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module 4

goal setting practice

45 minutes

Objectives

  • Create objectives with the Objectives Builder

  • Modify objectives to align with SMART principles

  • Break long-term goals into meaningful short-term goals

introduction

Consider the following quotations about goals. Respond to them by writing about which of the SMART principles the speaker is emphasizing.

“Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.”

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—Pablo Picasso

“You have to set goals that are almost out of reach. If you set a goal that is attainable without much work or thought, you are stuck with something below your true talent and potential.”

 

—Steve Garvey

“All successful people have a goal. No one can get anywhere unless he knows where he wants to go and what he wants to be or do. ”

 

—Norman Vincent Peale

review

Rewrite each of the vague goals below to become Specific goals. One of the easiest ways to accomplish this is to make sure the goal begins with a concrete verb. Another way is to answer the question, "How will I know when I've accomplished this?"

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1. Get better at reading in English.

2. Get better at speaking English.

3. Get better at understanding native speakers of English.

4. Get better at writing English, especially grammar.

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These are some of the most common requests from students--how can you help them reframe their goal into something much more specific?

reflect

Why does setting SMART language goals matter so much? Write your answer.

lesson

SMART principles are just that: principles. Following these principles helps us to create meaningful goals. However, there are a few more tools we can use to make sure our goals are clear and attainable.

read

Bloom's Taxonomy is one such tool, and it has been widely used in education for over 50 years. Though there are many other more advanced tools, Bloom's Taxonomy is a good place to start, and it provides a simple scaffolding that you can refer to whenever you need ideas as you write down SMART goals.

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Read this article from Vanderbilt University to learn more about Bloom's Taxonomy.

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After reading the article, scan through this resource from Fresno State University. It provides many ideas of verbs to use for each type of learning you want to set a goal or write an objective for.

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The key idea with Bloom's Taxonomy is to avoid vague goals. Many times, we fall into the trap of making our goals centered on wanting to "know," "understand," or "learn" something. But how will we know when we have done those things?

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Bloom's Taxonomy helps us focus on verbs that have an outward, observable behavior. All goals we write with our students should be observable. Once we have observed them do it, we will know they have accomplished it and are ready for a new goal.

watch

This video provides tips and guidance for setting both short-term and long-term language goals. How do the underlying principles of SMART support both types of goals?

practice

Below are 8 student scenarios. You will learn a little about each student and then use the Objectives Builder tool to create a long-term goal based on Bloom's Taxonomy. After the goal is generated, compare it against SMART principles and add anything that is missing.

scenarios

  1. Maya wants to learn how to drive.

  2. Rafael wants to understand English fictions novels better.

  3. Carla wants to apply to college.

  4. Josue wants to get a job in marketing, like he did had in his home country, but is not yet confident in his English skills.

  5. Abdulla needs to give a short presentation at work.

  6. Astur wants to write a newsletter for the organization she volunteers for.

  7. Santiago wants to advertise his cleaning company.

  8. Franklin wants to learn to cook following English recipes.

short-term goals

Now that you have written down 8 long-term goals based on both Bloom's Taxonomy and SMART Principles, choose 4 of them and divide each one into at least 3 short-term goals.

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For example:

"Draft a 2-page personal statement for a graduate school application that will be competitive in three months."

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Short-term goals:

1. Brainstorm ideas for the personal statement (1 week).

2. Draft a very rough draft without worrying about proofreading it  (2 weeks).

3. Read drafts of successful personal statements online (1 week).

4. Revise original draft using things learned from writing it and from online research (2 weeks).

5. Send draft to two professors for feedback (1 week).

6. Write final draft and proofread (1-2 weeks).

assessment

Use the information from the scenario below to:

  1. Create an objective using the Objectives Builder

  2. Add in elements of SMART Goals

  3. Break that goal into at least three short-term goals

  4. Assign tentative goal completion dates to each goal

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Marilede is a mother who wants to be able to speak to her children’s schoolteachers with more confidence. She primarily struggles with school-related vocabulary and the speed of the teacher’s speech.

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