Vicki

media type="custom" key="6973357"  I think that the levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy I used varied by grade level. In Kindergarten/1st grade I probably spent more time in the knowledge and comprehension stages. In these grades you are building knowledge that you can draw on later to move through the levels including letter/sound correspondence, math concepts, and basic academic vocabulary. In 2nd and 3rd grades as the focus changes from learning to read to reading to learn, application is used. All of those skills that you have learned about letters and sounds and the rules of reading now need to be used more independently so that you can learn. In higher grades, you apply all the skills that you have learned to make connections between concepts, compare and contrast people, events, and ideas and generally analyze information. Students are asked to defend or discuss their responses, they will debate with other students, they will support there responses on essay and short answer questions. Students in higher grades are asked to make presentations and write reports.  Since I have to choose one level, I think that I probably spent most of my time in school in the Applying level. In this level, you are taking skills and using them to complete assignments and worksheets. Since skills build on previous knowledge and it is almost impossible to solely apply one skill to a task (writing your name on a paper, reading the directions, writing your responses), you are always in the application level for one skill or another.

[|John Dewey Concept map]

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The cartoon covers the time line from the first day of school to the last day of school. The students come in, the teacher spends the year telling them all this information and at the end of the year they leave. The teacher uses a lecture format with little interaction with technology. Have they truly learned the skills needed to be a productive part of the community? Many students do not have opportunities to learn through experience as we are in a time where parents are working outside the home and we rely on others (grocery stores, fast food, clothing stores) to provide the goods that we used to make on our own. Children may not learn these skills by watching parents cook and sew. (Which raises the question, //are these skills still important to teach?//). The little boy saying that he learned more from his dad is representing John Dewey's philosophy of learning from "elders" and through communication vs learning through text books in a controller/controlled relationship. Education needs to continue to develop real-life situations in which students can practice skills so they can see how all of this applies to living in our society. We are still struggling for that balance between real-life experience and text book learning. Education also needs to find a balance between technology use and traditional teaching styles. Many educators are set in their ways and itis difficult to get them to change. Technology will allow students to have experiences they otherwise would not have had.It can be used to create real-life situations in which to practice skills. However, technology should not replace actual interactions and experiences. media type="file" key="Vicki MCOM510.wmv" width="300" height="300"