Touchstone

What It Looks Like

Resources

Use standards
to guide
every learning
opportunity

Research supported
resources, ideas, and
examples for unpacking
standards and using them as
an approach for creative
lesson planning and selfdirected student learning.

http://www.cde.state.co.us/standardsandinstruction/coloradost
andards

Ensure
students set
personal
learning
objectives for
each lesson

Research supported
resources, ideas, and
examples for helping
students challenge
themselves by setting
ambitious long-term goals
for learning and short-term
learning objectives. Evident
that you begin with the end
in mind, using learning
objectives to guide the
planning of lessons and
units.

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/smart-goal-setting-withstudents-maurice-elias

Peel back the

curtain and
make my
performance
expectations
clear

Research-supported
resources, ideas, and
examples for using
performance rubrics and
other methods to ensure
students know how their
performance will be judged.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/168211323/How-to-Give-ClearDirections

Measure
understanding
against high
expectations

Research-supported
resources, ideas, and
examples for ensuring that
course grades reflect actual
academic performance,
including critical thinking and
high expectations.

How to Grade for Learning K-12 By: Ken OConnor

Engage
students
interests with
every lesson

Research supported
resources, ideas, and
examples for hooking
student interest at the start
of the lessons and using a
variety of techniques to
motivate learning throughout

Young Investigators: The Project Approach in the Early Years

Here is a list of all of the standards in each subject for the state
of Colorado. The standards are filled with examples of what the
children should be learning, evidence outcomes and inquiry
questions. The website also includes links of handouts for
parents about the Colorado state standards. Knowing the
standards helps make learning purposeful for the students and
when the parents also know the standards they are better
informed about what their children are learning and why.

This link provides ideas on smart goal setting alongside

students. The process is formatted based off of the acronym
SMART. According to the link goals should be Specific,
Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely. The website
highlights ways in which teachers can assist students in setting
appropriate goals for themselves.

The Back Pack Series, located on the TASCI website was

developed by teachers and behavioral professionals. One of the
articles in The Back Pack series is all about How To Give Clear
Expectations. This article gives insight about how to give clear
directions to children. They discuss having the child repeat the
direction to ensure understanding and start simple with one
direction at a time, slowly working towards more.

This book gives guidelines for helping teachers grade so that

actual student learning is clearly communicated. The book is
based around standards based grading. Planning around the
standards and grading around the standards helps to best show
the students learning and knowledge based off of the
standards for learning at each specific grade.

By: Judy Harris Helm and Lilian Katz

This book walks teachers through the steps of using the project
approach. This approach is based off of what the students
desire to learn about, and the whole unit is focused on what

lessons and units, including

providing choices and
framing lessons around
novelty.

their interests are and expands slowly as the children explore

different areas of the subject matter.

Interact
meaningfully
with every
student

Research-supported
resources, ideas, and
examples for interacting with
students, getting to know
them, and demonstrating
interest in them as
individuals and as learners.

http://www.pyramidplus.org/resources/BuildComCap_Aug09

Use feedback
to encourage
effort

Research-supported
resources, ideas, and
examples for providing
students with frequent and
timely feedback that links to
learning objectives. The
feedback is also actionable
and tailored to individual
student needs.

Whats After Assessment? Follow-Up Instruction for Phonics,

Fluency and Comprehension. By: Kathleen Strickland

Create an
oasis of
safety and
respect in my
classroom

Research-supported
resources, ideas, and
examples for establishing
clear rules for behavior and
consequences for
misconduct, ensuring that all
students feel safe to learn
and contribute to classroom
discussions

http://www.cfchildren.org/second-step

Make the
most of every
minute

Research-supported
resources, ideas, and
examples for planning
lessons to ensure bell-to-bell
learning for students.

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/collection/managing-yourtime

Research-supported
resources, ideas, and
examples for introducing
new knowledge by helping
students connect it to prior
knowledge. Includes helping
students connect information
into coherent patterns to
deepen knowledge.

http://www.hewlett.org/programs/education/deeperlearning/what-deeper-learning

Research-supported
resources, ideas, and
examples for using frequent
checks for understanding to

The Daily 5: Fostering Literacy Independence in the

Elementary Grades By: Gail Boushey and Joan Moser

Help students
develop deep
knowledge

Coach
students to
mastery

This website gives many examples of how to build relationships

with students and how to interact meaningfully with each
student. It gives examples of positive language, how to take
advantage of teachable moments, and how to communicate
with parents and students effectively.

This book discusses ways to plan for childrens literacy

development and how to respond to different successes or
difficulties. The book discusses how to appropriately assess
children and how to provide feedback for students during
lessons, after assessment and throughout different learning
activities.

The Second Step Curriculum is used to help children

understand their emotions and the emotions of others. It
teaches skills like sharing, taking turns, including others,
encouraging others and making wise choices. These friendship
skills are important for students to learn in order to feel safe
and respected in their classroom.

This website gives examples of how teachers can take

advantage of those tiny moments of extra time. It gives ideas
on how to manage the time in the classroom.

This website defines what deep learning means. It provides

teachers with ideas on helping students achieve deep learning
and highlights the importance of deep learning.

Help students
do something
with their
learning

know which concepts or

skills students are struggling
to master and ideas for ways
to reteach as needed to help
all students develop
mastery.

The daily five is a literacy program that teachers can use to

help coach their students the appropriate way to read and
understand text. The daily five is a setup of centers that the
students rotate though, they have opportunities to practice
with peers, work independently, and be coached by teachers.
This trifecta helps the students be able to be successful and
master the skills being taught.

Research-supported
resources, ideas, and
examples for structuring
classroom discussion and
writing assignments to help
students extend their
learning through the use of
project-based learning and
problem solving by applying
new knowledge in novel
situations.

Reading with Meaning: Teaching Comprehension in the

Primary Grades By: Debbie Miller
This book explains how teachers can help their students
expand their learning to the outside world. Teachers are
encouraged to ask questions that are relevant to the world
around them. Homework could also be assigned to help
students connect what they have learned at school to what
they experience outside of school.