3A ENGAGING STUDENTS IN LEARNING
Intent is appropriate, clear, and linked to student knowledge and experience. Content is aligned with the district’s curricula and the Montana Content and Common Core Standards. Activities and assignments engage all students. Instructional materials are suitable to the instructional goals. The instruction is coherent and paced appropriately for all students.
ELEMENTS AND INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE
Activities and Assignments
INFORMATION
ARTIFACTS
OBSERVABLE EVIDENCE
EXAMPLE GOALS (S.M.A.R.T.)
GUIDING QUESTIONS
RESOURCES
Grouping Students
Instructional Materials and Resources
ELEMENTS AND INDICATORS OF PERFORMANCE
Activities and Assignments
- Students demonstrate his or her knowledge and understanding of the content in a variety of ways.
- Activities require students to think and problem solve.
- Activities promote cognitive engagement which promotes students’ exploration of the content.
- Tasks provide for some student choice and initiative.
- Students are encouraged to initiate or adapt activities and projects to enhance his or her understanding.
- Students are actively engaged in group work.
- Student groups are structured to promote a productive learning experience.
- Student groups are appropriate to the purpose of the lesson.
- Materials and resources are suitable to the instructional purposes of the lesson.
- Materials and resources promote the cognitive engagement of students.
- Materials and resources are aligned to the goals of the lesson and sequence of learning.
- Students are actively engaged in learning throughout the period.
- The lesson has a logical and well-structured sequence of learning experiences.
- Lesson pacing is neither belabored nor rushed.
- Lesson pacing is appropriate for all students within the class.
- Time for reflection and closure is built into the lesson.
INFORMATION
ARTIFACTS
- Samples of Student Work
- Group Chart/Map
- Resource Index
- Activity or Assignment
- Lesson Planning
OBSERVABLE EVIDENCE
- In-class activities are challenging
- Homework is challenging
- Class is paced well
- Students are grouped effectively
- Students are on a meaningful task bell-to-bell
- Students take an active role in their learning
EXAMPLE GOALS (S.M.A.R.T.)
- By the end of the 1st quarter, I will have created three lessons with relevant or real-world applications.
- By the end of the 1st quarter, I will create at least ___ learning activities that move from skill acquisition too strategic/extended thinking.
- By the end of Unit 1, 100% of my lessons will contain suitable closure opportunities as aligned with the instructional framework
GUIDING QUESTIONS
- Does your lesson contain multiple correct answers and pathways to find them, student choice, relevance to students’ lives, collaboration, and rigor?
- Are the instructional groups productive and fully appropriate to the students or to the instructional purposes of the lesson?
- Are the instructional materials and resources of the lesson suitable to the instructional purposes and engage students mentally?
- Does the lesson have a clearly defined structure around which the activities are organized, and pacing is generally appropriate?
- Do the lesson activities and assignments promote learning by requiring students to think, emphasize over breadth, and possibly enable students to exercise some choice?
RESOURCES
Grouping Students
- http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/TDR_Flexible_Group_0911_464080_7.pdf
- http://www.crlt.umich.edu/gsis/p4_1_5
Instructional Materials and Resources