Crafting
Success Criteria
Module 4: Crafting Success
Criteria- Pages 29-40
Importance
of success criteria
· Success criteria provide a
means for students and the teacher to gauge
progress toward learning
· Success criteria make learning
visible to the teacher and the student
· Success criteria lets students
know what the destination looks like
· Success criteria provide a map for how students
will get to their destination
will get to their destination
· Success criteria empower learners to assess their own progress
What
might success criteria look like?
Success
Criteria Ideas & Resources
Checkout These Resources for Success Criteria:
Task
Reflection Time! Choose
two of the following reflections from this module and share your connections or thoughts!
~How do you define success and the appropriate level of learning for students?
~How will we respond if students meet the success criteria in advance of our teaching?
~Success criteria empower learners to assess their own progress and not to be solely dependent on an outside agent (their teacher) to notice when they have arrived.
~Success criteria have been shown to increase students internal motivation.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete~In my classroom, success criteria (checklist, rubric, student & teacher project examples) empowers our blooming artists to assess their own progress and not to be solely dependent on me to notice when they have arrived. If scholars asks, "Am I done?", usually another scholar or I will ask the questioning scholar a series of questions using the rubric, checklist, or use the student & teacher project examples. Also, when I have a discussion with a guardian (very seldom) I usually will ask them to ask their child the questions on the checklist, rubric, or ask them to ask their child to describe what the example looked like and how the steps were broken down.
ReplyDelete~In my classroom success criteria does increase students’ internal motivation, because they are inspired by others who verbally use the checklist and because it is a simple guide to what they need to do to be successful. Internal motivation is much more effective instead of a teacher constantly reminding scholars what and how to do something. Listening, watching, & guiding scholars to use the success criteria will help prepare them for other tasks in life too. Some of my scholars have finished projects early and used the same checklist method to reach their goals to create their own projects or give me suggestions for a whole group project!
I 100% agree with INTERNAL motivation!
DeleteHow do you define success and the appropriate level of learning for students?
ReplyDeleteWhen I think about the word “success” I often think about how well a student knows a certain standard. I think my first reaction to this question/discussion and how well as a teacher do I know what I’m teaching. This caused to me reflect and really think about my lesson planning stages and how I can better my planning to be more successful as a teacher. I think about success and mastery together. When a student has mastered a standard they are successful. Personally I think of mastery beyond pencil and paper, can a student explain their thinking and take me step by step of the process of how they reached that realization, and how it’s going to benefit them or a real life comparison.
~Success criteria empower learners to assess their own progress and not to be solely dependent on an outside agent (their teacher) to notice when they have arrived.
Students who can assess their own progress and know when they have mastered the task coincides with students being about to explain their reasoning’s. Personally as a teacher I like to use students who have already explained their reasoning to me to help other students in small groups or as partners. Students who can independently explain the solution or their findings to another classmate reassures the student, helps the student who is suffering to learn from a classmate in a different way than maybe the teacher could reach and builds relations.
Alexa Stewart
pla 103
Hello Ms Stewart!
DeleteOh I agree with you so much on the issue of scholars interacting during a lesson. I think they are way more comfortable opening up to a classmate about what they know and don't know. It is such a blessing to have a talented student with confidence who met the success criteria and loves to help.
Denise PLA103
I love that you mentioned that students "can independently explain the solution or their findings" The students know that they have arrived at a learning goal and they are able to provide evidence to the teacher knowledge they have gained. As a result, other students are able to learn from them as well and continue to build on their learning/progress.
DeleteTamekia West, Oak Park Elementary
Hello,
DeleteI love that you mention success is when a scholar is able to explain what they have learned. In the past so much has been focused on memorizing and reciting information that scholars forget it a week later. When a scholar is able to explain and put their learning into real life situations you know that they have mastered or achieved that concept. Now that we focus on depth of knowledge questions and higher order thinking our scholars are truly working toward mastery and understanding of concepts.
In my music classes I have seen that just posting success criteria has been a source of not only motivation but a guide for the student to see where they are in relation to one another and the eventual end goal I expect. My students are given a rubric of what is expected when they perform for me on tests. That same rubric is posted and reiterated throughout the year. Also, I post a playoff chart where students must complete successful performance of a piece for me and that selection is marked off. Students always know where they stand and are able to be self motivated to complete the desired tasks. Students are able take ownership of their own learning and are left without excuse. It also causes students to practice more of the concepts taught and applying them to the pieces required because they know what is expected and know that nothing less is acceptable.
ReplyDeleteDavid
DeleteI think posting the success is a great idea. Just like with vision boards, in keeping with the purpose, having something posted creates the visual road map. So often we have this in our heads, but presenting it for them to see is a fantastic idea.
In my class, I have used I can statements, graphic organizers, and checkpoint tickets (during the lesson and at the end of the lesson) for students to monitor their learning. Success and the appropriate level of learning for students are defined by students being able to explain the concept verbally (turn and talks and the teacher uses a check sheet to document progress) or in writing through graphic organizers and learning tickets. Students know that they have gotten the concept when they can refer back to the "I can statement" and explain what they can do. With my students, there has to be lots of modeling so students can be successful by modeling a different way to accomplish the task as well.
ReplyDeleteIf students meet the success criteria in advance of my teaching students are asked to explain to the class their way of their thinking and what they have learned. They essentially become a co-teacher. Students will have time to be creative to display what they have learned through drawings, dioramas, create a song or dance, or try to get more in depth on the topic.
By allowing students different pathways and OPTIONS to show learning, students will be internally motivated to reach learning goals. We learn in different ways and should be allowed to focus on our way of learning whether its verbally or in writing. Throughout my lessons, students are given an opportunity to discuss, write, or model what they have learned. They are given different methods and opportunities to show mastery.
Tamekia West, Oak Park Elementary
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI love hearing that students that have met the success criteria prior to your teaching are being challenged! Allowing them to "Co-teach" gives them a sense of pride and ownership which deepens their love of learning and drives their motivation. Giving your students creative ways to to display their learning and challenging them to take their learning to a deeper level is making a great impact on their learning journey and setting them up for success!
DeleteHi Tamekia,
DeleteI also would use similar checks for understanding with my students. I would try to incorporate partner talk, hand movements, and exit tickets. I loved using the exit tickets because it allowed me to review where each student was at with their learning. This helped me decide who was ready to move on and who still had not grasped the content.
I also appreciate the fact that you mentioned the importance of giving student multiple modalities to show understanding.
I agree that it is imperative for students to be able to explain their thinking, when they cannot, it is possible they have not mastered the concepts. There are things students can do out of mere routine, but it does not mean they have an understanding as to why the task has been created.
DeleteWe have to speak their language and offer many opportunities for practice. This builds their ability to not only understand the task, but more importantly to understand the purpose. Lessons must present the way for students to gauge their success so that they know what adjustments should be made.
This lesson really helped me better plan the design with a clear communication of what success will look like so the students have a thorough road map that includes the final destination.
Libby Taylor PLA@Jones-Clark
ReplyDeleteScholars meet success criterias in many ways, For some of my scholars using Graphic organizers is a great way to manipulate higer achieving learning. I found an app called MINDOMO, this allows some scholars to build and present their findings to me or the class. Then I have some that can tell me verbally of how they understood the lesson. I also have several that can visually draw me a picture of their learning success. I will also challenge them to find a teacher and explain their learning process. Since I teach Dyslexic kids theres just not one quick fix to get the end results. This year I will include using STEM as a learning tool to enhance those that have a desire to manipulate their senses. In everything we do we must write a short sentence about our learning success in our journals.
I agree, what works for one students doesn't work for all students. It is wonderful that students in your classroom have many avenues to meet the criteria and to display their learning.
DeleteI love the idea of using technology as a way to display learning. Thank you for sharing the Mindomo app. I will check it out!
DeleteTamekia West, Oak Park Elementary
Hi Libby,
DeleteThank you for sharing that resource! I have it bookmarked to possibly use with my kids next year. That is a great idea in order to meet the needs of all learners. Do you usually allow the scholars to choose their own method to present their findings based on their learning preference? I would like to incorporate that into my teaching next year.
I love that you have so many options for your scholars. Your post made me sit back and think about how different each scholar is and how we need to give them many avenues to show their understanding/mastery of concepts. Thank you.
DeleteCharlene Long-Trix
Hi Hayley,
DeleteI allow them to tell me their learning preference. It allows them to experience that there are many ways to complete the gist and get the product. It can be hectic but it eases the competition to a certain point.
I have found that my students complete their best work when there was internal motivation. My students felt most successful when they were able to "show off" their skills in front of their peers. I loved that through all the chaos of 4th graders minds that when we sat down to do math skills on the board that almost every hand shot up and even some scholars were upset when they were unable to participate. So if a scholar meets the criteria ahead of time, I use them to show off their skills with a struggling scholar. This is a win-win-win situation. The successful scholar is able to practice and explain even further, the struggling scholar is able to get some one-on-one help, and I am free to help another scholar. I know being a shy student when I was younger, sometimes I was intimidated by the teacher and getting help from him/her, so when a student could help me I felt more comfortable to explain my problem and let them know if I wasn't following along, and get the help I needed.
ReplyDeleteI think giving students the empowerment of using a checklist on their own and being able to identify when they have reached success is a super important skill, because they won't always have someone to tell them what they have achieved, and for a lot of our scholars, they hold a great deal of responsibility at home, so being able to carry the skill of internal motivation and seeing their own success will be used daily and can help them not just inside the classroom.
Great way to keep students engaged and challenged when they have met the success criteria! That is good use of their instruction time mentoring other students while still practicing the skill in a deeper and meaningful way!
DeleteI agree with you on the power of "Showing Off". My students love to "Be the teacher". I've also noticed how more students participate when a healthy competition is going on. This year I started a new cheer with my students that was very successful. Any time one of the students did something successful, I would say to the class, "Boys and Girls, Jonny learned 5 more sight words today!" And the whole class would say, "Good Job Jonny!!" it was so amazing to see the kids genuinely excited to cheer on their friend and the smile of pride on the kids face who got cheered on was amazing! They even started adding hugs and high fives and started to do shout outs for their classmates on their own!! It was awesome!!
DeleteLike last week, I always post my I Can statements on my board in the front of my room. This allows each student to see what is required of them in that certain lesson.
ReplyDeleteWhen I look at success in my students, I think of them as individuals. Each student has a different level of success, and knowing that as the teacher is so important. Before every unit, I give a pre-test to see where everyone is at. This allows me to group them by ability and to be able to work on their specific group on their specific needs. After the unit, I give a post-test, and if there is any growth from the pre- to post-test, I count that as a success.
When I look at each student as an individual, there are also different ways on how I respond to their success. Knowing your students is so important because it allows you to know the full person they are including how they want to be praised. For example, some students don’t want all the theatrics and they just want to know that you are proud of them. Others want everyone to know what they did, and knowing that difference in your students is so important.
Paige Palmer
nk you!PLA103
Hi Ms Palmer!
DeleteWhat I like about this is the attention that you seem to pay to your scholars. You you praise them and listen to them. I agree with the way you focus their learning and measure their success.
PLA103
Mrs. Palmer I like how you post your I can statements for each lesson so the students can also refer back to them at any time during the lesson. I also agree that we need to get to know our scholars because they are all different. Because they are different success will look different for each one. Keep doing what you do! S. Duff (#103)
DeleteI love how you made sure to note that scholars are individuals and success is not going to look the same in each of them. I think too often we get caught up in making sure that our scholars are meeting the standards that we sometimes may miss the success they have in fact achieved.
DeleteModule 4}
ReplyDeleteTake the math standard for 1st & 2nd graders that deal with manipulating shapes. A scholar must be able to divide a particular shape in halves, thirds, fourths, fifths.
A learning progression could be students telling how many parts (by number) are in each division; when paired with a classmate.
I think teachers naturally want to go in the direction of an assessment to prove mastery of the targeted learning intention. I do like the idea of using an "exit ticket" with clear feedback included. The success criteria would be met with pics of shapes drawn, then divided appropriately.
PLA103
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHow do you define success and the appropriate level of learning for students?
ReplyDelete- Success to me is the ability for a scholar to have learned something that they did not know going into the subject matter that you are discussing. Success is coming out better, smarter, more prepared than you were going into a task. The appropriate level of learning is related to the standards that you have chosen for your scholars. Mastering skills at any level is a huge success in my opinion. If the foundations are set, then building onto the foundation becomes the motivation for various levels. For example, mastering the alphabet is key before a child can spell their name, then use their name in a sentence, write a story, etc. etc. The building blocks and the successful completion of each block is imperative to the level of learning that appropriate.
~Success criteria have been shown to increase students internal motivation.
- I have heard this phrase too many times, "I can't" or "I don't know how", which may be true. I respond with, "You may not be able to do it and you might not know how, but you WILL soon." I think one of the biggest accomplishments for any scholar is when they realize that they can actually do something that they thought wasn't possible for them. I am 31 and I feel the same way. I know that there are things I never thought I would be able to do in my lifetime, but I have been proven wrong more often than not. It is that same motivation and drive that keeps me moving forward and pursuing the next best thing. If a scholar begins to reach small milestone victories where the "I can't do it" turns into, "I DID IT!" then my question becomes, how could they not strive for more and not be motivated for the next best thing. Thomas Edison found ONE way for electricity to work, but not before he found thousands of ways that it wouldn't work. There is power in accomplishment. When it's proven that it can be done, the spark is lit, and the fire begins to grow!
- Zach Brubaker - GVP - 5th Grade
Helping your students to change their thinking is definitely key. If they don't think that they can, then they never will. Well done on motivating your students!
DeleteRosemary Graf
Foster Elementary
Carissa Gangi - Foster Elementary
DeleteI love your idea of what success looks like. Many teachers, including myself, tend to think of success as simply mastering a standard or doing well on an assessment. I love that you said that success is when a student comes out better, smarter and more prepared. This is great for students that are starting "below" where they should be, because it absolutely is a success when they've grown even the slightest. They might not all get to exactly where we want them to be, in regards to mastery, but that doesn't mean they were unsuccessful. :)
Carissa Gangi - Foster Elementary
How will we respond if students meet the success criteria in advance of our teaching?
ReplyDeletePerhaps the bigger question is do we KNOW if students have already met the success criteria in advance of our teaching? If everyone already knows the answer, why are we teaching this? True learning means that students move from a state of disequilibrium, when they're being challenged to a state of equilibrium, when they achieve mastery. A simple pre-assessment can tell you who is ready for the current lesson, who needs more challenge and who will need more support. This is the essence of differentiation :-)
* Dr. Lazarus...Still...Forward Focused, Flipping Foster!
Carissa Gangi - Foster Elementary :)
DeleteI agree that a pre-assessment can be extremely helpful in determining the direction of an upcoming lesson. Not only will it help the teacher to understand where to begin with whole group teaching, but it will also help grouping students based on ability for small groups, or even pairing students together that can benefit from each other's different knowledge sets. :)
Carissa Gangi - Foster Elementary
Being able to pre and post assess students understanding of the standard is important feedback for the teacher. To be able to work a concept that was missed in the next lesson to pick up missing elements of the standard only happens with pre and post assessment.
DeleteAllen Hill
JR Phalen
I agree that pre-assessments are something that we need to incorporate more into our teaching practice. It can provide us with valuable information to guide our instruction. I teach a high ability cluster so it is vital that I know who has already succeeded at mastering a standard so I provide them with appropriate instruction at their level. I tried working pre-assessments into my instruction time last year and found it very challenging. I'm trying to figure out how I can do a better job of it this year so that my HA kids are not spending time on things they have already learned and I can challenge them.
DeleteSuccess criteria have been shown to increase students' internal motivation.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more! Sharing the success criteria invites students to take ownership over their learning by giving them the ability to self-assess their own level of mastery. In addition to motivation, this builds confidence and self-efficacy! I have seen primary students participate in developing a simple assignment rubric and make sound decisions regarding which exit ticket to choose at the end of a lesson. Start small...Given the time and the opportunity, they will surprise you! I love all the success criteria examples provided! Why reinvent the wheel? Thanks for sharing!
* Dr. Lazarus...Always...Forward Focused, Flipping Foster!
How do I define success and the appropriate level of learning for students?
ReplyDeleteI define success as the ability to be able to explain a concept that they are or have learned and as well as being able to use that concept to apply it to a real life situation. For example, in third grade math the students will learn their multiplication facts. They may be able to memorize them but it would be no use for them if they don't know how to apply that to a question that asks them to multiply two numbers together. The appropriate level of learning should stem from the standards that you are teaching.
I think that when students can assess their own progress it shows that they are taking responsibility for their own learning. In my classroom, I like to use exit tickets, graphic organizers, and rubrics. I love the idea of using a rubric it gives the students clear guidelines on how their project would be graded. It is then up to the students to follow those guidelines to get the best possible score. I have used rubrics for many assignments in my classroom and I have noticed that some of my students ask more questions about what is expected and I could also see many of them having intrinsic motivation to get the best possible score on their project.
Jennifer Edwards Thea Bowman Leadership Academy Elementary
I think the idea of giving your students a rubric is a wonderful way of students understanding the task, and taking ownership of how well they will do in the project. Great job!
DeleteMy thoughts on Success criteria empowering learners to assess their own progress... I think that this is a great opportunity for the learners to feel good about themselves. It allows them to feel like they really understand what they are learning or that they need a bit more understand to get to the success stage/mastery. When they are talking it out with a partner or using a rubric they can see for themselves without having to go to the teacher first. I think this also teaches them to use all or a variety of their resources.
ReplyDeleteI agree that success criteria can increase internal motivation. When the learners have a clear understanding of what they are suppose to be learning and what the final goal is they seem to want to reach that goal. As they see themselves progressing they are willing to keep going. Sohn'a Duff #103
Sohn'a,
DeleteI appreciate the honesty in your response. I too agree that when learners have a clear understanding of what they are supposed to be learning and what the end result should be, it helps them (some of them) curve their mind to their situation. It can also help with goal setting and even a timeline to celebrate the small wins.
•How will we respond if students meet the success criteria in advance of our teaching? A great way to respond to students who meet the success criteria, is to be ready to meet their needs. Project based learning is a great way to do that. Finding projects that your students are interested in and allowing them to work on these things on an on-going basis keeps them engaged. It isn’t busy work, it is meaningful. Project based learning also helps them to collaborate with other students who meet this criterion as well.
ReplyDelete•Success criteria have been shown to increase students internal motivation. Success criteria is a great way to increase students’ internal motivation. I have a great writing rubric which is kid-friendly (for 2nd graders) and tells my students an exactly what is expected in all aspects of writing (transitions, punctuation, sentence variety, etc.). Going over this rubric, prior to the students creating a writing piece, helps them to truly understand what they need to do.
Rosemary Graf
Foster Elementary
Hi Rosemary,
DeleteI agree with you completely on incorporating project based learning when students are ready to advance before the rest of the class is. I have tried this in my classroom with a learner who was very advanced. This allowed her to stay engaged with the material while working on a project that was at her level.
~How do you define success and the appropriate level of learning for students?
ReplyDeleteAs mentioned in this module, it is important that teachers stay away from phrases such as “complete the science lab” or “use your best effort”. The reason being is that a student’s best effort is not going to be the same in each child; this will vary greatly. Which is why having an attainable end goal is pivotal. I define success for my students by modeling what is expected of them. If I want the students to complete a main idea/ detail web, I will first model it for them using a different story. I feel that modeling for students is a great way to not only show them what the end goal should be, but also walk them through the steps to get there. If there are multiple steps, then I will write them down on an anchor chart. For example, I created a writer’s checklist with my students, and it hung in our class all year. We would revisit it frequently to remind students of my expectations with their writing assignments.
~Success criteria have been shown to increase student’s internal motivation.
When students have no clue what the end should look like, this makes them feel hopeless, especially those struggling learners. I remember feeling this way through school. It is very confusing to learners when there is not a clear goal in mind, this makes our learners shut down and disengage. From my own personal experience, I feel that giving students a success criteria allows them to be far more self-sufficient. I attended a summer training a year ago that was called building independence through anchor charts. This training encouraged me to see the value in setting success criteria with my students. Setting success criteria also greatly decreases the amount of insecurities that the students have about an assignment. I received much less of “what are we supposed to be doing teacher?” when I would set clear success criteria. The reason being is that the students knew what was expected and did not have to ask so many questions.
Hayley Long
Jones-Clark
1st grade
Hello Mrs. Long! I think your post is spot on! My first year was full of not having a clue what the end looked like because I was trying to figure it out myself. It was rough at first but after the first 2 months I finally got on a better track of showing the students what the end results looked like and the expectations I had for them. However I have much to learn and much to grow on but I feel like I have so much more hope for the next year because I feel more prepared this year because I have a better idea of what to expect.
DeleteHowever, I would love to collaborate on this Writers Checklist you created! I am all about guiding them to write better throughout the year :).
Briana Porter
Success criteria empower learners to assess their own progress and not to be solely dependent on an outside agent (their teacher) to notice when they have arrived.
ReplyDeleteI think this will prove to be extremely helpful in the classroom. There are so many times throughout the day that I am working with a small group or one-on-one and I am interrupted by a student that is confused or needs help. Of course I want to do what I can to make sure every student is successful, but it definitely gets tough being interrupted. That's why this will be so helpful - it will give the students a much better understanding of what is expected of them, and they will (hopefully) have less questions during independent work, for example. And if they do have questions, there will be other students that can help them to understand the expectations better. A way I will try to incorporate this into my classroom that I think will work best in Kindergarten is through the use of anchor charts and "I can" statements (with pictures for examples).
Success criteria have been shown to increase students internal motivation.
This was a huge eye opener for me while reading this chapter. The example about the pilot really helped me to understand just how important it is for the students to know what exactly is the end target for their work, especially independent work. Not only for the reason mentioned above, about them not having to interrupt me while working with others, but also because this gives them something to work toward. It made me think about working out.. if you don't know what you want the end goal to be, for example strength training vs losing fat, there's no way to know where to even begin, much less if you're doing it right throughout. The only way you'll know if you're doing it right is afterward, when you either received the results you wanted, or you didn't. This isn't very practical because it can end up being a huge waste of time. That's exactly how I imagine it is for the kids - if they have no idea what is expected and what success looks like, how will they know if they're doing it right until afterward?
Carissa Gangi - Foster Elementary
I, too, thought this chapter was eye opening. I never thought about how important it was for students to know what their end goal was for learning. If they don't know what they are supposed to be learning, they do not know where to start, if they're doing it right, or if they have gotten to or passed the end goal of the learning. I, also, think you are right in saying the students being aware of the learning goals will help them be more independent because they will understand what they need to do to master the goal and they can assess themselves. It will also allow them to help each other, allowing for the teacher to be less interrupted by students with questions pertaining to the learning goal.
DeleteMs. Gangi, I loved the working out analogy! Something many can relate to. I also believe that being able to count on other students to help each other is important. It is very beneficial for scholars to know their short term goals as well as long term goals.
Delete
ReplyDelete~How will we respond if students meet the success criteria in advance of our teaching?
As teachers we always must be ready for any “curveball” that is thrown our way. This year I had to plan many different interventions for my low performers as well as high achievers. I have always been ready with interventions for my low achievers because most of the time they are already identified by the time they get to me. On the other hand, as a teacher I know that I struggle to challenge the high achievers and that I needed to work on that this year. We need to look at our standards that we plan to teach and be ready to adjust based on the needs of all scholars. One strategy to help with this would be giving scholars pre-assessments. This doesn’t have to be formal it could just be a discussion about a topic a day or two before you want to teach it. Pre-planning is key to success just as much as being flexible and ready to adjust at any time.
~Success criteria empower learners to assess their own progress and not to be solely dependent on an outside agent (their teacher) to notice when they have arrived.
This really stuck out to me. This past school year I really focused on helping scholars become more invested in their education. I want scholars to take a more active role in their learning and growing. Having criteria on the board and the steps that they need to achieve to be successful for the lesson really helped my scholars. I noticed more engagement and discussion with their peers. They were able to move through independent practice and projects with confidence by looking at the criteria for success on the board. In my room I would have the I can statements posted and the criteria for success would be posted directed below that. The criteria on the board was basically a checklist of what they needed to do to achieve the I can statement.
Hey Ms. Long,
DeleteHats off to you!
Your strategies for creating independent learners makes you ahead of the game. What wonderful support you have created for your students. I am a very visual learner; so having things right in front of me is important, and would support me in staying focused on the task at hand.
Keep moving forward! Thank you so much for sharing.
I really love the "I can statement" !! I believe it is empowering - I have have been using it for years. I believe psychologically at a young age - as far back as Kindergarten - The I can statement gives them a drive to do something taught and or learned that they can succeed. They become more vested in there learning and it makes them want to do and work at what they are trying to achieve. I truly believe it keeps them motivated with a sense of empowering their own-self which they can gage and find success in! If a student can see it, write it, do it, and self assess it then they are headed in the right direction. Whether it is baby steps or leaps and bounds. The visual part is half the battle in my opinion -Where we teach these are a must and I believe that they are clear, specific and most definitely a must. I really enjoy this section!!
DeleteGreat Job Ms. Long!!
Week 4-Stacey Overstreet
ReplyDeleteThe lesson this week really brought my thinking to more of a concrete analysis of how to plan not only the lesson, defining the terminology, elaborating learning intentions, but truly how to craft success criteria. The video was an excellent representation of how effective planning can be and the importance of not only knowing the standard; but being open to hearing the thinking of others. Additionally, recognizing what is really being asked, and keeping it simple. It is imperative that student’s have practice time to apply what is being learned and that they truly know what success looks like at the end of the lesson.
• LAFS.K.W.1.AP.1b -State an opinion or preference about the topic.
• LAFS.K.W.1.AP.2a-With prompting and support, create a permanent product (e.g., select/generate responses to form paragraph/essay) that contains a main topic and details about an informational topic.
Learning Intention: Student’s will state an opinion through marking their reading with a heart labeled sticky note to reference their favorite part. Their success will be defined by their ability to mark the book and then being able to verbalize or through the use of pictures to indicate their thinking. An addition to the lesson would be for students to write in their reading response journals their thoughts using decoding skills for spelling.
Success would be defined based on the appropriate level of learning for students would be based on differentiated expectations based on student abilities. Some students would glue letters to make their words, some would use stamps, some would write their thoughts on their own. The rubric would have already been created based on prior classroom planning for reading to self and work on writing, but the new rubric we would brainstorm and write out the expectations together prior to their independent learning time beginning.
The “I can statements” would be I can label my favorite portion of the text with a heart by myself. I can discuss the reason this portion of the book was my favorite. I can write out my favorite part of the book or draw a picture of my favorite part.
When students are successful and they know it, they are naturally more internally driven to continue to build upon their success.
As the text stated, success criteria have been shown to increase students’ internal motivation. Classrooms that contain high levels of trust, where students can practice without fear of punishment for errors but instead, praised for effort, they are more willing to attempt even the most challenging tasks. For the lesson listed above, I will know that student’s internal motivation has increased by the way the assist with getting their peer’s back on task during the read to self and work on writing portion of today’s lesson. They will know they have been successful when they see the stamina level increase based on the charted stamina growth chart in both reading to self and work on writing. I will also be able to gauge their success based on what I review in their work on writing journals, their ability to place their sticky note on their favorite portion, and if their written response shows growth each week.
Stacey Overstreet's recognition that classroom trust in building a classroom that fosters student success is a salient point. While success criteria has been shown to increase student motivation, that motivation can not be sustained if/when the student does not trust the environment. Building a trusting classroom is crucial and a front-runner to this success.
DeleteWhile we as educators, seek to clarify learning for our students we simultaneously need to create and foster the proper environment. Without that safe learning environment learning dangles to the whims of that moment's content, context, space and or place - be they tangible or not.
Marsha Leibson, Foster Elementary,
~Success criteria have been shown to increase students internal motivation when students are in control of their own learning by setting their own goals, based on their own assessments of their strengths and weaknesses. Students are more apt to rise to the challenge and do their best work when they know that they set their goal and not one that was set for them by the teacher. Project based learning is one way to inspire a students' internal desire to learn. Students learn through real world, hands on problem solving. They get the opportunity to attack open ended questions that require critical thinking and sustained effort on their part. But, I feel the most important thing for a student is the power to choose what and how they learn and in the end have something to show for their learning in a portfolio or a finished product.
ReplyDelete~How will we respond if students meet the success criteria in advance of our teaching? I am also a proponent of student mentors or peer tutors if those students have met mastery in advance of our teaching.
As I present my school counselor lessons it is vital that I get feedback from pre and post assessments for the understanding of not only going into the lesson but to assess what concepts the students needed further help on. This data will not only help me figure out better ways to present the concept but may reveal other areas that the student is missing knowledge on so that I can now revise my plan for that week or month based on this new information.
ReplyDeleteAllen Hill Jr
JR Phalen Leadership
Two thoughts shared resonated strongly. "Success criteria have been shown to increase students' internal motivation" was the first. In prior years I always believed this to be immediately true. Working at various private schools, I relied on the cornerstone idea that intrinsic motivation dominates and it seemed to work. I was not in need of marbles dropped into a jar for good behavior. I was not in need of sharing rainbow colored candies as rewards. A mere, "How did you feel about that act/answer," most often brought positive response.
ReplyDeleteThis past year this statement: "Success criteria have been shown to increase students' motivation" has challenged me more than ever. While in theory it seems irrefutable, in actuality, this past year it seemed elusive. At our Achievement school there was so much more to get a handle on before that success criteria could be obtained. Maslow's hierarchy seemed to be needed first. As Ms. Overstreet shared in one of her responses, a classroom of trust must be developed. As that was being built, and as help was given in helping students feel good about themselves - learning to appreciate their own very essence - not a put out facade, students read their learning targets which were on the board. They learned that they could actualize "I can" statements. It led from learning to understanding to doing and demonstrating. This loop, from learning to demonstrating, though only readily happened in situations where students were steadied enough to do so. The environment needed securing.
When "forced" to learn the learning is "put on" and not reflexive.
The other quotation, "Success criteria empower learners to assess their own progress and not to be solely dependent on an outside agent (their teacher) to notice when they have arrived," seems to stand in solidarity with the idea of "roots and wings." Parents so often teach that their children must have roots, have basic tenets of belonging, of learning, or knowing, before they can be pushed out of the nest. They then, too understand, that the children must be pushed out of the nest - the young one must learn to fly. Likewise, good success criteria embeds within it, the ability for the learner to have enough prior knowledge and skills that he/she can ascertain when he/she knows something. The learner can demonstrate that he/she can fly. When learners can self determine that it most frequently leads on to greater growth - to extrapolation.
Marsha Leibson - Foster Elementary
Marsha Leibson - Foster Elementary
Marsha
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved your response. As a person also at an Achievement school, forced learning is put on and not reflexive. Often our students come with other needs that need to be met before learning can even be of interest.
Typically, they are not used to being trusted therefore, there is an automatic defense mechanism in place which truly hinders them from attempting to actualize or be interested in the lessons being crafted.
I know very well the population at Foster, as I used to manage a grant that sent AmeriCorps members to aide in helping to fill in the gaps. Teaching is really stepping into a familial type role where we are modeling many things they are just not used to seeing.
It sounds like they have found a gem in you and I know that the students will be successful because you truly understand that teaching goes much further than simply planning the lesson.
Week 4 Response
ReplyDeleteTanya Ellis
AS a Kindergarten teacher defining success is simpler than other times. You either know the lower case a or you don't. But once you know that lower case a what can you do with it now. Can you identify the sound it makes? Can you find the sound in a word, or can you blend it with other sounds to make a word. With building the sound base, I have seen students who will stay on the basic identify and maybe the sound but get stuck on the blending of the sound. How do I as a teacher keep challenging or even better have a student who wants to take it further. So I plan my groups to meet my students where they are. I use "I can statements" but maybe after reading this week I am using to broad of "I can statements". I believe I must refine my "I can statements" and make them more meaningful to my students. But the challenge again is how to do statement with student who are non readers. I guess my team and I will have to make our "I can statements" more specific.
The second statement that stuck in my mind this week was -How will we respond if students meet the success criteria in advance of our teaching? This year I really saw this, I would spend a lot of time whit my struggling, and almost there students, but my on level and advanced sometimes got neglected. When looking at my scores at the end of year I noticed my scholars in green at beginning of year made little progress as opposed to my reds and yellows. So did I not challenge them enough, probably, so next year plan more for those who are meeting or exceed by making them a bigger stake holder in their learning. It will help them and help me become a better teacher.
Tanya Ellis
TBLA -KDG
Hi Tanya,
DeleteI am also a kindergarten teacher and I can completely relate to what you said. I also spent a lot of time with my struggling students and noticed that my higher students did not make as much progress on their end of the year assessments as I expected. Student engagement will be an area of focus for me this upcoming year. I want all my students to have a high motivation to learn, but I need to figure how to keep all my students engaged.
Tiffany Sanchez
Sheehy Elementary
Considering the needs of those higher level students is a definite challenge. It's really good that we do the reflection pieces ass we can see more clearly and combined with data analysis it's priceless.
ReplyDeleteYour posting has given me some more ideas for my class as well. Possibly differentiating "I can" statements they allow them to take bite sized chunks of the whole.
I also envision using the "how to" statements to analyze prior lessons so that we can see how we all arrived at the destination although different pathways were taken. Using an "I chart" will bring the thought processes to a visual component could further their understanding.
Analytical evaluation is more natural in adults and although it happens in children they are not as conscious of what is happening as related to vocabulary terminology. This would also be an excellent extension of learning by defining the actions they are doing and tying it back to academic terminology.
One of the things I struggled with at the beginning of the year was challenging my higher students and it was obvious very early on that I had quite a few of them. After this past year I have learned how to differentiate for my leveled students and give them plenty of opportunities to build their skills. I have spent a lot of the summer already doing some research and planning for this area. One other area that I am going to really push this next school year is allowing the kids to have more control over their progress, like it talks about in the book to give the students success criteria. I like the idea on the main page to give them a bookmark with the current success criteria and they can check off the criteria as they learn it. I love that idea and will be incorporating it into my classroom next year!
ReplyDeleteBriana Porter
PLA@Jones-Clark
I really like this idea as well. Helping my students own tracking their progress is a great idea as the text stated, I just have to really determine how my students will be able to do this. I plan on incorporating it as well. There have been a few reading trainings I have taken this summer and have been planning ways to include them beginning day 1 of school with these tasks.
ReplyDeleteI figure if these ideas are included with learning other procedures they will develop more naturally. I’m really excited about this upcoming school year and watching them grow academically as well as in the areas of social/emotional and independent functioning.
I really like the idea of a book mark in which students have a rubric and can check off their progress. There are other ways to have a check list. I like the idea of an ongoing bookmark in which students keep track of their progress. I agree with Ms. Overstreet that if we start these progress checks from the beginning of the school year, keeping track of their own progress will become a routine for our students, and one that is comfortable and very useful.
DeleteJoanne Mathers
Oak Park Elementary School
Crafting Success Criteria
ReplyDeleteModule 4: Crafting Success Criteria- Pages 29-40
Reflection Time!
~Success criteria empower learners to assess their own progress and not to be solely dependent on an outside agent (their teacher) to notice when they have arrived.
Powerful statement. The term empower makes for a stronger and more confident student. The above statement, connects my thinking to, “Success criteria let students in on the secret that has been too often kept from them---what the destination looks like. “ I wonder if success criteria will keep students from saying, “What do I do now?” In addition, I am going to make every attempt to reframe from saying “Do your best” and “Try hard.”
~Success criteria have been shown to increase students’ internal motivation.
I would like to witness on a regular basis “students’ internal motivation increase.” Oftentimes, as educators we put external motivators in front of our scholars (maybe this is a generalization). If you do this, then I will reward you with some type of special treat—for example-candy. In the reading on page 32, the authors stated, “Irrespective of the tool used, success criteria provide teachers and students with a goalpost that they can use to monitor progress.” In my opinion, utilizing the success criteria model assists in creating independent, motivated learners.
Mackcine Jordan@PLA103
My first reflection is:
ReplyDelete"How do you define success and the appropriate level of learning for students?
As I have had to teach several different grades in the last few years, I struggled at first with how to define success in ELA. After some research and thought, I have used reading levels that I establish at the beginning of the year. This way I can reach each scholar where they are at. I group them by reading levels, and support each group, and these groups fluctuate as some move faster than others. I consider if a student improves more than a year of reading levels if they are at grade level a successful achievement, and more than 1.5-2.0 years if they are below grade level. Each student knows their reading level, and it is a big deal when they move to the next.
"Success criteria have been shown to increase students internal motivation."
If students know what is the goal, and they understand they have reached or surpassed the goal, it helps them feel like they have accomplished something important. It is something I am always trying to improve and help my students become life learners, and take control of their learning.
School: PLA 103 Indianapolis
~How do you define success and the appropriate level of learning for students?
ReplyDeleteSuccess criteria states what the students will accomplish during or by the end of a lesson. To know the appropriate level of learning for each student you must assess them to see their learning levels an abilities. That which then will give you an opportunity to see what strategies you need to use in order to ensure students successfully meet their learning intentions/success criteria.
~ How will we respond if students meet the success criteria in advance of our teaching?
Students that meet success criteria in advance of our teaching; should be given an essential questions or pre-planned activity. This will engage the student an enhance their learning, and students can then become their own teachers.
I liked how you said students can become their own teachers! I think enrichment in the form of enhancing their own learning is a great idea for our kids who meet our success criteria faster than we expect.
DeleteHow will we respond if students meet the success criteria in advance of our teaching?
ReplyDeleteThis is a very important question for me because I teach a 3rd grade high ability cluster. I know that I'm going to have some scholars that are already successful with the content I'm teaching. Since only a small group of students in my class are high ability I have to be prepared to teach at multiple levels in order to meet the needs of all of the scholars in my class. That often means pre-assessing them on the upcoming skills so that I can plan different lessons for different groups I need to always being ready to take things to another level for the HA kids while I'm remediating for the non-HA scholars so that everyone is successful. Last year the majority of my class was HA in math and it was my first year teaching the HA cluster. For the most part, everything was taught at one level (for the HA) and then I pulled the others for remediation. This worked ok at first but became more challenging as the skills became harder. My goal next year is to pre-assess each unit and then split my math time in half to teach directly to each group. I hope this will allow the scholars to work at their own levels. I also hope to have challenging independent/group activities for the HA group to complete independently when their have achieved success so that they are not finding themselves bored with nothing to do while they wait for me to finish with the others.
Success criteria empower learners to assess their own progress and not to be solely dependent on an outside agent (their teacher) to notice when they have arrived.
I think this is a powerful statement. If we can teach scholars how to assess their own learning then they are becoming more confident and independent. They will now be able to guide their own learning which is what we really want them to do. I had a few high ability math students who had reached this level this past year. They grasped concepts very quickly and were confident in their abilities. I would always tell them to please double check everything but they already had and were sure of themselves (and they were almost always correct). I found that scholars being able to self-assess and know when they were ready to proceed to the next level motivated these scholars to push themselves. Instead of reading, drawing, or playing around when finished, this group of students would take out a notebook and make up math problems to try. If we were learning 2- digit multiplication, they would make up 3-4 digit problems to challenge themselves or a classmate. I think being able to self-assess can be a motivational tool for scholars also.
Katherine Valenti - Foster Elementary
DeleteI agree with giving the high achieving students independent tasks that provide them with more critical thinking and maybe even a project based learning to take them to that next level. Your comments were very insightful and I hope t be able to push my higher achievers more next year.
How do you define success and the appropriate level of learning for students?
ReplyDeleteI define success by the students ability to work towards mastery of a concept or skill. Even if a student doesn't completely master/understand the concept being taught, any amount of growth they show to proficiency is part of their success. Not all students will master every concept, especially at the beginning of the year. When students know the success criteria, they are able to feel some sort of accomplishment when they begin to make growth towards fully understanding.
Success criteria have been shown to increase students internal motivation.
I completely agree with this statement. If you don't know where you're headed, it can be hard to stay focused on the end goal (mastery of a concept). I liked the comparison to the pilot the book explained. I definitely think some kids feel like they aren't sure what the end goal is, so it leads them to be unfocused and unmotivated. Being clear with students about what the success criteria is can definitely help improve their motivation.
Yes, I wholeheartedly agree that the way to get buy in to learning is for students to understand what it is we want them to learn and why it is important.
DeleteCandace Livingston, JRPLA - Indianapolis
ReplyDelete"Success criteria have been shown to increase students internal motivation."
I agree with this statement. Students also become more motivated when they have a say in creating the Success Criteria. I do an activity called a "Read Around." Students all respond to a writing prompt but do not write their names on their paper, just a number they were secretly assigned by me. During the course of the activity, students read their classmates' papers while in small groups. Each group documents what essays they liked the best and why. Eventually the entire class creates a rubric based on the prompts they felt were the best. The top three essays are then used as exemplars for the students to model their own writing. It is important for students to understand what it takes to be successful and to have them recognize success criteria in their work and the work of others. When students have a role in creating the success criteria I think there is more "buy-in" on their part.
Success criteria empower learners to assess their own progress and not to be solely dependent on an outside agent (their teacher) to notice when they have arrived.
I think Success Criteria can help with teacher dependence and encourage students to take charge of their own learning. I often run into the issue with students believing that just because an assignment is "done" that it is done right and they don't want to go back and review/revise their work. If they understand the Success Criteria at the beginning, hopefully it will help them assess their work honestly and ensure that it is done correctly.
I think knowing the success criteria lets us know as teachers how our students are doing with mastering the material. It allows us to see who masters the material when. If we notice our students master the material prior to the start or completion of the lesson, we can then either skip the lesson altogether, complete the lesson early, or briefly touch on the topic as a sort of review for the students.
ReplyDeleteI think students having a learning goal that they know is a great way to encourage internal motivation. I think it helps the students who might be struggling with their internal motivation by letting them know what they are learning, how they will know they've mastered the material and it likely helps students not feel totally overwhelmed by having to idea what's expected of them in the long run of the lesson.
- Success criteria empower learners to assess their own progress and not to be solely dependent on an outside agent (their teacher) to notice when they have arrived.
ReplyDeleteI feel this is a very important component to use learning time most effectively. It can be extremely overwhelming when you have many students that need the teachers help and a waste of time for those waiting to get help. By students having a checklist of success, it helps them to refocus and guides them on the right path. I've seen some of the most powerful learning happen with peer to peer teaching! They have an ability to break things down in a way the other student understands. And when a peer encourages or cheers them on, it is most beautiful and uplifting!
- Success criteria have been shown to increase students internal motivation
The example of "Flying a Plane" really had me sit back and reflect. Too often we teach to get them to the next building block, but don't tell them what we are building! I stopped and thought about how much more powerful and successful learning can be if they knew why and for what they are going to learn. When we plan, we already know the end goal and plan to get there, so it only makes sense that they should know that end goal as well! Almost every thing we do in life is with the intentions of the end goal in mind! We cook knowing what the meal will be, watch movies with an idea of what the plot is about, buy clothes for an occasion in mind. Such a simple concept but I never really reflected as much on this when it comes to teaching. So, YES, I absolutely agree that a student will be much more successful and motivated to learn when they know why!
I really do not have much in classroom skills because I was aide for the last 3 years and I am PBIA. The book is good tool for me to help me understand how to brake down the standards to help the students if I ever want to be a classroom teacher.
ReplyDeleteSo I am going take stub on answer the question just off my experience as an aide:
I define success is accomplishing a goal that places for myself. I think if I give my students an individual goal and help them meet that goal, they will feel what success is.
We can respond to a student that met and exceed our teaching by finding them something to else they can exceed at without getting out of the curriculum and within the standards.
I think scholars should have access to things that can help them outside of school, such as reading programs. They can help them with their reading level. Many programs can help students to better themselves outside school. I think if they know they have that help, they will use it.
Students like to be praised, and I am always there to do just that.
Module 4
ReplyDeleteI think it is very important that students know what they are expected to learn by the end of esch teaching session. As a classroom teacher, I want the students to demonstrate success criteria by something students would do, make, or write to indicate they are moving toward the learning goals. Engagement is key for the students. The students must be able to demonstrate the skills they are learning in multiple ways.
One activity I have used in my classroom is learning about process writing. The students will evaluate one of their peers writing by using a rubric. After the evaluation, the student who is being evaluated will use those thoughts and ideas to improve his or her writing. This activity allows opportunities for the students to self monitor their progress.
Angela Posey@ Phalen Academy 103
Hi Angela,
DeleteI really like what you wrote - I do the same in the classroom or Gym setting. I also have students watch and evaluate there own peers. I also have the students try to demonstrate skills they are taught in multiple ways. for the scholar it makes them feel empowered - and it helps the class stay focused and stride for success!
Great WORK!
Katherine Lee Valenti - Foster Elementary
ReplyDeleteSuccess in the classroom looks like... when my students all understand their learning intentions and are motivated to reach these goals to the best of their ability through hard work and completing all their daily tasks to the best of their ability. When students can discuss clearly the concepts and I can see them putting the skills in action, then success has been attained. When I can start to see the intrinsic motivation within my students, then I feel success for my students.
If my students meet the success criteria in advance of teaching, I will adjust my success criteria. It is important to raise the bar for those students that easily meet the criteria. We can add more success criteria or add a new angle to the success criteria if we have students working above level. WE can also group them and have them help the others meet the criteria. Let the student demonstrate their knowledge to the others in a way other students may relate to more than your style of teaching.
Success helps both students and the teacher gauge the progress that has been made during instruction. Students need to understand what they are learning and are highly motivated when they feel they have reached that point. During this past school year, I used both "I can" statements and anchor charts in my classroom. One aspect I would probably improve upon this upcoming school year is to use the success criteria vocabulary more consistently so my students not only see it, but hear it as well.
ReplyDeleteI agree that students should be more involved in the learning process. The module explicitly states that students should not be solely dependent on their teacher. The challenge as a kindergarten teacher is that most of our standards, especially in ELA, require prompting and support...which is a bit contradictory to what the module states. I do want my students to be independent thinkers, but hope to provide the support when necessary.
Tiffany Sanchez
Kindergarten
Sheehy Elementary
Hi Tiffany,
DeleteYes it is very difficult for Kindergartners to not solely be dependent on their teachers when they have very little background knowledge and exposure to lots of things that are seen in the text. At this age, a lot of concrete models and verbal modeling is required for students to understand the basic concept of finding details in a story or adding and subtracting.
Tamekia West, Oak Park Elementary
Marty Castellon - Trix Academy
ReplyDeleteFor this Section - Criteria Success - I believe I have been using this for over 7 years now. I went to a conference many years ago that spoke about "Human motivation" Goals, and performance.
I use this in the "Gym Setting" on a daily basis - The I can statement is a empowering statement that teaches us as humans that "WE can achieve"!
The I can statement - is a STRONG word that lets us know that we will succeed, that we will eventually get there and that we can do it.
Now I am not saying its going to be easier, but its a different way of monitoring
success.
In my classroom there is always a "Agenda Board" and then a I can statement up -
I for example - Basketball -would be the agenda - and then the I can statement might say:
I can "preform a chest pass with my partner". Even though most students can do that - I and they must read that out loud so that they can:
1- read it
2- Understand the task that they are asked to preform
3- Digest the "I can statement"
Now its up to me to teach the proper techniques of the "I can statement" let the scholar feel good about themselves while succeeding and make sure that I am grouping them correctly.
This comes when you properly pre-plan and know your students.
This helps them be a independent learner along with them learning from one another. I love this this section and the "I can statements". Ig you do them correctly and work them into your lesson plans you will see that your scholars will stride for success and you as the teacher will be able to help those who might not be independent thinkers to be independent sooner than later.
Marty,
Deleteyou are on target! The example you gave of the learning intentions broken into the three parts is extremely relatable. Once it is broken down into comprehensible parts, its WAY easier for teachers to communicate, and in turn, for students to understand expectations.
Success criteria have been shown to increase students internal motivation.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do agree with this statement, I find that it prompting internal motivation in students is a challenge. Most students define success as a grade and manipulate the process so that they seemingly meet success criteria however, it becomes obvious later when they have to access that knowledge for another lesson that authentic learning did not take place. In addition to using learning intentions more explicitly, I’ve been working on developing assessment activities that promote student motivation. My thinking is that if they are excited to perform the assessments they will be more motivated during the learning process.
Success criteria empower learners to assess their own progress and not to be solely dependent on an outside agent (their teacher) to notice when they have arrived.
I remember instances throughout my K-12 experiences when my humanities/social science teachers did not encourage me to think independently and when I did, their response was to simply reinforce what they wanted to know and/or believe. Even before I became an educator those experiences were very prominent in my mind. I knew then that what they were doing was wrong and could be counterproductive to my development. Since becoming a teacher my ‘motto’ has been that I do not want to teach students what to think but how. My aim with my students is to develop independent learners, which given my own experience, I thought would be met with open arms: IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN IT WASNT :(
I have been studying instructional approaches that I think might compliment a success criteria tracker system. Students will be given lesson objectives and will track their progress throughout the unit to see where they are, what they need to work on and the areas in which they excel. Every unit ends with an engaging “history lab” which will be a large part of their grades.
Shannon, You are absolutely correct in stating that students see success as a grade. It is our challenge as educators to develop the internal motivation in our students to do their best on all they do. Student buy-in/excitement is key to this.
DeleteSuccess criteria is the specific goal scholars use to self-reflect on their learning path. The book uses "I can" statements as the success criteria. This was emlightening for me because I connected "I can" statements to the learning intentions. I now see that the learning intention tells what the scholars are learning whereas the criteria tells what skills the scholars can perform. The criteria is specific! Scholars can use a checklist to keep track of the criteria they master. The idea of scholars being able to guage their oen success is fantastic! I do not beleive this will motivate every unmotivated child but the learning success rate would likely increase.
ReplyDeleteHeather Griffin @ Sheehy
ReplyDeleteHow do you define success and the appropriate level of learning for students?
I feel success can be measured in a variety of ways. I work with students with varying disabilities. Success can be speaking their first word, exhibiting turn taking, or accomplishing one of their IEP objectives. When creating IEP goals for students I always take into account what they know and what they need to know. I like how the book stated the use of the "I can" statements. When I have data chats with my students about their IEP's I would like them to start using "I can" when expressing their learning knowledge. In addition, I have used rubrics with my students that allow them to focus on the areas of progress.
How will we respond if students meet the success criteria in advance of our teaching?
I feel if students accomplish the success criteria in advance of our teaching this is where we as educators can have that particular student facilitate a group of students and provide valuable information to students. This will increase that particular students self esteem and allow them to utilize their social skills and increase their internal motivation. If that student isn't fond of working in a group you could give them an independent activity that extends upon the success criteria.
I feel success criteria can provide students with internal motivation when they are presented with clear, specific, and attainable goals. Sometimes as educators we want our students to learn everything. We need to realize where they are as learners and what they need to know to be successful. We need to meet them where they are and grow with them.
How do you define success and the appropriate level of learning for students?
ReplyDeleteI use the standards to focus my plans for student learning. I then look at the Achievement Level Descriptors for the standard to determine the level I want to address the standard with my student. As I teach gifted students, I focus on the accomplished and above levels to plan for learning. In addition, for ELA, I use the Standards Planning Tool appropriate for the grade level to ensure that I am planning rigorous lessons for my students. To determine student success, I develop "I can" statements to focus both my teaching and the student's learning. After the lesson, students complete a rubric (for written responses) or write a response to a reflection question based on the lesson. I study their responses to determine how well they performed on the lesson and to determine where I am going next with instruction.
How will we respond if students meet the success criteria in advance of our teaching?
This can be a regularly occurring problem for me, as the students I teach have been identified as gifted. To ensure students are receiving appropriate instruction, I develop lessons that are open ended and where students are required to apply their learning. For example, last semester we began a geometry unit in math that was going to take the rest of the class 2 weeks to complete. After realizing one the first day of the unit that my students met all of the success criteria, I had them develop resources to teach other students the geometry concepts. They had choice on how they could accomplish it, for example, creating a website or writing a children's picture book. The end result was that my students gained more proficiency in the math standards while putting new skills into practice which addressed the gifted standards. Typically, I don't have 2 weeks for a big project and my students usually have only a few days to deepen their understanding. We usually accomplish this through more complexity, either in response to learning or in the problem development.
~How will we respond if students meet the success criteria in advance of our teaching?
ReplyDeleteThis, to me, is every teacher's moment of truth. What do we do with those who get the lesson ahead of time? Give them a worksheet? Absolutely not! Put them on the computer? No, INSTEAD, plan for it!! Within our lesson plans, there is always some sort of "what to do" for those who are struggling. Well, there should also be an enrichment section for those student who grasp a strategy or master a standard quicker than anticipated.
-Success criteria have been shown to increase students internal motivation.
I agree to some extent with this statement. For some struggling students, and even for some advanced student, being able to self assess using success criteria can motivate them to perform better. However, there are still those students who continue to struggle with motivation, and the criteria does nothing for them.
Success is defined differently for each scholar in our classroom. There is not a limit that you must hit in order to be deemed "successful". As previous colleagues have mentioned, scholars are individuals and we must celebrate them as such. The standards are the force that drives the instruction, and the amount of success achieved comes from the tools that are utilized by us, the teachers. I love using visual aids for my scholars to better grasp the concept we are learning.
ReplyDeleteSuccess criteria have been shown to increase students internal motivation.
I have seen rubrics work wonderfully with my scholars in the classroom. I find that scholars feel a sense to work harder when they are grading their own work based on a certain criteria level. I plan to find more ways to make my students strive even harder this year.
Brianna Cosgrove
George and Veronica Phalen Leadership Academy
~Success criteria empower learners to assess their own progress and not to be solely dependent on an outside agent (their teacher) to notice when they have arrived.
ReplyDeleteI really like this statement. Students need to learn how to self reflect. They need to learn how to know if they are understanding what is presented to them. When students self reflect, they are taking ownership of their learning. It is important to teach children how to monitor their own progress. This is a necessary skill for the job of a learner, for jobs in the work place, and for personal growth.
~Success criteria have been shown to increase students internal motivation.
Motivation. This is so important for students. Students need to be encouraged to be self motivated to learn. The desire to be self motivated, not extrinsic. I like how the author explains that students are almost competing within themselves. They are learning how to monitor their own progress, and to be able to reflect on their work and their goal of learning the learning intention. The hope would be that if the student finds that they did not try their best and do their best work, next time, they would put in greater effort.
Joanne Mathers
Oak Park Elementary School