Houlton Headlines: Learning Targets

While I recognize that Learning Targets are not a new concept, I'd like to take time to refresh our thinking on their use and purpose! With the many other things demanding attention this year, some of our "best practices" have been overrun. As I've been in classrooms, learning targets is one thing I haven't seen utilized as much as we have in the past, and I've identified it as an area that can benefit from a "refocus" in our instruction (classroom, specialist, interventionist). I shared this information with the SMART team last week, and Lori will be working with PLCs on Tuesday to continue the discussion with teams. Specialists - please reach out to Lori with any questions/support.

When we think about Learning Targets, a reminder that:

Teachers need to reflect on what they want their students to KNOW, LEARN, DO and SHOW in order to plan and deliver effective instruction and learning opportunities.
Students must understand what they are to know, understand, and be able to do BEFORE learning takes place! It is part of setting the purpose for learning and helps students focus on what is important in the reading/or lesson.

A Learning Target can take from “five seconds to five days” depending on:

Complexity of the knowledge, skill, reasoning or product
the overall importance in the curriculum (level of mastery, continuum of learning)
Students – age, abilities, prior experience and cognitive development.
Formative Assessment results

Lori will have conversations during Tuesday's PLC time about the use of Learning Targets to:

clearly identify and maintain focus on objective, at the beginning-middle-end of lesson
clearly identify purpose for student learning (rationale)
formatively assess instructional objectives to determine next steps

And finally, utilizing FPC in identifying and explaining the purpose for the reading lessons.