Course Overview

Welcome

Welcome to our course on Clarity for Learning. This is a book study designed to be completed at your own pace. As you complete each chapter, check for any corresponding assignments and watch any corresponding chapter chats.


Course Outcomes

  • I can explain why clarity is important for effective teaching and learning.
  • I can create clear learning intentions and success criteria for my lessons.
  • I can use strategies to help students understand what success looks like in their learning.
  • I can design assessments that reveal student thinking and provide helpful feedback.
  • I can work with other teachers to improve clarity in our school or district.

Assignments

This course has multiple assignments, reflections, and questions that will be submitted in one "assignment collection." We encourage you to complete items in the collection as you work through chapters and to save your work as you go. Once you have completed all items, then submit them together in one file if possible. In this way, this course has only one "true" assignment:

To have this assignment marked as "completed," you must score 100% on the assignment. If you do not score 100%, you can rework the assignment as many times as you need or submit additional items. 

Scoring

Your work in this course is based solely on the product you produce for the assignment collection. While it is important that you follow the specific instructions, your work in the assignment collection will be scored on if you demonstrate command of each of the outcomes listed for this course. Make sure to pay close attention to the wording of each outcome.

Click here to learn more about how to demonstrate an outcome.

To do this, you need to have at least one piece of evidence showing the appropriate level of ability for the verbiage used in each outcome. For example, a summary of blended learning would not demonstrate command of "I can evaluate different models of blended learning." See the Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching graphic on Bloom's Taxonomy below for more information. 

The image is a visual representation of Bloom's Taxonomy, a hierarchical model used to classify educational learning objectives into levels of complexity and specificity. The model is structured as a pyramid divided into six colored layers with the following sections from the base to the top:
"remember" in blue, which includes verbs like "recall facts and basic concepts," such as "define, duplicate, list, memorize, repeat, state."
"understand" in light blue, which involves "explaining ideas or concepts," with verbs like "classify, describe, discuss, explain, identify, locate, recognize, report, select, translate."
"apply" in green, which is about "using information in new situations," and includes actions like "execute, implement, solve, use, demonstrate, interpret, operate, schedule, sketch."
"analyze" in yellow, which refers to "drawing connections among ideas," with verbs like "differentiate, organize, relate, compare, contrast, distinguish, examine, experiment, question, test."
"evaluate" in orange, which is concerned with "justifying a stand or decision," and includes verbs such as "appraise, argue, defend, judge, select, support, value, critique, weigh."
"create" in red, which represents "producing new or original work," with verbs like "design, assemble, construct, conjecture, develop, formulate, author, investigate."
The pyramid is labeled "Bloom's Taxonomy" at the top right corner, with a Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching logo and a Creative Commons license symbol at the bottom.

Any outcomes not demonstrated will be marked as incomplete. After scoring, you will have the opportunity to rework or add to the reflection journal as desired for reconsideration. Feel free to reach out with any questions on this. You are welcome to modify this assignment for your role and needs; however, please reach out to the instructor before working on any modified approaches.

Feedback 

In our book studies, we understand the importance of receiving personalized feedback to enhance your learning experience. Should you have any practice assignments or activities that you'd like us to provide early input on, please don't hesitate to message the instructor directly. We are committed to supporting your journey, whether you're an educator, administrator, support staff, or a community or family member invested in education. Our team is always eager to provide input on your ideas and to assist in your professional and personal development. Your growth and success are our top priorities. For any feedback requests you submit, please expect a response within approximately one week. We strive to provide timely and constructive feedback to support your learning and development.

Please note that while we endeavor to provide comprehensive feedback, detailed responses for the main assignment collection cannot be guaranteed on a set deadline. However, we encourage you to reach out if your assignment collection has not been scored within two weeks. Your understanding helps us maintain a structured and effective learning environment for all participants.

Certificates, CECH, and Credit Overview

Upon completing all main modules of the course, participants are automatically awarded a certificate of completion, a document that can be used as proof of training or displayed on platforms like LinkedIn. For those interested in further accreditation, there's the option to enroll in an additional course to receive a CECH/CEU certificate, which is separate from graduate credit and requires viewing the course homepage. Alternatively, participants seeking graduate credit can do so by registering with a university, completing the course, and fulfilling a capstone project. This option is not automatic and requires coordination with the instructor and may involve additional fees. Graduate credit provides a more formal recognition of completion and can be sought from various affiliated universities within six months of completing the course.

More information on this will be available in the similarly titled module upon completion of all main modules.