Objectives

=Read and Reflect=

Objectives

I believe that setting objectives in the classroom help teachers focus on what needs to be accomplished in the classroom. Both students and teachers can focus on the outcome, rather than on the procedures.

Currently, I set objectives in my classroom when we begin a new concept in class. I write down in my planner what my students are to learn. Afterwards, I try to come up with new and exciting ideas to accomplish this goal. Every year is different, as are the groups of students. I try to keep this in mind when making unit plans. When I begin a new unit in class, I tell my students what we are learning. Since I teach a foreign language, I try to stick to a group of vocabulary words and a few grammar rules. I try to connect the new information to concepts we have worked on in the previous weeks. My students know that they should expect a vocabulary quiz and writing assignments in Spanish based on all the information.

I would like to make more specific objectives for the classroom and have student’s comment on the objectives, but not too specific. I also need to make more specific long-term goals for my classroom. I also like the idea of posting the goals on a wall, which at the moment, I do not have a free spot. Creating a contract with students is a great idea also. I think the personalization of goals makes students’ accountable for their learning. This is something I will explore in the coming weeks.

=Apply and Reflect=

Rubistar

I have used Rubistar before for classroom assignments and think it is a great tool for setting objectives. Personally, I have not used it for setting and mastering objectives in a unit plan. But, I can see how this could be useful. I have created many rubrics on Class A. And it is nice to have several rubrics already created available to teachers in Rubistar. Rubistar makes it easier to create and apply student achievement and reaching classroom objectives. This rubric is about maps. My 7th Grade World Languages class is a trip around the world. We create maps of every country we visit and as we visit different parts of the country, they fill in more information about the country. Click on the link to view my rubric.

Map Rubric