goals, the more likely the student is to engage in the work needed to meet the goal." Hattie, 2012

One last thought - and a call to action :

Learning goals learners to take ownership of their learning by making information about learning accessible to them.

Learning goals do this by:

Describing the knowledge, skills and understandings set out in pedagogical language in the curriculum using language that is student-friendly and grade appropriate;

Focusing on manageable chunks of learning;

Using a tone that conveys to students that they are members of a community of learners supporting each other to achieve.

If you're not yet using learning goals with your students, hopefully we have made a compelling case for why you should. Give it a try! Start small - choose one subject, or a unit of learning, to introduce the concept to your learners. As you begin, you may simply identify focused learning goals for individual lessons. As your understanding evolves, you will help your students to see the 'roadmap' of the learning - how all the small goals fit together into the big picture of the learning.

We encourage you to share your examples and/or ask questions using the Comment section below. We'll be posting more information and examples about designing a learning goal, and about how to share and clarify goals with learners, so visit us again soon!

Coming soon: Designing Effective Learning Goals

Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers: Maximizing impact on learning. New York, NY: Routledge.

Moss, C., & Brookhart, S. (2012). Learning Targets: Helping students aim for understanding in today's lesson . Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Ontario Ministry of Education. (2005). The Ontario curriculum, Grades 1 to 8: Mathematics. Toronto, ON: Author.

Stiggins, R. J., Arter, J. A., Chappuis, J., & Chappuis, S. (2006). Classroom assessment for student learning: Doing it right - using it well. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service.

White, M. A. (1968). The View from the Pupil's Desk. The Urban Review 2 , April, 5 - 7.

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In your classroom, do students know what they are trying to achieve, both in terms of the big picture and the details?

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As your curriculum drives WHAT you teach, please turn to the KP HITS to plan HOW you teach.

If you need a printed copy, let Taryn know.

The Disrupting Poverty Book Study is still open for participants!  Join through this LINK.  Our first lunch session is September 21!

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We will be hosting our first RLDHS Book Study this fall.

Please open this link to see information and dates associated with this valuable experience.

Janet and Taryn both read this book - it connects to our School Achievement Plan and provides the 'why' of the KP HITS.