What is a Skill
Skills describe specific behaviours or actions that demonstrate the achievement of a goal or aspects of the goal.[1]
- Cooperating: Accepting assistance
- Beginning: Attempting a skill
- Consolidating: Practicing a skill
- Established: Consistently demonstrate a skill
- Transferred: Use a skill across situations
- Completed: An activity / sequence
What is a Goal
A goal is something you want to accomplish within a certain period of time.
Goals should be challenging but achievable. They should also be measurable.
There are short-term goals (usually 6 months to 1 year) and long-term goals (1-5 years)
Set goals in terms of tasks to complete/skills to master rather than time to spend.
Goals - Think: What, Why, How & When model
| Concept |
Example |
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A goal includes:
- what you want to do
- why you want to do it
- when you want to achieve it by
|
I need to ____________________ (identified skill)
so I can _______________________ (do something).
|
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A goal also needs a plan that identifies how you will achieve your goal.
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I will achieve my goal by doing:
- ________________________
- ________________________
- ________________________
- ________________________
|
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A goal also needs to include details about when you want to achieve it by
|
I will achieve each goal stage/milestone by xxxx
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SMART Goal model
Another way to think about effect goals is to think of them as SMART goals:
| S |
Significant and Specific (Significant goals are the ones that will make a positive difference in your life. They are also specific in as much as they are clearly defined and understandable) |
| M |
Measurable (you need to be able to identify how you will measure progress toward the attainment of each goal you set) |
| A |
Action-orientated (a goal should focus on actions you can take that are in your direct control. Break the goals down into achievable steps. Identify sources of support for reaching the goal) |
| R |
Realistic and relevant (Goals should be realistic - challenging but achievable. They should also be relevant - meaningful in as much as they can they can make a difference in your life) |
| T |
Time-limited (You need to set a realistic time limit to achieve your goal. This may include a time-frame for achieving certain steps or milestones within the goal.) |
When setting goals remember that revisions are sometimes necessary.
Describe goals with action words such as:
- Demonstrate
- Develop
- Document
- Explain
- Formulate
- Identify
- Organise
- Prepare
- Propose
Avoid general or vague words such as:
- Know
- Enjoy
- See
- Understand
- Appreciate
- Learn
- Believe
Are the goals included in your teenager's Individual Learning Plan SMART goals?
Look at the Focus area - this is really a larger goal (with smaller goals defined within it)
Does this focus area outline measurable, intermediate steps between a student's present level of performance and the annual goal?
If the goals are not clearly defined, are not relevant to the student's academic/functional needs, do not identify what the student will need to do to achieve the goal, how the student's progress will be measured and do not include a timeframe, it may be difficult to remain on target.
[1] Measuring the Learning Achievements of Students with Disabilities: Working Towards Goals" (2002) South Australia's Department of Education and Children's Services. 51 KB Word Document. Accessed 19/11/2007.
http://web.seru.sa.edu.au/Nep/contents/hom/frameset.html or
http://web.seru.sa.edu.au/Nep/contents/add/work_skills.doc
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