A Busy Teacher's Guide to EFF Lesson Planning
Part 3: The Pocket Guide to EFF Terminology
Does trying to understand EFF Terminology and its many components keep you from using the Standards in your classroom? Does trying to put all of the pieces together make you remember all the other things you need to do, like plan tomorrow's lesson? Here's a brief introduction to EFF Terminology…just a summary of what you'll find in the EFF Content Standards.
The Four Purposes
1,500 adult students responded in an EFF study to identify specific knowledge and skills needed for them to meet the responsibilities they faced in their lives. These were summarized into, in EFF terminology, the Four Purposes:
  • Access to information so adults can orient themselves to the world.
  • Voice to be able to express ideas and opinions with the confidence that they will be heard and taken into account.
  • Independent Action to be able to solve problems and make decisions on one's own, acting independently, without having to rely on others.
  • Bridge to the Future learn how to learn so adults can keep up with the world as it changes.

Role Maps and Primary Roles
What broad areas of responsibility and activities make up an adult's life? This question was asked to focus groups around the country. The results led to the construction of three, in EFF terminology, Role Maps. Each of the three role maps consists of areas of adult responsibility and activities related to these responsibilities. The three adult roles are:

  • Citizen/Community Member - effective citizens and community members are ones who take informed action to make a positive difference in their lives, communities, and world.
  • Parent/Family Member -- effective family members are ones who contribute to building and maintaining a strong family system that promotes growth and development.
  • Worker - effective workers are ones who can adapt to change and actively participate in meeting the demands of a changing workplace in a changing world.
The 16 EFF Standards (also called Content Standards, or Standards)
Each of the 16 Standards below contains a series of "Components of Performance" and Common Activities that teachers can use to build lessons and assess student progress (see the Equipped for the Future Content Standards for the full description of each Standard). These Standards are core knowledge and skills adults need to effectively carry out their roles as parents, citizens and workers. They are divided into four categories: Communications Skills, Decision-Making Skills, Interpersonal Skills, and Lifelong Learning Skills. Specifically they are:

Communication Skills
  • Read with Understanding
  • Convey Ideas in Writing
  • Speak So Others Can Understand
  • Listen Actively
  • Observe Critically
Decision-Making Skills
  • Solve Problems and Make Decisions
  • Plan
  • Use Math to Solve Problems and Communicate
Interpersonal Skills
  • Cooperate With Others
  • Guide Others
  • Advocate and Influence
  • Resolve Conflict and Negotiate
Lifelong Learning Skills
  • Take Responsibility for Learning
  • Learn Through Research
  • Reflect and Evaluate
  • Use Information and Communications Technology
Part 4    Cover