
how do we determine individuals needs when applying new information
I do the pretests as well. I also have my students complete a short exercise that determines the style learner they are, and then base the remainder of my teaching to accommodate.
Andrew,
I use pretesting as well for the reason you state. I get a baseline on my students and then I can plan my instructional delivery around their specific knowledge base.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Pretesting for me has always been the best way for me to understand the level of knowledge a class has and I can base my teaching of the class on the results.
Bee,
I use pretests in my classes as well. They give me a snap shot of where my students are and where I need to target my beginning instruction so everyone can get the needed foundational knowledge. Good strategy to help you know your students even better.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Pretesting the students is a great tool. Before I start a new subject I will asign a chapter for the students to read. Then pretest and see how many students actually read the chapter depending on how well they did on the pretest I then can decide on which area I need to spend more time in. It is your class it's what you talk about and for how long, so that the student can get all the information out of the class.
I prefer pretesting. It seems to be a good diagnostic tool for applying new material.
Kirstie,
You can do pretesting, small group discussions, and feedback cards as a way of getting this information so you can know how to select your course content from there.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers