After aims are developed the next step is to develop goals. The difference between aims and goals is how specific they are. Aims are the broadest statements about the philosophy of the school while goals provide a vision of the destination or results of learning.

We are going to develop a goal from the aims of the previous post. Below are the aims of the previous post in a philosophy statement

• School A supports that students need to be provided with the tools necessary to learn continuously (intellectual aim) through a stimulating social environment that encourages collaboration (social-personal aim), which prepares students to be active members of the workplace and society (productive aim)

Now we will see one potential goal derived from the intellectual aim of the philosophy statement.

• Students will develop fluency in their language

The question to ask yourself is whether developing fluency in one’s language is a tool for continuous learning.  The purpose is not to agree on the appropriateness of the goal but to see that it was inspired by the intellectual aim of the philosophy statement. The aim provides a general direction while the goal provides a way to achieve the aim. This process of deriving goals from aims helps in maintaining consistency within the curriculum.

The next question is how will the students develop fluency in their language? This question is answered when objectives are developed, which will be the discussion of the next post.