Elaborating
Learning Intentions
Module 3: Elaborating Learning Intentions- Pages
19-28
Visible. Specific. Student
Friendly.
As adults, we want to know what we will be learning. Whether it is in a professional development course, a staff meeting, or team collaboration, we all want
to know what is expected of us and what we will be addressing or learning. It is important that our scholars know what they will be learning so that they can be more successful in the classroom!
- A daily statement of what a student is expected to learn in a given lesson- is a learning intention.
- Learning intentions can focus on knowledge, skills, or concepts.
- Start with Standard -> Identify Content and Skills -> Identify Learning Progressions -> Breakdown Learning Progression into Lesson-sized Chunks -> Make Chunked Phrases Student Friendly
Module 3 Key Points
Ideas for
making learning intentions visible for students
Task
*Share how you have already used learning intentions in your
classroom. (How do you address them in lessons? How are they displayed in
your classroom? Share an example of your visible displays if you would like.)
+ Share how you will address
learning intentions differently going forward. (Have you learned something new
from this module that will challenge you to focus on learning intentions differently
next year?)
? Share any questions or concerns
you have from this module.
Video
Resources:
Learning intentions should be an important part of every classroom. I always relate this to conferences I attend and thinking how important it is that I understand what I should get out of the conference before I leave. If it wasn't presented to me in the beginning, I would spend a lot of the time drawing my own conclusions... and we don't want scholars to draw their own conclusions about the expected learning intentions. :)
ReplyDeleteLearning intentions should always be written in a kid-friendly way. When I was in the classroom, I had a section of my front board mapped off with electrical tape to show subject sections and each day's learning objective. However, I believe in not only posting the intention but developing it prior to the lesson. We would annotate on the written objective~ circle nouns, underline verbs, write key academic words in a different color, and transfer those key words to our word wall. I made it important for them! Remember, standards are written for teachers and learning intentions are written for kids.
We would also conclude every lesson with a check-in back with the learning intention to ensure we had the intended outcome of the objective.
Andrea
DeleteI too often refer back to the learning intentions/objectives even during the delivery of the actual instruction so that students will remember what we are learning and what they should take away. Additionally, I teach 8th grade and during various lessons I ask students to tell me what the learning intention/objective of the lesson is and what it is they are expected to learn. I feel that this helps them to take ownership of their learning.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteBarbara
DeleteI agree with you it's important to refer back to the learning intentions/objectives during the lesson for clarity. Having an Elementary background, I have always had to find ways to make sure the students understood what they are expected to do/learn before they can actually begin the process. As Andrea and you both mentioned, stating the objective/learning intentions in the beginning will prevent any misunderstandings or misconceptions that may arise. The key is to make sure the students understand what you intend for them to learn. Therefore, I often take a few minutes when I begin a lesson, after I have written the objective on the board, and verbally spoken it, to have the students tell me in their own words what the expectation is. This way I have just accessed whether or not they thoroughly understand the learning intention.
I agree with your statement that your always go back to something you learned at a conference and review it steps. The same needs to be applied to the students learning. It is important that the students know what is expected of them in the lesson. What am I going to learn and how do I apply it? This makes it relevant to them.
DeleteI agree. Learning objectives need to be reviewed and referred back to by the teacher throughout the course of the unit/lesson, but it is also the responsibility of the student to make sure they are learning and are able to perform tasks related to the learning objective.
DeleteCandace Livingston - JRPLA
I agree with you, Mrs. Robinson, because as the scholar is introduce to the learning intention/objective for the standard being taught, the learning intention/objective should be revisited often during the duration of the lesson. The student should be assured of what is expected of them when learning with the use of “student friendly text.”
Deletee.g. I will learn how to create a cartoon character with the use of still photos.
Lisa Weber
PLA@Jones-Clark
* In my classroom I have a section of my whiteboard labeled as the I CAN area. I have a marked off section for each subject and there is a learning intention listed for each area of learning. However, I do feel that I need to focus more on creating these intentions to suit the language of my scholars. I find it difficult to take some of the standards and translate them to make sense for my scholars. We begin each learning area by echo reading the learning intentions so that my scholars are aware of our end goal. We also go back to the learning intention and reread it at the end of the lesson to make sure that we worked towards achieving that intention.
ReplyDelete+ Moving forward I would like to enhance my learning intentions to increase the success rates of my scholars. I really like the examples that include the success criteria section. I know that this will take up a good amount of space on my whiteboard, however I think it will lay out a good plan not only for my scholars but to remind me what is required as well. The standards are there as a guideline to form lessons around, my goal this year is to crack the standards and allow my scholars to achieve them beyond my expectation.
? My question would be- what has worked for other teachers who teacher some of the younger scholars? How do you get them to truly understand the language and create intentions they can relate to?
Brianna Cosgrove
George and Veronica Phalen Leadership Academy
Thanks for posting the reflective and inspirational question, "How do you get them to truly understand the language and create intentions they can relate to?" I reflected back to times scholars were truly excited about their learning intentions... they helped me create the specific success criteria wording... in their language. :)
DeleteBrianna, although I'm at a Middle school now, my background is in Elementary school. One thing that I learned to do with the younger scholars but still applies to the older one's too, is to have them restate the learning intentions and objectives in their own words. I have found that if they can give me the "gist" in their own words it helps them understand. Incorporating the "I can" statement will be an added plus. Use it as a daily focus activity before the lesson actually begins. If you use interactive journals, have them write it down before the lesson starts and after a little time, have share out. That way you make sure all the students participate. If they can write it and say it, they are more likely to understand it. Also, you have to "chunk" it. Start with the end in mind, but teach a little bit at a time. If it's the really young scholars, you can use phrases of the day. The Kindergarten and 1st grade scholars may not be able to write it, but you can rephrase the learning intentions in ways that they can understand and have them practice restating it using "I can" statements.
DeleteHope this helps!
I like that you said, "We also go back to the learning intention and reread it at the end of the lesson to make sure that we worked towards achieving that intention."
DeleteThis is something that I find very important in the success of children mastering the standards. It is so important to revisit after the lesson, to ensure the students (and us as the teacher) remember exactly what it is that we were aiming for, and to determine if we were successful or need to revamp a bit for the next day. :)
Carissa Gangi - Foster Elementary
Hi Brianna! I too, used "I can" statements in my classroom. We would echo read it at the start of each lesson and then I would explain to the students what it meant. I would also allow them to retell the learning objective in their own words, which would help me to know how much they understood what was being asked of them and what the outcome of the lesson was supposed to be. So in a sense, they were helping me put the objective in kid friendly terms.
DeleteHi Brianna. I love that you call this area in your classroom, the "I can area." Super! Taking the language and making it Kindergarten friendly is definitely a daily task. It does get easier over time. Also, we collaborate together. So my words might not be the exact same as my colleague, but the collaboration gives great ideas to keep getting the wording more and more grade level friendly.
Delete---Joanne Mathers, Oak Park Elementary School
DeleteMODULE 3}
ReplyDeleteI must say the "Journeys Focus Wall" posters for each Lesson are brilliant! It points out the learning intentions for Reading that I will teach, for each lesson. My students are so excited to see the new focus wall and what they are about to learn. I did organize each item into a daily task to be completed.
Also, I posted colorful letters on the wall that said,"I am a Reading Detective." When comprehension became one of my learning targets; scholars took pride in reciting it before each lesson. I think it is important to have a related visual item to point out during lesson time. (Especially for grades K -2)
The ordered lessons in Math are so convenient because they cover all the Process Standards for Math. I realize that I have to keep close track of student's learning progressions. I made a colorful chart "I Love Mathematics" with the items the class will learn each day.
Hey Denise,
DeleteI think that the colorful titles are a great idea because it draws the students eyes to that! Also, I think it is a great idea that the students recite the learning targets before every lesson. That allows them to remember what is expected of them in the lesson.
Denise, I agree with you, I used the Journey's Reading Adoption when I taught elementary school, and the Focus Wall is great! It gives you the weekly focus for lessons plans that can be used to identify the learning intentions for each day!
DeleteOnce the Focus is posted, with the learning intentions included for all skills, the students begin to get excited about learning when they are successful and are eager to see what they will learn next.
I think this same concept can be used in secondary schools as well, especially in middle school and in ESL classrooms.
Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Mackcine Jordan, Module #3
DeleteGreetings Denise,
Thank you so much for your post! I am excited to hear your response. "I must say the "Journeys Focus Wall" posters for each Lesson are brilliant!" I feel the same way.
The "Focus Wall" assists me in staying focused at one glance. In addition, my scholars often refer to the poster as well. When someone enters our classroom, it gives them needed information about what we are learning. Like you, I am going to add---colorful letters with a catchy title. Again, thank you!
Mackcine Jordan, PLA@103
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete-I use learning intentions/I can statements in my classroom on a focus board. As some scholars enter the room the quickly verbalize what they see, which helps other scholars to remember what their goal is for the lesson. I will also refer to the learning intention in question form if I see scholars getting side-tracked/distracted. Then a follow-up question is given… what is the first step to our goal? I also have “Helpful Hints” in folders at each of their group tables that have the learning intentions listed with color copies of completed projects done by students… as examples in the folder. My example of the project is on the front board with written instructions… the same as in the folder. (because some individuals have difficulty transferring information on the board & need it in front of them on a table surface.
ReplyDelete-As an art teacher, I will post near the word wall and verbalize broad learning intentions differently/going forward by using the phrase, “An artist or good art student can…” and under the success criteria write clear and specific goals broken down into descriptive I can statement with scholars help.
-My question is what examples do other teachers have for, “Withholding a learning intention until exploration or a discovery is made?” I sometimes wait for scholars to shout-out or verbally share a discovery and relate it back to the learning intention and then help them see how it help them reach the goal/success criteria.
I like your idea of using the learning intentions as I can statements, especially with younger students. It's easier for them to evaluate whether they are capable of mastering the task/lesson objectives.
DeleteI post the learning intentions as my daily objectives. I refer to them when introducing a new skill and when reviewing a skill.They are written in kid-friendly language while still maintaining the rigor and vocabulary required. I often refer to the objective and have students reflect and self-assess their own understandings and whether they feel they have met the expectation of the statement.
ReplyDeleteAs a Reading teacher, going forward I will use them to guide my lesson closure or exit slips. I will refer to the objective prior to giving the exit slip, connect the two, and then explain that the exit slips are being used to see how the students are progressing toward mastery.
I think the kids being aware of the learning intentions gives them more independence to be able to self-reflect and self-assess on their own whether or not they have met the goal, even before the teacher completes an assessment on student knowledge.
DeleteI use the learning intentions as I Can statements for Reading, Math, Science, and Social Studies for each lesson. I type up the I Can statements and they were posted in the front of my room. Before each lesson, I try to always read the I Can statement for the lesson so that they are able to understand what the point of the lesson is.
ReplyDeleteMoving forward, I will use a different language when I am writing my I Can statements. I used a more sophisticated language, and now I will make sure that my I Can statement comes directly from the specific standard and in a language that my students can understand better.
Sometimes, I forget to repeat the I Can statement before my lesson; is there a technique that I can use that will allow me to remember to say the I Can statements before my lessons?
Paige Palmer
PLA103
Hi Ms Palmer!
DeleteIt is awesome that you are focused your scholar's motivation. I think using the learning intentions as "I Can" is a good idea. I have allowed scholars to repeat out loud the targeted learning for the week.
Hello Ms. Palmer,
DeleteI agree it is extremely important to make the statements scholar friendly. In my class we would take breaks and assess on if we actually were working toward the daily intention and if the activity/assignment aligned to that expectation. I too would have scholars read out loud the daily statement. Doing this allows them to take ownership of their learning.
I forgot to include my information :((((
DeleteK.Adams
PLA@Jones-Clark Elementary
* When beginning a lesson, I start off by writing the objective/learning intention on the board so that the students can physically see the objective. Since my background is in Elementary school, where things have to be repeated often and presented in several ways to ensure that all students understand it, I realize that many times the students do not understand what the learning goal actually is when it is just written on the board. Therefore, I have always had to find ways to make sure the students understood what they are expected to do/learn before they can actually begin the process. I use interactive notebooks in my Reading classes on a daily basis, so part of our daily routine is for the students to copy the objective that I have written, and then they are given a few minutes to write it in their own words.
ReplyDeleteThe key is to make sure the students understand what you intend for them to learn. After a few minutes, I will call on different students to share out. If the students can successfully tell the “gist” of the expectation, in their own words, then I have just accessed whether or not they thoroughly understand the learning intention. I also use exit tickets at the end of class to assess mastery of the days lesson.
+ One thing I would do differently would be to include the “I am” statements in the journals. So instead of just having the students to tell what the learning intention is in their own words, I will have them write it out as an “I am learning…” statement. Not only will they be able to understand it, they can physically write it, and verbally state it, which will improve understanding through repetition.
In addition, starting with the end in mind and being specific and intentional by breaking down the learning progressions or “chunking” will help the students understand them. Narrowing down the skills and focusing on one learning progression at a time will help to ensure student successes.
? Share any questions or concerns you have from this module.
I don't really have any concerns or questions at this time.
I agree that writing it down helps the students to put it in their own words and; therefore, own it. Since some of my students have trouble writing things down quickly, I am thinking that maybe even drawing or sketching their objective may be an option as well.
DeleteRosemary Graf
Foster Elementary
Learning intentions, sometimes called objectives, I CAN Statements,I Pledge To Learn Today,Goal, Target,Scheme, and Plan. There are several more synonyms but it is essential that the intention is a visible statement that each scholars sees /reads to theselves and in unison with me. It will be written on the board in RED! I circle all verbs in green, and nouns in blue. I will even hang the intentions from the ceiling! Intentions must be written in a child's lango, it should be short but precise. However, there are times when it may open doors for other relevant learning.
ReplyDeleteLibby Taylor Jones Clark
DeleteHello Libby,
DeleteI like that you would use different colors to make your learning intentions stand out. I am sure this helped draw attention to the learning intention. As you stated by underlining and circling the nouns and verbs this also allowed for learning new vocab and\or reviewing nouns and verbs.
Libby,
DeleteI may borrow this idea in my classroom. I think especially with my kindergarteners it may help them as well as myself when we are learning!!!
Tanya Ellis
TBLA-KDG
I listed my learning intentions in my classroom on a whiteboard. As the students entered the gym we would meet in the circle on the gym floor where I would quickly give the students the days learning intentions. Before the lesson is started, I would ask the students probing questions about the learning intention to activate students thinking. As a PE teacher, it is important vocalize the learning intentions throughout the lesson using different terminology and movements.
ReplyDeleteMr. Gillard,
DeleteI like the idea that you ask the students probing questions since this requires the students to do critical thinking.
Module 3
ReplyDeleteIt is very important that learning intentions are chunks into small manageable chunks for the students to grasp. To make the learning intentions more student friendly, I have had the students to help it’s the phrasing of the statements.
Remind students of the learning intentions at transition points throughout the lesson provides some feedback to the students as to how close they are mastering the expectation,
One year decided that once or twice a week I would ask my third graders three questions about Reading or Math.
What did I learn today?
Why am I learning this?
What is I don’t understand?
The students had to respond in writing and I was able more effective in helping the students. The students became more engaged.
They definitely began to master the learning intentions.
Angela Posey Phalen Academy @103
I love the idea of asking students questions about what they learned, why are they learning it, and what is it that they don't understand. This will definitely help to drive instruction.
DeleteTamekia West, Oak Park Elementary
*I will be using learning intentions displayed in my classroom on the whiteboard. I believe it is important for the students to see as well as review those learning intentions daily so they know the purpose of the material they are learning. It will be important to word the learning intentions in a kindergarten friendly way for me, so it is something my students can understand.
ReplyDelete+Being a new teacher, learning intentions are something I did not know about, but now that I understand them and their importance, I will ensure they are both a part of my lesson planning as well as something I involve my students in.
I agree that it is going to be important to word the intentions in a kindergarten friendly way. This is something that will be a new challenge for me as well. We can help each other out! :)
DeleteCarissa Gangi - Foster Elementary
Sarah,
DeleteIt is great that even if you are a new teacher, that you are also, a lifelong learner, and we always learn something, the learning intention is powerful, and will help your scholars understand what you are trying to teach. Kinder friendly is essential, and don't be afraid to include some academic vocabulary, they will enjoy knowing words as phonic, addition, etc. Have fun!
I agree that writing the intentions in a kindergarten friendly way will be a challenge at first. I'm moving to kindergarten next year and looking for new strategies. One thing I remember from a former mentor is that she told me if you set high standards for scholars they will rise to that challenge. I believe as a teacher if we teach the vocab we want them to know they will learn it. Consistency will be key to our success and scholar success. I look forward to hearing your ideas during the upcoming weeks.
DeleteReading this book so far I see how breaking the standards down into learning progressions and then into learning intentions can be very helpful for the classroom. Making sure the students understand what they are expected to learn this week/day can help them to become more successful. I am not quite sure I always displayed learning intentions, I think sometimes I might have displayed learning progressions. I would sometimes display my information on a large poster board near the front of the class and sometimes I would display this information on my projector screen. In the future I plan to try to make sure I am using learning intentions and also would like to work more on making sure my scholars know what the learning intentions are for that week/day. Sohn'a Duff PLA@103
ReplyDeleteI have found learning intentions to be very useful in my Kindergarten classroom because it keeps me and my students focused on a specific skill and goal. Learning intentions are communicated through "I can" statements at the beginning of the lesson and revisited at the end of the lesson. They are displayed on a classroom bulletin board under reading, writing, math, science, and vocabulary headers.
ReplyDeleteIn the future, I plan to revisit learning intentions throughout the lesson to make sure students are staying focused and understand the purpose of activities/lesson.
Hi Tamekia,
DeleteI also used the I can statements in my kindergarten classroom and had them visible on the white board. I just need to do a better job of revisiting them throughout my lessons, so my students can truly understand what they are learning.
Tiffany Sanchez - Sheehy Elementary
Hi Tamekia,
DeleteI also need to remember to revise the learning goal throughout the lesson. Sometimes it is hard to remember to revisit the goal however it definitely does help remind students of all ages of what the ultimate goal is for doing the lesson. I believe this helps students remain focused.
Hello Tamekia,
DeleteI agree that revisiting and revising are where I may to get better at, I think if I am more conscience about them then my students will be more invested in their own learning.
Tanya Ellis
TBLA-KDG
Share how you have already used learning intentions in your classroom. (How do you address them in lessons? How are they displayed in your classroom? Share an example of your visible displays if you would like.)
ReplyDelete- This is my first year back in the classroom, but I plan to post my learning intentions in a daily document that my scholars can read before the lesson starts. I will probably project the objectives on the wall for my scholars to read aloud with me. Addressing these intentions in my lesson will be up to my scholars. As I am giving instruction, I will use my intentions frequently and check to see if my scholars are aware of what we have already discussed. I think it would be fun to make it a game of sorts. "When you hear one of the intentions, do _______" (fill in the blank; a jumping jack, high-five your neighbor, etc.)
+ Share how you will address learning intentions differently going forward. (Have you learned something new from this module that will challenge you to focus on learning intentions differently next year?)
- To be honest, in my first year of teaching, I was just trying to keep my head above water. So, that resulted in me simply explaining the intentions and objectives to my students. I know that moving forward, I need to make it more about making sure they understand the intentions. I don't think it is wrong to read the standard to the scholars and then take suggestions on what they want to learn. If those suggestions fall within the intentions/objectives of the standard then we will add them to the list. Making the lessons engaging and giving the scholars ownership is vital for the process of learning.
Share any questions or concerns you have from this module.
- My only concern with this idea of intentions is the amount of time it might take to come up with the intentions for each individual lesson. It's probably easier than I think it will be, but from the outside looking in, it seems like a lot. I know it will be something that I will be able to streamline and expedite as time goes on.
Zach Brubaker - 5th Grade - George and Veronica Phalen Academy
Just like it was stated in this week's module, it is important that students understand what they are learning and why they are being asked to do a particular assignment or task. My learning intentions were always on the white board visible to students, in the form of I can...so I can statements. I always made sure to use language that was developmentally appropriate for my kindergarten students.
ReplyDeleteOne area where I will be working on improving this year will be to be more consistent with telling my students why they are learning what they are learning. Since it was my first year as a teacher, I probably didn't verbalize it to them as much as I should have...even though the learning intentions were always posted.
My biggest question is this. Is it ok to change learning intentions on a weekly basis? I find that daily intentions might not work in a kindergarten classroom, where some units of study may take several weeks and students are learning key foundational skills as well. Or maybe it will be something that comes easier with more experience in the classroom?
Tiffany Sanchez
Kindergarten
Sheehy Elementary
Allen Hill JR Phalen Leadership Academy
ReplyDeleteAs I look at my lessons on Academic Success groups I found my self looking at my lessons to determine if I had indeed made it clear to the group what learning expectations were. As I reviewed my lesson I found that I needed to make the learning statement clearer and attached how they could uses this knowledge in their learning experiences. After making this adjustment I believe the lessons will be more relevant to the student thus their retention of the knowledge should increase.
Carissa Gangi - Foster Elementary
ReplyDeleteI have used learning intentions in my classroom in the same way you see in the pictures above. In my previous school district, we were required to have a large portion of our white boards display the "learning intentions," which we just called the daily learning targets. We had to have one up for each subject, in student-friendly terms and must introduce it before the lesson, discuss it throughout, and have the students evaluate how they think they are progressing in a system sort of similar to what we learned last week - they basically would choose which "progression" they felt they were at, and this would help to form groups based on ability. Of course, we would coach them on how to do this at the beginning of the year, and review as needed. This coming school year, I will focus more on making sure the students understand exactly why we are doing each lesson. The reminder that us, as teachers, want to know why we're going to a meeting, or a training, etc, made it clear to me that this is 100% necessary in the classroom as well.
Carissa Gangi - Foster Elementary
I know how important it is scholars know what they are learning but I also think it is just as important that they can self assess when they actually feel they have mastered that daily intention. I taught seventh grade math and the expectation was have an understanding what they will be expected to be able to do by the end of the class and to always self asses. Everyday students wrote in their journals
ReplyDeleteAs a Mathematician I will be........... I know I got it when I can...... with no less than an 85% error. If it was a two day lesson they would write: Today I will complete my goal from yesterday of......... We always went back to the daily intention (daily learning target is what we actually called it) to see if what we were actually doing aligned with the expectation. At the end of each class we had some kind of exit ticket which was not always a computation problem. I love error analysis and would use this as a conversation piece at the end of the class (show a problem that is incorrect and have scholars collaborate where the error occurred, and offer suggestions on how to fix it. I also would have scholars write a summary of what they learned that day and how they could use it outside of the walls of the school. I was always told If they can write about it they knew it, if they could have engaged dialogue with peers they knew if if they could teach it to someone else in their group they know it.
In the future I plan to have scholars reflect on various intentions within a unit and see how they tie into each or build on other intentions/expectations.
As the module stated "learning intentions do not have to be introduced at the beginning of a lesson" My question is how does this affect elementary age scholars?
K.Adams
PLA@Jones-Clark Elementary
• What I call the learning intentions are “I can” statements. I also have a Skills chart which states what the general learning objective is. These are both displayed at the front of my room, for my students and I to refer to on an ongoing basis, during the lesson.
ReplyDelete• How will I address learning intentions differently? What I do now is state what the final outcome that the students will achieve. I feel that this is the same as stating what the students are learning. I probably will not be addressing it differently. The students understand what they will be achieving, and they actually refer to the “I can” statements during the lesson.
Rosemary Graf
Foster Elementary
We've been referring to learning intentions as learning targets (a more student friendly term derived from the ELA department of Hillsborough County). So, during this post, you'll see me refer to the learning intentions as learning targets, which is essentially what they are-targets.
ReplyDeleteOur learning targets are posted on the whiteboard at the front of the classroom for all to see. There are 3 parts to the learning intentions: the what, the why, and the how. What am I learning? Why am I learning this? How will I know if I'm successful?
- The "what" is basically the verb (also referred to as the skill) [[Today I will...]]
- The "why" is the noun, or the core content being covered. [[So that I can...]]
- The "How" would be directly linked with the success criteria. [[I'm successful when...]]
Example: Today I will annotate key details, so that I can discuss how they support the main idea. I'm successful if I have 2-5 sentences underlined and can explain my choices.
Students were ale to read it, think about what was required for them to be successful, and then regurgitate it in their own words. We referred to the learning targets throughout the lesson to help keep the learning focused.
For the upcoming school year, the learning intentions will be more concise. Also, I hope to verbally explain the learning intentions to students then have them discuss among their groups, in their own language, what it is we should have learned to do (in the middle of, and at the end of a given lesson).
I think student learning not only depends on their understanding of the learning that's about to take place, but can benefit from continuously referring back to the intentions/targets so that they (and the teacher) can keep track of their own progress towards success.
Having witnessed T William's classroom I can attest to the clarity of her sharing learning intentions. Not only do these intentions, which she shares as learning targets, remain visible, they remain viable as they are put to use daily.
DeleteIn my own classroom I struggled to emulate this clarity. As a first year public school teacher in the Hillsborough District with a lack of knowledge I found writing targets cumbersome. Writing new targets daily in each area, science, math, reading, and writing sometimes seemed like a word game. It seemed like a board game too as I would rush to get words on the front board for all to see.
Now through this focused learning and refining the value is clearer and the drive stronger to create proper tasks and intentions.
In the upcoming year I look forward to being more exacting. I look to being caring, too, as I carefully craft intentions that are student friendly.
In ensuring that students understand what the intention says, what it means, and what it expects, students should be able to connect to the why of it all.
Marsha Leibson
Foster Elementary
*Share how you have already used learning intentions in your classroom. (How do you address them in lessons? How are they displayed in your classroom? Share an example of your visible displays if you would like.)
ReplyDeleteMy first and second years as a teacher I was tasked with being the English development teacher for first grade. In Arizona where I have taught the past two years, teachers are required to put up standard based language objectives for writing, reading, oral language development, vocabulary, and grammar; along with all other content areas. Therefore, I am very used to writing objectives! I was always told by my principal and curriculum support specialist to start each objective with Students Will Be Able TO (SWBAT) and when it is posted on the board it would say I will be able to.
My lesson plans is where I wrote out the daily objectives. I would start with the standard for each subject, then write the progression of daily objectives on how the standard would broken down daily. I was required to have my lessons plans available in a binder visible when you walk in the door, and all lessons had to contain English language proficiency standards along with corresponding objectives to match the lesson. It was also a requirement that the objectives would be posted on the board. Therefore, every morning I would write out all my objectives on the board for the students to be able to see.
With my students I would usually address the learning intention as a learning goal. Especially in the beginning of the year, I would explain to them that when you are doing anything it is always important to have an end goal in mind. I would also explain that when we start a lesson, it is important for my students to be aware of what we are learning so that they are best able to understand what is expected of them. After a few months of practice, the act of discussing the learning goal for each lesson became second nature.
Something that I was asked to do was to put a measurable percentage in the objective for example, I will be able to find the character 80% of the time. For my first graders, this was not always super valuable. Has anyone ever done anything like this before with primary? If so, how did you make it meaningful for the students?
+ Share how you will address learning intentions differently going forward. (Have you learned something new from this module that will challenge you to focus on learning intentions differently next year?)
After reading this module, I feel comfortable with the task of addressing learning intentions. I feel as though the way I was taught to write learning intentions was very similar to how this module presents the task. The only difference is the verbiage I was taught to use is different than that presented in this module. However, I believe that using the stem of I am learning…. is a non intimidating way to introduce the intention to the students.
I like how this module addressed how some teachers feel that learning intentions strip students of the discovery period. I appreciate how they addressed that learning intentions do not have to be stated right at the beginning and that they also do not have to give everything away.
Share any questions or concerns from this module
I was always taught that the daily intentions that are posted for the students to see should be a sort of an end goal. However from this module I am reading that they start with I am learning how to….. I like this a lot better! I feel that this makes the objective more approachable for the student instead of worrying about what they have to be able to do by the end of the lesson. I am excited to use this verbiage next year.
Hayley Long
Jones-Clark
1st grade
Hi Hayley! Looking forward to meeting you. I'll be at Jones-Clark in 2nd grade!
DeleteHello! We will be teaching together this coming school year! I am entering my second year and am excited to collaborate with you :)
DeleteLooking forward to meeting and working with you both!
DeleteThis module was extremely informative! I have used learning learning intentions as "I can" statements. After reading the statement, we would discuss just what was expected of them. The statement was revisited several times during the lesson. Students also had accountability sheets at the beginning of the unit, in which they would keep track of which part of the standard they felt they mastered. I look forward to continue learning how to use the learning intentions in a more effective way in my classroom. The examples that were given in module 3 were useful.
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of the student accountability sheets! I think it could be used as a way for self evaluation. An ongoing checklist of sorts. They could write in the learning intention and rate how well they feel like the accomplished this intention by the end of the day or week. Thanks for the idea!
DeleteThe way I incorporate the learning intention, is first I include it in my LP, then in the morning I have it visible and in the same spot every day, I refer to it as "I can", the learning intention is repeated during the lesson by students when I have taught lower grades, and in upper grades I have had a student read, after I have modeled what I am expecting. The "I can" is referred throughout the lesson and specifically beginning and end. I also support these with a Focus wall for each subject. I have an "I can" for each subject taught.
ReplyDeleteI use the "I can" regularly as part of my lessons, the only part I might change if my principal is OK with, is I do like the title of learning intention, I feel students would feel more comfortable than I can, as I can assumes they can do it, and learning intention goes with more the idea I have yet to master, but I will learn the material.
School PLA 103, Indianapolis
I include learning intentions in my classroom by making sure that I have them included in my lesson plans. I also have my "I can" statements written out and visible for the students to see each day. During my lessons, I introduce what we would be talking about and then I refer to the "I can" statements with my students having them read the statements with me before we start the lesson.
ReplyDeleteHow I will address learning intentions going forward is that I need to make sure I revisit these learning intentions throughout my lesson and making sure my students know what the learning intentions are for that lesson. This is something that I know I need to focus on more.
Jennifer Edwards
Thea Bowman Leadership Academy Elementary
Module #3: Elaborating Learning Intentions
ReplyDeleteOur learning intentions are typed and posted on the White-Board as you enter the classroom. They are easily visible for everyone. I start with “I can/we can.” Throughout the school-day, we always refer back to our statements. Also, I use” Learning Journals” for our studies. As a group, we write the statements of learning in our journals, add color, discuss as a whole-group, and with a learning buddy. Going forward, I will decompose standards proficiently, use “WALT” instead of “I Can,” and reach out to my grade-level colleague for support
I love your thing of Learning Journals that they add color to and you discuss it as whole group. Do you do that daily or at the beginning of the week? I would love to incorporate that into my teaching this coming school year. :)
DeleteI like the idea of the Learning Journals, color coding them and discussing. Do you do this daily? How long does it take to do this? What grade level do you do this with? I feel like this would take forever in 3rd grade. They still write very slowly so I think it would take up a good check of instruction time. I'm wondering if there is a faster and simpler way to do this at the elementary level.
DeleteI will admit I didn't keep up with the learning intentions my first year as well as I could have. However, I did follow them I just didn't do well with actually posting them for the kids to see and understand. When I did do it I ensured that it was worded in a way that the kids could read it themselves and understand what the objective was for that day or week. I post them up on the bulletin board to the side of the room where the class can see them. I had them up next to our calendar wall so when we did calendar in the morning I would address the learning intentions for the week (When I remembered to change them).
ReplyDeleteThe way I will address learning intentions going forward is to make sure if they need to be changed daily then I have then changed so that my students are always updated as the learning progresses during the week. I learned to word the learning intentions better from this module than I normally do and it will help me moving forward.
Briana Porter
PLA@Jones-Clark
I address the learning intentions in the objective that is written in the front of the classroom. The objective starts with "I will be able to...." For this upcoming school year, I will address learning intentions differently by making sure all students know what they are going to learn, where its headed, and why. My question is... should the students be involved in the creation of the learning intentions/objective?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI have a section of the whiteboard that is used to list the "I Can..." statements for the day based on the standards. I always discuss with students what we will be learning for that subject each day but I don't have them actually read the "I can..." statements because sometimes I don't think they are written as clearly as they could be or in student friendly terms. I usually try to interpret them and use an example of how students will use their knowledge in life so that they have a better understanding of what and why they need to learn it.
ReplyDeleteWhat I need to do better with this upcoming year is writing the learning intentions in a way that students will understand without my assistance and making sure I refer back to them often to remind students of what their focus should be.
Thoughts and a question:
Most of us write "I can..." statements on our boards. After reading this section and looking at the examples I questioned whether or not those "I can..." statements are actually learning intentions. The learning intentions seem to state the content knowledge (nouns) students need to learn but I feel like the "I can..." statements focus more on what students need to do (verbs). I feel like I've been skipping a step in this process for all these years and now it is much more clear to me. That got me thinking about the kids and their understanding of things so, should we be putting learning intentions and "I can..." statements up for students to see so that they also have a better understanding of what (nouns) they will learn and how (verbs) they will go about learning it?
Teaching kindergarten especially at the beginning of the year, I have pictures to show the intentions. I refer back to the objective frequently but find that pictures helps. I also have an area on a white board I have taped off so that students know where to look everyday.
ReplyDeleteThe Learning Intensions are so critical for this age - I also believe in having pictures for the K-2 scholars. It helps them to see what they need to learn, and it helps them understand what we are trying to teach in mini chucks, or mini lessons. They soak it up like a sponge. At this age, I see a variety of skill - and I also see who is independent along with the super quit ones. To see them blossom and grow is amazing throughout the school year as they gain confidence.
DeleteK-2 are the students that you can go, and go super fast with but then at the same time slam on the breaks and ask them if the are understanding why they are doing what they are learning.
It is a super fun age to see them develop there motor skills and the why they are learning them.
It is a everyday process, but it is super fun and upbeat!!
I have my I can statements posted on the board everyday. At the start of a lesson I have my scholars repeat the statement. We discuss what we will be doing, why we are doing it and how they will accomplish this goal. I have my scholars talk to each other about the learning goal. This has been very successful this school year.
ReplyDeleteThis year I will be moving back to kindergarten and I know that I will have to come up with different ways to have the intentions posted in order for my scholars to feel connected with them. I'm looking for suggestions from other teachers on how to do this with kindergarten. All strategies are a huge help. Thank you in advance
I agree with you - We also "repeat the statement" in every class. After they finish their - "Do Now" I have my scholars repeat the statement. We discuss what we will be doing, why we are doing it and how they will accomplish this goal.
DeleteThat is a great point!!
We do that everyday and I feel that discussing it helps tremendously through each lesson and each Unit.
That was a great Point!
:)
I like the idea of having your scholars discuss the goal. I see this sparking a lot of conversation that is driven directly by the scholars. I will definitely be implementing this into my room this year!
DeleteBrianna Cosgrove
George and Veronica Phalen Leadership Academy
Hi Charlene,
ReplyDeleteI teach first grade and I think starting the lesson with an I can statement is age appropriate fr kindergarten as well. Definitely using vocabulary that has already been front loaded to them. I taught primarily ESL students and in order to improve their understanding of vocabulary I used a lot of pictures. Maybe you could draw little pictures above words that may be hard for the kindred to comprehend. I think your strategy of having the students collaborate and talk about the learning goal is very important. I like to start lessons with students making predictions about what we will learn or how learning this will make them smarter, then at the end I like to have them collaborate with a different partner to see if their prediction was correct.
Marty Castellon - Trix Academy P.E & Health Instructor K-8
ReplyDelete(I have used the "Learning intentions" - in my classroom for the last 7 years).
The Learning Intensions or the -
I can statements in my classroom are on a big Board.
When all the scholars enter the room and do their laps - They are able to go up to the Board - read and see what the Daily Agenda is and the Learning Target and or Goal is for the day. It reads - I can ............,
this helps with the entire class being on the same page to digest the goal for the day and ask questions before we get started. It also helps the scholars discuss it before class.
I always follow up at the end of the class in mini-groups - with a question.
How does this activity or "I can statement" help you in the real world Today? How does this help you in the future? What would you do differently?
How or what would you do first to get to your our goal?
We try to have meaningful discussions to have a rhyme and reason why we do what we do.
As a Gym teacher, I want them to have fun and learn at the same time. I have NEVER been a "throw out the ball instructor"! I believe it is critical that whatever we are trying to learn for the week or in the Unit - that they are constantly learning, reading, and gaining confidence in their own skill level.
For me that works - and while doing so - It will and has been a successful school year that I am proud of. Especially when I see my students reading, focussing, learning, having a strategy, and working together.
2 Thumbs for that. :)
I use I can statements and write standards in kid friendly language. It is important for students to truly understand the academic language of a standard so they know what the expectations are from the beginning. I also give students a purpose for reading or writing that are aligned with the standards we are working on. I also use CFUs and learning logs for students to reflect on their learning, so they can identify their own strengths and weaknesses throughout the unit.
ReplyDeleteI love that you mentioned writing the standards in kid friendly language. For many students, especially ELLs and ESE students, writing it in less advanced language can really help them fully understand what they are learning and why they are learning it!
DeleteLast year, I used essential questions in my classroom so that the students would know what they were learning. I plan to utilize my learning intentions more in my classroom next year as I switch to I can statements. I would like to have all students read the I can statement aloud before the lesson so that it is clear what they will be learning. I think it is important that it is clear why students are learning something so that they are more engaged.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea to have the students read the I can statements.
DeleteAmanda, The ah ha moment I had reading your post was having the students verbally repeat/state what they will be learning and what they should be able to do. I'm going to try that as well as come up with some kind of movements for "I Can" statements. :)
ReplyDeleteI always found it frustrating that we were expected to write out the goals and objectives for kindergarten students( most do not start reading till March/April) However, after reading other posts, someone suggested using pictures that help show the objectives/goals. This makes much more sense to me and feels more purposeful.
ReplyDeleteI always stated aloud what we were going to be doing then spent time showing them how to engage in the activity. I also would spend time talking about things we have already learned or experienced and try to help them make a connection.
I like how simple yet detailed the More Effective Learning Intentions are. It provides important vocabulary as well as a specific reason and goal. And by having them say, "I am learning" it puts ownership and purpose in their learning.
Katherine Lee Valenti - Foster Elementary
ReplyDeleteIn my classroom, my learning intentions are posted on the board each day in a simpler language for the student. (Today I will...So that I can... I am successful when...). However, I do not feel the students from last year really connected to the learning intentions - this was partly my fault. Next year, I again to have them posted, but hope to implement a morning meeting in which we set time aside to go over the learning intentions and focus on what they are being asked to learn. I also plan to refer to the learning intentions again at the end of the lesson as we are doing a wrap up or exit ticket - even asking the students...(Have we accomplished our learning intentions? Do we need more time? Do we have it or not? This would be a way to come back and check myself and give the students a time to self evaluate and reflect on their part in accomplishing the learning intention.
Having the students reflect on the learning intentions at the end of the lesson is a good way to close out a lesson. It not only provides a quick check of learning for you as the teacher, it allows the children to think explicitly about their learning. It also aligns well with the teacher evaluation rubric of exemplary teaching.
DeleteModule 3: Elaborating Learning Intentions
ReplyDeleteWhat is the scholar learning? What are they suppose to know?
Learning Intentions helps the scholar understands what they are learning. The Learning Intentions should be referred to often during the duration of the lesson being presented in the classroom. When a student knows what they are suppose to learn, they are more likely to learn it.
As teachers use time wisely in the classroom, according to the “Teacher Clarity Research”, this can do the following:
- Help the Teacher know what they will deliver in the classroom for the scholars to learn...
- Help the Teacher make the use of instructional minutes(time) because of the scarcity of it in the classroom, time-management is valuable for the best outcome for the scholars...
Lisa Weber
PLA@Jones-Clark
Module 3: Elaborating Learning Intentions
ReplyDeleteIn my classroom this last school year, I had our "I can" statements where we broke down the standards, I would try to remember to refer to them at the beginning and at the end of lesson. But where I probably failed was they were not student friendly enough for my kindergarteners and now I am trying to think of ways to make them more friendly to non readers. I am thinking that at the beginning of the year I will add pictures until they become more fluent in words.
I was surprised to read that students will be three times more likely to learn when they know the learning intentions.
I look forward to making learning intentions more clear and specific for the students will take a bigger stake in their own learning.
I am still struggling in prioritizing the learning intentions and look forward to working with my team on how to prioritize for a more concise and focused learning.
Tanya Ellis
TBLA-KDG teacher
I used modified "I can" statements---
ReplyDelete*I can...
*So that I will be able to...
*I'll know I have it when...
---in my classroom last year to share learning intentions (I called them learning targets) with my students. The statements were helpful when planning and implementing lessons. It helped keep our learning on target. I teach gifted students and I intentionally used higher level vocabulary words in my learning intentions. Upon reflection, I still want to have high expectations for my students' vocabulary usage, but I will be more mindful of ensuring that students completely understand the learning intentions, without the barriers of misunderstood vocabulary. Additionally, this module has made me reflect on the learning intentions I select for my lesson. The structure of my learning targets only lent itself to sharing one or two intentions with the students each lesson. While there were many intentions embedded within the lesson, students were only explicitly aware of the 1 or 2 intentions. I will spend some time this summer reflecting on how I can make ALL of the learning intentions more visible to my students.
Sharron Cruz
Sheehy Elementary
I use learning intentions in the form of "I can". I typically put them on the board and read them before each lesson. Scholars usually notice anytime anything in the room has changed, so even just writing a new I can statement each day is interesting to them.
ReplyDeleteWhat I learned in this module and through reading others comments is that I need to make them more accessible to my scholars as well as incorporate them into my lesson.Rather than just reading them off and letting the students know what they are supposed to learn by the end of the lesson, I can relate back to them throughout each lesson, so students can come to rely on them and use intentions for all things in life.
Maybe possibly giving students a scenario and letting them create an intention could be a cool lesson to get them engaged and understand their purpose more.
*Last year I tried implementing “I can statement” sheets. Students were supposed to check off skills or content they mastered as we went through units, but this didn’t go as well as I had hoped. For one, they were not very good at keeping up with their papers and sometimes they were not very good at assessing their own progress. I did not make learning intentions visible, and that may have also been a reason why things did not go so great.
ReplyDelete+I really love the idea of learning intentions and moving forward I think I will keep my original “I can sheets” for students, but I will implement a visualization board as well. There will be a spaced on the whiteboard dedicated to the learning intentions for the lesson(s) we are working on so that even if students misplace their sheets their will be a space in the classroom that will remind them of what they should be mastering.
?The one thing I am concerned about is communicating learning intentions to students. The book addresses these concerns and teacher fears that offering students learning intentions may negatively impact a period of inquiry, and as a history teacher I definitely feel that I have to be careful in the way that I deliver intentions.
I am an ESE teacher that provides support facilitation. I address the learning intentions by writing them on a dry erase board for my students. Moving forward I would like to have the students glue the learning intentions (that I would type up) in their notebook so they can refer to it later. Often I have IEP chats about their goals and what they feel they need to work on more or are doing well with. By having the learning intentions glued into their notebooks will provide them with more language to talk about their learning.
ReplyDeleteHeather Griffin @ Sheehy
Module 3:
ReplyDelete1. In my lesson plans, I write out the standard.
To display my learning objectives (for a given lesson) for myself and my students, I have a laminated hanging "board," for lack of a better word, it looks like pages laminated and taped together, but was actually ordered/purchased for us a few school years ago. Each section is about the size of an 8 * 10 piece of paper. As many others did, I chose to laminate mine to keep it learning objective to learning objective, and year to year. I now have to use a magic eraser, to erase and rewrite the learning objective with a dry erase marker. ;) I label each section with a permanent marker:
one Reading, one Writing, one Math, one Science, and the last Social Studies. I write the learning objective for each particular lesson in (my best) Kindergarten friendly language. This way my students can understand what they will be learning and why.
From the chapter/What I might do next year reflection: I love calling my daily lesson objectives, learning intentions. I love this wording. I also liked how the text used the wording, "I am learning how ..." This year I switched between Students will be able to...and I can...
Comment/Question: It was a good reminder to me that the daily statement of learning for each subject does not have to be shown to the students before the lesson. Teachers can ask the students what they learned and why, and use this as a discussion to see if the standards are being met; if students are understanding what they are learning, and the why of the learning. Also: "When students know what they are supposed to learn, they are three times more likely to learn it." Powerful quote!
---Joanne Mathers, Oak Park Elementary School