Using the FOUR categories

Teachers have been using these four categories (Knowledge and Understanding, Thinking, Application, and Communication) to grade students for the past 10 years. I believe that the four categories are necessary to assess students in their learning development in any subject area.  The categories help teachers to really diagnose where the students strengths and weakness lie.  Teachers can then take those assessments and make the appropriate modifications and/or accommodations for the students, as well as communicate to parents more specifically areas their son or daughter need to improve on.  The problem is using the four categories effectively, and I feel teachers have trouble figuring out what question belongs to which of the four categories (Knowledge and Understanding, Application, Thinking, and Communication). That being said, teachers need to be given more resources and workshops to understand how to use the four categories properly in order for them to be an effective tool in the classroom.

I am still trying to learn and understand how the four categories are used properly in assessing students.  I feel that the four categories are necessary to assess cognitive skills needed to be successful.  They are also a great tool to help teachers focus not only on students’ understanding of knowledge, but also on the development of skills such as thinking, communication and application.  

As an educator, I am willing to learn how the four categories can be used more effectively!

Bad Teacher Challenge

I recently read a blog from Michael Schultz and he makes a very good point that 99% of blogs talk about great things happening in school and/or the idealistic views somebody has. I thought it was very interesting how he challenges us to blog about something not good.

So I'm up for the challenge.

Think about it for a minute. If more teachers write about those terrible lessons or how they neglect to modify or accommodate students learning.  Don't you think we can learn from other peoples mistakes?

This blog really had me thinking about teaching moments that went bad.  As educators we are taught and expected to reflect constantly on how we teach.  Look back at teachers college. How many reflections did we have to write after every lesson we taught? As teachers, we need to re-evaluate our teaching to meet the needs of those individual students.  What could we have done differently in the lesson so that the students clearly understood the concept being taught.  No one is perfect and what might work in one classroom with a group of students might not work in the other. So, a good teacher after reflecting, will make those adjustments and changes.  Would you agree?

Looking back at a time when I was a "bad teacher".  I had just finished teaching a math lesson on fractions. I assigned students seat work so if they had a troubles with a question I was there for help. I often catch myself offering the help but then turning the students away because either I get busy with something else or just lose my patience.

I challenge you to share a "bad teacher" moment too.