Linking learning to the real world: Checking my teaching objectives

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For learning to be meaningful, learners must be able to link their learning outcomes to their experience and interests in real life. It is therefore essential for teachers to check their objectives if they intend to connect their teaching to the real world.

Introduction to the task, its purpose and focus
Teachers with the same or affiliated subjects form groups.
Distribute worksheet
Allow time for the group members to fill in the list.
Group members discuss their answers.
According to their importance, they prioritize the questions, ranking them by numbers in each line.
Groups present their first three priorities.
Debriefing, guided by the following questions:
- Do we agree on our priorities?
- Why are lesson objectives crucial for linking a lesson to the real world?
- How feasible is such a list in our school?
- What are the main obstacles in applying such a list to our everyday teaching practice?

Worksheet

From Living Democracy Vol. I, Educating for democracy, Task and key questions, pages 67 – 68 http://www.living-democracy.com/textbooks/volume-1/part-2/unit-2/chapter-2/

What objectives do I wish to achieve?
What competences will be most important at the end of the unit?
What reasons do I give for the selection of these objectives?
What priority do I give to my objectives (primary and secondary objectives)?
What objectives are important now – for the class as a whole, for individual students, male and/or female?
Have I ensured that the objectives that I have selected serve the main interests and needs of my students?
Do my lessons really respond to what my students are preoccupied with?
Is it possible for the students to participate in the definition or selection of the learning objectives?
How much time (lessons and weeks) has been assigned to achieving the objectives?
What objectives should be achieved by all the students within the disposable teaching time (general standard of attainment)?
Are specific levels of attainment to be defined for individual students (education according to individual ability)?
Have I enabled the students to move forward from knowledge to action, that is, can they confidently apply the knowledge they have acquired?
What do I focus on in my teaching – cognitive, personal or social competence?
Do I have a clear idea of the short- and long-term objectives which are of primary importance for my class, for learning groups, for individual male and female students?
Have I clearly and explicitly stated the objectives?