I am working with standards, which we call learning outcomes, that mainly originate from Common Core. When I get together with the other math teachers and discuss how they align these standards to different problems, there is often a discrepancy. Many learning outcomes address proficiency in specific skills in order to demonstrate proficiency at the outcome and eventually competency level, but these skills are not explicitly stated in the learning outcome statement. Consider the following problem, Describe the solutions to cx^2+Ax+B=0 , When I asked this problem in class, the learning outcome I associated with it is
The other issue to address is from the student point of view. Students need to know what learning outcomes they are working on and what skills they need to be proficient for that outcome. In my mind, the two learning outcomes I've listed above are confusing to students. It's not clear what skills they need to master to show proficiency in these learning outcomes. The solution is to unpack learning outcomes. Unpacking is the process of deconstructing learning outcomes into component parts to identify key learning skills and the types of learning experiences, activities, tasks, and asessments that align with those outcomes. An activity for your next Professional Learning Community (PLC) meeting is to do this work. One way to start would be to bring in a recent assignment and ask your colleagues to assign learning outcomes to it. Then use the following framework (adapted from http://sacsteacher.weebly.com/unpacking-the-standards.html) to promote discussion.
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Author"Your only as good as your record collection." -DJ Spooky Archives
September 2020
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