Pull Back the Curtain Toto!

Explicitly inform students and achievement will happen!

Pull back the curtain on learning!

Learning requires clarity in process and product.  Specifically, it is how the students will  learn through thinking or demonstrating and the measures of quality of the student work. 

What is the solution, clear and explicit success criteria!  

The criteria can be revealed at any point in the lesson.  Timing depends on the goal of the lesson.  For example, if you wanted students to demonstrate problem solving you would reveal explicit criteria later.  

The most critical idea to remember, however, is that the student knows when they have reached the learning intention by the end of the lesson.

Five Components  to create and understand learning intentions and success criteria.
(Hattie, 10 Mindframes for Learning, 2018)

1. Challenge: Students can learn to reflect and respond to where they are in the learning process as compared to success criteria.  They discuss their strengths and weaknesses.  
2. Self-Committment occurs when students are aware take responsibility for the learning.  This can be accomplished individually or within a group.
3. Self-Confidence allows the learner to take risks to 'have a go' and perservere through the task.
4. Expectations are revealed and allow learners to see the path toward successful completion of the task.
5. Conceptual Understanding is the journey between surface to deep understanding.  Deep understanding allows the student to retain the knowledge, skill or concept to help with more complex tasks in the future.

Consider the following examples as ways success criteria can be used in classrooms.  Notice how these Bloomer teachers used the 5 components in their lessons last week.

Success Criteria:  Poster

These posters allows the student to visualize learning in a second grade classroom.  Kate and Ken are working collaboratively to teach students how text features influence comprehension.  The learner can use the visual and written clues found on this chart to commit to the learning and choose an action to take when reading informational text.  Kate used the specific language found on the chart when conferencing with students. Ken shared a student example at the end of the lesson

Success Criteria:  Model

A model is an opportunity for students to complete assignments successfully with the support of an example.  Amanda used components found in the literacy resource to help students find key ideas and details.  They used them to write their own main idea.  She found that over 80% of students were able to reach the expectations of the learning intention.  This opportunity allowed students an independent pathway and achieve confidence with the learning.

Success Criteria:  Student Work

Paige used student response as sucess criteria and asked students to analyze the work against posted success criteria.  Students used the knowledge to revise their own writing.  She used student work that met and were close approximations so kids could evaluate quality.  They discussed in pairs allowing for socialization and analysis.  The result was a deeper understanding and ability to write to sources.  An option for the creative use of conceptual understanding and challenge.

                                Success Criteria:  Description with I can statements

              Having success criteria posted is a tried and true response.  Writing them in the form of  I can statements allows the student a visiable option for action.   I can describe, I can analyze, I can cite evidence, I can reread.  Becky has the intentions posted in plastic sleeves on the left side of the picture.  Additionally, she projected them during a lesson using the close reading companion.  She asked students to review their work against the criteria and revise.  This is a powerful option for students to commit to the expectations and provide confidence to learners.

The examples shared this week are from literacy lessons.  Each example can be utilized in math as well.  Models, student work, I can statements, co-constructed charts allow students an option to learn math skills and concepts.  Paul, Linday and Carol all use versions of these types of success criteria in this third grade math lesson.  These were used throughout the lesson and not at launch.  The expectation was that students inquire first in the problem solving. What was the result.  Lindsay's students scored 93% proficient on the daily formative!

 Your committment to making learning visible is directly related to the success you expect your students to achieve. 

Consider the following student questions and statements:

• What are my next steps?
• What is my goal today?
• Why is it important to me?
• When do I succeed?
• Now I have to show what I have learned!
• What I want to say to the lesson.

 Question to comment on this week:

What influence do success criteria have on how you use dialogic talk and the gradual release of responsibility?  How can you use the student question and statements in your planning and assessment?

You Will Survive

PLC

Curriculum
District Resources

Formative Assessments

Oh MY!

There are days that feel as if you are in survival mode; I'm sure.  We ask a lot of you and so do your students.  However, there is light at the end of the tunnel; one that is guaranteed not to fall on top of you and smash you flat.  It is the shining light of student self-regulation and higher achievement. How can you tell?  How will you know?  Just look at your latest District or formative assessment results.  If they are less than what you expect; you have the time, knowledge and ability to change the bottom line.  

Your efforts in PLC will be the difference.

Michael Fullan has written a book titled The Six Secrets of Change.   Secret two states: Connect Peers with Purpose.  He says that"the key to achieving a high functioning team lies more in purposeful peer interaction."  You are in groups created for purposeful peer interaction.  One of these groups at Bloomer is our second and fourth grade teams.  They move simultaneously with each individual contributing with their own voice and practical application.  An observer can walk into their classroom and see clear evidence of a learning target and success criteria.  They have threaded the target throughout the gradual release process.  You can see Jess deliver a mini lesson with a mentor text, Kate, Ken and Heather confer, Katie comment on writing or Becky lead a group and tell that they are inked arm in arm through the PLC process.  You will notice the target in their language and student work.  Students are knowledgeable and are growing by leaps and bounds.

Think about your implementation as compared to this chart.

Curriculum GRR Resource	I can write quality learning intentions and success criteria I can plan instruction using the gradual release of responsibility. I can maximize use of District resources	Students can participate and collaborate in all settings Students can be engaged in the learning.	Learning Target/Success criteria posted. ie co-constructed charts, models, illustrations Student task is aligned to learning target
Assessment Student Work Feedback	I can give written and/or oral feedback based on success criteria	Students will respond to teacher’s comments,	Student work displays will have a clearly posted focus, and teacher comments.

 The difference in making higher achievement a reality is a cohesive plan and meaningful direction.  Your team will navigate the curriculum with laser focus and guide kids to higher achievement.  You will react with purpose.   Your results will consistently rise.  You have the receipt in the form of assessment to prove your impact.  Julie and Bri are available to help navigate when your team needs a boost.  I'd love to learn with you!

All grade level teams are engaging in the same process.   You have the capabilities to achieve a high level of implementation.

Individuals working alone are sometimes better at solving simple problems, but well-functioning groups are always better at addressing challenging tasks, and there are few things as complex as making systems work." Fullan  

Our problems are not simple.  They are serious and complex and must be solved.

You have the power to make this system work.

Our goal is clear.  

Our path is drawn; the measures designed.  

Use the PLC process and link arms with your colleagues.

You will survive and reach the light!
Bloomer, A place where everyone wants to be!

Question for reflection this week:
Please read through the blog individually and then plan to warm up with a reflective discussion on these questions.  One person can write for the team.  No need to respond individually this week.

 How do we know collectively that we are functioning well and working toward a high impact?

What is the next move for our team? 

You Become what you Believe

Please read through this blog and comment after you reflect on the question.

______________________________________________________

Teachers and staff have been working diligently for a full semester with accomplished result.  

What makes this a reality?

ONE WORD

Belief that your students can achieve!

Belief that your efforts can overcome all challenges tht a student may experience.

Belief that a caring and invitational environment shaped by quality relationship make the difference.

Belief that you have the ability to raise achievement

Belief that you through collaboration will move an entire grade level's achievement.

Belief that your students can achieve!

AND

Working Our Plan

FIRST: Consider first how well the learning intention and success criteria are written.

Plan, Post Learning Intentions/Success Criteria

Crystal Clear.

We will learn about tropical and temperate rain forests so that we can compare and contrast them.  We will show this by filling out the compare and contrast graphic organizer.

• I can identify that there are 12 inches in 1 foot.  
• I can pick the most reasonable tool to use.  
• I can explain why it is easier to measure bigger spaces in footworms instead of inchworms.  
• I can explain why there would be more inces when measure an object than footworms

This example is one written by a second grade teacher.  Heather used student friendly language that represents how the learning will be accomplished in one day.  The success criteria breaks the learning into meaningful chunks that allows the teacher to provide students feedback throughout the lesson. 

Second:  Consider how you say what you say. Intentional Explicit Instruction

Dialogic Talk

Powerful example.

Can you show me the strategy that you used to compare the heights of the two penguins?  

I loved what you did.  You used your math symbols to show your work and used precise language to describe your thinking.  In this example the first grade teacher had her success criteria posted under theheading "NAILED IT' which is what students shouted before they went out to work independently. Sarah used the language throughout the lesson and called on students to be teachers.  Yes, they used the same language.  

Third:  

Where

GRR Components

The key to maximizing learning is strategically using the Gradual Release of Responsibility model daily.  In this series of photographs the Kindergarten teacher has assigned students to specific tasks based on the data she's collected.  In the first photo Stacy is working with a group os students who need to learning guided.  She's assessing, prompting and cuing as students work.  She's noting their porgress on her clipboard.  It's worth noting that she's moving between groups after giving the students just enougth scaffold to complete the assignment.

Strategic Work

These are three examples from teachers at Bloomer.  The evidence is mounting and proving that when we put our minds and will toward achieving our mission we are becoming a school where everyone wants to be.

How do I customize and individualize learning for my students?