Return-Path: <nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id e8JF2B912191; Tue, 19 Sep 2000 11:02:11 -0400 (EDT) Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2000 11:02:11 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <39C7467B.2B45DD0B@ccsdistrict.org> Errors-To: rgspacone@aol.com Reply-To: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Jane Meyer <meyer_j@ccsdistrict.org> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-4EFF:1193] how do you know if you have an EFF lesson or just a good active lesson? X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; x-mac-type="54455854"; x-mac-creator="4D4F5353" X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.05 (Macintosh; I; 68K) Status: O Content-Length: 2910 Lines: 54 Lisa's questions to Jeffrey asking how he made his lessons EFF friendly were helpful to me in something I've been puzzling over. I've been wondering how to assist teachers who have good active lessons to continue to use their effective style, but to use EFF in the planning of those lessons, not just identify EFF in the lesson after it is done. Some might ask if it is important to use EFF in planning the lessons. Isn't it enough that we can find pieces of the EFF framework (such as skills, roles, or purposes) in a good lesson? I think not. My experience has been that when good teachers who already use an active learning, project-based approach go a step farther and use EFF in planning (and then assessing) their lessons both teaching and learning is improved. Lisa's questions helped me to see why this improvement occurs. If before doing the project the teacher spends time "assessing the student's goals in regards to the topic and then incorporates these goals into the lesson planning, building in mechanisms for students to practice their skills and relate what they were doing to their lives" it stands to reason that the lesson will work better because it directly relates to what the student really needs to know and be able to do. Learning will be purposeful and in context. The question then becomes how to do this. It seems we need to USE our EFF framework (not just identify it in the lesson afterwards). We can USE the purposes and role maps for goal setting and in planning in mechanisms for students to practice their skills and relate the classroom to their lives. We can USE the standards (including the components of performance) to plan the learning projects. It seems there is a difference between EFF friendly lessons and lessons based on EFF. Teachers who already teach in an EFF friendly style may find it easier to use EFF, but use of active or project-based lessons does not necessarily mean one is using EFF. Using EFF means just that, USING the framework to plan (and assess). This is not to say that I think Jeffrey is not using EFF. I can't tell from his descriptions of his lessons. I can tell that he has great active and engaging lessons (Would you like to move to Canton, Ohio Jeffrey? I would love to have you on my staff whether or not you used EFF in the planning of the lessons!) If you did and can answer Lisa's questions it would be helpful to others. If your lessons are at this point more EFF friendly than EFF based perhaps you might want to try using the framework in planning your learning projects using Lisa's questions for direction. As an aside, Lisa's questions also make me see that when I am describing a lesson based on EFF I need to describe the kinds of things she asked about goal setting and planning using the standards so folks can see how I USED EFF, along with describing the student activity. Jane Meyer Canton, Ohio
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