Develop
As learners develop their ideas they begin to create action plans that include a list of tools and equipment, the data such as measurements of length and time, the formulas to try and the steps to follow. Collaborative student teams plan for the active involvement of all members. The final plan is checked against the initial solution criteria to ensure that it will lead to the solution.
Choices in the planning stage are intended to empower students. Setting the direction for one’s learning cultivates confidence and persistence. Their plan remains flexible throughout the process and is constantly re-evaluated and adjusted.
Student plans are then cross referenced with the curriculum. This process ensures that students are moving forward, gaining knowledge and skill in required areas. It also allows for extensions to other curricular outcomes not yet met.
Choices in the planning stage are intended to empower students. Setting the direction for one’s learning cultivates confidence and persistence. Their plan remains flexible throughout the process and is constantly re-evaluated and adjusted.
Student plans are then cross referenced with the curriculum. This process ensures that students are moving forward, gaining knowledge and skill in required areas. It also allows for extensions to other curricular outcomes not yet met.
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Key to the planning process is having each learner evaluate what they know already about a topic. Accessing prior knowledge helps to identify missing pieces in a students’ understanding. |
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Once students have clarified what they know and what they want to know we revisit past experiences and problems looking for similarities and differences. This process supports students in replacing inefficient and ineffective strategies with more efficient ones. |
Teacher Planning
A trajectory is a collection of possibilities, of experiences that will engage students in the thinking and actions of a developmental progression towards a goal. Levels are created to build the mental actions-on-objects that will take the ;learner to each higher level. A trajectory maintains a constant interaction of concept and skill. Simultaneously students deepen their content knowledge, skills and learning strategies. In this way we are not tied to just the concept, the exploring, connecting, reasoning, communicating and creating are an interwoven fabric. Furthermore, a trajectory illustrates the transitions between one level of thinking and the next. When designing the hypothetical trajectory we consider what the student knows now, how they are thinking and what they can do now, the thinking and actions needed to be successful at the next level and what thinking and actions will take them there.
For each of these component outcomes several mini lessons and workshops can be developed that foster multiple strategies, encourage multiple representations, and multiple means of communication. The initial learning trajectory is a framework to guide teachers in identifying each students’ current ability and an appropriate next step. Specific target questions, careful observation and reflection are used to build a clear picture of where each student is situated on the path.
It is imperative to note that the path is not set. This trajectory approach is remarkably diverse. Each learner’s path should be unique, it is meant only to represent a possibility or a probable route to new learning. The trajectory is sequenced, as a developmental progression, so that tasks at one level develop the thinking needed to enter into a task at the next. However, learning is not a linear process. The path is a probable schema or a progression towards the goal.
For each of these component outcomes several mini lessons and workshops can be developed that foster multiple strategies, encourage multiple representations, and multiple means of communication. The initial learning trajectory is a framework to guide teachers in identifying each students’ current ability and an appropriate next step. Specific target questions, careful observation and reflection are used to build a clear picture of where each student is situated on the path.
It is imperative to note that the path is not set. This trajectory approach is remarkably diverse. Each learner’s path should be unique, it is meant only to represent a possibility or a probable route to new learning. The trajectory is sequenced, as a developmental progression, so that tasks at one level develop the thinking needed to enter into a task at the next. However, learning is not a linear process. The path is a probable schema or a progression towards the goal.
