Student Goal Setting, Robinson, Spring 2025

Course Description

This is a 6-week online course, geared for 2nd grade-8th grade teachers. We begin the course by looking at growth mindset and how the idea of “grit” is critical in a goal-focused classroom. We will then be exploring using student engaged assessments to help students think through their own learning needs and set goals for themselves that will focus their academic growth. The course also looks at ways that the teacher can conference with students to keep focus on the individual goals. Finally, we will explore setting classroom goals for growth as a whole community and celebrating learning.

Audience: 2nd grade-high school with an earned Bachelor's Degree.

Course Goals

• How can we use data dives to have students analyze their own learning and progress?
• How can we adjust assessments to be student engaged assessments?
• How does growth mindset play a part in students’ growth and their focus on goal setting?
• How can we help students to create manageable goals that will pinpoint keys areas that could make a significant improvement in their learning?
• How do we conference with our students to encourage a focus on their goals and push our students to progress in their learning?
• How can we use goal setting as a whole class to improve outcomes for our students and to focus our students’ work in the classroom on a daily basis?

Course Objectives

By the end of the course:

• participants should be able to use data to create learning targets
• help students to create personal learning goals
• Work with students to track progress on their goals
• learn to conference with students to make progress towards their goals
• create opportunities to celebrate the accomplishments of their goals.

Instructor

Melinda Robinson, M.Ed.

Melinda is the Principal at Randolph Elementary School. She has taught many courses through the Vermont State University Center for Schools.

Course Schedule:

Week 1: February 3rd- Introduction to goal setting.

          -Read Chapter One of Step Into Student Goal Setting by Chase Nordengren

          -materials on week one of the Google Site

          -introduction of ourselves to the community      

          -Discussion forum for week one

Week 2: February 10th- Growth Mindset in a Goal Oriented Classroom & Learning Targets

          -Read Chapter 2 of Step Into Student Goal Setting by Chase Nordengren

          -materials on week 2 of the Google Site

          -Assignment- Create a lesson (or series of lessons) to introduce

          GRIT or Growth Mindset to your students.

          -Discussion forum for week 2

Week 3: February 17th- Data Dives to Develop Goals

          -Read chapter 3 of Step Into Student Goal Setting by Chase Nordengren

          -materials on week 3 of the Google Site

          -Assignment- In a single subject (or more if you would like) determine

          the data that you could have students analyze on a regular basis. The

          Considering the reading from last week on Learning Targets, what

          data could students analyze for these targets and supporting learning

          targets.

          - Discussion forum for week 3

Week 4: February 24th- Writing Goals with Students

          -Read Chapter 4 of Step Into Student Goal Setting by Chase Nordengren

          -materials on week 4 of the Google Site

          -Assignment-

                     - Create a lesson, or series of lessons, that walks students

                     through analyzing a set of data and creating SMART goals.

                     - Determine how students will track their data over time. This

                     might be a simple tracking sheet, or you might want to design

                     a data notebook to be used.

          -Discussion forum for week 4

Week 5: March 3rd- Conferring with Students

          -Read Chapter 5 of Step Into Student Goal Setting by Chase Nordengren

          -materials on week 5 of the Google Site

          -Discussion forum for week 5

Week 6: March 10th- Setting Classroom Goals and Celebrating Learning

-Read Chapter 6 and conclusion of Step Into Student Goal Setting by Chase Nordengren

          -Assignment- Detail a classroom goal that you might make with your

          class on an academic push or social or habit need that the class has

          shown and detail how you could lead the class through the goal

          setting. Also, show a model for how you could display the classroom

          goal to show growth.

          -Discussion forum for week 6

          -Course evaluation

Required Texts

Required texts are not included in the course tuition.