Implementing Learning Taxonomy
How will you use Learning Taxonomy to create lesson plans for your class? What factors or assessments will you use to predict when your students are ready to handle “higher-level†assignments?
Wouldn't that be something... if the school atcually asked for and took into account the teachers / experts in their fields advice abou creating lesson plans and curriculum. So far, I haven't seen much of that :(
Bloom's Taxonomy is particularly helpful in creating lesson plans.At my school, instructors are encouraged to design their own lesson plans however they see fit.
I will use Learning Taxononmy thoroughly to create lesson plans by better assessing my objectives according to criteria, especially including Knowledge. Factors or assessments I will use to predict when students are ready to handle "higher-level" assignments will be based on performance among other determinants.
I think that using pre-testing results to determine the current level of knowledge the students have is the starting point of creating a lesson plan that is immediately functional. Learning Taxonomy will help clarify what the student will know as we systematically build on their current knowledge. Formative assessments are necessary to evaluate the success of the lesson plans and determine when the objectives are met and mastered. A developed lesson plan would start with leaning/reviewing basic facts and build on those facts to then be applied in a context of the subject which would include procedural knowledge.
To create lessons plans, I will first establish the factual knowledge of the students, then the conceptual knowledge which will allow me to put together the procedural knowledge and finish with the metacognitive knowledge
I am not trained as a teacher and so I often ask for feedback from my students about whether or not my lesson helped them achieve the objectives. I feel that feedback helps me but I am somewhat concerned that my students may lose faith in my ability to teach, is there a better way to get their opinions?
I agree. We receive a syllabus and overall objectives for the classes, but you still need a baseline of knowledge from your students from the beginning of the term. The facts are the hardest part, especially when you have to learn a lot of new medical terminology.I always tell them the have to learn to talk the talk to walk into a job. After that, and the comprehension, you can have all kinds of fun, wet labs, demonstrations, real life experiences (I incorporate this into all my lectures, makes things more real).
I will need to look into this subject a little more to determine how I will use it for massage therapy courses but I think it will be very helpful once I figure out how to implement it into my developing lesson plans..
This part of the course has been very interesting. I have seen such taxonomy used in the past, but without any knowledge of its origins or applications.
I have control of how I present to my students. Here at LBC I do a lot of demo's and then the next day the students are supposed to cook what I just showed them in the demo. I am able to judeg what works and what doesn't so I can make sure my students are learing the objctive
My classes are hands-on audio production. Most of my students learn from performing. So I tend to apply taxonomy in reverse. First Application-we use the equipment. Then Comprehension-after getting familiar with what the equipment does, the student start to understand how it works. Then Knowledge-the student can tell discuss and remember what the equipment does with other students.
I apparently have been using this "learning Taxonomy" to create lesson plans without even knowing it! As an over organized, step by step person, it makes sense to start with basics (outlined objectives) and work into more in-depth subject matter. In the future I will address lesson plans from the level 1, 2, and 3 direction as I can see how knowledge leads to comprehension leads to application. This is fundamental to teach the clinical skills my students need.
My college has pre-formatted lesson plans available for instructors'use. However, we also have the option to alter the lesson plan or to create new lesson plans. As a fairly new instructor, I have appreciated being able to use a lesson plan that is already created. However, as I gain more experience I find that I do alter the existing lesson plans to suit my students and as a result of teaching my courses multiple times.
I have used Bloom's taxonomy in my preparation of lesson plans.
To predict when students are ready to handle "higher-level" assignments, I utilize quizzes, polling, and other classroom activities that provide feedback as to "where" the students are in their learning.
I truly agree that even though you don't have control over standardized lesson plans, you still have control over the delivery phase. Lesson plans are an instructor's lesson go to plan.
Ward and Janice - I agree with both of you. I am teaching Health Care Management and Healthcare Quality Management. Some of the material is conceptual and some of it is "dry" material. I have found when I integrate case studies into the material, the students then can better grasp the material and it has improved the bi-directional communication in the classroom.
I would use the learning taxonomy to develop the learning objectives as well as learning outcomes for the class. The taxonomy itself helps me choose the desired level of learning and apply the right verbs so that I have properly established the degree to which I expect the student to perform. As an example, to "define" for knowledge or to "summarize" for comprehension. As the student is able to perform at that level, I would then move on to the next. As an example, I would next want them to apply that knowledge through some form of demonstration.
The taxonomy is the framework that supports the overall curriculum or course. Having the taxonomy established sets a roadmap for how the course learning objectives will be achieved.
Anna Marie, Your comment really got me thinking about the nature of the assignments that I give my students in my clinical course. The students get homework to do in their text and accompanying workbook, but I am starting to think that for the most part, the questions asked in these resources are primarily from the "base" of the Bloom's Taxonomy "pyramid". At the beginning of a new unit, I think those types of questions suffice. However, in order to ensure my students' growth to the next level of understanding on the pyramid, I think I'm going to start creating additional assignments that incorporate the verbs from subsequent levels. In that way, I can monitor which students are progressing forward in the curriculum as well as which students may need additional assistance to grasp the evolving concepts. Thank you for your great advice!
In the very beginning of our course I will give the students and basic layout of a vehicle suspension and have them identify all the components. I will go over and review all the parts. After doing the review I'll take them out to the lab and look at all the parts and ask questions as to what they are and what they do so the student has a good understanding. Through out the phase will revisit all the components in a power point and hands on lab work. At the end of the phase the students have to perform lab final answering couple question and identifying parts. This seems to work pretty effective.
