1c: Setting Instructional Outcomes

Teaching is a purposeful activity; even the most imaginative activities are directed toward certain desired learning. Therefore, establishing instructional outcomes entails identifying exactly what students will be expected to learn; the outcomes describe not what students will do, but what they will learn. The instructional outcomes should reflect important learning and must lend themselves to various forms of assessment through which all students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of the content. Insofar as the outcomes determine the instructional activities, the resources used, their suitability for diverse learners, and the methods of assessment employed, they hold a central place in domain 1.

Learning outcomes may be of a number of different types: factual and procedural knowledge, conceptual understanding, thinking and reasoning skills, and collaborative and communication strategies. In addition, some learning outcomes refer to dispositions; it’s important not only that students learn to read but also, educators hope, that they will like to read. In addition, experienced teachers are able to link their learning outcomes with outcomes both within their discipline and in other disciplines.

Danielson, C. 2013

Artifact 1c-1

Attached is an Instructional Map that I created for my Literacy Practicum. Creating a instructional map before each lesson of the next with with my partner helped me have clear objectives and outcomes. I worked on this with my partner who went to the same class the other two days of the week. It helped me understand the instructional outcomes the students were expected of while I was there and what she had expected of them for when I wasn't there. It helped me see the benefit in collaborating to set those instructional outcomes and what is expected of the students. I plan to use these in my future teaching so that I can best help my students and progress their learning as much as possible.

Artifact 1c-2

As part of my Senior Practicum Unit I created, I made a list of the Big Ideas, Essential Questions and the desired results of my unit. Doing these was beneficial to me before making each of the lesson plans. It helped me keep the clarity and balance of how I needed the unit to go. While student teaching and even when I am a teacher, it will be beneficial to have these in mind as I create more units and teach more based on my students and their abilities.