Lecture Notes: Teacher Clarity and Educational Leadership

Presenters Introduction

• Doug Fisher, PhD

  • Professor and Chair of Educational Leadership at San Diego State University
  • Leader at Health Sciences High and Middle College
  • Former early intervention teacher and elementary school educator
  • Recipient of numerous awards including the International Reading Association William S. Gray Citation of Merit
  • Inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame in 2022
  • Author of multiple books on education

• Nancy Fry, PhD

  • Professor of Educational Leadership at San Diego State
  • Teacher leader at Health Sciences High and Middle College
  • Member of the International Literacy Association's Literacy Research Panel
  • Published various books on literacy and education

• John Almirote, PhD

  • Associate professor of education at James Madison University
  • Best-selling author
  • Developed framework for professional learning communities, PLC+

Overview of Teacher Clarity

• Purpose: Enhance alignment in teaching standards, learning intentions, and assessments
• Components: Initially nine components, language expectations shifted to success criteria
• Alignment: Critical for achieving clarity in educational goals

Meta-analysis and Teacher Clarity

• Key Aspects:
  • Clarity of organization, explanations, examples, practice, and assessment
  • Alignment of tasks, questions, discussions, feedback, and tools to learning intentions

Table of Specifications

• Concept: Analyze a block of standards to determine terminology, facts, rules, and processes
• Application: Ensure teaching aligns with assessment
• Example: Character analysis unit

Clarity Questions

1. What am I learning today?
2. Why am I learning this?
3. How will I know that I learned it?

Practical Examples in the Classroom

• Video Example: Demonstrating alignment in a lesson on creating a 3D origami sculpture
• Importance of Alignment: Enhances understanding and focus

Analyzing Standards

• Importance: Understanding what and how well students need to learn
• Nouns & Verbs: Nouns represent concepts; verbs define the required understanding

Taxonomies and Cognitive Complexity

• Verbs: Indicate level of understanding required
• Depth of Knowledge: Different ways to assess knowledge beyond simple verb identification

Learning Progressions

• Purpose: Scaffold learning effectively
• Example: Texas teacher using clarity in classroom activities

Challenges in Teacher Clarity

• Common Issues: Differentiating between learning intentions, agendas, and learning experiences
• Success Criteria: Should be specific and actionable

AI and Teacher Clarity

• AI Tools: Can assist in generating learning intentions and success criteria
• Example: Using ChatGPT for lesson planning

Final Remarks

• Importance of Teacher Clarity: Enhances student learning outcomes
• Role of AI: A supportive tool but requires human oversight
• Q&A Session: Addressed questions about professional learning services and educational resources