Focused Learning Through
Direct Instruction
Session Two:
Instruction That Works:
Constructing Effective Learning Objectives
and Checking for Understanding
Presented by: Lorna Manuel, Patty Garrison, & Doreen Fuller
Moderated by: Nancy Silva, CTAP Region 2 - BCOE
Regional System of District and School Support (RSDSS), Region 2
Adobe Connect Interface (Pods)
Presentation & Internet Sharing Pod
Toggle view of
the presentation
between full
screen and
meeting room
views to suit your
preference.
Adobe Connect Interface (Pods)
Communication Pods
Chat Room Pod
Attendee List Pod
Adobe Connect Interface (Pods)
File Sharing Pod
1. Click on the file you want to
download.
2. Click on “Save to My Computer”.
3. When “Save” window opens, select
“Click to Download”.
4. Select where you want to download
the file to i.e. “Desktop”.
5. After file downloads, click “Done”.
6. Repeat for each additional file you
want to download.
Set Your Connection Speed
Please take a moment to select your Internet connection speed.
If you are unsure, select the DSL option.
This will improve the presentation & audio for all participants.
Thanks : )
Meeting Procedures
• Different meeting rooms…
with different views
• Use the Chat Room to ask
questions as they arise.
• Actively participate by
sharing comments and
feedback
This workshop will be recorded
and archived. So……
Don’t Forget to Smile
When You Chat….
;)
Focused Learning Through
Direct Instruction
Session Two:
Instruction That Works:
Constructing Effective Learning Objectives
and Checking for Understanding
Presented by: Lorna Manuel, Patty Garrison, & Doreen Fuller
Moderated by: Nancy Silva, CTAP Region 2 - BCOE
Regional System of District and School Support (RSDSS), Region 2
Webinar Learning Objectives
 Participants
will construct a learning objective
based on a content standard and aligned with
appropriate independent practice.
 Participants
will identify examples of checking for
understanding.
DI – Lesson Design Components
 Learning
Objective
 Activate Prior Knowledge
 Concept Development
 Lesson Importance
 Skill Development
 Guided Practice
 Lesson Closure
 Independent Practice
Learning Objective:
What students will be able to do at the
end of the lesson
Independent Practice
 Checking for Understanding

A Well Designed Learning Objective
What is a Learning Objective?
A statement that describes what students will be able to do,
independently, at the end of a specific lesson as a result of
your instruction.
It contains a Concept (idea), Skill (measurable), and
sometimes the Context (condition) and Criterion (degree).
A B C2 D
A = Audience
B = Behavior (Measurable Skill)
C = Concept (Main Idea)
C = Condition (Context)
D = Degree (Measurable Criteria)
Sample Learning Objective
Students will use a short story from their literature books
and will identify similes with 80% accuracy.
A = Audience = 7th grade students
B = Behavior (skill) = Identify
C = Concept = Similes
C = Condition = Use a short story…
D = Degree = 80% accuracy
Sample Learning Objective
After reading this article the learner will list at
least five reasons why water is a necessary
natural resource.
A = Audience
B = Behavior (skill)
C = Concept
C = Condition
D = Degree
 VIDEO
CLIP
What Check for Understanding strategies
did you identify from the video?
 Think-Pair-Share
 Choral
Response
 White Boards – Write down lesson objective
 Keep the Question Going
 Ask Students to State Learning Objective in Own
Words
Instructional
Alignment
Instructional
Alignment
Instructional
Instructional
Alignment
Alignment
Standards
Independent
Practice
Content
Objective
How to Identify Learning Objectives
1. Determine the assessment you will
administer to measure student
achievement.
2. Choose an essential grade level
content standard.
3. Deconstruct the standard.
Deconstructing the Standard
Step 1: Examine the requirements of the standard. What
will students need to do to complete the standard?
Circle all verbs
Step 2: Underline parts of the standard that requires direct
instruction for students to succeed.
The underlined portions are likely places for CFU
Step 3: Box any components or criteria that are already
outlined in the standard and that inform the
development of this standards final product.
Step 4: Identify targeted learning objectives.
Step 5: Review available released test questions.
Deconstructing the Standard
5th Grade Language Arts (Standard 1.3)
Understand and explain frequently used
synonyms, antonyms, and homographs.
Step 1: Examine the requirements of the
standard. What will students need to do
to complete the standard? Circle all
verbs
Deconstructing the Standard
5th Grade Language Arts (Standard 1.3)
Understand and explain frequently used
synonyms, antonyms, and homographs.
Step 2: Underline parts of the standard that
requires direct instruction for students to
succeed – the concepts you will teach.
Deconstructing the Standard
5th Grade Language Arts (Standard 1.3)
Understand and explain frequently used
synonyms, antonyms, and homographs.
Step 3: Box any components or criteria that
are already outlined in the standard and that
inform the development of this standards
final product.
Deconstructing the Standard
5th Grade Language Arts (Standard 1.3)
Understand and explain frequently used
synonyms, antonyms, and homographs.
Step 4: Identify targeted learning objectives
Sample Targeted Learning Objectives
Understand and explain frequently used synonyms,
antonyms, and homographs.
 Understand
frequently used synonyms.
 Understand frequently used antonyms.
 Understand frequently used homographs.
 Explain frequently used synonyms.
 Explain frequently used antonyms.
 Explain frequently used homographs.
Beware of Ambiguous Words
 We
must ask ourselves - what do we, and
the state, expect students to DO in order to
demonstrate that they “understand” and
how they will “explain”?
 What are the ambiguous words in our
learning objective?
 Understand
and explain frequently used
synonyms, antonyms, and homographs.
Deconstructing the Standard
5th Grade Language Arts (Standard 1.3)
Understand and explain frequently used
synonyms, antonyms, and homographs.
Step 5: Review available released test
questions.
www.samplestarquestions.org
CST
Release
Question
Analyze the Test Question
How does this help us determine what skill is
required of our 5th grade students?
Please type in your responses.
Constructing a Learning Objective
Choose a selected skill from the deconstructed standard:
Understand frequently used synonyms.
Using the Bloom handout, write an appropriate learning
objective. Type into the response box.
After reading a sentence, students will be able to
select an appropriate synonym from a list of
synonyms.
A B C2 D
A = Audience
B = Behavior (Measurable Skill)
C = Concept (Main Idea)
C = Condition (Context)
D = Degree (Measurable Criteria)
Instructional
Alignment
Instructional
Alignment
Instructional
Instructional
Alignment
Alignment
Standards
Independent
Practice
Content
Objective
Caveats……
A
learning objective is not an activity.
 It
helps the student understand the academic
purpose of the lesson
A
learning objective is not what the teacher
does; it is about what the audience, the student,
will be able to do.
 A learning objective is not just the standard
itself.
CFU Activity
Learning Objective
Students will use sponges to
simulate how plants store
water.
Using the plants that live in the
desert, students will describe
how the plants adapt to a
shortage of water.
Standardsbased
ActivityBased
Revisiting Our Learning Objective
 Participants
will construct a learning
objective based on a content standard and
aligned with appropriate independent
practice.
Independent Practice
Starting with End in Mind
An assignment that students
complete by themselves with no
help from the teacher and is
aligned to the learning objective.
Example of Independent Practice
Third Grade Math Standard: 3.1Compare fractions
represented by drawings or concrete materials to show
equivalency and to add and subtract simple fractions in
context.
Learning Objective: Students will add simple fractions.
Independent Practice:
HW Problems
2/3 + 1 2/3=_____
3 /4 + 1 /4= ____
4/5 – 1/5= ____
Aligned Y/N?
Example of Independent Practice
Third Grade Math Standard: 3.1Compare fractions
represented by drawings or concrete materials to show
equivalency and to add and subtract simple fractions in
context.
Learning Objective: Students will add simple fractions.
Independent Practice:
HW Problems
2/3 + 1 2/3=_____
Aligned Y/N?
No, mixed fraction
3 /4 + 1 /4= ____
Yes
4/5 – 1/5= ____
No, subtraction
Revisiting Our Learning Objectives
 Participants
will construct a learning objective
based on a content standard and aligned with
appropriate independent practice.
 Participants
will identify examples of checking for
understanding.
Review Checklist








Does the learning objective stem from a course standard?
Is the learning objective measurable?
Does the learning objective target one specific aspect of
expected performance?
Is the learning objective student-centered?
Does the learning objective utilize an effective, action verb
that targets the desired level of performance?
Does the learning objective match released CST questions
and/or assessments?
Does the learning objective specify appropriate conditions for
performance, if applicable?
Is the learning objective written in terms of observable,
behavioral outcomes/skills?
Questions?
“The first things students need to
learn is what they are supposed to
be learning.”
Knowing Your Learning Target
Educational Leadership, March 2011
Next Webinar
Focused Learning Through
Direct Instruction
Session Three:
Activating Prior Knowledge
and Checking for Understanding
April 21, 2011
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Register on the Region 2 RSDSS website:
http://www.tehamaschools.org/department/rsdss/upcoming-rsdss-events
Contact Information
Doreen Fuller (Shasta Hub Coordinator – serving Lassen,
Modoc, Siskiyou, Shasta, and Trinity Counties):
dfuller@shastacoe.org
Patty Garrison (Butte Hub Coordinator – serving Butte and
Plumas Counties): pgarriso@bcoe.org
Lorna Manuel (Region 2, RSDSS Director and Tehama
Hub Coordinator – serving Glenn and Tehama Counties):
lmanuel@tehamaschools.org