Learning Plans Teacher Guide
Overview
Student Learning Plans are a self-guided tool where the student can take ownership of their own learning before the final submission of a unit project.
In the HS Capstone Course, each unit is just a project - so the Learning Plan will go into effect after student ideation/planning to help guide their independent work. Typically, Learning Plans occur prior to a unit’s final assessment or independent work. These are teacher-made and often come coupled with formative assessment feedback (here, design journals) on a previous ideation or iteration of the final project.
In the case of this work, the feedback should be on the initial ideation and planning/design journal created by the student so they have the opportunity to improve upon their learning goals before their final iteration. As a reminder, formative assessments can work within whatever flexible grading system you’ve chosen to use for this HS Capstone course - it can be about emphasizing core skills or used with mastery learning. If you are assessing team building skills or project management skills, these can also be included and assessed.
The Learning Plan is largely student-led and therefore its success depends on the guidance from the teacher in the form of formative assessment feedback. So, what does good formative assessment feedback look like? The answers to this may vary from teacher to teacher depending on style, project content, and the needs of the student, but all agree that formative assessment feedback is when the teacher is able to communicate to the student how to achieve their learning goals in a timely manner (as in before the summative/final iteration of a project occurs). This feedback should also be personal and catered to the student’s individual project. NCTE’s Executive Committee published the 10 qualities of formative assessment in their report titled “Formative Assessment That Truly Informs Instruction”:
Requires students to take responsibility for their own learning.
Communicates clear, specific learning goals.
Focuses on goals that represent valuable educational outcomes with applicability beyond the learning context.
Identifies the student’s current knowledge/skills and the necessary steps for reaching the desired goals.
Requires development of plans for attaining the desired goals.
Encourages students to self-monitor progress toward the learning goals.
Provides examples of learning goals including, when relevant, the specific grading criteria or rubrics that will be used to evaluate the student’s work.
Provides frequent assessment, including peer and student self-assessment and
assessment embedded within learning activities.
Includes feedback that is non-evaluative, specific, timely, and related to the learning goals, and that provides opportunities for the student to revise and improve work.
Promotes metacognition and reflection by students on their work. (NCTE Executive Committee).
A couple of factors really stand out here in terms of the HS Capstone project - namely, the onus on student responsibility for their learning goals given the independent nature of this unit, and identifying their current skills and goals and leveraging these to help them meet the ultimate unit targets. When done right, formative assessment feedback is transformative and feels highly personal to each student - they will feel seen and will have not only the motivation to improve upon their projects, but the resources to help them get there. This is where the Learning Plan comes in.
Once a student has at least the ideation and design journal stage completed, they can be ready for feedback and a Learning Plan. However, a basic draft is necessary or else this time will not be spent on improving their skills, but just drafting them. As mentioned in the curriculum overview, student buy-in happens during project mode. The Learning Plan is essential for this buy-in because it places the power and onus directly on to the student, while still keeping plenty of options for teacher support and check-ins. In the Learning Plan phase, the students have already internalized the teacher’s feedback and are presented with student choice on how to proceed on advancing the skills that were noted to need a boost. The students spend whatever time determined by the teacher (see section below) to engage in these learning strategies and use them to ultimately improve upon their project. They have the flexibility to drop learning strategies that do not work for them and to search for their own resources. They can also chose to work in pairs or individually.
Time Frame for Learning Plans
Project Mode Weeks
The amount of time required to successfully complete a learning plan cycle depends on the assessment, however, the teacher must consider the time needed for students to dig into their independent learning strategies. For an end of unit assessment/project, in a typical course, this can last anywhere from 1 - 5 days of independent learning time and can be extended as needed. In the case of this HS Capstone project, this Learning Plan process may take more time, and can be a repetitive/longer protocol utilized throughout the unit to maintain project momentum. Regardless of how many times you choose to implement it, remember that it needs to follow teacher feedback in order to be successfully utilized by the students.
Plan for Extension
Have a superstar student who has met a lot of their learning targets and feels like they're “done” with their Learning Plan early? Make sure to include extension options for students to truly challenge themselves to go above and beyond. There are no limits in this unit.
Launching Learning Plans
When launching the Learning Plans, consider starting with one of the Project Mode Protocols, like “Standups” after students have time to engage with your feedback. This will give you a quick visual representation of where your students are at from the start of the learning plan.
Teacher Responsibilities During Learning Plans
Teachers do the heavy lifting during the formative review process by giving students thoughtful feedback on their learning projects and creating resources for their learning plan strategies. During the Learning Plan days, the students are now in the driver’s seat, taking themselves through an independent learning journey. The teacher maintains a presence as their guide by hosting one-on-one sessions with students to check in on their learning plan progress or by offering re-teach sessions for hard skills.
Learning Plan Features
Unit Learning Targets: The learning plan is organized by the Unit’s learning targets and objectives. Unique to this course, the learning targets and objectives are specifically about project creation for a specific prompt. When looking for learning targets, a good place to start is the unit’s project prompt and NYS Computing Standards.
Formative Feedback from a Teacher and/or fellow student: This empowers students to engage in self-directed learning and gives them the opportunity to work on standards or project objectives that they specifically need to work on. This feedback should be broken down by target and given to the student to reflect on and internalize before they move on to the next step of practicing their skills.
Student Choice: A crucial feature of Student Learning Plans is student choice, or “Learning Strategies.” Once a student is made aware of the targets they need to work on, they are given tasks that can be done independently to relearn and/or practice these targets. Learning strategies are grouped by learning targets, allowing students to select a strategy that works best for them.
One-on-One Check-ins: The one-on-ones are strategically scheduled throughout the Learning Plan process to ensure that each student is successfully working toward their project goals and to offer advice or motivation during their individual learning journey. One-on-Ones should happen throughout the HS Capstone project, but should be focused on the learning plan goals during this timeframe. Check out your Protocols Guide for the One-on-One protocol (also below with Learning Plan specific questioning).
1:1s Protocol:
Project mode affords an opportunity to check in with students individually while their peers continue productive work.
One-on-one conversation with students can help a teacher pinpoint when a student group needs help resolving interpersonal tensions, or spot an unequal division of labor and resolve it before the project ends.
Ask any questions you like during a 1:1. Consider including the following:
In your opinion, how did you think your first iteration of your project went? Do you agree or disagree with the teacher's feedback?
Which Learning Target stood out to you the most? Which skill(s) do you think are the most important to prioritize in this Learning Plan process?
Which Learning Strategy are you working on? What drew you to that choice? Are you finding it helpful?
Is your group being helpful? Have you agreed on Learning Strategies or are you working on separate ones?
If a learning strategy isn’t working for you, how long are you going to stick it out before switching to one that may work better for you?
Did you find any of your own resources? How did you find them? Are they working effectively for you?
How do you feel about your Learning Plan progress so far?
Student Choice Examples
Seek Teacher Support:
Small groups for relearning skills can be scheduled on a learning plan day, allowing students to opt in to sessions.
EX: If you have multiple students struggling with a concept needed to complete their project, this would be an ideal time for a small group. Perhaps all students are struggling with arrays, or they all need a refresher on UI basics - grab them for a reteach. You may also anticipate topics that need review based on the types of projects your students have chosen to create.
At a teacher’s discretion, lunch and after-school teacher-led workshops sessions can also be added for more 1-on-1 support.
If you are comfortable doing so, you can record key skill-based lessons while teaching and have the recording available for the students to review. Having lessons pre-recorded either live or using other software for powerpoint/project voice-overs can free you up to spend this time conferencing with students on their Learning Plan progress instead of reteaching.
Review Past Lesson Materials/CS Courses:
Teachers would make the lesson materials available pertaining to specific targets to the students. This may include prior CS courses, prior projects, worksheets, powerpoints, recordings of the lesson or other materials. When selected, the student would go through the lesson and review it to work on the targeted skill.
Use Classroom Protocols
Please see the Protocols page in the Curriculum Materials section of the nav bar, left.
Some good choices for the learning plan include, but are not limited to, Peer Feedback Protocols, Work Sprint, and Optional Teach.
Watch a Video:
For our audiovisual learners, videos are a great way to relearn a targeted skill. Videos can be linked into your learning plan from YouTube, Khan Academy, TedEd, or elsewhere. Note Catchers can be included.
Student or Teacher Model Review:
Samples of excellent student work can be taken from the formative assessment process to highlight standards met for certain skills. These can then be used by students working on these targets to review. Teacher-made models can also be made for this learning strategy option. Note Catchers on how to review models can be included as well.
Student’s Choice:
If none of the above choices appeal to the student, they also have the opportunity to find their own resources. In a Computer Science course, this might involve looking at Stack Overflow. Depending on teacher preference, you could also encourage them to utilize chatGPT within reason to debug and breakdown complicated topics.
Example Format of a Learning Plan
Part Zero: Student formative assessment - in the case of HS Capstone, this is the ideation and reflection completed by the student and given to the teacher for review.
Part One: Formative Assessment feedback from teacher, organized by Learning Target
Part Two: Student Reflection and Insights, filled out by the student.
Part Three: Learning Strategies, grouped by target by Teacher
Part Four: Next Steps, selected by student
Part Five: [Optional] Signed commitment by the student to complete the above next steps by the due date.
*Remember that before the Learning Plan is: Student ideation, planning, drafting of their initial project using the Classroom Protocols and Design Journal. After the Learning Plan is the final iteration of the project and presentations.
Last updated