What if you were their last teacher?

I was recently reviewing data in support of Common Core and the states that follow the standards in 2022. As I clicked through the sites, I stumbled upon data for high school and bachelor's degree graduation rates in Arizona. The data showed that on average 40% of students, regardless of demographics, obtained a bachelor's degree in Arizona (World Population Review, n.d.) As an educator, I immediately thought about the overarching goal of the K-12 standards, to support learners for college and career readiness. What if you were your student's last teacher and the mindset was to prepare your class for college readiness as the end goal? Would instruction meet the needs of all learners? How do educators expand their professional practice in support for learners who are moving directly towards a career after high school?

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Hanover Research's 2014 article outlines the paths necessary for student success. While many may focus on the importance of the academic track, social emotional and executive function skills are just as important for learners. Social emotional and executive function skills set the foundation for adolescents and adults to employ multifaceted academic skills throughout their lives.

Early Childhood and Executive Function

Teens and Executive Function

Readiness: More than Academics

Researchers have identified the skills that are essential for students to have for both college and career readiness. These skills should not be overlooked when designing curriculum, learning experiences, or implementing instruction. Aside from spectrum of executive function skills highlighted in the videos above, instruction should also incorporate "communication, problem solving, teamwork, leadership, creativity, self-awareness, social responsibility, and self-management" (Plano ISD Academics, n.d., para. 10).

Social Reconstructive Ideology

As mentioned in previous posts, reflecting upon academic theory, execution, student/class needs, and skills are an essential component of quality pedagogy. Thus, jumping to enhance executive function and career readiness also cannot and should not happen without investing the "thyme" in exploring ideologies or design models that support this goal.

Schiro (2013) outlines the Social Reconstructive Ideology by reiterating the need for students to assess real world issues that have an impact on their community. These assessments are found in project or problem-based learning design models. These models create opportunities for students to "communicate, problem solve, work in teams, share leadership responsibilities, and create" (Plano ISD Academics, n.d., para. 10.) all while becoming aware of how their engagement, actions, and attention impacts outcomes not only for themselves, but the outcomes that affect their friends, families, and community.

Executive Function and Career Readiness in Action...

The Options

Project Based Learning

Project Based Learning (PBL) is an instructional design where experiences are planned from the ground up. Choosing a topic or theme of interest may get your students excited or provide the "buy in" you've been looking for, however, the work that surrounds the topic derives from the standards and the skills they are intended to advance. Projects are framed around questions that do not lead to one correct answer (Murawski & Scott, 2019). The project's success is dependent upon a set structure that allows the students to work with the standards, essential questions, rubrics, timelines, and deliverables. The teacher's role also shifts from a direct instructor to a facilitator who is prepared to question, suggest, or challenge students' critical thinking skills and incorporate cross curricular skills as they research, problems solve, and execute tasks.

Shifting from Direct Instruction to Facilitator

When students work independently, their academic sucess is limited to their own knowledge and application. They miss out on moments to teach what they know (solidifying meaning) or expand on what they know through the conceptual interpretation of others. Passing the opportunity to shift instruction onto the students promotes each student's ability to present, apply and explain information in relation to their prior knowledge, experiences, skills, or abilities (Murawski & Scott, 2019).

As a facilitator, the teacher sets the stage for a successful project. In the book What Really Works with Univeral Design for Learning, Philip Bernhardt authors a chapter that lists the components that drive the students to successfully apply academics to the project (Murawski & Scott, 2019). Bernhardt's components are in direct alignment with the social emotional and executive function qualities and characteristics that prepare our students not only for college readiness, but career readiness. Planning should include:

1. Creating the Question - Students develop a question that guides inquiry through application of skill, critical thinking, and collaboration.

2. Defining Assessments - Rubrics, timelines, and performance markers should be planned to promote student led instruction by supporting interest, motivation, timelines, feedback, and reflection.

3. Sources - Using the curriculum as a resource, what sources will add to the academic content needed to set the foundation for understanding pertaining to the standard.

4. Key Terms - Students will need to be proficient in their conceptual understanding and ability to infer and apply meaning throughout the project's work cycle and deliverables.

5. KWL - Know, Want to Know, Learned (KWL) charts allow teachers to assess prior knowledge at the beginning of the project to facilitate the students' ability to define their project. The K portion of the chart documents the knowledge that each student brings to the project. This also provides an opportunity to assess the resources and references to provide students to advance in thought, fill gaps, or offer points of view.

6. Multiple Points of View - Varied real world application and outcomes from the past or other cultures provide examples to analyze.

7. Current Events on the Topic - Frame your project and resources around events that would benefit from the results of your project, keeping in mind that the situation may lend itself to opposing outcomes, results, or solutions. Offering the variety of examples allows students to engage in analyzing cause and effect relationships, inferencing, predictions, and debates.

8. Accessible Content, Materials, Resources, Guest Speakers - Physical items have a big impact on the project's real-life application and relevance. Images, books, articles, videos and websites present information in a familiar 2D. Presenters, field experience, tangible materials, and tools bring the project to life while furthering the natural incorporation of cross curricular content and skills.

(Murawski & Scott, 2019)

Before diving into PBL, High Quality Project Based Learning (HQPBL) and PBL Works are valuable resources to recognize the use and benefits of the model across K-12 instruction. The sites offer planning and instructional practices that set PBL apart from traditional lessons.

Understanding by Design (UbD)

A clear objective and assessment or product outcome are required before a unit can be designed. The Understanding by Design framework lends itself to creating experiences that are planned from the standards down to the learning activities.

Wiggins and McTighe’s (1998) Understanding by Design model promotes the instructional goal that lessons should move “toward more learning through less teaching” (p.161). As the teacher transitions to a facilitator, student learning requires the group to not only work with one another but learn from one another.

Stages of Understanding by Design Planning

Stage 1

1. Determine learning standard or goal.

2. How will the students transfer their understanding of the goal to a task?

3. Define that task.

4. Create an essential question that will be a reference point to drive all instruction.

5. Determine the skills required to accomplish the goal.

Stage 2

1. What is the final assessment method used to evaluate the application of skills (Projects or Narratives)?

2. What are the tools needed to evaluate the application of developing skills (Assignments, Graphic Organizers, Journals, Exit Tickets)?

3. How do the assessments and tools tie back to demonstrate understanding and critical thinking when analyzing the essential question and when determining the goal?

Stage 3

1. Tie each lesson to the essential question.

2. Create mini lessons designed for introductory lessons.

3. Create systematic lessons layering the acquisition of developing skills.

4. Use student comments as teachable moments when aligned with the essential question.

5. Use textbooks for reference or extensions of lessons.

6. Create a plan for differentiated instruction.

(Avenues: The World School, 2013a, 2013b; Shiro, 2013; Wiggins & McTighe, 2012)

Creating Opportunities that Support Executive Function

PBL and UbD both offer learning opportunities that nurture and build executive function skills and provide relevance to standards, objectives and skills. What would instruction look like where the two models were one?

One Final Thought...

Which instructional design interests you the most. Ask yourself, "What if I were their last teacher?"

Which instructional design would you choose if you were their last teacher?

• 0%Project Based Learning (PBL)
• 0%Understanding by Design (UbD)
• 0%PBL by Design

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References

Avenues: The World School. (2013a, February 23). Grant Wiggins – Understanding by design (1 of 2) [Video File]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4isSHf3SBuQ

Avenues: The World School. (2013b, February 23). Grant Wiggins – Understanding by design (2 of 2) [Video File]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgNODvvsgxM

Center on the Developing Child Harvard University. (2012, June 18). In brief: Executive function: Skills for life and learning [Video File]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efCq_vHUMqs&t=59s

Edutopia. (2021, April 2). Bolstering executive function in middle and high school students [Video File]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqOsPl2OqT0

Edutopia. (2020, March 20). Deepening learning with understanding by design [Video File]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4RbZ2F5K1g

DavidLeeEdTech. (2015, May 12). Introduction to project based learning (PBL) process [Video File]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08D0dBGIzYQ

Hanover Research. (2014, September 24). Why college and career readiness is an integral component of K-12 education. https://www.hanoverresearch.com/insights-blog/why-college-and-career-readiness-is-an-integral-component-of-k-12-education/

Logston, A. (2021, June 9). KWL strategy improves reading skills. Very Well Family. https://www.verywellfamily.com/kwl-what-is-kwl-2162741

Plano ISD Academics. (n.d.) Why college and career readiness is an integral component of K-12 education. Why College and Career Readiness is an Integral Component of K-12 Education (pisd.edu)

Schiro, M. S. (2013). Curriculum theory: conflicting visions and enduring concerns. SAGE.

Spencer, J. (2022, March 31). PBL by design [Video File]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmYKE0-FINY

Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by design. ASCD.

Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2012). Understanding by design framework. ASCD

World Population Review. (n.d.) Arizona population 2022. https://worldpopulationreview.com/states/arizona-population

Academic Cookbook

Preparing for a dinner, holiday, or even a potluck event has many of us search the internet, cookbooks, or cooking magazines for the perfect recipe that will wow the guests. However, during the search, there may be dozens of recipes for the same item, and each has varying ingredients, cooking methods, and serving sizes. As cooks, we rarely give a second thought when adding a little of this or that, finding a substitute for an ingredient that may be missing, or omitting an allergen, such as nuts. This idea is relatable to educators as well. By shifting this idea to the classroom, educators reflect, evaluate, and adjust the academic "ingredients" accordingly. The academic cookbook allows us to rethink our approach by putting the thyme into the evaluation of instruction, learning needs, and experiences.

Ask yourself, 'Is there a "missing ingredient" in my instruction?'

The Cookbook: Theory, Curriculum, or Both...

Curriculum Theory

When educators plan instruction, they need to evaluate two areas, the audience and the intent of the lesson. Both the audience and the lesson’s intent require the proper evaluation for the desired result to determine which of the four instructional ideologies may best apply. Schiro (2013) tells us that the four instructional theories are represented by ideologies: Scholar Academic, Social Efficient, Learning Centered, and Social Reconstruction. Although a teacher may lean towards one or two instructional ideologies, there are lessons that lend themselves to an alternate approach that may be the missing ingredient the instruction needs. When educators recognize the value each ideology provides, a well-rounded curriculum is designed to benefit the whole child.

A well-rounded approach to exposing students to the best of each theory would be to match the ideology with the lesson’s objective. For example, students working on a science fair lesson would benefit from the Scholar Academic model by performing scholarly tasks of hypothesis, research, trial and error, and the review of peer work (Schiro, 2013). A lesson that lends itself to a procedural design would align with the Social Efficient model, such as an early childhood classroom’s circle time routine (Schiro, 2013). Student initiated lessons based on interests, such as passion projects, reflect the Learning Centered model (Schiro, 2013). When transferring academic content to their relevance in the community, service projects and community outreach lessons align with the Social Reconstruction model (Schiro, 2013).

It is important for educators to fully understand the value of each learning ideology, even if the ideology differs from one’s own educational philosophy (Schiro, 2013). As educators become familiar with each ideology their lessons are designed with intentional objectives to promote academic success, mastery of skill, or social responsibility.

Curriculum

Year after year, teachers spend hours searching the internet, local bookstores, and professional development resources to find the missing ingredient in their instruction. Does this mean the curriculum you are using is subpar and will not lead to mastery skills in alignment with college or career readiness? No, the curriculum is a cookbook, a guide of best practices that can adapt to your class from year to year or from student to student. The recipe for students should begin with understanding the skills that are required to engaged in a standards-based curriculum. Once the skills are evaluated, the academic recipe can be adjusted with your learners in mind.

The Recipe: Cognitive Load, Instructional Practices, & Differentiation...

The Recipe for Experiences | Cognitive Load Theory (CLT)

Whether students are partaking in academic experiences or daily tasks, working memory is activated as the brain navigates how to organize, store, or discard the information that is being presented. Liesl McConchie (2022) reminds educators that the brain defaults to what is easy first. When employing John Sweller's Cognitive Load Theory, we can adjust our instruction (or the recipe) to lessen the demands on the brain which allows information to be processed and organized within our schema while advancing application, skill, and content (Soloman, n.d.).

The Recipe for Instructional Practice

There are many ingredients that form a recipe, however quality ingredients can have impact on the result. This is also true with instructional practice. Quality instructional design found when using the framework from Understanding by Design, by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe (1998), requires the standards, assessments, and essential questions to drive instruction. The lessons that the students engage in require careful planning to ensure the lessons support the standard (Wiggins, 2013). As the lessons progress, the anticipatory activities are purposely planned based on the prior day's instruction. This allows students to recall prior lessons, terms, theories, or formulas which lessen the students' cognitive load while preparing the brain to interact with new content (McConchie, 2022).

Employing Richard Mayers's Coherence Principle leads to quality pedagogical practices throughout the anticipatory, introduction, and review portions of the lesson. This practice reinforces understanding by allowing working memory to transfer content to long-term memory, and the successful application of content (Mayer, 2009). These practices must also include the analysis and reflection of instruction, informal observations of student work, as well as work samples to create opportunities to differentiate the instructional opportunities for content exploration and mastery.

The Recipe for Differentiation:

In a classroom of diverse learners, it is important to know how to apply each of the learning theories to best meet the needs of all learners in a classroom. At any given time, students can work on various tasks to support learners who need systematic - routine instruction, those who enjoy discussions and application problems, and those who thrive off of choice. While the students are learning the same content, diversifying opportunities for students to engage in the content meets the needs of learners. Some examples of diversified instruction are differentiated anticipatory activities, spelling strategies, choice boards, and interactive games.

Anticipatory Activities | Activating Memory

Differentiation of anticipatory activities does not mean that you need to plan multiple activities to begin a lesson, but it does change how you phrase or present the information to encourage students to engage with the content (McConchie, 2021).

• Write, draw, or create 3 things that remind you of our lesson from yesterday.

• Choose the entrance ticket of your choice to show what you remember.

• Create a problem (word problem, equation, cloze sentence, or diagram) for a peer with the answer on the back. Solve a classmate's problem.

• Find your term or definition partner. Create an image, poem, story, or quote that explains your term. (McConchie, 2021).

Spelling

Classes are comprised of students who benefit from needing modified instruction to those who are proficient spellers. Differentiation allows for each student to engage in spelling opportunities that meets the needs of the speller, such as orthographic mapping and lists that focus on rime patters. When students are proficient spellers, students apply proof reading skills to find misspelled words or create short passages with their choice of spelling words.

Choice Boards

Another area that can assist in differentiating instruction is the “I’m Done!” board. This board is full of post it notes with open ended questions on current subject matter.

• Math problems, and the application of mathematical concepts and terms.

• Grammatical challenges, word order usage, dictionary skills, and handwriting challenges.

• Digital choice board with illustration activities, research challenges, science experiments, numeracy, as well as reading and writing extensions. TeachersPayTeachers has a variety of choice boards that can be adapted for your students' learning needs.

Digital Tools

The final example that can be used across subject areas is Jeopardy Labs. Students enjoy applying what they have learned to the question format of the game. Questions of varying levels of application promote both a challenge and critical thinking.

The Final Product?

Is the recipe ever complete? Is there ever a final product? As your lessons come to an end, take thyme to reflect, evaluate, and adjust to ensure the next lesson has the right ingredients to meet tomorrow's learners.

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References

Avenues of the World. (2013). Grant Wiggins. Understanding by design (Part 1 and 2) [Video File]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4isSHf3SBuQ

Mayer, R. (2009). Coherence Principle. Multimedia Learning (pp. 89-107). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511811678.007

McConchie, L. (2021). All students can learn math.

http://lieslmcconchie.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/All_Students_Can_Learn_Math-Liesl_McConchie.pdf

McConchie, L. (2022). Part 1: A math class built with the brain in mind. http://lieslmcconchie.com/

McGraw-Hill PreK-12. (2019, January 9). Teaching strategies: Cognitive load theory [Video File]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpA6RdE0aYo

Schiro, M. S. (2013). Curriculum theory: conflicting visions and enduring concerns. SAGE.

Soloman, H. (n.d.) Cognitive load theory (John Sweller). https://www.insturctionaldesign.org/theories/cognitive-load/

Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (1998). Backward Design. Understanding by Design (pp. 13-34). ASCD.

Wisc-Online. (2018, October 18). Coherence principle [Video File]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTyr9P15JhI

Is chocolate a fraction?

Progression of Skill for Application

Students need to have a connection to their learning to make the lessons relevant to everyday life. Framing lessons around slogans, GIFs, or images may help peak student interest which engages students on a deeper level. Layering lessons with hands on application, experience exploring content through a variety of technological resources, and independent practice prepares students to apply what they have learned to events or scenarios found in their communities or around the world (Dwyer, 2016).

Using Technology in Layers

When planning lessons, educators provide many opportunities for students to explore content based on the varied learning styles found in every classroom. Creating lessons that fit all learning styles can be found within one lesson design when teachers are mindful about planning for all learners (Cudney, 2017). Understanding that students need opportunities to practice what they are learning with support and reinforcement allows students to progress in skill development, which leads to mastery. Evaluating the use of technology within the various layers of a lesson provides differentiation to a lesson design. We will evaluate the use of technology through a math lesson’s exploration of fractions as students decide "Is chocolate a fraction?"

Stage 1: Technology Assisting Lesson Introduction and Guided Practice

Technology is a valuable tool in assisting students to acquire the skills necessary create meaning or mastery. Technology can be used at each stage of an introductory lesson practice such as the "I DO" (teacher modeled), "WE DO" (guided practice), "YOU DO" (independent practice) (Killian, 2015). The "I DO" practice may consist of a video or imagery modeling concepts or skills. Technology in both the "WE DO" and the "YOU DO" can be most useful for a quick check for meaning, step by step skill development, or an informal assessment of independent practice. Kapuler (2020) lists 30 sites to find a tool that fits the needs of each student. Teachers can use sites like Nearpod across curricula. The various templates and engagement strategies align with guided practice, independent skill assessment, and even exit tickets. Students may be given bar models, represented by chocolate bars to identify fractions. Nearpod also allows students to identify fractions through multiple choice or by drawing draw bar models that represent fractions. At the lesson conclusion, students can journal their thoughts about how chocolate is a fraction.

Stage 2: Further Development of Skill

As the lesson progresses, students begin to further develop skills by expanding on what they are learning. Recognizing fractions is one step, however transferring fractions in bar model form to a fractional representation as a whole number or improper fraction advances the skill. Videos that review previously mastered skills and incorporate a new idea or skill can be used to demonstrate how skills can be applied. Websites can assist all learners in furthering skill development through videos, application problems, and one on one teacher support. Curriculum Pathways offers short videos followed by application problems and short answer questions. Applications like Khan Academy and Zearn accesses students on a variety of levels by creating an audio-visual representation in the video format (whole numbers and improper fractions), an application problem which puts the presented idea into practice, and a space for students to verbally explain their thought process. This design taps into a variety of ways that students can demonstrate understanding that supports their learning style. At this lesson's conclusion, students journal as they brainstorm ideas about how chocolate is a fraction in terms of whole numbers or improper fractions.

Stage 3: Applying Ideas to Scenarios Around the World - Is Chocolate a Fraction?

Students can begin to unpack how chocolate applies to fractions with the story from Jenny McGlone, Switzerland: A Chocolate Chronology (2020). McGlone's article is one of many found on the website Mathkind. Mathkind shares real stories and scenarios that happen all over the world. Each story has a variety of application or extension activities to further explore the topic. McGlone (2020) begins her story quoting the ratio of people that like chocolate. The article continues giving an overview of chocolate as well as the ratios of cocoa for types of chocolate bars. Students can use the story to create fractions for ratios, determine the ratios of students who like chocolate in their classroom, create their own chocolate bar models in visual and fractional form, as well as identify percentages to ratios. At the lesson’s conclusion, students can review their previous thoughts about chocolate in relation to various fractions and collaborate with classmates about how their ideas have evolved.

Chocolate is a Fraction!

When lesson design is spiraled with intent, technology can assist in lesson implementation and progression. Allowing students to understand skills outside of the classroom provides students an opportunity to see the relevance in their learning as well as opportunities to access what they do know to a variety of areas, to include other cultures, countries, and ideas (Dwyer, 2016).

After a lesson that is as technology rich, such as this, I wonder how many students will ever see a chocolate bar as anything but a fraction?!

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References

Cudney, E. A. (2017). Listening to the voice of the student in course design. The Journal for Quality and Participation, 40(2), 35-38. https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/scholarly-journals/listening-voice-student-course-design/docview/1924521930/se-2?accountid=7374

Dwyer, B. (2016). Teaching and learning in the global village: Connect, create, collaborate, and communicate. Reading Teacher, 70(1), 131–136. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1002/trtr.1500

Kapuler, D. (2020, February 12). 30 sites for differentiated instruction. Teach and Learning. https://www.techlearning.com/features/15-sites-for-differentiated-instruction

Killlian, S. (2015, August 16). 8 ways to use I do you do we do model to boost student results. Evidence Based Teaching. https://www.evidencebasedteaching.org.au/the-i-do-we-do-you-do-model-explained/

McGlone, J. (2020). Switzerland: A chocolate chronology. Teachers 2 Teachers Global. https://t2tglobal.org/global-math-stories/switzerland/