Dubuque 21st Century Teaching and Learning

October 18, 2013

The Continuum

Critical Thinking & Problem Solving

Critical Learner

Digital-Age Literacy
Informed Learner

Students rely on visual and information

literacies that require them to find, navigate
through, evaluate, and create meaning out
of information in/from multiple formats.

Teachers provide research opportunities

for students to develop and employ digital
literacies.

Creative Learner

Communication & Collaboration

Collaborative Learner

Students apply knowledge to communicate and

collaborate in order to reach a common goal or
create a product.

Students use higher-order thinking

reasoning to solve authentic problems.

and

Teachers provides activities, experiences and

feedback needed for students to develop
higher-order thinking skills.

Creativity & Innovation

Students develop original ideas and create
relevant products by using inventive thinking,
research, communication, and collaboration.

Teachers provide experiences that allow

students to create unique ideas and products
that have value beyond school.

Teachers structure a variety of communication

methods to encourage substantive conversations
and produce collaborative projects.
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The Continuum The Informed Learner

October 18, 2013

Students rely on visual and information literacies that require them to find, navigate through, evaluate, and create meaning out of information in/from multiple
formats. Teachers provide research opportunities for students to develop and employ digital literacies.

The Student

Acquires information using teacherprovided resources

Provides resources for research and
Follows teacher
direction
to
information
acquisition.
(Resource
Use)
complete task

Uses basic search techniques

Constructs own questions to guide

research

Determines accuracy of sources

using tools or strategies provided by
teacher

Incorporates varied search techniques

Assembles and prioritizes information

Responds with limited analysis of

information sources

Responds to teacher prompt

Teacher Directed
Academic Tasks

As might be required in college and/or

careers, the student selects appropriate
industry-standard tools and resources to
find, evaluate and justify sources
assemble and synthesize information
formulate and test research questions
attribute intellectual property
create new information and authentic
tasks

Uses appropriate formatting and citing

Digital Age
Literacy

High Productivity, Student-Centered

Authentic, Value Beyond School
Real World, Industry Standard Tools

The Teacher

Provides resources

Directs student
usefor
of pre-selected
Provides
resources
research and
sources
information acquisition. (Resource Use)
States topics and research questions

Models or reinforces search

techniques and/or analysis of
various sources
Models or reinforces how to
determine authority and accuracy of
sources
Provides limited student choice in
sources

Models or reinforces investigative

strategies

Designs challenges to address an

authentic task
Guides students as they acquire,
evaluate, and apply information

To prepare students for college and/or career

success the teacher

Designs tasks requiring solutions

to real-world questions,
problems, or situations
Facilitates and assesses authentic
tasks that incorporate industrystandard resources
Requires evidence of multicultural
perspectives

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The Continuum The Collaborative Learner

October 18, 2013

Students apply knowledge to communicate and collaborate in order to reach a common goal or create a product.
Teachers structure a variety of communication methods to encourage substantive conversations and produce collaborative projects.

The Student

Responds to, but does not justify

answers to teacher-initiated
questionsresources for research and
Provides
information acquisition. (Resource Use)
Works independently or in ad hoc
pairs or small groups

Follows teacher-defined
instructions to communicate with
peers

Works in student-nominated
groups

Uses purposeful collaboration to

complete authentic task
Works in purposely designed roles
Seeks audience beyond the
classroom

Responds to academic task with

limited audience

Teacher Directed
Academic Tasks

Communication
& Collaboration

As might be required in college and/or

careers, the student selects appropriate
industry-standard tools and resources to
Communicate with peers and experts
Form teams, organize roles, and
establish group norms to solve an
authentic task that acknowledges or
celebrate the contributions of others
Respond to authentic tasks to
facilitate communication and/or
collaboration with a real audience

High Productivity
Student-Centered
Authentic Value Beyond School
Industry Standard Collaboration Tools

The Teacher

Provides information and

expectations with limited student
interaction
Provides resources for research and
information
acquisition.
Promotes recall
and/or(Resource
student Use)
comprehension
Does not promote collaboration

Uses or builds upon past

instruction of communication
skills
Asks evaluative questions and
elicits student questions
Provides grouping opportunities

Models or reinforces communication

methods addressing authentic tasks

Supports student collaboration with
critical questions

Designs collaborative challenges with

clearly defined individual roles

To prepare students for college and/or career

success the teacher
Facilitates and formatively assesses
authentic tasks, meaningful
communication, and purposeful
collaboration
Facilitates a classroom environment in
which students generate their own
questions surrounding complex,
authentic issues
Supports collaborative environments in
which students form questions, solve
problems, and collaborate within and
beyond the classroom

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The Continuum The Critical Learner

October 18, 2013

Students use higher-order thinking and reasoning to solve authentic problems.

Teachers provides activities, experiences and feedback needed for students to develop higher-order thinking skills.

The Student

Elaborates on prompts requiring

critical thinking or problem solving

Respond to, but does not justify

their answers to teacher-initiated
questions

Provides resources for research and

Works on acquisition.
class assignments
information
(Resource Use)
through recollection of knowledge

Applies tools or resources to

elaboration
Recognizes limited perspectives in
academic tasks

Works from a single or imposed

perspective in academic tasks

Teacher Directed
Academic Tasks

Regulates learning by discerning

effective and ineffective strategies

Engages in higher-order thinking to

complete an open-ended, authentic
task
Considers multiple perspectives
while completing complex,
authentic tasks

Critical Thinking &

Problem Solving

As might be required in college

and/or careers, the student selects
appropriate industry-standard tools
and resources to
Engage in metacognitive and
reflective activities
solve authentic tasks
Consider how authentic
problems can be solved in
various ways given multiple
perspectives

High Productivity
Student-Centered
Authentic Value Beyond School
Industry Standard Tools

The Teacher

Directs student thought

processes and responses

Provides resources for research

Provides
class assignments
that
and
information
acquisition.
emphasize recall and
(Resource Use)
comprehension

Directly instructs or has instructed

students on limited criticalthinking and/or problem-solving
strategies
Requires students to use limited
critical-thinking or problemsolving strategies to complete
academic tasks

Models or reinforces critical thinking

and/or problem-solving strategies in
authentic contexts
Designs challenging lessons requiring
solution of authentic tasks

Facilitates additional critical

questioning to further student
progress

To prepare students for college and/or

career success the teacher
Designs authentic tasks where
students are consistently engaged
in meaningful critical thinking and
problem solving
Creates a learning environment
necessitating conceptual thought
and/or the synthesis of multiple
concepts
Facilitates and formatively assesses
students ability to draw
conclusions and solve problems

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The Continuum The Creative Learner

October 18, 2013

Students develop original ideas and create relevant products by using inventive thinking, research, communication, and collaboration.
Teachers provide experiences that allow students to create unique ideas and products that have value beyond school.

The Student

Question, summarize and make

predictions on existing knowledge using
provided resources

Responds to teacher direction to

complete class assignments
Works
onresources
standard products
Provides
for research and
following
teacher
direction
information acquisition.
(Resource Use)
Works on assignments with
predictable outcomes and little or
no apparent risk

Synthesize existing and self-generated

knowledge to create new ideas and
products

Work on class assignments that blend

limited aspects of personal choice

Analyze trends and make predictions

that inspire new solutions to authentic
problems or tasks

Work on standard products that may

have multiple, but known solutions
requiring students to generate new
ideas or test existing perceptions within
confined limits of risk

Work on complex, authentic problems

that require students to take risks in an
environment supportive of
experimentation and learning from
failure

Teacher Directed
Academic Tasks

Creativity &
Innovation

As might be required in college and/or

careers, the student selects appropriate
industry-standard tools and resources to
Uses initiative to create substantive,
innovative ideas and products
Apply critical thinking and research
methods to create meaningful,
original, and potentially innovative
responses to authentic problems or
tasks
Work on open-ended, complex, and
sometimes chaotic problems or
situation drawn from the real world

High Productivity
Student-Centered
Authentic Value Beyond School
Strategic Risk Taking

The Teacher

Directs a learning environment with

limited options for student choice or
creativity
Provides
thatresearch
emphasize
Providesassignments
resources for
and
application
of
basic
principles
and basic
information acquisition. (Resource
Use)
formulas, and student response over
process
Provides assignments with limited or
known outcomes requiring little or no
risk taking

Directly instructs (or has instructed) to

accommodate a limited range of learning
styles, interests, and abilities that
support some student choice or
creativity
Includes connections between subject
matter and contemporary issues and/or
new ideas in academic assignments
Provides some opportunities for student
to take limited risk within well-defined
academic activities

Differentiates instruction to
encourage creative thought and
expression
Designs opportunities for synthesis
of information to complete an
authentic task
Models risk-taking, creativity, and
craftsmanship with a variety of tools
and resources

To prepare students for college and/or

career success, the teacher
Creates an environment whereby
students use industry-standard tools
and resources that encourage creative
and innovative thought and solutions
Designs learning opportunities
affording creative thinking in order to
address the challenges of ambiguity
and/or complexity
Designs opportunities where students
feel free to engage in risk-taking and
original thinking

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