When students can see what they're working toward, they engage more purposefully and take more ownership of their learning. But writing a target on the whiteboard is easy to forget, hard to read from the back of the room, and gone the moment you erase it.
PrepPanel's Learning Targets feature lets you write a daily target from the dashboard and instantly project it on the side panel for the whole class to see. Each section gets its own target, and if you teach multiple subjects in one period, you can define a separate target for each subject and switch between them on the fly.
Before You Start
- PrepPanel installed with at least one section set up
- The teacher dashboard open in a separate window (launch it from the Settings sub-tab)
- New to PrepPanel? Start with the Getting Started guide first
Set a Learning Target
Learning targets work best when students see them at the start of class. In the dashboard, click the Targets tab. You'll see a text area where you can write or edit the learning target for whichever section is currently selected.
PrepPanel Dashboard
- 1 Target text area - Write your learning target in plain language. This is what students will see projected on the side panel, so keep it clear and student-friendly.
- 2 Save Target - Click to save and push the target to the side panel. The target is saved per section, so each class period can have its own target.
A good learning target is specific enough to be measurable but written in language your students can parse. Instead of "CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.8.4," try "Students will identify and explain the effect of figurative language in poetry." The target is projected for them, not for your lesson plan.
Project the Target
Once you save a learning target, it appears on the side panel as a card below the queue. Students see it whenever the side panel is projected, which means the target is front and center during instruction.
Learning Target
Students will identify and explain the effect of figurative language in poetry using textual evidence.
2- 1 Show Target toggle - Click to show or hide the learning target card. When hidden, the card collapses smoothly so the queue takes up the full space. Useful when you want to clear the screen during an activity.
- 2 Learning target card - Displayed in large, bold text so students can read it from across the room. The card appears below the queue, keeping the target visible throughout the lesson.
The target isn't just decoration. Point back to it during instruction: "Remember, our target today is to identify figurative language - so as you read this stanza, look for examples." When students connect their work to the target, engagement goes up.
Use Multi-Subject Targets
If you teach multiple subjects during the same class period - common in elementary or block-schedule settings - you can define a separate learning target for each subject. When you switch subjects, the displayed target updates automatically.
Reading Target
Students will identify the main characters and explain how their actions drive the plot.
2- 1 Subject dropdown - Switch between subjects to display the corresponding target. In this example, "Reading" and "Writing" each have their own target. Set up subjects from the Targets tab in the dashboard.
- 2 Subject-specific target - The card header updates to show which subject's target is displayed (e.g., "Reading Target"). When you select "Writing," the card switches to show the writing target instead.
To set up multi-subject targets, go to the Targets tab in the dashboard and switch the mode from Single Subject to Multi-Subject. Add your subject names, then write a separate target for each one. You can also copy subjects and targets across multiple sections at once so you don't have to re-enter them for each class.
Teaching the same subjects to multiple sections? After setting up your subjects and targets for one section, use the "Copy subjects/targets to selected" option to push them to other sections. Then tweak individual targets per section if needed.
Tips & Best Practices
Learning targets are most effective when they reflect what's actually happening in class today. Get in the habit of updating the target as part of your lesson prep - it only takes a few seconds from the Targets tab, and students notice when the target matches the work.
Write targets that students can read and understand on their own. "I can identify figurative language and explain its effect" is better than a standards code. The point is for students to know what success looks like before the lesson starts.
Use the Show Target toggle to collapse the card when you want a cleaner display - for example, during a group activity or when students are presenting. Bring it back at the end of class for a quick debrief: "Did we hit our target today?"
Learning targets should describe the big goal for the lesson, not individual activities. "Students will analyze how an author uses dialogue to develop characters" is better than "Read pages 14-18 and answer the questions." Activities support the target; they aren't the target.
Common Questions
Can each section have a different target?
Yes. Targets are saved per section. When you switch sections in the dashboard, the target text area shows that section's current target. You can write a completely different target for each class period.
Can students see the target on the projected screen?
Yes - that's the whole point. The target card appears on the side panel, which is the student-facing projected view. It shows above the lineup queue in large, bold text. Students can read it from across the room.
What if I don't want to show a target today?
Use the Show Target toggle on the side panel to hide the card. When hidden, the card collapses and the queue takes up the full space. You can also simply leave the target blank - if no target is saved for a section, no card appears.
How many subjects can I add in multi-subject mode?
There's no fixed limit. Add as many subjects as you need. Each subject gets its own text area in the Targets tab and its own entry in the dropdown on the side panel. Just keep in mind that the side panel only shows one target at a time - students use the dropdown to switch.
Do targets carry over to the next day?
Yes. Whatever target you last saved for a section stays until you change it. If you want a fresh start each day, just overwrite the text with your new target. There's no automatic reset.
Is the learning targets feature connected to the mastery tracker?
No - they're separate features. Learning targets are for posting a daily goal that students can see on the projected screen. The mastery tracker is a different system for tracking student progress on learning objectives over time. They serve different purposes and don't share data.