- to convey that teaching and learning are purposeful activities.
- to provide clear directions for classroom activities.
- to model activities and thinking.
- to present concepts and information with accuracy, clarity, and imagination.
- to use precise, academic language.
The elements of 3a are:
- Expectations for learning
- The goals of learning are communicated clearly to students. Even if the goals are not conveyed at the outset of a lesson (for example, in an inquiry science lesson), by the end of the lesson students are clear about what they have been learning.
- Directions for activities
- Students understand what they are expected to do during a lesson, particularly if students are working independently or with classmates, without direct teacher supervision. These directions for the
lessons's activities may be provided orally, in writing, or in some combination of the two, with modeling by the teacher, if it is appropriate. - Explanations of content
- Skilled teachers, when explaining concepts and strategies to students, use vivid language and imaginative analogies and metaphors, connecting explanations to students' interests and lives beyond school. The explanations are clear, with appropriate scaffolding, and, where appropriate, anticipate possible student misconceptions. These teachers invite students to be engaged intellectually and to formulate hypotheses regarding the concepts or strategies being presented.
- Use of oral and written language
- For many students, their teachers' use of language represents their best model of both accurate syntax and a rich vocabulary; these models enable students to emulate such language, making their own more precise and expressive. Skilled teachers seize on opportunities both to use precise, academic language and to explain their use of it.
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In a proficient classroom:
The instructional purpose of the lesson is clearly communicated to students, including where it is situated within broader learning: directions and procedures are explained clearly and may be modeled. The teacher's explanation of content is scaffolded, clear, and accurate and connects with students' knowledge and experience. During the explanation of content, the teacher focuses, as appropriate, on strategies students can use when working independently and invites student intellectual engagement. The teacher's spoken and written language is clear and correct and is suitable to students' ages and interests. The teacher's use of academic vocabulary is precise and serves to extend student understanding.
What might this look like?- The teacher says, "By the end of today's lesson you're all going to be able to write a conclusion that relates to the opinion you presented."
- While presenting content, the teacher asks students, "Can anyone think of an example of that?"
- The teacher uses an anchor chart or Smartboard for task directions so that students can refer to it without needing the teacher's help.
- The teacher says, "When you're trying to solve a math problem like this, you might think of a similar, but simpler problem you've done in the past and see whether the same approach would work."
- The teacher explains passive solar energy by having students think about the temperature in a closed car on a cold, but sunny day.
- The teacher uses a Venn diagram to illustrate the distinctions between a republic and a democracy.
In a distinguished classroom...
The teacher links the instructional purpose of the lesson to the larger curriculum; the directions and procedures are clear and anticipate possible student misunderstanding. The teacher's explanation of content is thorough and clear, developing conceptual understanding through clear scaffolding and connecting with students' interests. Students contribute to extending the content by explaining concepts to their classmates and suggesting strategies that might be used. The teacher's spoken and written language is expressive, and the teacher finds opportunities to extend students' vocabularies, both within the discipline and for more general use. Students contribute to the correct use of academic vocabulary.
What might this look like?
- When asked, students are able to explain what they are learning and where it fits into the larger curriculum context.
- The teacher says, "Here is a spot where some students have difficulty; be sure to read it carefully."
- The teacher asks a student to explain the task to other students.
- The teacher asks, "Who would like to explain this idea to us?"
- The teacher pauses during an explanation of the civil rights movement to remind students that the prefix in- as in inequality means "not" and that the prefix un- also means the same thing.
- A student explains an academic term to classmates.
Things to reflect upon...
- Are students able to explain what they are learning?
- How do you use metaphors, analogies or other strategies to bring content to life for students?
- How do you use and help students learn academic vocabulary?
- How do you ensure students understand what they are supposed to do?
* Much of this work on the Danielson Framework comes directly from a "Teachscape" information document called "Framework for Teaching."
Comment Question of the Week:
How do you involve students in explaining content to each other?
After explaining the learning target/directions etc.in child friendly language while tying it into some of the more difficult adult/correct vocabulary, I will often ask students to explain to a partner what it is that is expected of them. Sometimes if I see some wrinkled brows, I may ask a student to explain what they are learning/task to their peers, all the while listening and watching for correct interpretation/responses. Sometimes students can come up with a very concise way of telling others what it is they are learning or are to do (unlike this wordy response!).
ReplyDeleteI address the learning target on my SMARTBoard presentation at the onset of each lesson. Many times during my lessons, the students turn and talk to share their thinking and learning related to the lesson target.
ReplyDeleteLike Courtney, I also have the kids turn and talk frequently to explain their understanding. iMovie is another tool that we're beginning to play around with to allow students to communicate their thinking and learning to other students.
ReplyDeleteLike Jenny and Courtney, I make sure our learning target is visible as we discuss it at the start of each lesson. I provide students with regular opportunities to reflect and then turn and talk to build their understanding around that target. I would like to work on creating a deeper sense of ownership within my students so that they can confidently articulate our target and its relevance on a regular basis.
ReplyDelete