Lecture Notes: Teacher Clarity and Educational Leadership

Presenters

• Doug Fischer, PhD

  • Professor and Chair of Educational Leadership at San Diego State University
  • Leader at Health Sciences High and Middle College
  • Published multiple articles and books
  • Inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame in 2022
  • Focuses on teaching clarity and leadership

• 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
  • Published works on literacy and educational leadership

• John Alméro, PhD

  • Associate Professor of Education at James Madison University
  • Focus on science and mathematics education
  • Developed frameworks for professional learning communities

Key Topics

Teacher Clarity

• Definition: Alignment of learning intentions, success criteria, tasks, activities, and assessments
• Components: 9 components outlined, with a shift in language expectations to success criteria

Meta-Analysis on Teacher Clarity

• Importance of clarity in organization, explanations, and assessment
• Shift from focusing solely on learning intentions and success criteria to broader alignment

Aligning Standards and Learning Progressions

• Table of Specifications: Analyzing blocks of standards to ensure alignment
• Learning Progressions: Building blocks of knowledge that map out student learning over time

Clarity Questions

• What am I learning today?
• Why am I learning this?
• How will I know that I learned it?

Learning Intentions and Success Criteria

• Learning Intentions: Should be accessible, goal-specific, and lesson-sized
• Success Criteria: Should scaffold learning and reduce cognitive load

Use of AI in Education

• Tools like ChatGPT can assist in developing lesson plans and success criteria
• Important to review and adapt AI-generated content to maintain professional standards

Challenges in Teaching Clarity

• Distinguishing between learning intentions and agendas
• Ensuring relevance and student-friendly language in learning intentions

Videos and Practical Examples

• Teachers sharing methods for introducing and assessing learning intentions and success criteria
• Examples of classroom practices and teacher collaboration in developing learning progressions

Q&A Highlights

• Discussed the importance of clear objectives and alignment in fostering student success
• Addressed relevancy in learning intentions and practical application in tasks

Conclusion

• Emphasized the continuous development of clarity in teaching to enhance student learning outcomes
• Encouraged the use of technology and collaboration among educators to refine educational practices