Effective AssignmentByMatt Jackson

What is an ineffective assignment? The bottom line in education is student

learning. If the students do not do their

assignments, no learning will occur. Teachers assign assignments but that

doesn’t mean all students know what they are doing.

For example “Do chapter seven and test Friday???”

More on ineffective Students don’t know what that means

and so they will not complete the assignment.

Some students also do not see the point in doing the assignment so they decide to fail.

Examples of Ineffective Learning No standards, no objectives, and no

activities done for a specified reason. No student will understand if you don’t

explain what they are learning.

Teachers Should Ask What do I want the students to learn? What do I want the students to

accomplish?

Mastery/Mystery Learning If students know what they are learning

its called mastery learning. If the students don’t understand its

turns into mystery learning. Meaning kids are lost and don’t know what they are doing.

Cover/Uncover Teachers should be worried about

uncovering a topic or section rather than covering it.

An effective teacher uncovers what the students will be learning up front. What the students will accomplish.

Four Steps for Important Learning Determine what you want the students

to accomplish. Write each assignment as a single

sentence. Give the students a copy of the same

sentences. Post or send these sentences home with

the students.

Students Accomplish The question should be what do my students

need to learn? Not what am I covering? Standards identify what is essential for

students to master. Standards are in most states.

Standards are like the backbone of teaching. With standards in place schools can create guides for the curriculum. These guides inform what the students should master and teacher should teach.

More….. With these outlines teachers can teach

and uncover a lesson. Students need to understand what's

going on and what they are learning. Which goes back to mastering their skills.

Write each accomplishment in one Sent. Objectives or Learning Criteria Objectives help students anticipate,

focus, and understand the purpose of a lesson.

More… To teach for learning, use words, especially

verbs, that state how to demonstrate what learning has taken place.

Knowledge Comprehension Application AnalysisThose are just a few examples of the word choice.

More… Do not use these verbs when you write

objectives!!!! Appreciate, enjoy, beautify, love, be happy,

like, celebrate, and understand. This words are not on Bloom’s list.

The more students understand the sentecene, the greater the chance that the students will do what is intended.

Example of this: Describe what happens when two molds grow together?

Most Important Continually look at the objectives to

make sure the class is on course!!!

Give a copy of the Objectives to the Students Students can be in control of what they

know what objective they are responsible to learn.