Best Teaching at UST Summer Seminar, June 19-22, 2006

Day 1 Blackboard Notes

Bush Foundation grant mantra:

To raise students’ higher-order thinking skills through inquiry-based learning with student collaboration

Sue Chaplin, Biology:

How do we know we’re teaching our students to think?

1. Model
2. Coach
3. Let them apply
4. Seek feedback on their understanding

Bob Werner, Geography:

Economist article on food crisis in southern Africa

Consider the following:

1. What would you want your students to learn from this article?
2. For each of these examples, assign levels of Bloom’s taxonomy.
3. Write small-group discussion or test questions for each objective and thinking level.

Learning Objective Bloom Level Question

Address one famine solution Synthesis Same as objective

Evaluate all solutions Evaluate “ “

What’s missing? Evaluation “ “

Causes of famine Analysis What is common?

What is unique?

Apply to new situation Application/ List expected causes of

Synthesis famine in Africa

What countries? Knowledge Where is Zimbabwe?

What is significant? Knowledge Identify key passages in

article

What is working? Comprehension Same as objective

For use in our own classes:

Learning Objective Bloom Level Question

Signal types and uses Knowledge

Application Sketch u(t)

Ideas in Jack Welch’s Synthesis and What is your client’s

book “Winning” Evaluation big “a ha?”

(comparison and

new application)

Summarize the features Comprehension Same as objective

of block encryption

Produce PSA for client All levels Product

Firms screw up Comprehension/ Buy or sell stock? Why?

Application/

Evaluation