Learning Goals
"Effective teaching of mathematics establishes clear goals for the mathematics that students are learning, situates goals within learning progressions, and uses the goals to guide instructional decisions." (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 12)
According to the NCTM's Principles to Actions, learning goals "should describe what mathematical concepts, ideas, or methods students will understand more deeply as a result of instruction and identify the mathematical practices that students are learning to use more proficiently."
The learning goals this component refers to are different from the goals in the traditional GRR model which are generally written in the form SWBAT (Students will be able to...). The following passage from Smith & Stein provides clarity for the SWBAT goals of the GRR model:
In the following link the authors Smith and Stein give examples of the two types of goals: Pythagorean theorem lesson goals
The distinction between the two types of goals is important for several reasons. The flipped model in my vision is working towards learning and growing deep mathematical understandings in all students. A performance goal helps the teacher measure if students can do something, such as carry out a rule or procedure, but it will be ineffective in helping a teacher measure students' understanding of the topic. This is supported by Smith and Stein in the following passage:
Additionally, the goals directly affect what tasks the teacher chooses and students work on. In this sense, learning goals are connected to the component of my vision, "Tasks". On the Tasks page of this website, I describe the quality of tasks that fit into my vision of the flipped instructional model.
To learn more about how I implemented the Learning Goals component during my student-teaching, use the following link: Learning Goals Artifacts
The learning goals this component refers to are different from the goals in the traditional GRR model which are generally written in the form SWBAT (Students will be able to...). The following passage from Smith & Stein provides clarity for the SWBAT goals of the GRR model:
- "Performance goals 'describe a specific written or spoken performance that students should demonstrate as a result of a lesson'. These are typically limited to procedural exercises in which accuracy is the goal. The phrase "students will be able to (SWBAT) often indicates a performance goal. These types of goals provide no insight into the mathematical understanding that students' understanding of the conceptual basis for the theorem or in guiding and shaping students' understanding during the lesson.
In the following link the authors Smith and Stein give examples of the two types of goals: Pythagorean theorem lesson goals
The distinction between the two types of goals is important for several reasons. The flipped model in my vision is working towards learning and growing deep mathematical understandings in all students. A performance goal helps the teacher measure if students can do something, such as carry out a rule or procedure, but it will be ineffective in helping a teacher measure students' understanding of the topic. This is supported by Smith and Stein in the following passage:
- "Without explicit learning goals, it is difficult to know what counts as evidence of students' learning, how students learning can be linked to particular instructional activities, and how to revise instruction to facilitate students' learning more effectively. Formulating clear, explicit learning goals sets the stage for everything else."
Additionally, the goals directly affect what tasks the teacher chooses and students work on. In this sense, learning goals are connected to the component of my vision, "Tasks". On the Tasks page of this website, I describe the quality of tasks that fit into my vision of the flipped instructional model.
To learn more about how I implemented the Learning Goals component during my student-teaching, use the following link: Learning Goals Artifacts