Contents

Learning That Transfers Designing Curriculum for a Changing World
Julie Stern, Krista Ferraro, Kayla Duncan, Trevor Aleo

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? xv
About the Authors xix

INTRODUCTION
Chapter Overview and How to Use This Book 1

CHAPTER 1 Learning Transfer: What Is It and How Can It Transform Teaching and Learning? 5
The Role of Concepts in Promoting Transfer 7
ACT: The Learning Transfer Mental Model 9
• Step 1: Acquire 10
• Step 2: Connect 15
• Step 3: Transfer 17
Putting It All Together 21
Envisioning the Possibilities 22
• How Does Changing One Part of a System Impact the Other Parts? 23

CHAPTER 2 Shifts in Practice: How Can We Set the Foundation for Learning That Transfers? 27
Shifts #1 & #2: The Roles of the Student and the Teacher 29
• Fostering Self-Directed Learning 30
• Establishing Teacher Credibility 34
Shifts #3 & #4: The Roles of Curriculum and Instruction 35
• From Subjects to Disciplinary Literacy 36
• Expansive Framing to Facilitate Transfer 37
• Mental Organization Aided by Iterative Learning 39
Shift #5: The Role of Assessments 41
Shifts #6 & #7: The Roles of Leaders, Parents, and the Community 45
• The Learning Transfer Spectrum 47
The ACT Model in Action 49

CHAPTER 3 Disciplinary Literacy: How Can We Unleash the Power of the Subjects We Teach? 57
The Power of Disciplinary Lenses: Focusing Our Attention to Move Students Toward Expertise 62
Establishing a Vision for Each Discipline 63
• The Role of Your Discipline(s) in Real-World Challenges 63
• The Purpose and Significance of Your Discipline 68
• The Masters of the Disciplines at Work 69
Articulating a Disciplinary Vision 71
Vertical Alignment: Your Course in the Larger Context of a Student’s Journey Through School 72
• A Student’s Journey Through School: Where Have They Been? Where Are They Going? 73
• De-Atomize the Standards 76
Determining Disciplinary Lenses for Your Course 78
• Human Experience Concepts 81
• Vertical Alignment to Promote Disciplinary Depth 83

CHAPTER 4 Modern Literacies: What Do Our Students Need to Navigate Today’s World? 89
Determining Modern Literacy Concepts 92
• Returning to Real-World Challenges 92
• Narrowing Our Focus for Each Course 95
• Dividing Modern Literacies Among Disciplines 101
• From Competencies to Concepts 102
• From Concepts to Conceptual Connections 104
• Building a Bridge Between Disciplinary Literacy and Modern Literacy 107
Horizontal Alignment to Promote Cross-Disciplinary Breadth 113
• Multidisciplinary Alignment: Staying Within Disciplinary Boundaries 117
• Interdisciplinary Alignment: Overlap and Harmonize
Two or More Disciplines 118
• Transdisciplinary Alignment: Blur the Lines Separating
the Different Disciplines 120
• The Importance of Metacognition 124

CHAPTER 5 The Story of Your Course: How Do We Craft a Compelling Narrative to Guide Learning? 127
The Critical Steps in a Transfer-Focused Course 128
• Prioritize Thoughtfully 129
• Arrange Effectively 134
• Supplement Strategically 137
• Flow Cohesively 138
Story of Your Course 140
• Potential Structures for the Story of Your Course 141
• Going Visual and Crafting the Moral of Your Story 143

CHAPTER 6 Unit Planning: How Do We Intentionally Design for Learning That Transfers? 149
Flexible Options for Unit Planning Steps 151
Zooming In: The Unit Planner 152
• Selecting Anchoring Concepts 154
• Specify With Subconcepts 158
• Listing Facts and Skills 161
• Drafting Conceptual Relationship Questions to Build Schema 162
• Writing Compelling Questions to Invite Learning 165
Assessing for Transfer 168
The Unit Storyboard: Planning for Similar to Dissimilar to Real-World Transfer 171
• Acquire: Making Meaning of Anchoring Concepts 171
• Connect: Exploring the Relationship Between Concepts 173
• Similar and Dissimilar Transfer: Unlocking New Contexts 175
• Student Action in the Real World 176
Preserving Space for Student Voice, Choice, and Passions 177
• Moving Students to Meaningful Action 181

CHAPTER 7 Assessments: What Is the Role of Assessment in a Classroom Focused on Transfer? 185
Assessment as a System of Feedback 188
• Assessment as Feedback About Teaching 188
• Assessment as Feedback About Learning 190
• Designing a Comprehensive System of Feedback for Both
Teachers and Students 193
Summative Assessments of Transfer 194
• Novel Situations: The Essential Ingredient 196
• Designing Summative Transfer Tasks 201
• Identifying Novel Scenarios 202
Authentic Value Beyond School Walls 212
Planning for Formative Assessment of Transfer 213
Putting It All Together 217

CHAPTER 8 Instructional Design: Building a Community for Learning That Transfers 221
Highlighting the Importance of Intellectual Growth 222
• Sharing the What, Why, and How 223
• At First, I Thought . . . But Then . . . So Now, I Think . . . 224
• Teacher Modeling 225
Acquiring Understanding of Individual Concepts 225
• Review or Pre-Assess Familiar Concepts 226
• Acquire Strategy #1: Four Corners 226
• Acquire Strategy #2: Affinity Mapping 227
• Acquire Strategy #3: Notice and Wonder 228
• Make Meaning of New Concepts 230
• Acquire Strategy #4: Concept Attainment 230
• Consolidate Understanding of Concepts 232
• Acquire Strategy #5: Jigsaw Method 232
• Acquire Strategy #6: SEE-IT Model 233
• Acquire Strategy #7: Frayer Model 234
• Acquire Strategy #8: What’s All True About X (Concept)? 235
Connecting Concepts in Relationship 236
• Connect Strategy #1: Types of Connections 237
• Connect Strategy #2: Question Formulation Technique 238
• Connect Strategy #3: Conver-Stations 239
• Connect Strategy #4: Socratic Seminar 240
• Connect Strategy #5: Hexagonal Thinking 240
• Connect Strategy #6: CLICK Thinking Tool 242
• Connect Strategy #7: Concept Maps 242
• Connect Strategy #8: Brainstorm, Organize, Link, Transfer (BOLT) 243
Transferring Conceptual Relationships to New Situations 245
• Transfer Strategy #1: What Concepts Live Here? 246
• Transfer Strategy #2: Unlock and Refine 246
• Transfer Strategy #3: Divide and Slide 247
• Transfer Strategy #4: Deliberation in the Classroom 248
• Transfer Strategy #5: Pro-Pro Method 250
• Transfer Strategy #6: Design Thinking 250
• Transfer Strategy #7: What to Wow 253
Designing Instructional Calendars 254
Designing Lesson Plans 256
Conclusion: Remaining Nimble: How Do We Continue to Evolve in an Unprecedented World? 261
Afterword: Learning That Matters Yong Zhao 267
Glossary 269
References 271
Index 277