Student Learning Maps

1. Discovery Middle School Student Learning Maps • Madison City Schools

2. Empowerment….. • Lead change. • Don’t wait for a better day. • One may never come. • Don’t wait for permission. • You may never receive it. • Lead anyway. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDKDC_IUnOA&feature=player_embedded

3. We will: • deepen our understanding of the effective use of learning targets in the classroom and how it impacts student learning • identify specific teaching behaviors that impact student learning • gain a deeper understanding of what high quality instruction and high quality learning looks like OUTCOMES

4. “If good instruction — in every classroom and for all students — is the central focus of systemic change in education,then districts need to define “goodness” and come to a shared understanding of what is meant by great or even competent teaching.” • —Change Leadership, p. 37 Excellent Instruction: Wagner’s Point of View

5. Definitions are often “tacit” and based on assumptions that aren’t clear or evident; • Lack of common vocabulary: often the same words have different meanings for different people. Barriers to Common Understanding

6. “Without agreed upon definitions (or at least a clarification of how a person is using a term) and observable data that support the person’s assessment of the lesson, conversations about teaching and learning remain ethereal, reinforcing the teaching profession’s weak craft knowledge base, professional language, and standards of practice. We need agreed-upon criteria.” • (p. 38) Wagner’s Conclusion

7. Students Teachers Content “The Instructional Core” Elizabeth L. City, Richard F. Elmore, Sarah F. Fiarman, and Lee Teitel. Instructional Rounds in Education: A Network Approach to Improving Teaching and Learning. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2009, p. 22.

8. What are student learning maps ? (slm) • Definition: • A graphic organizer that visually shows the key learning, unit essential question(s), concepts, lesson essential questions, and vocabulary to be learned in the unit. When used in the classroom, it guides and organizes instruction, and launches the learning unit as an advanced organizer. It allows students to visualize what you most want them to remember after the unit has been taught. Remember there can be up to 8 concepts per SLM, but no more. Typically 3-5 are the norm.

10. WHY student learning maps? Student Learning Maps combine 3 of the top 5 strategies that most impact achievement.

11. Five reasons WHY the SLM is so importantReason #1 • SLMs are an excellent communication device • Teachers can pass copies of the SLMs to support teachers using acceleration or intervention with their students such as any small group intervention, gifted, ELL, tutors or collaborative teachers.

12. Reason #2 • SLMs provide for a higher level of unit planning • SLMs help you organize thoughtful planning and create higher quality units to help you conceptualize the content of your unit before developing instructional strategies and connected activities. Teachers who conceptualize and understand what students should know, understand, and be able to do at the end of a unit provide higher quality and more consistent learning activities for students.

13. Reason #3 • SLMs enable more consistent curriculum pacing and planning across teachers • Teachers meeting in grade level teams or interdisciplinary teams develop SLMs and consider pacing options together. Then, even if you PLAN individually, we are all starting from the same concepts and pacing considerations. Remember the power is in the collaboration.

14. Reason #4 • Teachers use SLM to select and present vocabulary • SLMs are the “word wall” for the classroom. Students learn the vocabulary initially and along side of the readings and discussions. They continue to look at and visualize new content through the Student Learning Map as well as key vocabulary.

15. Reason #5 • SLMs enable students to build knowledge across time and keep track of their learning • Teachers refer to the SLMs across the unit by emphasizing the focus or essential questions to their lessons, referring to the map as they teach, and helping students use it as a summarizing and study tool to increase learning. Remember SLMs are meant to be interactive.

16. How does a SLM accelerate learning? • The idea of providing prior knowledge BEFORE instruction in the regular lesson is the basis for acceleration (SLM, Before strategies, Vocabulary preview) • Acceleration provides a scaffold for new learning that increases success with learning during regular lessons. • This works with all students! Main Lesson Acceleration Remediation/Review

17. How do I create a SLM? • Determine the Key Learning (From the Standards) • Develop the UEQ (UNIT Essential Question)that reflects the Key Learning (what is the BIG, important idea you want the students to answer?) • Determine the Concepts that will be addressed in the unit • Develop the LEQ (Lesson Essential Questions) your learning targets/statements • Identify key Vocabulary

18. What is my part? • SLMs should be completed by the teacher and used throughout the unit of study. •  SLMs will contain all 5 components (as guided by LF) and will be displayed and used interactively throughout the unit.  • The unit will be a complete “BIG” picture from the beginning to the end.  • We encourage the use of arrows, stars, or other preferred signage or symbols to note the current location of what is being taught (helps keep the main thing the main thing) within the overall map. 

19. What does this look like? • SLMs are Displayed in the Classroom • A map that guides what students are expected to know by the end of a unit • Referred to often during instruction • Contains: • Key Learning • Unit Essential Question • Concepts • Lesson Essentials Questions (Acquisition/Extended Thinking) • Vocabulary

25. MCEs Student learning map

26. SLM Concept boxes & binders

27. District Connections • We are in a paradigm shift… away from the old model. • Before we had the CCRS we used curriculum/textbooks as our guide because we had nothing else. • Now we are being driven by the Standards, teaching our standards through SLMs, using research-based practices and materials as our tools.

28. Now to implement….. • Choose one of your large bulletin boards as your display for your SLM. • Create your own SLM for the next Unit that you will be teaching. • Support your Department members with this process as you develop your SLM.

29. Mind shift It’s possible 65% of students today will end up doing jobs that haven’t been created yet. • http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/02/video-the-future-will-not-be-multiple-choice/ McGrath and Davies argue that schools need to keep up with the times by promoting creativity, entrepreneurship, design thinking and hands on skills. This approach includes all learning styles, brings the best of project-based learning, encourages cooperation and integrates subject matter horizontally.

30. One Page Target • Post in your classroom so it is visible for all to see • Discuss with your students • Share feedback with department from students

31. Our vision….our target • Clearly articulate and frequently repeat the common goal that you are all striving to achieve, the shared values that are important, and the larger purpose of which everyone is a part. • ~Kouzes and Posner, The Leadership Challenge

32. Impact schools….. • “schools where every aspect of professional learning is designed to have an unmistakable, positive impact on teaching and, hence, student learning.” • —Jim Knight, Unmistakable Impact, 2011, p 6

33. HQT & HQL (Student Achievement) Culture Shifts/ Dialogue/ Ownership Learning Targets SLM w/ Math SLM w/ELA Quality Questioning Formative Assessment CCRS Why? Student Outcomes