Assignment #3

This assignment should address Illinois Professional Teaching Standards 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 6A, 6F, and 6G which are spelled out below.

The competent teacher:

2A. understands how students construct knowledge, acquire skills, and develop habits of mind.

2B. understands that students' physical, social, emotional, ethical, and cognitive development influences learning.

2C. understands human development, learning theory, neural science, and the ranges of individual variation within each domain.

2D. understands that differences in approaches to learning and performance interact with development.

2E. understands how to include student development factors when making instructional decisions.

2F. knows the impact of cognitive, emotional, physical, and sensory disabilities on learning and communication processes.

6A. understands the cognitive processes associated with various kinds of learning and how these processes can be stimulated.

6F. evaluates how to achieve learning goals, choosing alternative teaching strategies and materials to achieve different instructional purposes and to meet students’ needs.

6G. uses multiple teaching and learning strategies to engage students in active learning opportunities that promote the development of critical thinking, problem-solving, and performance capabilities and that help students assume responsibility for identifying and using learning resources.

Assignment 3 - How to recognize and match teaching styles to your classroom setting.

Pick one content topic for your specific discipline. (Example:  redox reactions, plate tectonics, light production in the sun etc.) Given all the cognitive implications in the standards above, how would you alter your teaching style, demeanor, techniques etc. to teach that specific topic to a 12th grade Advance Placement class and a 7th grade general science class? How would the physical nature of the room change? How would you change? How would you structure your time? Be specific and be sure to actually address all nine standards. I encourage the use of tables and bulleted lists if used appropriately in your discussion. Be concise but be sure to include WHY you designed your courses the way you did or you will in fact fail to prove that you meet these standards.