Full Description
"It is a pleasure to have a full length treatise on this most important topic, and may this focus on transfer
become much more debated, taught, and valued in our schools." - John Hattie
Teach students to use their learning to unlock new situations.
How do you prepare your students for a future that you can't see? And how do you do it without exhausting yourself? Teachers need a framework that allows them to keep pace with our rapidly changing world without having to overhaul everything they do.
Learning That Transfers empowers teachers and curriculum designers alike to harness the critical concepts of traditional disciplines while building students' capacity to navigate, interpret, and transfer their learning to solve novel and complex modern problems. Using a backwards design approach, this hands-on guide walks teachers step-by-step through the process of identifying curricular goals, establishing assessment targets, and planning curriculum and instruction that facilitates the transfer of learning to new and challenging situations. Key features include
Thinking prompts to spur reflection and inform curricular planning and design.
Next-day strategies that offer tips for practical, immediate action in the classroom.
Design steps that outline critical moments in creating curriculum for learning that transfers.
Links to case studies, discipline-specific examples, and podcast interviews with educators.
A companion website that hosts templates, planning guides, and flexible options for adapting current curriculum documents.
Using a framework that combines standards and the best available research on how we learn, design curriculum and instruction that prepares your students to meet the challenges of an uncertain future, while addressing the unique needs of your school community.
Contents
Foreword: The Pleasures of Teaching Transfer xiii John Hattie
Preface: Where Are We in Place and Time? Why Do We Need to Rethink Curriculum Design?
About the Authors
INTRODUCTION: Chapter Overview and How to Use This Book
CHAPTER 1: Learning Transfer: What Is It and How Can It Transform Teaching and Learning?
The Role of Concepts in Promoting Transfer
ACT: The Learning Transfer Mental Model
Putting It All Together
Envisioning the Possibilities
CHAPTER 2: Shifts in Practice: How Can We Set the Foundation for Learning That Transfers?
Shifts #1 & #2: The Roles of the Student and the Teacher
Shifts #3 & #4: The Roles of Curriculum and Instruction
Shift #5: The Role of Assessments
Shifts #6 & #7: The Roles of Leaders, Parents, and the Community
The ACT Model in Action
CHAPTER 3: Disciplinary Literacy: How Can We Unleash the Power of the Subjects We Teach?
The Power of Disciplinary Lenses: Focusing Our Attention to Move Students Toward Expertise
Establishing a Vision for Each Discipline
Articulating a Disciplinary Vision
Vertical Alignment: Your Course in the Larger Context of a Student's Journey Through School
Determining Disciplinary Lenses for Your Course
CHAPTER 4: Modern Literacies: What Do Our Students Need to Navigate Today's World?
Determining Modern Literacy Concepts
Horizontal Alignment to Promote Cross-Disciplinary Breadth
CHAPTER 5: The Story of Your Course: How Do We Craft a Compelling Narrative to Guide Learning?
The Critical Steps in a Transfer-Focused Course
Story of Your Course
CHAPTER 6: Unit Planning: How Do We Intentionally Design for Learning That Transfers?
Flexible Options for Unit Planning Steps
Zooming In: The Unit Planner
Assessing for Transfer
The Unit Storyboard: Planning for Similar to Dissimilar to Real-World Transfer
Preserving Space for Student Voice, Choice, and Passions
CHAPTER 7: Assessments: What Is the Role of Assessment in a Classroom Focused on Transfer?
Assessment as a System of Feedback
Summative Assessments of Transfer
Authentic Value Beyond School Walls
Planning for Formative Assessment of Transfer
Putting It All Together
CHAPTER 8: Instructional Design: Building a Community for Learning That Transfers
Highlighting the Importance of Intellectual Growth
Acquiring Understanding of Individual Concepts
Connecting Concepts in Relationship
Transferring Conceptual Relationships to New Situations
Designing Instructional Calendars
Designing Lesson Plans
Conclusion: Remaining Nimble: How Do We Continue to Evolve in an Unprecedented World?
Afterword: Learning That Matters
Glossary
References
Index
