AMT Learning Goals and Teaching Roles
The purpose of focussing on the AMT is to insure that all three types of goals (acquisition, meaning, and transfer) are addressed in the learning plan.
Learning Plan and Learning Events should be derived from the goals of Stage 1 and the assessments of Stage 2. Ensuring alignment will ensure the effectiveness of the activities.
ACQUISITION (A)
This goal seeks to help learners acquire factual information and basic skills.
Direct Instruction
In this role, the primary role of teachers is to inform the learners through explicit instruction in targeted knowledge and skills; differentiating as needed.
Strategies include:
- Lecture
- Advance organizers
- Graphic organizers
- Questioning (convergent)
- Demonstration/modeling
- Process guides
- Guided practice
- Feedback, corrections
- Differentiation
MEANING (M)
This goal seeks to help students construct meaning (i.e., come to an understanding) of important ideas and processes.
Facilitative Teaching
Teachers in this role engage the learners in actively processing information and guide their inquiry into complex problems, texts, projects, cases, or simulations, differentiating as needed.
Strategies include:
- Diagnostic assessment
- Using analogies
- Graphic organizers
- Questioning (divergent) and probing
- Concept attainment
- Inquiry-oriented approaches
- Problem-based learning
- Socratic seminar
- Reciprocal teaching
- Formative (ongoing) assessments
- Understanding notebook
- Feedback/corrections
- Rethinking and reflection prompts
- Differentiated instruction
TRANSFER (T)
This goal seeks to support the learners’ ability to transfer their learning autonomously and effectively in new situations.
Coaching
In a coaching role, teachers establish clear performance goals, supervise ongoing opportunities to perform (independent practice) in increasingly complex situations, provide models, and give ongoing feedback (as personalized as possible). They also provide just-in-time teaching (direct instruction) when needed.
Strategies include:
- Ongoing assessment, providing specific feedback in the context of authentic application
- Conferencing
- Prompting
ACTION VERBS FOR AMT
Use these action verbs to help plan teaching and learning according to your A-M-T goals.
Acquisition
• Apprehend • Calculate • Define • Discern • Identify • Memorize • Notice • Paraphrase • Plug in • Recall • Select • State
Meaning
• Analyze • Compare • Contrast • Critique • Defend • Evaluate • Explain • Generalize • Interpret • Justify/support • Prove • Summarize • Synthesize • Test • Translate • Verify
Transfer
• Adapt (based on feedback) • Adjust (based on results) • Apply • Create • Design • Innovate • Perform effectively • Self- assess • Solve • Troubleshoot
WORKSHEET FOR AMT
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© 2011 by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe | A-M-T Learning Goals & Teaching Goals
Resources to assist with planning
Overview
- How to use the Unit Planner Guide
- UBD Overview
- Website to Classroom Powerpoint
- Sample Year Plan (Grade 4-5)
Stage One - Desired Results
- Big Ideas by Grade
- Combined Grades Big Ideas
- Concept-based Teaching Brief
- Concepts List by Subject
- Transfer Goals Handout
- Essential Questions Explained
- First People's Principles of Learning
Stage Two - Planning for Assessment
