Taylour and Jess

Day 6 Focus: Lesson Delivery
Moodle Quiz Module (Study Guide for Final Exam): (not counted towards grade)
This study guide will not be used as an assessment per se, but will act as a review of the major concepts covered in the course. Each major theorist and philosophy will be covered in the quiz. Students will also be given case studies and problem solving situations for further practice. This way, the students will be aware of the background knowledge necessary to succeed when answering the short-answer questions during the self assessment and final exams.

Day 7 & 8 Focus: Lesson Delivery
Final Project Individual Presentations: (See Rubric- 50 points)
Students will create a week long unit on a topic of their choice and apply the principles of Bloom, Hunter, Gardner, and Gagne. They will also apply their own theories when deciding the best way to teach the chosen topic. Students will be able to brainstorm and integrate subjects, write clear and concise learning objectives, create a one hour lesson plan that will engage students, and incorporate ways for students to use multiple intelligences to learn subject matter. Afterwards, the student will present the lesson using Gagne’s methods, all while implementing behavior management methods covered earlier in the course.

This is, by far, the most structured of the assessments. I ask the students to choose a topic because I want it to be meaningful to them. The documents/lessons they create will be far more significant and personal than a bunch of instructor-created slides. I also believe that the students will not fully adopt a way of teaching unless they attempt to actually apply and execute their ideas in context. I want to see how well the students put it all together. I will be looking to see which strategies and concepts stick with them and which ones they have decided are less important. This assessment is most relevant, as it leaves students with something they can actually use in the real-world, as opposed to an assortment of random memorized facts about learning theories. This assessment gives them something concrete to connect their learning to.

Day 8 Focus: Lesson Delivery
Self Evaluation and Final Exam (10 points and 50 points respectively)
Students will again use the quiz module to complete a self evaluation, outlining their own strengths and weaknesses. They will address areas where they would like to improve and think about topics they would like to study further to improve teaching methods. I believe that part of being an exemplary teacher is the ability to reflect on what you have done. Even better teachers are able to reflect on what they are doing and modify it mid-flight to make it a better fit for the learners and their needs. Teachers do not get very much feedback in the real world. Therefore, the best way to improve is to be the judge of your own skills and abilities and go from there.

The comprehensive exam will not be the standard multiple choice set of “who” and “what” questions. Instead, it will include five short answer questions where students will be asked to reflect on what they have learned in relation to their own experience. Examples might be: “Which in-class activity meant the most to you, inspired you, or got you to think differently about teaching and what made it stand out? How did your thinking change?” Or “Which theorist’s ideas made the most impact on you? How will you use these ideas in the classroom?” Or “Choose one of the discussion forum topics that mattered to you most, and explain how you will use what you learned from it to become a better teacher?”
These are the types of questions that ask the students to determine what true and valuable learning means to them.