When, Toto, tells Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, "I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore," he speaks for the best classes. The lay of the land has changed, so that students want to know where they are headed before lessons begin.

Benchmarks of the new landscapes include emerging facts about how their brains learn best. To shape our new journeys clear goals, sometimes called performance objectives, are critical landmarks. Whenever we create one or two clear objectives for a lesson, we can engage learning differences among students and address their individual differences to reach that objective. How does a clear objective direct students toward deeper understanding?

Consider performance objectives that might accompany a lesson on Inuit in the high Arctic. Objectives are performance based and begin "The learner will" (TLW) ....

TLW distinguish between _____, using 2 original documents.

TLW conduct a survey to determine _______, when temperatures drops to___.

TLW select one Spanish poem to create a tableau for the class, involving 3 peers.

TLW write a business proposal for a new marketing enterprise for peers.

Performance objectives substitute words such as know, understand, analyze, appreciate or realize. Clear goals and objective include words such as state, demonstrate, list, describe, memorize or compute.

Well-stated objectives simply map clear directions, ensure understanding of content taught, and create space for active, student centered learning. Identify one or two significant learning objectives for each lesson and you save time wasted in re-teaching content. Objectives in each intellectual domain for the topic, "Arctic Ravens," might include the following objectives.

LINGUISTIC DEMONSTRATION:

TLW list at least five major characteristics of the Arctic raven.
TLW create and edit a 500 word story to illustrate relationships between Arctic ravens and Inuit peoples.

LOGICAL-MATHEMATICAL DEMONSTRATION:

TLW outline and explain the development of ravens from birth to maturity.

SPATIAL DEMONSTRATION:

TLW illustrate a story to show the flight patterns of Arctic ravens.

BODILY-KINESTHETIC DEMONSTRATION:

TLW perform a dance to illustrate raven lifestyles and habits.
TLW pantomime three typical raven activities.

MUSICAL DEMONSTRATION:

TLW compose or illustrate music to describe a raven’s day.

INTERPERSONAL DEMONSTRATION:

TLW interview three peers to determine how raven relationships compare to human interactions.
TLW explain how raven relations are similar and different from human friendships.

INTRAPERSONAL DEMONSTRATION:

TLW create a journal with ten entries about life in the high Arctic from a raven’s perspective

NATURALISTIC DEMONSTRATION:

TLW compare and contrast a raven’s life to other wildlife birds in the Arctic.

Think of performance objectives as maps toward understanding. Did you ever lose your bearings? That’s how students feel in a class without clear objectives identified. You feel a bit like a foreigner trying to navigate New York with a map of Boston. To prevent everybody’s wasted time and frustration, when planning a journey, we simply pinpoint the destination before we begin. It only makes sense. And with an up-to-date map in hand it is really quite a straightforward task. For many years I had no idea how to create clear objectives for a unit or lesson, and some faculty tell you they still don’t use specific objectives for any lesson. No wonder students express confusion about exactly where they should be headed. No wonder some don’t expect to arrive anywhere specific.

A checklist to ensure performance objectives for deeper understanding:

Is each objective measurable? _____
Do learners perform a task? _____
Do objectives show active verbs? _____
Do objectives describe minimal expectations? _____
Are few words used? _____
Does each objective describe one performance only? _____
Will objectives be followed by related assessment tasks? _____

With destinations clearly in site, learners are free to enjoy more choices en route to understanding. Toto might conclude, "the natives are different and this creates shifts in expectations from them." Roads that lead to specific destinations often intersect and run parallel to other routes that lead to the same place. Learners may choose more scenic routes and enjoy the sites, or choose busy highways for faster, direct travel. Still others enjoy beating new paths, forging streams, or maybe even battling against storms and heat waves along their way. Many options are possible only when a class knows where they are expected to land in the end.

Dr. Ellen Weber is Founder/Director of the MITA International Renewal (Multiple Intelligence Teaching Approach) Center to support brain-based renewal in secondary and higher education.