Embedded Files
How to Empower Learners
How to Empower Learners
The Empower Learners segment of Cyclical Unit Design is a transitional segment sandwiched between prior learning and new learning that is too often overlooked.
The Empower Learners segment of Cyclical Unit Design is a transitional segment sandwiched between prior learning and new learning that is too often overlooked.
The real goal is to enhance student academic self-efficacy (belief that one will succeed in your class) by engaging students in three types of activities: self-assessment, goal setting, and action planning. In a nutshell - we hope to help students connect the dots between the effortful use of effective learning strategies and academic outcomes. We hope to communicate that learning isn't magic. We aren't born 'smart' or 'dumb' - but rather, we can all succeed at learning if we excerpt the effort required of success.
The real goal is to enhance student academic self-efficacy (belief that one will succeed in your class) by engaging students in three types of activities: self-assessment, goal setting, and action planning. In a nutshell - we hope to help students connect the dots between the effortful use of effective learning strategies and academic outcomes. We hope to communicate that learning isn't magic. We aren't born 'smart' or 'dumb' - but rather, we can all succeed at learning if we excerpt the effort required of success.
Helping students to accurately self-assess, set SMART goals, and use effective learning strategies are hallmarks of promoting self-regulated learning.
Helping students to accurately self-assess, set SMART goals, and use effective learning strategies are hallmarks of promoting self-regulated learning.
Below you will find:
Below you will find:
* A Webinar Explaining the Empower Learner Segment
* A Webinar Explaining the Empower Learner Segment
* More Guidance on Self-Assessment, Goal Setting, and Action Planning
* More Guidance on Self-Assessment, Goal Setting, and Action Planning
Webinar: How to Empower Learners
Webinar: How to Empower Learners
BLBP-Empower Learners.mp4Self-Assessments
Self-Assessments
The first step is to help students accurately self-assess.
The first step is to help students accurately self-assess.
Prior to learning, we engage students in a self-assessment of their current ability to accomplish the learning objectives of our unit / chapter. While the method with which students self-assess may look different, the structure of the prompt remains the same across all content areas and grade levels.
Prior to learning, we engage students in a self-assessment of their current ability to accomplish the learning objectives of our unit / chapter. While the method with which students self-assess may look different, the structure of the prompt remains the same across all content areas and grade levels.
Turn your academic learning objectives into student-friendly "I Can" statements.
Turn your academic learning objectives into student-friendly "I Can" statements.
For example -
For example -
Here is NDE's ELA Standard for Fluency in 7th Grade:
Here is NDE's ELA Standard for Fluency in 7th Grade:
LA 7.1.4 Fluency: Students will read a variety of grade-level print/digital texts fluently with accuracy, appropriate pace, phrasing, and expression to support comprehension.
LA 7.1.4 Fluency: Students will read a variety of grade-level print/digital texts fluently with accuracy, appropriate pace, phrasing, and expression to support comprehension.
Here is that same standard written in a student-friendly I Can statement:
Here is that same standard written in a student-friendly I Can statement:
LA 7.1.4 Fluency: I can read a variety of texts fluently and with expression.
LA 7.1.4 Fluency: I can read a variety of texts fluently and with expression.
*Many of our Text books include learning objectives already written in student-friendly I Can statements at the front of a unit / chapter.
*Many of our Text books include learning objectives already written in student-friendly I Can statements at the front of a unit / chapter.
Methods of Self-Assessment
Methods of Self-Assessment
There are many methods for facilitating self-assessments but they all start out with the same question: How confident are you?
There are many methods for facilitating self-assessments but they all start out with the same question: How confident are you?
This example comes from a World Language classroom:
This example comes from a World Language classroom:
Though, if you're not in love with a number-based Likert Scale, there are other options:
Though, if you're not in love with a number-based Likert Scale, there are other options:
All of these communicate the degree to which the student is confident.
All of these communicate the degree to which the student is confident.
The desire is that students engage in self-assessments both at the front end of a new unit and at the back end of the unit. At the front end, our goal is to help inform students what they are going to learn throughout the unit. The pre-assessment also serves as a baseline from which students can then compare to their post-assessment in order to gauge growth throughout.
The desire is that students engage in self-assessments both at the front end of a new unit and at the back end of the unit. At the front end, our goal is to help inform students what they are going to learn throughout the unit. The pre-assessment also serves as a baseline from which students can then compare to their post-assessment in order to gauge growth throughout.
Goal Setting
Goal Setting
Step 2 of Empower Learners is to help students turn their self-assessments into goal statements. During the knowledge application phase of Cyclical Unit Design, it is desired that students play an active role in deciding how they are going to apply the unit's learning objectives.
Step 2 of Empower Learners is to help students turn their self-assessments into goal statements. During the knowledge application phase of Cyclical Unit Design, it is desired that students play an active role in deciding how they are going to apply the unit's learning objectives.
Goal setting can take many forms, but it boils down to one essential question:
Goal setting can take many forms, but it boils down to one essential question:
How will you show that you can [learning objective]?
How will you show that you can [learning objective]?
3 Common Difficulties with Goal Setting
3 Common Difficulties with Goal Setting
1) When students are asked what their goal is for a given unit / chapter, they generally think in terms of grades. While achievement goals are not bad, the desire is to promote student voice in deciding how they will show what they know through the creation of application-level projects.
1) When students are asked what their goal is for a given unit / chapter, they generally think in terms of grades. While achievement goals are not bad, the desire is to promote student voice in deciding how they will show what they know through the creation of application-level projects.
Potential Solution: Ask students to set two types of goals: one for the unit test, and the second for their project. This validates student achievement goals and still accomplishes the objective of promoting student voice.
Potential Solution: Ask students to set two types of goals: one for the unit test, and the second for their project. This validates student achievement goals and still accomplishes the objective of promoting student voice.
2) Another common difficulty we face in the classroom is a lack of ample time for students to engage in prolonged projects. While it is desired that students to demonstrate their ability to apply the unit's learning objectives, it may be impossible for students to create an extended project each unit and still cover everything needed to be covered.
2) Another common difficulty we face in the classroom is a lack of ample time for students to engage in prolonged projects. While it is desired that students to demonstrate their ability to apply the unit's learning objectives, it may be impossible for students to create an extended project each unit and still cover everything needed to be covered.
Potential Solution: Instead of asking students to create a LARGE project addressing each of the learning objectives of the unit. Potentially, students could decide which of the unit's learning objectives they wish to dive deeper into for a smaller, quicker application-level mini-project. Students will be required to demonstrate mastery of ALL the learning objectives on the unit's summative assessment. Allowing students to choose among those learning objectives when creating a project further enhances student choice and buy in.
Potential Solution: Instead of asking students to create a LARGE project addressing each of the learning objectives of the unit. Potentially, students could decide which of the unit's learning objectives they wish to dive deeper into for a smaller, quicker application-level mini-project. Students will be required to demonstrate mastery of ALL the learning objectives on the unit's summative assessment. Allowing students to choose among those learning objectives when creating a project further enhances student choice and buy in.
3) Evaluating student goals can be difficult. Is it OK if students set a goal to obtain a C on the test?
3) Evaluating student goals can be difficult. Is it OK if students set a goal to obtain a C on the test?
Potential Solution: The SMART Goal framework (specific, measurable, agreed upon, realistic, and time-based) is both great for helping students set goals and it could also be used to create a rubric for assessing them:
Potential Solution: The SMART Goal framework (specific, measurable, agreed upon, realistic, and time-based) is both great for helping students set goals and it could also be used to create a rubric for assessing them:
Setting goals is an important component of empowering learners. This occurs at the beginning of the unit or directly ahead of beginning an application-level project. Reflecting on goal attainment is an important component of goal setting.
Setting goals is an important component of empowering learners. This occurs at the beginning of the unit or directly ahead of beginning an application-level project. Reflecting on goal attainment is an important component of goal setting.
The key question for students to ponder isn't: Did you meet your goal? - but: How. This is directly related to action planning, the next stage of Empowering Learners.
The key question for students to ponder isn't: Did you meet your goal? - but: How. This is directly related to action planning, the next stage of Empowering Learners.
Action Planning
Action Planning
Empowering Learners requires that they:
Empowering Learners requires that they:
1) Understand where they are currently in relation to what is expected.
1) Understand where they are currently in relation to what is expected.
2) Decide where they'd like to be through the creation SMART goals for growth.
2) Decide where they'd like to be through the creation SMART goals for growth.
3) Develop a plan for attaining their goals.
3) Develop a plan for attaining their goals.
Developing an action plan asks students to identify what they are going to do and when they are going to do it.
Developing an action plan asks students to identify what they are going to do and when they are going to do it.
Action Planning for Achievement Goals
Action Planning for Achievement Goals
Getting an A on the test is a fine goal. But how will the student achieve it? Here the conversation is around effective learning strategies. The distinction needs to be made between teaching strategies (things teacher do to effectively convey information / processes) and learning strategies (things students do to learn / processes).
Getting an A on the test is a fine goal. But how will the student achieve it? Here the conversation is around effective learning strategies. The distinction needs to be made between teaching strategies (things teacher do to effectively convey information / processes) and learning strategies (things students do to learn / processes).
Thinking about learning strategies is not something that is frequently asked of students. Educators can help students build study skills through explicit instruction on one learning strategy each chapter / unit. Good strategy instruction includes four components:
Thinking about learning strategies is not something that is frequently asked of students. Educators can help students build study skills through explicit instruction on one learning strategy each chapter / unit. Good strategy instruction includes four components:
When introducing strategies to students, we are normally pretty good about showing students how to perform the strategy and providing students with time to practice, or perfect the new strategy.
When introducing strategies to students, we are normally pretty good about showing students how to perform the strategy and providing students with time to practice, or perfect the new strategy.
However, we don't always spend enough time on explaining why the strategy is good or brainstorming with students in which situations the strategy could be used.
However, we don't always spend enough time on explaining why the strategy is good or brainstorming with students in which situations the strategy could be used.
Knowing not only how, but also why and when to use different learning strategies is paramount for students to become autonomous, or self-regulated, learners.
Knowing not only how, but also why and when to use different learning strategies is paramount for students to become autonomous, or self-regulated, learners.
Action Planning for Project Goals
Action Planning for Project Goals
Action planning for project goals looks a bit different. Here we are asking students to identify the steps they will take to create their project. This might look like a simple T-Chart:
Action planning for project goals looks a bit different. Here we are asking students to identify the steps they will take to create their project. This might look like a simple T-Chart:
Asking students to break larger tasks into smaller pieces and then decide when those things will be finished will help students self-monitor throughout the process of creating the project. It is also a great way for the teacher to ensure students stay on task.
Asking students to break larger tasks into smaller pieces and then decide when those things will be finished will help students self-monitor throughout the process of creating the project. It is also a great way for the teacher to ensure students stay on task.
All information included on this webpage is licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. This means you may remix, tweak, and build upon this work non-commercially, as long as you credit the creator(s) and license your new creations under the identical terms.
All information included on this webpage is licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. This means you may remix, tweak, and build upon this work non-commercially, as long as you credit the creator(s) and license your new creations under the identical terms.
For more information on Creative Commons licenses - Click Here
For more information on Creative Commons licenses - Click Here
Report abuse