The Framework for Intentional and Targeted Teaching

Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey CHECKING FOR UNDERSTANDING: --Formative Assessment Techniques For Your Classroom

The second addition of Fisher and Frey ‘s Checking for Understanding updates the research findings on how to effectively use formative assessments as a tool to measure student’s growth towards their grade level standards. The “framework for intentional and targeted teaching” is based on the gradual release of responsibility model. The structure provides students with engaging experiences teachers can use to determine what student know, don’t know and where did they get stuck.

“The framework we have developed includes four recursive phases:

Focused instruction,

Collaborative learning,

Guided instruction, and

Independent Learning.

In each phase, teachers check for understanding” (p 11).

This framework addresses the first essential question of a learning community, what do we want our students to know and be able to do? Most importantly when the teachers continue to monitor student’s responses, it supports the teacher taking action on the remaining three essential questions. How will we know they have learned it, what do we need to do more of or differently if they haven’t learned it, and how can we extend students proficiency level? Taking action based on the collection of formative assessment data to improve student learning is the outcome goal for every teacher.

Fisher and Frey offer several recommendations throughout their book. As a principal in a school in improvement I would recommend their oral language and questioning formative assessments strategies to check for student’s understanding. Students need to talk—more, and teachers need to listen—more. The use of sentence frames to guide their thinking will not only support the use of more academic language, but provide opportunities to engage in collaborative conversations. This structured student discourse should be carefully scaffolded and revisited throughout the lesson to check student’s understanding.

Using questions to check for understanding should move beyond an a or b response. They are developed during the lesson planning process to “engage students’ creative and critical thinking” (p. 40). Bloom’s Taxonomy for the 21^st Century and the Question Stems for Webb’s Depth of Knowledge frameworks are a great way to determine what they know or don’t know. The continuum of difficulty also provides a much-needed resource for teachers to check beyond the surface knowledge of student’s understanding, to provide opportunities for students to apply, analyze, synthesize and evaluate new knowledge.

In the last chapter Fisher and Frey offer the reader to check their own understanding of formative assessment.  What points stuck with you and what do you need to go back and review to “make it stick.” Teaching is like that, constantly checking our own understanding.

Out With the Old, In With the New

Ceri B. Dean, Elizabeth Ross Hubell, Howard Pitler, Bj Stone CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION that WORKS:--Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement

When the 2nd Edition of Classroom Instruction that Works came off the press, I immediately purchased it. The 1^st Edition sat prominently on my bookshelf at eye level and easily within hands reach. I went to it often as I thought about how to support effective instruction. Inside its well-worn pages was the go to list of effective research-based, tried and true instructional strategies along with their average effect size, percentile gains and standard deviations.

The newest edition sat on my shelf for more time that I would like to admit. How could one improve on such sound practices?  My wise colleague continued to encourage me and eventually started correcting me, because what I had known and was frequently sharing was no longer as current as I had believed. Now let me clarify here. The instructional strategies listed in the current edition are still the same as in the original addition, but in a flat world we have better tools and resources for interpreting more current evidence-based studies. 

In the books forward, literacy guru John Hattie reassure others and myself with this powerful statement. “The world has not stood still. We learned a lot in the intervening decade, and the order in which the authors present the strategies has changed to better reflect the current educational climate and a comprehensive framework that is geared toward instructional planning. I encourage you to read on and see what classroom instruction the evidence indicates works best.”  I was hooked and on I read.

In the first edition the strategies were listed in order of their effective size, starting with the greatest impact. So myself, and I am sure others, went to this go to list, thought about which strategy would give us the most ‘bang for our buck’ and didn’t often consider the other strategies and the end of the list. In the second edition, “the strategies are organized and presented within a framework that is geared toward instructional planning” (pg. xiv). There are four parts in the author’s newest edition laying the foundation for The Framework for Instructional Planning.

Creating the Environment for Learning

Helping Students Develop Understanding

Helping Students Extend and Apply Knowledge

Putting the Instructional Strategies to Use

The nine research based strategies for increasing student achievement are listed within those four components. The authors have also updated their effect size with McREL researchers who used narrative reviews, qualitative research, and theoretical literature.  I am tempted to share with you what strategy falls under what category and the updated effect sizes (some which will surprise you), but then I imagine you wouldn’t be inclined to read the book in its entirety to learn the what, how, when, and why each strategy works.

Happy Reading!

Write as a Reflection of Our Own Learning

Angela Peery, Ed. D. WRITING MATTERS:--In Every Classroom

Now more than ever our students need to write as a reflection of their own learning.  The Common Core State Standards clearly outline what our students should know and be able to do at each grade level. Writing is the tool to articulate their thinking and understanding to prepare them for college and/or career readiness. Peery clearly explains why Writing Matters. “Writing enhances learning” (pg. 17). It is linked to higher achievement, supports content learning, and is essential for future success in our competitive global market.

What should teachers do? Peery recommends teachers need to include more opportunities to write in and out of the classroom. Teachers need to provide students with ample opportunities to deepen their understanding of content with writing to learn activities. It is “important for students to record their ideas, reflect upon their own learning, and grapple with unfamiliar content” (pg. 20). Students also benefit with learning to write activities which “result in more polished products” to “show content-area learning plus competency in a particular written form” (pg.21).

Peery also highly advises teachers to model both types of writing activities with think a-louds. She advocates teachers clearly outlining expectations with rubrics and specific feedback. These will guide students understanding of the process to support their learning of both content and the process.  Writing enhances critical thinking and increase reading comprehension, and Peery provides ideas for classroom teachers to increase student success.

How We All Can Learn and Remember What We Have Learned

Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, & Mark A. McDaniel make it stick:--The Science of Successful Learning

Thinking back to all the books I have read and test I have taken, after reading make it stick I am wondering how much I have truly retained. Well to answer my own question, not nearly enough. Which is painful to say from one who values continuous learning. Now, I can only move forward and possibly revisit old friends (text) and do things differently from this point forward.  So what exactly do we all need to do differently to make it stick?

The author’s use of real world examples helps the reader easily identify with what works and what feels like it is working. Whether you are a medical student, high school student, or a life long learning you can follow their research-based advice and adhere to the following.

Remember learning is more durable when you go deep. This will require significant effort on the learner but make the knowledge more meaningful now and in your future (i.e. you’ll remember it!). To learn better and remember longer you need to add various types of retrieval practices in your learning routines including; self testing, spaced out practice, solving problems before you study the solution, and revisit what you have learned.

Practice at retrieving new understanding from memory is a powerful tool for learning to “stick”. The learner can also mix up their practice by spacing their learning in short and longer periods of time. Add variation to your learning by interleaving similar content so you can apply what you know in a variety of different ways. Reflection of your learning and reflecting in writing what you have learned is also key to your long-term retention. (Hey haven’t I heard that somewhere before—write as a reflection of your learning?)

Learning is hard work, but embrace the difficulty. Challenge yourself and develop a growth mindset. You just don’t know it, YET! Work with peers and teams so you can provide and receive targeted feedback on what you know and don’t know. Your efforts are in your control and striving towards mastery will not only change your brain, but also build greater capacity for your intellectual ability to learn and make it stick.