Using the Performance Continuum in Planning Activities

Steps 3 and 4 of the teaching and learning cycle involve designing a learning activity to address the real-life concerns of learners and developing a plan to capture evidence and report learning. At this stage teachers can develop their own planning tool or use one described in Step 3.

1. Based on the information you collected in Steps 1 and 2, determine the performance levels of your students. For example, students who have mastered the knowledge and skills described in Performance Level 2 can work on the dimensions of performance described in Performance Level 3.


2. Start to fill out a planning guide by brainstorming with students what to list in the left-hand column "What do we need to know?" (Step 3 of the teaching and learning cycle). Make sure you have a copy of the description of the performance level you have selected to look at as you brainstorm. Move back and forth between the goal-specific knowledge, skills and strategies and the dimensions of performance at the level you have selected until you have covered all the main activities you will need to reach the goal.
   
   Note: You may find that some activities may cover several dimensions of performance at once while others may address just one sub-skill within a single dimension. Not all teaching and learning activities must address each of the bulleted items in the performance level descriptions.


3. Work with students to fill out the middle column of the Planning Guide by thinking about the activities you will plan. Consider how much time each activity will take and how much time overall you have.
   
   Claire started by having students restate their goal so it was as specific as possible using the Stating a Clear Goal worksheet in the toolkit. They settled on this one: To negotiate with parents, students, and day care providers to resolve conflicts about responsibilities for making sure the center is tidy and safe at pick up time. Since this was a "found" lesson Claire had to improvise on the spot. She drew three columns under the definition of the standard she had put on the blackboard. Paraphrasing, she put a simplified version of the Performance Level 2 knowledge skills and strategies the left-hand column under "What do we need to know?". (See the Supports section of the toolkit for tips on simplifying text.) The class went over the steps and refined the language. Then they wrote a rough plan of the activities they would work on. They decided they would do most of the work in this class session. They would begin by trying to understand the problem and points of agreement and disagreement. They divided into small groups to do this, with at least one parent and one of the daycare providers in each group. They then would come together to come up with two or more possible solutions and to get ready to hold a meeting outside of class with parents, children and day care providers. A key part of getting ready was to develop a list of strategies that could be used at the meeting and a checklist of processes that could be used to make sure the negotiation was fair and effective. Some students would be appointed to observe the meeting to see how these tools and processes were used. The class decided that after the meeting they would spend part of one class session evaluating how well the negotiation process had gone and what they had learned about resolving conflicts.

To see a complete version of this Planning Guide, click here.

Click here to print out a blank Word version of the Planning Guide to use in your program.

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