Learning That Transfers (designing Curriculum For A Changing World)

By (author) Stern Julie; By (author) Ferraro Krista; By (author) Duncan, Kayla; By (author) Aleo, Trevor
Description:

"It is a pleasure to have a full length treatise on this most important topic, and may this focus on transfer
become much more debated, taught, and valued in our schools." - John Hattie

Teach students to use their learning to unlock new situations.

How do you prepare your students for a future that you can’t see? And how do you do it without exhausting yourself? Teachers need a framework that allows them to keep pace with our rapidly changing world without having to overhaul everything they do.

Learning That Transfers empowers teachers and curriculum designers alike to harness the critical concepts of traditional disciplines while building students’ capacity to navigate, interpret, and transfer their learning to solve novel and complex modern problems. Using a backwards design approach, this hands-on guide walks teachers step-by-step through the process of identifying curricular goals, establishing assessment targets, and planning curriculum and instruction that facilitates the transfer of learning to new and challenging situations. Key features include

• Thinking prompts to spur reflection and inform curricular planning and design.
• Next-day strategies that offer tips for practical, immediate action in the classroom.
• Design steps that outline critical moments in creating curriculum for learning that transfers.
• Links to case studies, discipline-specific examples, and podcast interviews with educators.
• A companion website that hosts templates, planning guides, and flexible options for adapting current curriculum documents. 

Using a framework that combines standards and the best available research on how we learn, design curriculum and instruction that prepares your students to meet the challenges of an uncertain future, while addressing the unique needs of your school community. 

Table of contents:
Foreword: The Pleasures of Teaching Transfer xiii John Hattie Preface: Where Are We in Place and Time? Why Do We Need to Rethink Curriculum Design? About the Authors INTRODUCTION: Chapter Overview and How to Use This Book CHAPTER 1: Learning Transfer: What Is It and How Can It Transform Teaching and Learning? The Role of Concepts in Promoting Transfer ACT: The Learning Transfer Mental Model Putting It All Together Envisioning the Possibilities CHAPTER 2: Shifts in Practice: How Can We Set the Foundation for Learning That Transfers? Shifts #1 & #2: The Roles of the Student and the Teacher Shifts #3 & #4: The Roles of Curriculum and Instruction Shift #5: The Role of Assessments Shifts #6 & #7: The Roles of Leaders, Parents, and the Community The ACT Model in Action CHAPTER 3: Disciplinary Literacy: How Can We Unleash the Power of the Subjects We Teach? The Power of Disciplinary Lenses: Focusing Our Attention to Move Students Toward Expertise Establishing a Vision for Each Discipline Articulating a Disciplinary Vision Vertical Alignment: Your Course in the Larger Context of a Student’s Journey Through School Determining Disciplinary Lenses for Your Course CHAPTER 4: Modern Literacies: What Do Our Students Need to Navigate Today’s World? Determining Modern Literacy Concepts Horizontal Alignment to Promote Cross-Disciplinary Breadth CHAPTER 5: The Story of Your Course: How Do We Craft a Compelling Narrative to Guide Learning? The Critical Steps in a Transfer-Focused Course Story of Your Course CHAPTER 6: Unit Planning: How Do We Intentionally Design for Learning That Transfers? Flexible Options for Unit Planning Steps Zooming In: The Unit Planner Assessing for Transfer The Unit Storyboard: Planning for Similar to Dissimilar to Real-World Transfer Preservi