Using Learning Goals Effectively

At my current school we are big on the Marzano.  One of the big Marzano standards we are evaluated on this year is:

Effective learning goals provide both student and teacher with a clear understanding of the target knowledge.

Target knowledge can be defined as the information and/or skill, strategy, or process that demonstrates attainment of the learning goal. To translate general statements like those often found in state and district documents and essential learner outcomes, a teacher must articulate the more specific declarative or procedural knowledge implied in the general statement.

One of the things that is difficult especially teaching Algebra 2 is that there are no clear straight forward standards that the course entails. But, there is an amazing website that shows some big ideas for Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra 2.

http://math.newvisions.org/

You can find each big idea on one of the top tabs. 

For next year, each one of those big ideas will be my learning goal.  It is student friendly, is specific, and the by the end of the lessons students should be able to articulate why that is the learning goal.