Writing Understanding Goals

It has been a while since I last blogged! Many things have happened to me, professionally as well. One of them is that I have gained a deeper understanding of how to write understanding goals.

Kids go to school to learn about concepts, processes or abilities in the context of certain subjects. From pre-school to high school they learn that numbers can be used to count objects, authors express their ideas by writing essays, and how history has shaped culture. 

CONCEPTS, PROCESSES OR ABILITIES are truths or knowledge students acquire in order to function as members of society. For instance, we teachers UNDERSTAND HOW TO AVERAGE GRADES IN EXCEL. We do so in order to WRITE ACADEMIC REPORTS. politicians, on the other hand, UNDERSTAND THAT BY APPEALING TO EMOTION THEY CAN PERSUADE OTHERS. They do so in order to GIVE SPEECHES. Another way to look at it is that BY GIVING SPEECHES they get to UNDERSTAND THAT BY APPEALING TO EMOTION THEY CAN PERSUADE OTHERS. 

What happens in our heads, our cognition, is a thinking process that is reflected by what we actually do, how we perform in every aspect of life. UNDERSTANDING is the collection of that thinking process. Let me illustrate what I have just said. In making a decision of which car to buy I must first REMEMBER what features I am looking for. Then I must COMPARE AND CONTRAST my ideal car to the car in the dealership. Next I must EVALUATE the pros and cons of buying the given car. Finally, I make a decision to buy or not to buy. This is just to put it in simple terms; however, the thinking process is more complex than this. 

To conclude, from the car example, I have understood that by comparing and contrasting I can make decisions. How can I prove or gain a deeper understanding of that understanding goal? I buy things that satisfy me. I can also take roads to get home faster. I can even get married to the woman of my life. Understanding performances or class activities are the means to help our students gain understanding of concepts, processes, or abilities relevant in every subject at school.