Backwards Planning - EPI's Launch Your Classroom!

Educational Partners International

18 Jun 201904:08

Summary

TLDRThe video script discusses the common issue of high school students struggling with temporal orientation and planning skills, often leading to procrastination. It suggests a creative approach to improve students' engagement and task completion by using a 'movie director' method. This involves starting with the end goal and working backwards to break down tasks into manageable steps. An example is given where students are assigned to read speeches and write an essay, with each day dedicated to a specific task leading up to the final submission. This method helps students to plan and stay on track, ultimately earning their grades based on their efforts rather than the teacher's perception.

Takeaways

📚 High school students often struggle with temporal orientation and planning skills, tending to procrastinate on assignments.
🎬 The concept of 'pretending to be a movie director' can help students visualize tasks from end to start, improving engagement and planning.
📅 A practical example is given where an essay comparing speeches by Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln is due on Friday, and students are guided to break down the task over the week.
📝 Students are encouraged to think step-by-step, from writing the final draft to creating an outline, which helps in managing the workload.
🗓️ The script suggests a methodical approach to planning: editing the rough draft on Thursday, writing it on Wednesday, and creating an outline on Tuesday.
📑 The importance of creating an outline or graphic organizer before writing is highlighted as a crucial step in the planning process.
📚 Reading the assigned speeches is identified as the first step, which should ideally be done on Monday.
🤔 The script emphasizes the need for students to reflect on their planning versus their actual actions to improve metacognition and self-awareness.
🧠 It is suggested that tracking what students planned to do versus what they actually did can help them understand the correlation between effort and grades.
🏆 The transcript concludes by reinforcing the idea that grades are earned through work and planning, not based on teacher's preferences.
💡 The method described helps students to avoid last-minute stress and perform better by breaking down tasks and planning ahead.

Q & A

Why do high school students often struggle with thinking ahead according to the transcript?
-High school students struggle with thinking ahead because they lack temporal orientation and solid planning skills, often leaving assignments until the last minute.
What technique is suggested in the transcript to help students with planning and staying engaged in their tasks?
-The technique suggested is to have students pretend they are movie directors and start with the end in mind, then 'film strip' backwards to break down the task.
How does the 'movie director' technique help students move away from apathy?
-The 'movie director' technique helps students move away from apathy by increasing their ability to engage with the task and plan out the steps needed to complete it, thus avoiding the feeling of being overwhelmed or uninterested.
What is an example of a middle school assignment mentioned in the transcript?
-The example assignment is to read speeches by Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, compare and contrast the two, and write an essay due on Friday.
What is the first step a student should take on Monday according to the transcript's suggested planning method?
-The first step on Monday is to read the two speeches by Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.
What should a student do on Tuesday to prepare for the essay due on Friday?
-On Tuesday, the student should create an outline, diagram, or graphic organizer to organize their thoughts and writing.
What task is assigned to Wednesday in the transcript's suggested planning breakdown?
-On Wednesday, the student should write the rough draft of the essay.
What activity should a student engage in on Thursday before submitting the final essay draft on Friday?
-On Thursday, the student should edit their rough draft to create the final draft of the essay.
How does the transcript suggest students track their progress and metacognitive understanding?
-The transcript suggests students track their progress by writing down what they planned to do and what they actually did, allowing them to reflect on their actions and the resulting grades.
What is the purpose of having students write down both their plans and what they actually did according to the transcript?
-The purpose is to help students realize that their grades are earned based on their work and not on whether the teacher likes them, promoting a sense of responsibility and self-awareness.
How does the transcript's approach to planning help students develop better temporal orientation?
-By starting with the end goal in mind and working backwards, students develop a clearer understanding of the steps needed to complete a task, thus improving their temporal orientation and planning skills.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Enhancing Student Planning and Engagement

The speaker discusses the common issue of students, particularly high school students, struggling with temporal orientation and planning skills. They tend to procrastinate and often complete assignments at the last minute, such as on the bus to school on the due date. To address this, the speaker suggests a method of 'backward planning' by pretending to be a movie director and starting with the end goal in mind. This approach is exemplified with a middle school assignment to read speeches by Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, compare and contrast them, and write an essay due on Friday. The breakdown includes writing a rough draft on Wednesday, creating an outline on Tuesday, and reading the speeches on Monday. This method helps students to stay engaged, plan their tasks effectively, and move away from apathy. Additionally, the speaker mentions incorporating a metacognitive element where students write down what they actually did compared to their initial plan, which helps them understand the correlation between effort and grades.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Temporal Orientation

Temporal orientation refers to an individual's ability to plan and organize their actions over time. In the script, it is mentioned that many students lack this skill, often leading to procrastination and last-minute work. The concept is central to the video's theme of improving students' planning and time management skills.

💡Planning Skills

Planning skills are the abilities required to set goals, strategize, and organize tasks in a way that leads to successful completion. The video emphasizes the importance of these skills for students to break down tasks and manage their time effectively, as illustrated by the example of preparing an essay by reading speeches and creating an outline.

💡Movie Directors

The term 'movie directors' is used metaphorically in the script to illustrate a technique for improving planning. By pretending to be movie directors and visualizing the task from the end to the beginning, students can better engage with their assignments and plan their steps accordingly.

💡Apathy

Apathy, in this context, refers to a lack of interest or enthusiasm, often wrongly attributed to students. The script suggests that what may seem like apathy is actually a lack of planning skills, which, once developed, can help students become more engaged and proactive.

💡Breaking Down Tasks

Breaking down tasks is a strategy mentioned in the script to help students manage complex assignments by dividing them into smaller, more manageable steps. This approach is exemplified by the process of writing an essay, which is broken into reading, outlining, drafting, and editing.

💡Rough Draft

A rough draft is an initial, unpolished version of a written work. In the script, it is one of the steps in the process of completing an essay, where students are advised to write their rough draft before Thursday to allow time for editing and refining.

💡Graphic Organizer

A graphic organizer is a visual tool used to represent information or ideas in a structured format. The script mentions creating an outline or graphic organizer as a crucial step for organizing thoughts before writing the rough draft of an essay.

💡Metacognition

Metacognition refers to the ability to think about and reflect on one's own cognitive processes. The script suggests using metacognition by having students compare their planned actions with what they actually did, which helps them understand the link between effort and grades.

💡Bloom's Taxonomy

Bloom's Taxonomy is a framework that categorizes different levels of cognitive complexity and learning. The script references the top of Bloom's Taxonomy to emphasize the importance of abstract thinking and self-reflection in the learning process.

💡Neurotransmitters

Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers in the brain that facilitate communication between nerve cells. While not explicitly detailed in the script, the mention of neurotransmitters suggests the physiological impact of learning and behavior, possibly relating to motivation and engagement.

Highlights

High school students often struggle with planning and temporal orientation.

Students tend to procrastinate and do assignments at the last minute.

Lack of planning skills can be mistaken for apathy among students.

Using a 'movie director' approach can improve students' engagement and planning.

Starting with the end in mind and working backwards helps with task completion.

The example of a five-day assignment involving reading speeches and writing an essay is introduced.

Breaking down tasks into smaller steps helps students plan and avoid procrastination.

Students should create an outline or graphic organizer before writing a rough draft.

Writing a rough draft is a necessary step before editing and creating a final draft.

Reading the assigned material should be done at the beginning of the assignment period.

Encouraging students to reflect on their planning and actual actions can improve metacognition.

Recording what students planned to do and what they actually did can enhance self-awareness.

Students can better understand that grades are earned through effort and planning.

The importance of not attributing grades to teacher preferences but to personal effort is emphasized.

Students benefit from recognizing the correlation between their work and their grades.

Writing down actions and comparing them to plans helps students understand the impact of their choices.