Unpacking Standards

Despite the never ending pressures to hurry through the curriculum, it remains important for teachers and students to take the time to unpack standards prior to tackling them. Experts agree that students tend to learn more effectively if they have a clear understanding of what they are trying to learn. I have been repeatedly reminded of this truth during this year's customized learning implementation.

In prior years, my students were presented with a written version of the Learning Target and were asked to check with a teacher if they didn't understand what the Learning Target statement meant. While this plan was a step in the right direction, it was far from adequate. This year, as students encounter new Learning Targets, they are first presented with a video lesson explaining the Learning Target and are then required to successfully explain the basics of the Learning Target in their own words prior to moving on with their learning. This has revealed a flaw in my previous approach. I found that at times students thought they knew what a Learning Target was about when they actually did not.

Here's a recent example. One Learning Target within a government Measurement Topic requires students to understand that the branches of government sometimes work together and other times in opposition to each other, the concept of checks and balances via separation of powers. This was explained in the video lesson, where students were not only introduced to the concept but were also given an example - the process for a bill to become a law. Sounds good, right? Well, as it turned out, many of my students revealed in their first assessment (the unpacking the standard assessment) that they thought this Learning Target was about the law making process, not the concept of checks and balances. Clearly, they had missed the big concept and focused instead on the example.

Fortunately, these unpacking assessments were added this year. As a result, I was able to communicate with these students, in person and/or electronically, to guide them toward the real focus of the Learning Target. This all happened because we took the time to unpack the standard in a way that fit our approach, a very effective use of class time!