Primary / Elementary School

Documentation: When does it Make Learning Visible?

Questions for Tuning Up a Lesson Plan

These questions will help you to "tune up" an existing lesson plan to focus more on goals, performances of understanding, and assessment. You can view an outline of these questions below. View the full document by clicking the download link in the right-hand column.

Part 1: Focus on Goals and Performances

I. About the Understanding Goals

II. About Performances of Understanding

III. About the Match between Goals and Performances

Part 2: Focus on Assessment

I. Why will you assess? Criteria for understanding.

II. When will you assess? Opportunities to do an "understanding check"

III. How will you assess? A variety of strategies for giving feedback

IV. Who will do the assessing? A variety of perspectives

Causal Patterns in Simple Circuits: Lessons to Infuse into Electricity Units...

Causal Patterns in Simple Circuits is a set of lessons that are to be infused into a broader unit on simple electrical circuits. The lessons are designed to address a set of persistent misunderstandings that students have when learning about simple circuits. These misunderstandings stem from how students reason about the nature of causality. Background information is given to help teachers understand typical misunderstandings and how each shows up in students reasoning about simple circuits. The module is designed to move students away from linear and sequential models towards more complex models that better explain the way circuits work. Each lesson includes subject matter goals and more general goals about the nature of cause and effect, as well as a set of steps to help students assess their understanding and to connect the knowledge beyond the original learning context. The curriculum incorporates best practices in science education, such as inquiry-based learning and modeling. It is designed for middle school but can be modified for use with older and younger students. Teaching about static electricity is recommended before teaching about electrical circuits. Understanding electrical charge helps prepare students for understanding electrical circuits. This curriculum module was developed as part of a research project called the Understandings of Consequence Project, which is supported by the National Science Foundation. 2004

Teaching for Understanding with Technology

Teaching for Understanding with Technology shows how teachers can maximize the potential of new technologies to advance student learning and achievement. Using the popular Teaching for Understanding framework, teachers can guide learners to think, analyze, solve problems, and make meaning of what they've learned. The book offers advice on tapping into a rich array of new technologies such as web information, online curricular information, and professional networks to research teaching topics, set learning goals, create innovative lesson plans, assess student understanding, and develop communities of learners. ISBN: 978-0787972301

Multiple Intelligences and Adult Literacy: A Sourcebook for Practitioners

I must admit that I had never thought about uses of MI ideas with adult learners who were trying to master the basic literacies....Thanks to the pioneering work of [the authors], and AMI teacher-researchers, we now know that, in capable hands, the idea of multiple intelligences has a generative role to play in the education of adults."From the foreword by Howard Gardner This practical sourcebook includes: MI Basics-providing educators with the basics of MI theory: what it is and how it can inform practice. MI Reflections-looking at the successes and challenges involved in using MI theory in adult education, including an array of activities for exploring MI theory with students. MI-Inspired Instruction-discussing how MI theory can be used to develop learning experiences and instructional strategies that tap into students intelligence strengths. MI-Inspired Lessons-presenting concrete examples of how AMI teachers translated MI theory into lessons and activities for language arts, learning English, writing, reading for meaning, math, science, and more. Discussion Questions for individual and group reflection. Classroom Experiences for trying out ideas in your own settings. ISBN: 978-0807743461