Opening Activity
High Expectations for 21st Century Learners
2013 CCSA
1. Think of the most difficult task you would ask students to complete this year.
2. In the chart below, write down five students you believe would easily succeed at
completing the task, and five students who you believe would struggle.
Student Name
Reflection Activity 1
High Expectations for 21st Century Learners
Belief Statement
2012 CCSA
Reflection
We have the tools to close the achievement
gap.
Quality teachers outweigh student barriers.
District and school leadership create the
climate that supports high expectations.
It is the responsibility of everyone in our
school to remove barriers to learning.
We can move beyond personal biases
towards groups or individuals.
Expectations are conveyed not only through
words, but also through actions.
Student success is the responsibility of the
teacher.
A student’s life circumstances and/or
characteristics do not predict his/her ability to
learn.
Page 2
Collaboration Expectations Activity
High Expectations for 21st Century Learners
Low expectations
2012 CCSA
High expectations
“He’s not even on grade level. How could he
possibly teach someone else?”
“The kids I teach won’t give each other
appropriate feedback.”
“Some of these kids can’t be trusted to work
on their own. They won’t even know what
questions to ask.”
“There’s no way the kids I teach will even
understand the definition of ‘metacognition.’”
“Project-based learning won’t address skill
deficits in some of my students.”
“Some of the students will use the opportunity
to share their work to socialize or goof off.”
Page 3
Communication Expectations Activity
High Expectations for 21st Century Learners
Low expectations
2012 CCSA
High expectations
“These students will not be able to articulate
what they have learned in a video.”
“Text messages? I’m supposed to be
teaching them real-world stuff.”
“Graphic novels aren’t real literature.”
“Story boards? Where’s the writing?”
“The children I teach would be inappropriate
with their comments if we allowed them to
give feedback.”
“Students don’t have basic reading and
writing skills, so how can they address an
audience outside of their own community?”
Page 4
Critical Thinking Expectations Activity
High Expectations for 21st Century Learners
Low expectations
2012 CCSA
High expectations
“Some of my students won’t bring materials,
so I doubt they’ll do well with problemsolving.”
“If I let the children create the questions,
they won’t respect my expertise.”
“The kids at our school have gaps in their
letter recognition. They won’t be able to
accomplish much analysis and synthesis.”
“The students we teach will not be able to
reflect on their performance with accuracy
and seriousness.”
Page 5
Creativity Expectations Activity
High Expectations for 21st Century Learners
Low expectations
2012 CCSA
High expectations
“We are drowning in common assessments
and now we’re supposed to encourage
originality?”
“Time is always a restrainer. It will be hard
to get inspiration out of some of our kids in
a timely fashion.”
“Some of the students really just need to
work on reading and writing and not being
creative.”
“I can’t keep track of the learning styles with
all the students I teach.”
Page 6
Caring Expectations Activity
High Expectations for 21st Century Learners
Low expectations
2012 CCSA
High expectations
“All my energy is going toward the kids who
need the most support.”
“They’ll be more creative if they have a
looser environment.”
“How will creating a nurturing environment
help them in the real world?”
“In the real world, no one cares where you
are from.”
“They should already know how to behave.”
“Isn’t positive reinforcement bribing them?”
“The students at our school only respond to
discipline when we yell at them.”
“A student-driven classroom is like the
inmates running the asylum at my school.”
Page 7
Reflection Activity 2
High Expectations for 21st Century Learners
2012 CCSA
Think of your least favorite lesson/skill to teach. Brainstorm how you could apply
one of the Five Cs to this lesson.
Collaboration
Communication
Critical Thinking
Creativity
Caring
Page 8
HIGH EXPECTATIONS
FOR 21ST CENTURY LEARNERS
Collaborative Conference on Student Achievement
Opening Activity


Think of the most difficult task you would
ask your students to complete this year.
On the activity sheet, write down five
students you believe would easily succeed
in the task and five students you believe
would struggle.
HIGH EXPECTATIONS
FOR 21ST CENTURY LEARNERS
Collaborative Conference on Student Achievement
Today’s Objectives
Understand the essential beliefs of high
expectations for all students and
educators
 Gain an awareness of possible disparities
and biases
 Apply high expectations to five critical
needs for 21st Century learners

Participant Expectations
Be Responsible
Return promptly from breaks
Be an active participant
Use electronic devices appropriately
Be Respectful
Maintain cell phone etiquette
Listen attentively to others
Limit sidebars and stay on topic
Be Kind
Enter discussions with an open mind
Respond appropriately to others’ ideas
Honor confidentiality
Attention Signal
Please make note of time limits and watch
your clocks!
 Trainer will raise his/her hand.
 Finish your thought/comment.
 Participants will raise a hand and wait
quietly.
Safety Assumptions
You are all high-quality educators.
 We want all students to succeed.
 All ideas will be heard without judgment.
 Confidentiality will be honored.
 We are not here to fix you.
 Others?

HIGH EXPECTATIONS
FOR 21ST CENTURY LEARNERS
High Expectations for All Students
High Expectations
Definition
The belief that any student, regardless of
characteristics or circumstances, can and will
succeed in a rigorous learning environment.
Thoughts?
HIGH EXPECTATIONS
FOR 21ST CENTURY LEARNERS
Considerations
We have the tools to close the achievement gap.








Standard Course Of Study
Common Core Curriculum
Collaboration
Formative Assessments
High-yield teaching strategies
Remediation
Enrichment
Student/Teacher Interactions
Quality teachers outweigh student barriers
“…the fundamental finding from the
Education Trust studies is that however
important demographic variables may
appear in their association with student
achievement, teaching quality is the
most dominant factor in determining
student success.” (Reeves, 2000)
District and school leadership create the climate
that supports high expectations


Research has consistently shown that
principals are the key to an effective school.
(Seyfarth, 1999; Sergiovanni, 2001)
Principals who focus on developing a culture
of adult learning, positive relationships
among teachers, and a relentless focus on
instruction were shown to play a key role in
increasing achievement in difficult
circumstances. (Newmann, 2000)
It is the responsibility of everyone in our school
to remove barriers to learning.
“It is important to make the necessary adjustments
in the school environment to neutralize predictable
problems for these young people. To do that,
educators have to be cognizant of how they
arrived at the school door and do whatever is
necessary to minimize the obstacles that their
worlds or the school places in their path.”
Dr. Mary Montle Bacon,
Working with Students from a Culture of Poverty
It is the responsibility of everyone in our school to
remove barriers to learning (continued).



Achievement is influenced
by four factors.
Educators have the
ability to influence three
of the four factors.
We spend the most time
trying to change the one
on which we have the
least influence.
-Dave Tilly, Keynote Address NC
Leadership Forum, November 2008
Environment
Instruction
Curriculum
Learner
We can move beyond personal biases towards
groups or individuals


The most effective teachers are those who know
themselves, are willing to reflect inward to
determine causes of problems in classroom, and
ultimately change behavior/practice/lessons after
reflection. (Farr, 2010)
It is entirely possible to change behavior towards
students so that students-regardless of the
teacher’s level of expectation for them-receive
the same behavior in terms of affective tone and
quality of interactions. (Marzano, 2007)
Expectations are conveyed not only through
words, but also through actions.

Student performance is linked to
teacher/student interactions.



We all have biases that result in subtle differences in
the way we behave towards certain students.
Expectations are conveyed through body language
and voice tone without self-awareness.
These behaviors influence student performance, and
result in our beliefs being realized.
(Rosenthal and Jacobsen, 1968)
Student success is the responsibility of the teacher


The quality of a teacher in the classroom is the
single most important factor in determining how
well a child learns. (Vandervoot, et al., 2004)
Quantitative analysis indicate that measures of
teacher preparation and certification are by
far the strongest correlates of student
achievement in reading and mathematics
before and after controlling for student
poverty and language studies. (Hammond,
2000)
A student’s life circumstances and/or
characteristics do not predict his/her ability to
learn


“…schools that are highly effective produce
results that almost entirely overcome the effects
of student backgrounds.” (Marzano What
Works in Schools, 2003, page 7)
“While environmental factors can alter rate of
learning they do not affect the ability to
learn.” (Susan Levine, Professor of Psychology
at the University of North Carolina, Chapel
Hill)
Reflection Activity


Using the activity sheet, take a moment to
consider your feelings and thoughts about
each of the belief statements.
After you’ve completed the reflection
sheet, if you are comfortable doing so,
talk with the person next to you and share
some of your thoughts.
HIGH EXPECTATIONS
FOR 21ST CENTURY LEARNERS
Awareness
Awareness Activity
On your own:



Refer to the list of students you created at the
beginning of this session.
Identify characteristic of each student (e.g.
race, sex, socio-economic, etc.).
Note any common characteristics of the
perceived high achievers and perceived low
achievers.
Awareness: Honesty




People may not always say what is on their
minds when it comes to sensitive topics.
Some people are either unwilling
or unable to honestly express
their thoughts.
Unwilling people deceive others,
while unable people deceive
themselves.
This deception is attributed to the
types of associations sensitive
topics have.
Awareness: Honesty



Our experiences either indirectly or directly
impact how we think about certain groups.
We are unaware of how indirect or implicit
associations can impact our behavior toward
certain groups.
The Implicit Association Test (IAT) helps us
recognize how indirect associations have
impacted our thinking.
The Implicit Association Test
https://implicit.harvard.edu/
implicit/demo/
IAT Reflection Activity
Consider your answers to the following questions silently.

How do you feel about the test results?

Why do you think one association was easier for you?


Do you think other people in the room had a similar
experience? How do you think the experiences could
have been similar?
What are some emotions you are experiencing after
analyzing your performance?
Awareness:
How do expectations affect learning?
Communication consists of:



Text: 7%
Tone: 38%
Body Language:
55%
Which of these do you think is the largest
component of communication?
Awareness: Breaking the Cycle




Identify your expectation levels for students.
Accept that you are interacting differently with students
who you perceive as low performing.
Focus on changing your behaviors through specific
instructional strategies.
Collect data to ensure that your interactions are
changing.
Does my differential treatment suggest that I am a terrible teacher? The
answer is ‘no’ if, once I recognize my differential treatment, I take corrective
measures.”
The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy. Robert T. Tauber
HIGH EXPECTATIONS
FOR 21ST CENTURY LEARNERS
What do modern students need for the future?
Thoughts about 21st Century Learning

“Oh, sure, I’d love for my kids to have a class set of
Ipod Touches.”

“Our students may not have computers at home.”

“I’m not comfortable letting them handle the
equipment.”

My school doesn’t have the money to buy paper, let
alone computers.”
What do students really need?
The Five Cs
Collaboration: What is it and why is it important?




Think of all the times during the day that your job
requires you to work with other adults.
Think about other jobs that require the workers to
collaborate.
Can you think of any job that does not require
collaboration?
Find a partner and discuss how people collaborate
in a social network (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr,
Reddit, wikis, blogs, online news sources).
Collaboration: What does it look like in a 21st Century Classroom?






Reciprocal teaching (teachers enabling students to
learn and use self-learning)
Feedback accepted from all (specific response to
student work)
Student self-verbalization or self-questioning
Use of meta-cognition strategies
Problem-based learning
Students sharing work of their peers with others
Collaboration Expectations Activity
Low expectations
“He’s not even on grade level. How could
he possibly teach someone else?”
“The kids I teach won’t give each other
appropriate feedback.”
“Some of these kids can’t be trusted to
work on their own. They won’t even know
what questions to ask.”
“Project-based learning won’t address skill
deficits.”
“Some of the students will use the
opportunity to share their work to socialize
or goof off.”
High expectations
Communication: What is it and why is it important?




In order to collaborate, students need to be able to
communicate ideas coherently and diplomatically.
At the very least, a person needs to be able to
communicate with a boss or superior in order to be
successful.
Communication is through oral, written, drawn, and
can be conveyed through tone and body language.
Find a new partner and talk about what helps you
present your ideas to others effectively.
Communication: What does it look
like in a 21st Century Classroom?






Using video production to assess learning
Translating material into text messages
Creating graphic novels about lessons
Hand-draw story boards about concepts learned
Climate that encourages everyone to give and
receive feedback at all stages of production
Learning to address a global audience
“There’s a fallacy that kids aren’t reading and writing anymore,” says Bruce.
“They are, but they just are reading and writing differently than what we’ve
traditionally done in schools. . . . A 21st-century approach [doesn’t] say that
print writing is bad. It’s not competing literacies; it’s complementary literacy.”
Communication Expectations Activity
Low expectations
“These students will not be able to
articulate what they have learned in a
video.”
“Text messages? I’m supposed to be
teaching them real-world stuff.”
“Graphic novels aren’t real literature.”
“Story boards? Where’s the writing?”
“The children I teach would be
inappropriate with their comments if we
allowed them to give feedback.”
“Students don’t have basic reading and
writing skills, so how can they address an
audience outside of their own community?”
High expectations
Critical Thinking: What is it and why is it important?




This is also called “problem solving.”
While we can’t predict what type of job the
students of today will have, we can prepare them
by teaching critical thinking and problem solving.
A boss gives a work team a new machine or
software or program or project and tells the team
to figure out how to use it or complete it. Is this a
realistic scenario?
Turn to the person next to you and talk about how
you use critical thinking in your job.
Critical Thinking: What does it look
like in a 21st Century Classroom?








Problem-solving in conventional and innovative ways
Identifying and asking significant questions which lead to
better solutions
Use of various types of reasoning (inductive, deductive, etc.)
Analysis of the interaction of parts of a whole to produce
overall outcomes in complex systems
Effective evaluation of evidence, arguments, claims and beliefs
Synthesized connections between information and arguments
Solid interpretation of information and conclusions drawn on
the best analysis
Critical reflection on learning experiences and processes
Critical Thinking Expectations Activity
Low expectations
“Some of my students won’t bring
materials, so I doubt they’ll do well with
problem-solving.”
“If I let the children create the questions,
they won’t respect my expertise.”
“The kids at our school have gaps in their
letter recognition. They won’t be able to
accomplish much analysis and synthesis.”
“The students we teach will not be able to
reflect on their performance with accuracy
and seriousness.”
High expectations
Creativity: What is it and why is it important?
Most people assume that creativity has
something to do with the fine arts.
 In order to build new systems or programs or
products, thinking must be done outside the
box.
 Think of a teacher you had as a child who
encouraged this type of creativity.
 Find a partner and tell what that teacher did
to encourage creativity.

Creativity: What does it look like
in a 21st Century Classroom?





Originality and inventiveness in work
Developing, implementing and communicating new
ideas to others
Openness and responsiveness to new and diverse
perspectives
Acting on creative ideas to make a tangible and
useful contribution
Understanding and application of Gardner’s
Learning Styles
Creativity Expectations Activity
Low expectations
“We are drowning in Common Core and
now we’re supposed to encourage
originality?”
“Time is always a restrainer. It will be
hard to get inspiration out of some of our
kids in a timely fashion.”
“Some of the students really just need to
work on reading and writing and not
being creative.”
“I can’t keep track of the learning styles
with all the students I teach.”
High expectations
Caring: What is it and why is it important?





People of all ages work best in environments in
which they feel safe.
Safety ensures that risks can be taken.
Classrooms should have a climate of democracy, in
which all people feel valued.
Most students do not necessarily remember every
lesson taught, but they will remember the
relationships between the people at the school.
Take a minute to write about a teacher that you
had who you felt truly cared about the students.
What did that teacher do to convey regard?
Caring: What does it look like in a
21st Century Classroom?








Equitable
Organized
Nurturing
Cultural responsive
Clearly defined expectations that are taught
directly
System in place to recognize positive behavior
Instructive, not punitive, classroom management
Student-driven and teacher facilitated
Caring Expectations Activity
Low expectations
“All my energy is going toward the kids who
need the most support.”
“They’ll be more creative if they have a
looser environment.”
“How will creating a nurturing environment
help them in the real world?”
“In the real world, no one cares where you
are from.”
“They should already know how to behave.”
“Isn’t positive reinforcement bribing them?”
“The students at our school only respond to
discipline when we yell at them.”
“A student-driven classroom is like the inmates
running the asylum at my school.”
High expectation
Reflection Activity
Think of your least favorite lesson to
teach.
 Brainstorm how you could apply one of
the Five Cs to this lesson.

Resources






http://edu.blogs.com/edublogs/2012/01/collabor
ation-1-collaboration-is-the-key-influence-in-thequality-of-teaching.html
http://lornacollier.com/The+Shift+to+21st+Centur
y+Literacies.pdf
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/creativity-inclassroom-trisha-riche
http://davidwarlick.com/wordpress/?page_id=2
www.p21.org
https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/
Contact Information
laura.winter@dpi.nc.gov
919-302-9334