Writing Lesson Objectives

The title is boring...and the subject is hard for college students to grasp.  I have found a basic formula that I ask the students in a low level course to use.  It is four parts...I give them a handout, an example, a color coded model, practice, etc., etc, etc. and it is still tricky.

Today the students are working together in groups to plan a lesson presentation with the books they wrote for the class.  When they present, it will be a time to shine and share and learn and yes, I ask them to write a measurable instructional objective.  And the four parts are condition, perform, product, criteria.

I am borrowing a book shared with us during the month of March from Linda.  She shared Lemonade and Other Found Poems.  Today for the class's warm up I will share two examples from the book and then three of my own.  Here is the one with the four parts needed for a measurable instructional objective.

Condition            Perform               Product                                Criteria

                                

                 To do

                                         

                         Form to fit                                                                                                                                                                 

    

FOUR PART

                C = Prop

                P = Action

                P = Noun

                C = Rate

                                No tear  ----- No  pout ----- No fear

Can do

                Create

                                Educate

                                                Proud

Then they will try the task...we will share...they will process and work together.  Hopefully this will make the task easier plus they will have a great tool to use with their future students.  (Thank you, Linda!)

A Being to Keep Up!

I am going to add writing to my being.  When thinking about starting to "slice" on Tuesdays,  I thought I would  "add writing to my habits" and then STOPPED.  Is habit a negative term?  It can be, but it can also be positive.  But I thought is it a habit I want to add?

And so I thought of some traits I might have that are habits.

When teaching there are times that I will say, "We kinda need to do this."  I know when I hear that come out of my mouth, I am announcing something that many students will not want to do or may have trouble understanding.   And so I struggle with giving the task and so I say "kinda".  College students just want to know  what to do, when it is due, and what I expect.  This frustrates me and so...I will say "kinda" when I know or think I will meet resistance.  But as soon as I hear it come out of my mouth, I know I am sending the wrong message (there truly is no "kinda" about it).  I am working hard to break this habit...because I feel it is a "bad" habit.  I shouldn't care if they resist it or if it challenges them (I should HOPE to always challenge them). (To be honest, when I catch myself saying it, I will stop and say "This is an example of bad teaching." and then explain why).

When I go outside and run, something I try to do daily, I feel that I have a "good" habit.  So when deciding to write each Tuesday  I first thought this is a "good" habit I am starting.

But when thinking of something as a habit, I want the writing habit to be something more...and so I decided it will be part of my being.

And so cheers to me for being a writer and part of a community of writers!