Introduction
The precision and timeframe of educational outcomes range from global, long-term goals, to very specific, short-term outcomes called instructional or behavioral objectives. These terms are often used interchangeably. Between these extremes lay both concepts and standards. These are derived from a variety of sources including State Curriculum Frameworks, District Curriculum Guides, State Academic Content Standards and subject matter disciplines. All combine to serve as the basis for developing quality educational units and lessons.

Rationale
In the coming months, you will be asked to write numerous lesson plans using a structured format. This format will ask you to specify the goals for your instructional activities, the concepts you will address, as well as the State standards, and instructional objectives that you expect your students to achieve. These components are interrelated. They move from the general to the specific and from the long term to the short-term. It is often difficult to identify the subtle distinctions between these components but doing so is the starting point for developing good lesson plans. As skilled, successful teachers move through the planning process, their statements of expectation become more specific. Skilled teachers recognize the importance of deciding what they expect students to learn before deciding how they are going to teach or what they are going to have students do. In much of the recent education literature today this is called "Backward Planning," meaning that you plan from the end (outcome) backward to the activities. On the other hand, unskilled teachers simply lead activities and assign work without any overarching purpose.

Top