Continuous Learning

Andrea Koppen:  Week 4:  Blog 4:  Chapter 5: 

Literary Luminator


Environment:  Valle and Connor speak about the importance of "displaying student work".  "Work should include samples that indicate varying levels of success" (p.  81).  I believe this to be significant to a child's self-esteem and value.  They are able to show how their work contributes to the classroom as a community.  Displaying different levels gives other readers the opportunity to see the diversity in their works.  This will also give students self confidence and self worth.  They may feel successful and proud of their accomplishments.  I would also suggest that, at times, the student pick one of his/her own works to display.  This will give them ownership and some control of the environment.

 Tools:  I found the "Learning Style" tool to be very informative and "eye-opening".  Valle and Connor use "five major lenses through which to view a learner along with the considerations each perspective offers" (p.  87-90).  They listed these views taken from the teacher's perspective of the child's learning.  I have experience using visual, auditory and tactile learning styles to enhance children's learning experiences, however, I have not used these views before.  The questions asked under each lens involved the child's classroom environment,  "physical body rhythms", visual and auditory processing skills,  and organizational preferences.  The information taken from these questions would enlighten the teacher learning to adaptations needed for student success. 

Backward Planning:  I chose this topic because I am currently learning so much about the process of conceptual planning.  Starting from the "outset with the big picture in mind" gives the teacher the opportunity to ask,  What do I want them to know, understand and do?
(p. 92) Valle and Connor state 3 stages to backward planning; identifying desired outcomes, determine what represents acceptable evidence of student competency and to plan instruction and learning experiences (p.  92-93).  I am currently writing plans using this design and can already see how my scope of what I want them to ultimately learn has changed.  I am sure that as I learn this process, my views and ideas will also change.  Using backward planning allows for teachers to bridge core curriculum ideas with differentiated instruction to provide meaningful application for all students.


In this video, the teacher involves the children in their own learning.  I love the excitement and fun that they are having while learning the concepts of math.  Universal design promotes conceptual learning by "doing".  This is a must see!!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNfwZX1sRog&feature=player_profilepage



Essence Extractor

A  conceptual design with individual application leads to meaningful learning.



Rigorous Researcher

  Benjamin Bloom
He was born in 1913 in Pennsylvania.  As a child he was always curious about the world, loved to read and was an active researcher.  He received his undergraduate degree and Masters degree from Penn State.  He then moved to Chicago where he became an instructor of Psychology as he completed his Ph.d. in 1942. "His system of classification soon became the standard for describing objectives and the process of achieving them" (Sprinthall, 2002).  His most recent  study was on the process of the gifted and talented.  Bloom passed away in 1999.  He was 86 years old.

I believe this wheel could be used as a useful tool when planning and executing assessments and lesson plans.  Bloom's taxonomy gives teachers a resource to assist students to "answer higher level questions and partake in activities that require more than recollection and application" (Valle & Connor, 2011, p.  85).

Source: Sprinthall, Norman and Sprinthall, Richard, Educational Psychology (Dec. 2002)