BEST Instruction: REMEMBER Intended Learning Outcomes!

WoW! That title is a grabber, isn't it? Uh, no! UNLESS the reader remembers what Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) are! Now most educators depend upon a definition that reads something like this:

ILOs: Statements that describe what students should KNOW, UNDERSTAND, and be able to DO with their knowledge as well as what they FEEL and BELIEVE as a result of their LEARNING EXPERIENCES.

While most teachers focus upon the knowing, understanding, and doing, many forget the feeling and believing. Why? Because the latter part of this definition - that "touchy-feely" part is NOT tested. Understandably so. How can test-makers create a standardized, summative assessment that measures how students feel and what they believe?

After all, in this test-taking day and age, why should we worry about what WON'T be on the CRTs, the UBSCT, the ACT or SAT? As long as we teach the core and prepare the students for the season of testing, are we not doing enough?

The answer is "no." ILOs are a part of the core curriculum, and are expected to be an important part of instruction. With added capitalization, I created my own Wordle  "word cloud" to quote this excerpt from the USOE Langugae Arts Core Curriculum Introduction:

The OVERARCHING INTENT of language arts instruction in grades 7-12 is for students to VALUE, APPRECIATE, and DEMONSTRATE LITERACY through EXPRESSIVE and RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE skills, and to UNDERSTAND and INVESTIGATE the SELF, OTHERS, the CULTURE, and the ENVIRONMENT. The INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES (ILOs) describe the GOALS for language arts SKILLS and ATTITUDES. They are an INTEGRAL part of the CORE, and SHOULD BE INCLUDED as part of INSTRUCTION. PROCESS SKILLS in LANGUAGE ARTS domains are CRITICAL to the development of HIGH LEVELS of LITERACY and LEAD to UNDERSTANDING and INTERNALIZING ILOs.

ILOs are sometimes described as the HEART of the Core. While the voice of the above elaboration may be rather formal, some words and phrases create the heart. For example, the verbs value, appreciate, and understand, along with the adjectives expressive and critical, as well as the adverb integral denote passion and importance. The objects of the verbs - self, others, culture, and environment - specify subjects worthy of rigorous study and deep reflection. Skills and attitudes imply physical and emotional characteristics needed to develop high levels of literacy. 

As this is the time of year when goal-setting becomes a priority, it is also a good time to emphasize that ILOs describe the goals for Language Arts and that they should be included in teachers' instruction. But how long has it been since you reviewed the particulars of the core's Intended Learning Outcomes?

Over the next couple of days, let's look at a few of the ILO's descriptors. As we do, note the verbs used and the broad ramifications of those we examine.

Until tomorrow,
Renae