Imagine that you are a community planner who has been hired to find the causes of obesity in your community. List 3 causes and describe 1 possible solution for each. Which cause and solution would you work on first, and why (Note, your response will be evaluated on your argument and reason why.)? Proof read your essay to check for spelling and grammar errors.
This essay question will be graded using analytic assessment and will be worth a total of 10 points.
List 3 causes, 1 point each*3=3 points
Describe 1 solution for each, 1 point each*3=3 points
Solution to work on first, 2 points
Spelling and grammar 2 points, -.5 per error
Joe has been having a difficult time in mathematics class and he was recently kicked of the chess team due to his failing grade. His parents recently divorced and his only brother just moved to college. Analyze how the events in Joe’s life have impacted each side of the health triangle. Joe is feeling confused and stressed. Suggest 3 things that he could do to reduce his stress and cope with the events in his life. Proof read your essay to check for spelling and grammar errors.
This essay question will be graded using analytic assessment and will be worth a total of 10 points.
Describe effects on triangle, 1 point each*3=3 points
3 suggestions, 1 point each*3=3 points
Spelling and grammar 2 points, -.5 per error
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Story Time
Once upon a time there was a student named Radimus who was going into first grade. He loved school when he was in kindergarten and woke up early each morning excited to see his friends and participate in all the activities. Although he loved his classmates and the daily routine he was behind all of his peers in reading, writing, math and memorization. He had begun to notice and was starting to loose confidence as he watched his friends move on to harder books.
His teacher, Ms. Smith, was worried but she had confidence that he would catch up with his friends. At the beginning of first grade he was unable to identify most letters and numbers. He had also forgotten many of the skills taught the previous year. His teacher had recently heard about “Gardner's theory of multiple intelligence” (RG, May 18, 2009) and decided to test him to see his strengths and weaknesses. After the assessment it was found that Radimus “was highest in kinesthetic and interpersonal” (TS, May 18, 2009) and his lowest scores were in linguistic and mathematical. This confirmed Ms. Smith’s suspicions. She decided to do “research to understand these learning styles in order to address them effectively” (LK, May 16, 2009).
A plan was devised to include more “poems, music, essays, pieces of art” (DH, May 18, 2009) and other types of activities that would help him and his classmates to learn the information in a variety of ways, thus reinforcing the information. She did research on the concept of universal design which helps teachers adapt the classroom to reach diverse learners “and it also really helps those with disabilities (fulfills IDEA)” (MH, May 19, 2009). Ms. Smith thought that this new teaching method would benefit all of her students so she began to use it with her class. After a few months Radimus was still behind his peers in linguistic and mathematical skills but the new classroom routine gave him confidence and he was helping his peers to improve on their weaknesses and learn from their strengths. All the students were improving in all skill areas and helping each other to improve learning.
His teacher, Ms. Smith, was worried but she had confidence that he would catch up with his friends. At the beginning of first grade he was unable to identify most letters and numbers. He had also forgotten many of the skills taught the previous year. His teacher had recently heard about “Gardner's theory of multiple intelligence” (RG, May 18, 2009) and decided to test him to see his strengths and weaknesses. After the assessment it was found that Radimus “was highest in kinesthetic and interpersonal” (TS, May 18, 2009) and his lowest scores were in linguistic and mathematical. This confirmed Ms. Smith’s suspicions. She decided to do “research to understand these learning styles in order to address them effectively” (LK, May 16, 2009).
A plan was devised to include more “poems, music, essays, pieces of art” (DH, May 18, 2009) and other types of activities that would help him and his classmates to learn the information in a variety of ways, thus reinforcing the information. She did research on the concept of universal design which helps teachers adapt the classroom to reach diverse learners “and it also really helps those with disabilities (fulfills IDEA)” (MH, May 19, 2009). Ms. Smith thought that this new teaching method would benefit all of her students so she began to use it with her class. After a few months Radimus was still behind his peers in linguistic and mathematical skills but the new classroom routine gave him confidence and he was helping his peers to improve on their weaknesses and learn from their strengths. All the students were improving in all skill areas and helping each other to improve learning.
Concepts in Teaching
I feel that the most beneficial teaching concepts that we examined are universal design and alternative assessment. Universal design creates lessons that can be used by all students despite differences in ability. It assesses students in a large variety of ways and encourages discussion, understanding and peer teaching. The lessons are designed around student interests and allows for students to be active participants in the learning process. Alternative assessment is used as an alternative to standardized testing and traditional assessment. It is based on the same standards as traditional assessment but uses other assessment types, such as presentations, projects, and skits.
Although many teachers believe that this type of classroom design and assessment are better for student learning, Educational reform and the No Child Left Behind Act have pushed the use of Norm referenced testing, Criterion referenced, and traditional assessment. These forms are only able to assess student learning by asking questions, students may know more than what is asked but have no way of demonstrating the use of additional knowledge.
At the current time students are assessed in a standardized way that groups all students and assesses everyone based on the same criteria. This is not an accurate or beneficial way to assess learning. The concept of multiple intelligence demonstrates the need to have multiple teaching styles and forms of assessment in order to reach each student and assess learning. The traditional way of teaching and assessing does not take student diversity into account.
Although many teachers believe that this type of classroom design and assessment are better for student learning, Educational reform and the No Child Left Behind Act have pushed the use of Norm referenced testing, Criterion referenced, and traditional assessment. These forms are only able to assess student learning by asking questions, students may know more than what is asked but have no way of demonstrating the use of additional knowledge.
At the current time students are assessed in a standardized way that groups all students and assesses everyone based on the same criteria. This is not an accurate or beneficial way to assess learning. The concept of multiple intelligence demonstrates the need to have multiple teaching styles and forms of assessment in order to reach each student and assess learning. The traditional way of teaching and assessing does not take student diversity into account.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Multiple Intelligence
Each student is entirely unique from all other students. They have their own cultural histories, experiences, and learning styles. Many school curriculums are designed to fit students into the curriculum instead of designing the curriculum to fit the uniqueness of students. Multiple Intelligence teaching takes each individual’s strengths and weaknesses into account and presents all eight intelligences to be used by all students. This method of instruction encourages students to use their strengths and to develop and strengthen their weaknesses.
I struggled throughout my years in primary and secondary education. The way that I was taught was not conducive to my learning style. I am strongest in intrapersonal and interpersonal as well as special/visual. Linguistic, mathematical and musical intelligence are my weakest areas and I struggled to read and do math in my head. I have always had problems with interpreting information and expressing what is in my head. It was hard to keep up in school. I was have always been active and keep myself busy doing many things at once so sitting at a desk being lectured did not increase my learning. I loved science labs, group projects and any activity that let me move and use my hands. In college it took many years to decide what my career should be and I had a hard time with the amount of reading that was assigned. I am a very slow reader and get distracted very easily so I try to allow more time for assignments that involve reading and writing. It has been a struggle and I never imagined that I would graduate from high school let alone Graduate School.
I have spent a long time in the education system and sometimes I feel trapped by the way things are done. Students are all expected to fit into the same curriculum and produce the same answer/project/etc. even though they are each so different from one another. I enjoy the concept of multiple intelligence because it fits with student centered learning which is how I plan to teach. As a student teacher I tried to incorporate activities that met the needs of all learners and felt that I really struggled for a variety of reasons. I lacked the experience and the teacher that I was with was very set in her teaching style. She allowed me to be creative but would often veto my ideas and lessons. I hope to succeed when I have my own classroom. I feel that multiple intelligence is crucial in education because it recognizes the differences in all people and caters to many learning styles. It helps students to advocate for their own learning, to depend on each other and to be active participants in their education.
MI has been difficult for many teachers to incorporate into their classrooms because assessing the different learning styles is different then the traditional tests which focus on linguistic and mathematical learners. Creating a curriculum that incorporates MI will automatically create a form of assessment for each lesson. All objectives for each lesson will be measurable because that is one rule for writing objectives. Therefore the real problem is facing the standardized tests that have become part of the school routine. The culture around teaching and learning must change in order to truly teach students to be independent free thinkers. This change will take place classroom by classroom and teacher by teacher. It is already happening but it will take time and effort.
I struggled throughout my years in primary and secondary education. The way that I was taught was not conducive to my learning style. I am strongest in intrapersonal and interpersonal as well as special/visual. Linguistic, mathematical and musical intelligence are my weakest areas and I struggled to read and do math in my head. I have always had problems with interpreting information and expressing what is in my head. It was hard to keep up in school. I was have always been active and keep myself busy doing many things at once so sitting at a desk being lectured did not increase my learning. I loved science labs, group projects and any activity that let me move and use my hands. In college it took many years to decide what my career should be and I had a hard time with the amount of reading that was assigned. I am a very slow reader and get distracted very easily so I try to allow more time for assignments that involve reading and writing. It has been a struggle and I never imagined that I would graduate from high school let alone Graduate School.
I have spent a long time in the education system and sometimes I feel trapped by the way things are done. Students are all expected to fit into the same curriculum and produce the same answer/project/etc. even though they are each so different from one another. I enjoy the concept of multiple intelligence because it fits with student centered learning which is how I plan to teach. As a student teacher I tried to incorporate activities that met the needs of all learners and felt that I really struggled for a variety of reasons. I lacked the experience and the teacher that I was with was very set in her teaching style. She allowed me to be creative but would often veto my ideas and lessons. I hope to succeed when I have my own classroom. I feel that multiple intelligence is crucial in education because it recognizes the differences in all people and caters to many learning styles. It helps students to advocate for their own learning, to depend on each other and to be active participants in their education.
MI has been difficult for many teachers to incorporate into their classrooms because assessing the different learning styles is different then the traditional tests which focus on linguistic and mathematical learners. Creating a curriculum that incorporates MI will automatically create a form of assessment for each lesson. All objectives for each lesson will be measurable because that is one rule for writing objectives. Therefore the real problem is facing the standardized tests that have become part of the school routine. The culture around teaching and learning must change in order to truly teach students to be independent free thinkers. This change will take place classroom by classroom and teacher by teacher. It is already happening but it will take time and effort.
Friday, May 15, 2009
After learning more about Benjamin Bloom’s Taxonomy I decided to look at the Affective Domain in more detail. When students are emotionally involved in what they are learning they are more likely to remember the information and skills as well as incorporate the new learning into their lives.
The affective domain is often represented in the form of a hierarchical triangle, similar to the cognitive domain. This domain was developed by Bloom but was not broken down until later by David Krathwohl. I found a very well written essay titled, Writing Instructional Objectives, written by Kathy V. Waller. This essay would be very useful when writing effective objectives.
The following picture shows the affective domain triangle. This domain emphasizes attitudes and emotions. I feel that this domain is often underrepresented in schools and students are often unable to express the emotions that they feel. There is so much negativity in the world and I feel that teaching that focuses on the affective domain may be able change this pattern.
When writing effective objectives they must be specific, observable and measurable. It can be very helpful to use the ABCD's of objective writing which checks for the objective for Audience, Behavior, Condition, and Degree. Every objective should also contain an action verb as objectives are used to tell the audience what is expected of them. A list of verbs used in affective objectives can be found in the above essay.
The cognitive domain is often the main focus when teaching but in Health Education and Physical Education the other two domains, Affective and psychomotor, should be included more often. When emotions are felt the material will have its greatest impact.
The affective domain is often represented in the form of a hierarchical triangle, similar to the cognitive domain. This domain was developed by Bloom but was not broken down until later by David Krathwohl. I found a very well written essay titled, Writing Instructional Objectives, written by Kathy V. Waller. This essay would be very useful when writing effective objectives.
The following picture shows the affective domain triangle. This domain emphasizes attitudes and emotions. I feel that this domain is often underrepresented in schools and students are often unable to express the emotions that they feel. There is so much negativity in the world and I feel that teaching that focuses on the affective domain may be able change this pattern.
When writing effective objectives they must be specific, observable and measurable. It can be very helpful to use the ABCD's of objective writing which checks for the objective for Audience, Behavior, Condition, and Degree. Every objective should also contain an action verb as objectives are used to tell the audience what is expected of them. A list of verbs used in affective objectives can be found in the above essay.
The cognitive domain is often the main focus when teaching but in Health Education and Physical Education the other two domains, Affective and psychomotor, should be included more often. When emotions are felt the material will have its greatest impact.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Standards, Goals, and Objectives
I have been looking at standards and writing goals and objectives since becoming a Health Education major, yet I would still have trouble now and then writing objectives. I would create an objective for my students and then realize that it was immeasurable or that it was not actually connected to the goals that I had set for the students.
Reading more about how each is created helped me to visualize the hierarchy that is involved. Standards are overarching statements of what should be learned by all such as the National or State standards for all students. Goals are more specific and discuss the ideas. These relate to the standards and combine parts of the standards into them. Goals can be for the school, classroom or individual student but they are generalized statements of what will be completed. The objectives are even more specific and state what each student will be doing. They are made up of four parts; Audience, Behavior, Conditions, and Degree. Seeing objective writing broken down into the four parts really helped me to write effective objectives.
Using Standards, Goals and Objectives will help me as a teacher to pinpoint what I want students to walk away knowing and the skills that they should master. By including these into lessons the lessons are more direct and will have better results. They will be thought through and assessment of the objectives will be possible. Helping students to set their own standards, goals, and objectives can help them to complete what they start and always reach for the next level of skill and understanding.
Reading more about how each is created helped me to visualize the hierarchy that is involved. Standards are overarching statements of what should be learned by all such as the National or State standards for all students. Goals are more specific and discuss the ideas. These relate to the standards and combine parts of the standards into them. Goals can be for the school, classroom or individual student but they are generalized statements of what will be completed. The objectives are even more specific and state what each student will be doing. They are made up of four parts; Audience, Behavior, Conditions, and Degree. Seeing objective writing broken down into the four parts really helped me to write effective objectives.
Using Standards, Goals and Objectives will help me as a teacher to pinpoint what I want students to walk away knowing and the skills that they should master. By including these into lessons the lessons are more direct and will have better results. They will be thought through and assessment of the objectives will be possible. Helping students to set their own standards, goals, and objectives can help them to complete what they start and always reach for the next level of skill and understanding.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
National and State Health Education Standards
Standards are in place as a guide to educators that assist in the development of curriculum that promotes skill development. I examined used and examined the National standards in the past and have found them to be very similar to New York State and Florida Standards. They give a base of expectations and skills that will benefit students greatly.
As a health educator it is crucial for me to recognize the mission of the communities that I will work in. It is important to understand the needs of a community and of the students. People must want change before change can take place in a lasting way. Understanding the community standards for education is a good guide for addressing the community’s needs and expectations effectively. As I begin to actively search for a teaching job I will make sure to research the standards for the community, state, and nation. This will provide me with insight and allow me to be a more effective teacher.
When comparing national standards to state standards it is easy to spot the similarities. There are common skills and themes throughout such as the development of general health knowledge and the skills to find that knowledge, behavior modification skills, and the concept that anyone can influence others to improve their lifestyle behaviors. The state standards that I have examined have more benchmarks (similar to performance indicators) and are more specific (they give examples and suggestions for use).
When skills are standardized it provides a method for large scale behavior change. When assessing student’s knowledge and skills it is important to compare them to the standards that are used in that school as a goal for learning. When developing assessment tools and lessons that will need to be assessed, one of the first steps in the process is exploring the standards of the community.
Skill development is so important at all ages and I feel that more should be done with younger students. Both Florida and New York address the need for health education at the K-6 level, but many schools do not include it as a part of the curriculum. With an increased emphasis on core subjects, such as reading, many programs have been removed from the curriculum to make more time for passing standardized tests. I feel that health education should be emphasized even more due to its lifelong effects on the physical, social and emotional aspects of healthy life.
References:
National Standards
Florida Standards
As a health educator it is crucial for me to recognize the mission of the communities that I will work in. It is important to understand the needs of a community and of the students. People must want change before change can take place in a lasting way. Understanding the community standards for education is a good guide for addressing the community’s needs and expectations effectively. As I begin to actively search for a teaching job I will make sure to research the standards for the community, state, and nation. This will provide me with insight and allow me to be a more effective teacher.
When comparing national standards to state standards it is easy to spot the similarities. There are common skills and themes throughout such as the development of general health knowledge and the skills to find that knowledge, behavior modification skills, and the concept that anyone can influence others to improve their lifestyle behaviors. The state standards that I have examined have more benchmarks (similar to performance indicators) and are more specific (they give examples and suggestions for use).
When skills are standardized it provides a method for large scale behavior change. When assessing student’s knowledge and skills it is important to compare them to the standards that are used in that school as a goal for learning. When developing assessment tools and lessons that will need to be assessed, one of the first steps in the process is exploring the standards of the community.
Skill development is so important at all ages and I feel that more should be done with younger students. Both Florida and New York address the need for health education at the K-6 level, but many schools do not include it as a part of the curriculum. With an increased emphasis on core subjects, such as reading, many programs have been removed from the curriculum to make more time for passing standardized tests. I feel that health education should be emphasized even more due to its lifelong effects on the physical, social and emotional aspects of healthy life.
References:
National Standards
Florida Standards
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