O1- Offer an organized curriculum aligned to standards and outcomes.

O1- Offer an organized curriculum aligned to standards and outcomes. Teacher Candidates align instruction to the learning standards and outcomes so all students know the learning targets and their progress towards meeting them. One way to differentiate a classroom is to cater to different learning styles. Some students are visual and require learning goals posted on the walls. Other students may need the overall goal of the unit in front of them before they are able to delve into the details. O1 attempts to cater to multiple learning needs. By showing students what the learning standards are and helping them track their own progress, differentiation happens naturally in the classroom.  In chemistry, students are given a handout titled "learning goals" at the beginning of each unit (attached at the bottom). The front of the sheet includes the key ideas for the unit as well as space for students to check off the concepts as they learn them. On the back of the sheet there is space for students to ask questions and list what they are struggling with to turn in two days before the test. From student feedback we are able to compile questions to help students solidify any concepts they may not be fully confident in right before the test. This handout not only alerts students to learning standards and outcomes, but allows students to keep progress of their own learning and then identify their weak spots in their learning. As a teacher, I value these handouts just as much to gauge student learning as the unit progresses. While using this handout, I find that I am more in tune to the unit content myself at the end of the unit I find that I am more aware of how my students are comprehending the material. Students clearly benefit from learning goals presented in this way as they take time to reflect on their learning progress in preparation for the test. In addition to providing each student with a learning goals handout, I would like to incorporate a reflective time as a class to analyze various aspects of the unit and how far we have come as a whole. This could include analyzing pretests prior to the unit test or getting in groups and going over learning specific learning goals.

learning goals