Q: Standards have altered teacher preparation programs and curriculum requirements in schools. The intention behind standardization is to ensure equivalent and consistent instruction and to provide measureable outcomes. Do you believe that the implementation of standards identified by national, state, and curriculum organizations have accomplished their intent? Explain why or why not.
A: Standards are set to provide guidance for instruction and project the ultimate goal of student performance. The goal for standards has been to ensure equivalent and consistent instruction and to provide measurable outcomes. I do not believe that this has been accomplished in Mississippi. The latest big push across the nation has been Common Core Standards and PARCC assessment as the evaluating tool. These were adopted across most of the United States so this was going to help national evaluation. The problem is many states are receding. This includes Mississippi, who after one year of fully implementing Common Core and PARCC, has thrown up the white flag and recently adopted the new Questar Assessment.
Due to curriculum changes every 3-4 years, it is hard for teachers to develop consistency in teaching and evaluation methods. Teachers are constantly scrambling to use the appropriate learning objectives in an ever-changing classroom. More stability from curriculum decision makers would help states and local school districts create a uniform standard system involving instruction and evaluation. This would create an equal playing field among learners in all states and result in a better national student comparison instrument. Uniformity and consistency are the keys to quality student instruction and evaluation.
Chapter Two, Question Two
Q: Different students have different learning styles and their learning styles influence their learning. As a teacher, you should understand your students learning styles when preparing for the classes. Discuss your understanding on different learning styles and its influence on learning.
A: Many people recognize that each person adapts better to different learning styles and techniques. Learning styles group common ways that people learn. Everyone has a mix of learning styles. Some people may find that they have a dominant style of learning, with far less use of the other styles. Others may find that they use different styles in different circumstances. There is no right mix. Nor are your styles fixed. You can develop ability in less dominant styles, as well as further develop styles that you already use well.
Using multiple learning styles and multiple intelligences for learning is a relatively new approach. This approach is one that educators have only recently started to recognize. Traditional schooling used, and still use, mainly linguistic and logical teaching methods. It also uses a limited range of learning and teaching techniques. Many schools still rely on classroom and book-based teaching, much repetition, and pressured exams for reinforcement and review.
Spatial-You prefer using pictures, images, and spatial understanding.
Auditory-musical-You prefer using sound and music.
Linguistic- You prefer using words, both in speech and writing.
Kinesthetic- You prefer using your body, hands and sense of touch.
Logical (mathematical)- You prefer using logic, reasoning and systems.
Interpersonal- You prefer to learn in groups or with other people.
Intrapersonal- You prefer to work alone and use self-study.
Your learning styles have more influence than you may realize. Your styles guide the way you learn. They also change the way you internally represent experiences, the way you recall information, and even the words you choose. Research shows us that each learning style uses different parts of the brain. By involving more of the brain during learning, we remember more of what we learn.
Chapter Three, Question Three
Q: This chapter introduced you that lesson planning was an outgrowth of your instructional design. The DID section helped you see the overall organization of your instructional unit, and this lesson plan section helped you address what you would do to achieve the unit on an instruction day-to-day basis. Now identify, describe and use the most common steps in lesson planning.
A: The DID model helps you ask yourself the crucial question that will improve the quality of the instructional experience for both you and your students. The systematic planning of instruction remains the foundation of effective teaching and learning. The lesson plan provides daily guide for teachers. It is the lesson plan that provides a day-to-day guide of what will happen in the classroom.
Step one, ready the learner, describes how you will prepare the students for the lesson. Step two, target specific objectives, states the instructional design objective that will be addressed by this lesson. Step three, prepare the lesson, describes what is needed to prepare the lesson. Step four, checking for success, will be a type of assessment that is believed to be the best strategy to measure the success of the lesson and provide feedback. Each step is critical for every lesson and to be used for review so that you can evolve your planning and teaching.