A space to freely discuss, question, and gently criticize SLA ideas
Monday, October 21, 2013
Week 9 Academic Reading Circle
This week's reading continues the Information Processing model with some classroom implications. In class we'll evaluate some textbooks according to Bloom's Taxonomy.
Andrew and Evan, I am the summarizer this week so here goes:
PowerPoint Slides The slides have two general topics: information processing and Bloom’s taxonomy. First, the information processing section offers a review and an expansion of what we covered last week. The slides basically say that when we process information, first we do it consciously, and after practice, we do it automatically because information has moved from our short-term memory to our long term memory. One example of this would be speed chess (this example is not in the reading). After enough practice, a person can look at a chess board, analyze it (often connecting the location of the pieces in this game to location of the pieces in previous games played or studied), and make good moves in seconds.
The second topic on the slides is Bloom’s taxonomy. Bloom created this taxonomy in order to promote higher forms of student thinking, such as analyzing and evaluating, rather than just remembering facts (rote learning, which is at the bottom of the pyramid). The highest form of thinking is required when a student creates something.
Article (PDF File) The article is about different kinds of thinking, how we think, and what use this is to educators. After discussing what thinking is and distinguishing between different types of it, the article says that teachers don’t so much teach students how to think, but rather help learners to organize content in order to facilitate more complex processing. This is where Bloom’s taxonomy comes in. The model has six levels: remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate and create. The idea is creating something requires more complex thought than remembering something. The article states that one of the reasons the model is useful is that when teachers try to stimulate more complex thought, they often simply increase the difficulty of the task rather than the complexity of it. One example is, “Name the states and their capitals in order of their admission into the Union [of the United States” is a more difficult task than simply naming the 50 states, but it does not require more complex thinking. A key quote near the end of the article: “Our students would make a quantum leap to higher-order thinking if every teacher in every classroom correctlyand regularly used a model such as Bloom’s revised taxonomy."
Q1 • Basic processes 1. Observing 2. Finding patterns and generalizing 3. Forming conclusions 4. Assessing conclusions based on observation • Domain specific knowledge: Knowledge in a particular content area. • Critical thinking: making judgments • Creative thinking: putting info together to create a new concept. 1. Preparation 2. Incubation 3. Illumination 4. Verification • Metacognition: awareness of one’s own thinking
Q2 1) Loosening of the hierarchy - allows for different types of higher order thinking to be more accurately described 2)Cognitive thinking- the hierarchy does not deal with emotional thought 3)The levels are fluid and overlap, meaning that the borders are not clear cut. Q3 The model was revised because the original was to rigid, and as science progressed being proven increasingly inaccurate. The revision allowed for more fluidity between levels and shows a better understanding of thought based on recent science
D I don't do anything specific. I try and make them solve problems and occasionally do things to allow them to see ideas from a different perspective, which I believe fosters good thinking skills.
1. Remembering is recalling and recognizing things that were previously learned. Understanding is making sense of things that were learned. Applying is solving problems. Analyzing is sorting information into categgories . Synthesizing is creating and imagining new possibilities. Evaluation is making judgments on learned things. 2. The Hierarchy of the model has been relaxed. Emotional responses have been separated from cognitive thought. The first three levels are convergent and the upper three levels are divergent thinking. The bottom two levels deal with acquiring information. The middle two deal with transforming information. The upper two deal with generating new information. 3. Bloom's model needed revising to become relevant in terms of modern research and use. Discussion: To promote a positive learning environment where my students can acquire good thinking skills I try to keep in mind they are children and they have different interests and ways of reasoning than adults. Also when dealing with more complex thinking tasks I try to explain what is required in simplistic terms while keeping the difficulty to a minimum until I see that they can complete the tasks. I also note that since English isn't their native language they need to adjust to more complex ways of thinking while using English. I can't help but sympathize with them when I realize they want to discuss a topic in more detail but are struggling while trying to express it in English due to their limitations with the language. I have found myself in such situations before and the last thing I would want is for someone to overlook me or think I'm a developmentally delayed simpleton because I can't fully express my cognitive thoughts in a foreign tongue. Sometimes I just let them spill it out in Korean and then work with them as they translate. I think this is why more complex aspects of language are often taught and explained in a bilingual friendly environment.
As the applier I believe this information is useful in the classroom and even in the EFL classroom. Unless a teacher is spouting out pure unintelligible gibberish they are probably helping to develop a learner's cognitive thinking processes no matter how poor their teaching skills are. Even if they aren't asked questions or producing output, students must be thinking at some level if they are consciously aware of what is going on. If teachers keep in mind Bloom's taxonomy they can further enhance the cognitive capabilities of their students simply by varying the types of questions askend and tasks assigned. Asking students to complete all four types of questions and tasks from all six categories as often as possible would be ideal in any teaching situation. Tasks from the bottom three levels are quite common, but students are quite capable of completing the more complex tasks at higher levels as long as the difficulty is appropriate. I like to see it as a pyramid instead of a tower, and when teaching EFL we must remember that a student's ability to express themselves in a foreign language is not a sign of a lack of cognitive development or thought. Their pyramids' have bigger bases than they let on. In other words their L1 input is vastly greater than L2 input therefore their knowledge is better remembered and understood in L1 terms. When given a topic that requires a higher level of cognitive thought it is likely that most of their conscious thought process is being done in terms of L1 aswell. We must understand that their output is limited due to L2, not due to a lack of cognitive capability. Failure to understand this would be insulting to the intelligence of our students. Recognizing this would allow us to have more realistic expectations as EFL teachers.
Week 9 Reading Chapter 7 Thinking Skills and Learning (summary of key points)
Thinking is a Representational System - An individuals thinking patterns vary when encountering different challenges,and those semiautonomous variations in thinking result in different degrees of success in learning.
Thinking and emotion - Positive emotions boost learning and critical thinking. - Neutral/Negative emotions narrow the scope of learning/ attention and thinking.
Components of models of Human Thought • Basic processes 1. Observing 2. Finding patterns and generalizing 3. Forming conclusions 4. Assessing conclusions based on observation • Domain specific knowledge: Knowledge in a particular content area. • Critical thinking: making judgments • Creative thinking: putting info together to create a new concept. 1. Preparation 2. Incubation 3. Illumination 4. Verification • Metacognition: awareness of one’s own thinking
*As teachers we need to work harder at teaching students how to organize content in such a way that it facilitates and promotes higher-order thinking.
Model Thinking skills - Teachers should nurture a love for learning and establish a setting that is conducive to creative and critical thought
Bloom’s hierarchy- See ppt!
The Critical Difference between Complexity and Difficulty Complexity – thought processes that the brain uses to deal with information. Difficulty – amount of effort the learner must expend within a level of complexity to accomplish a learning objective. * Name the states vs. Name the states and capitals vs. Name the states, and capitals in order of admission to the union.**All are remember level complexity but the last is much more difficult
* Fast Learners aren't necessarily better than slow learners at more complex tasks * Higher order thinking increases understanding and retention
“Students are more likely to learn thinking skills in classrooms where teachers nature a love for learning and establish a setting that is conductive to creative and critical thought. “
I take it one step further and try to build a relationship with my students when possible. At my fist job I teach close to a thousand students. I can’t recall a single name. We have no relationship. They learn little and care less.
At my second job I teach eighty students. I know their names. I know when they’re feeling bad without saying it to me. I know if their parents are strict or easy going. I physically play with them. My new co-teacher is about 24 years old. She has been on the job for about 2 months now. Some of the naughty kids ignore her instruction, but will listen to me (usually the other way around). This is because the students don’t have a relationship with her. The reverse is true at my first job. My co-teachers know all the students names, and the kids will greet them and not me. As with most things in life, the more you put in, the more you get out.
The revised taxonomy retains the six levels but changes the labels to verb form, renames three levels, and interchanges the top two levels.
3.) Complexity is the thought process that the brain uses to deal with information. Difficulty refers to the amount of effort that the learner must expend within a level of complexity to achieve a goal.
Discussion
I do find Boom’s model useful. That said he is only defining what many teachers were already doing in the classroom on their own. Bloom’s model better puts these concepts into a structure for analysis, but these ideas do not owe their origins to him. I find Blooms model useful in the way I find my thumbs useful. They both just kinda came with my body.
Ans 1) As per the article, teacher can create a conducive environment for the positive learning by following ways: 1. By displaying genuine care for the learning 2. Explaining students their aim for learning according to their own thinking process 3. Teacher willfully accepting his/her mistake 4. Changing their own position as per the requirement 5. Giving student the authority to plan/edit decision relating to learning and assessment 6. Giving students space for their own thinking and application 7. Permitting student to choose task/assignment 8. Prepare lesson plans with the aim of developing higher order thinking skills in students.
Ans. 2) The six levels of Bloom's Revised Model include: i) Create ii) Evaluate iii) Analyse iv) Apply v) Understand vi) Remember
Bloom's emphasis is on imagining and composing the idea to further appraise it and analyse while distinguishing. After distinguishing the idea is practically applied, this executed idea is further discussed and explained to define the details which helps in recalling and recognizing the idea at later stage.
Ans. 3)
Complexity according to Bloom represents the six level of Bloom's Taxonomy where a simple question is related to the level of REMEMBERING.
Difficulty on the other hand is related to amount of effort, a learner must apply within a particular level of complexity to achieve the learning objectivity.
Comprehension Qs. 1) Describe different ways a teacher can create/establish positive learning settings.
This week's reading says that positive learning climates are created when teachers:
- Show a commitment to learning - Analyse their own thinking and explain themselves - Change their positions on certain issues when warranted - Are willing to admit mistakes - Allow students to participate in classroom decisions - Encourage students to think for themselves - Let students choose assignments and activities - Present lessons that force students to use higher-level thought processes
I think that's all true, but there's one item that isn't on the list: teachers should be at least somewhat NICE! I don't mean to suggest that teachers need to become Mary Poppins when they walk into the classroom, but I think students are more likely to learn when they like the teacher. It goes back to that business with the affective filter and how learning comes last in the cognitive pecking order behind survival and emotional gymnastics. I've had plenty of teachers who are the right blend of nice and serious, and those are typically the teachers I respond to best.
If a teacher can manage to do all of the items in the bullet list above, then that person is probably nice by default. The more likely scenario is that the vast majority can manage some of those things but not all, and it's certainly possible to do certain things to promote a positive learning climate while silently radiating negativity to an entire classroom. Niceness, in my opinion, goes a long way in many occupations, and teaching is one of them.
2) Briefly describe each of 6 levels of Bloom’s revised model.
Well, this is embarrassing. I used those 6 levels for my highlighting task (which I wrote a couple days ago, but didn't post because I thought the Discussion *Leader* should post first), and I did that because there honestly weren't many other new terms in the reading that seemed relevant.
3) Please define difference between Complexity and Difficulty in your own words.
Complexity requires higher-level thinking and difficulty requires more thinking that may be of a simple nature. Maybe the easiest way to put it is that complexity is to difficulty as quality is to quantity. Take the AP US History Exam, for example. One part is pure difficulty, and that would be the 80 multiple choice questions that span a period of 400+ years. The complexity comes in the form of essay questions that require the student to take a position and defend it or, in the case of document-based questions, analyse written and visual evidence to draw a conclusion.
Discussion Q. • Do you find Bloom’s model useful? Why or why not?
I do find Blooms's model useful. I think it's very easy, and probably extremely common, for teachers to get stuck in the lowest two levels of the taxonomy: remembering and understanding. In fact, I confess that when I first started teaching at Hongik I often felt that it was enough for students to understand things, and it didn't always occur to me to take them through any of the other levels.
Where I think Bloom's Taxonomy will really help me in the future is in lesson planning and designing activities. It's almost like a roadmap to where I should be trying to take students with the materials and lessons I come up with.
- BLOOM'S TAXONOMY OF THE COGNITIVE DOMAIN: Bloom's Taxonomy is a a classification of human thought that is divided into six different levels. The 2001 revision goes like this, from highest level of complexity to lowest:
I included the synonyms from page 251 of the reading because I think they're helpful in differentiating each level of the taxonomy. For the remainder of my highlighting task, I am going to define each level for the purpose of clarity. Obviously we all know what the individual words mean, but it seems important to understand them within the context of Bloom's research and the 2001 revision. Let's go in reverse order of complexity just for fun! I know, I'm crazy.
- REMEMBER: This is the basic regurgitation of information from memory. It doesn't imply any understanding, it's simply opening a drawer in your brain and pulling out a piece of "previously learned material". For example, you might know that Photoshop is a photo editing tool but you don't know how it works.
- UNDERSTAND: This is when you can apply sense to that previously learned material. It's the stage where a student goes "oh ok, now I get it" and becomes capable of using that material to solve a problem or make a decision. So now you've tried Photoshop and you can see that it has different tools that perform different functions for photo editing.
- APPLY: At this level, you are using previously learned material in new situations with little or no assistance. You're using that material to solve a problem or complete a task, and you have just photoshopped your head onto a picture of Godzilla because your Photoshop teacher assigned it as homework.
- ANALYZE: You are now able to break something down into pieces, look at those pieces, and understand how the whole thing is organized and how it works. You did a pretty terrible job of photoshopping that Godzilla pic, but you just saw a classmate's Godzilla photoshop job and it looks much better. You can see that this other person used feathering to blend his neck with the lizard neck and color correction was done to match the tone of the face to the overall tone of the Godzilla source image. And now that you look at your own Godzilla thing, you can see several other areas where you can make improvements.
- EVALUATE: Evaluating is where you judge something based on a set of criteria. You and your Photoshop classmates all compare Godzilla pics and you can tell that yours is the worst in the class and that other guy's is the best, and you can explain why one is better than the other.
- CREATE: This is where you use your previously learned material to create something new and unique. So that Godzilla thing didn't go so well, but now you're photoshopping your head onto every movie monster you can find, and you assemble them all into an awesome composition that is now on display at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Bonus words!
- BASIC PROCESSES: The group of tools we need for transforming and evaluating info. They include:
a. Observing (recognizing and recalling) b. Finding patterns and generalising (classifying, compare/contrast, separating information by relevance) c. Forming conclusions based on patterns (hypothesising, predicting, inferring, applying) d. Assessing conclusions based on observations (checking consistency, identifying biases & stereotypes, identifying unstated assumptions, knowing when something has been over- or under-generalised, fact-checking)
- METACOGNITION: Awareness of your own thinking processes, such as knowing when you're learning effectively and, if you're not, knowing that something needs to change.
Ans.4 I find Bloom's model useful,as it covers all essential components of teaching and learning.It is teacher friendly as well student friendly ,if applied in the classroom. This model not only covers the essentials in classroom teaching but also it is useful for online teaching modules. Stimulating complex thoughts help in long term learning.
The article explains thinking as a representational system which is highly influenced by the positive and negative thinking. Here positive thinking enhances critical thinking whereas negative thinking limits the area of attention with an individual. Reading then proceeds towards Dimensions of 'human thinking' which either follows a basic process comprising of (Description of learning environment): observing finding patterns and generalizing, forming conclusions assessing conclusions.
The writer focuses upon how teachers can model thinking skill in their classrooms, suggesting measures to have positive learning atmosphere in the classroom.
BLOOM TAXONOMY
It follows a set pattern of stages with the objective of motivating students for evaluation and critical thinking, rather than remembering the knowledge without its understanding. The six levels suggested by Bloom are further divided into 2 sections. The upper three (divergent) represents creativity while lower three (Convergent) represent accuracy.
I am the Discussion Leader for my group this week.
Greg and Evan... please answer these questions when you have the chance.
Comprehension:
1) How was Bloom’s taxonomy model revised and what was the rationale behind the revisions? How do these revisions help educators better evaluate students’ proficiency levels (as opposed to the original model)?
2) On the model, which levels describe a convergent thinking process and which describe a divergent thinking process, and what’s the difference between the two?
3) According to Bloom’s taxonomy, what is the critical difference between complexity and difficulty? Furthermore, according to the reading, which is more closely linked to students’ abilities and why does this go against the conventional wisdom of teachers in general?
Discussion:
A) Do you agree with Bloom’s original model that basically applied a hierarchal system to the six levels, and only when a student attained the skills of a lower complexity, he or she could move to the next level? In your own teaching experience, what has led you to agree or disagree with this belief?
1) The names and order of the items in Bloom's model were changed to better reflect how they can be used in learning objectives. The dotted lines around the different levels represent how a learner can move from place to place rather than just linearly. The new names help teachers because they use language that teachers are much more familiar with.
2) The three lower levels (remember, understand, and apply) are convergent because the learner uses material they already know to process the task. The top levels (analyze, evaluate, and create) are divergent because the learner's output is not part of the original item/task.
3) Difficult tasks can require lots of work, but still not require the learner to use more complex thought processes. The three divergent levels are much more complex than the lower three convergent levels because they require higher levels of processing and more learner input and creation.
I may have missed part of the answer to this one in the reading, but I'm guessing the conventional wisdom of teachers is that understanding, remembering and applying are good ways to judge how well a S has learned material, but in fact these are the lowest forms of cognitive processing.
Discussion:
I disagree as well. My main issue is with the linear absoluteness of the original model. It suggests that cognitive process should only move in one direction, which would lead teachers to think that all learners are working towards the same goal and will view each step as more difficult. It's similar to the modified PPP-approach that was mentioned in the Meth reading: some people learn in different ways and an absolute structure does not cater to everyone.
Here's my thoughts on applying all this to the classroom.
Teachers could use the revised Bloom's model to structure course material in a way that makes tasks more accessible for learners. Start with lower-complexity (convergent) work before moving to tasks that require divergent thinking. The quote that teachers "tend to increase difficulty rather than complexity" when trying to make students think more is also very relevant. I know that I often tend to just make questions longer for my students instead of asking them to analyze, evaluate and create -- which would be a better use of everyone's time.
Keeping a list of the 6 stages of the revised model nearby when planning lessons would also be helpful to most teachers. It would be interesting to look at our lesson plans for the upcoming microteaching and match each stage of the lesson to a stage of the model. The note on page 259 suggests deleting lower-level processing tasks in order to focus more on developing higher processing during class time. I think language teachers need to remember that higher-processing tasks in a 2nd language can be INCREDIBLY tiring for a language learner, especially at lower levels.
The points about positive learning environments on the bottom of 247 and top of 248 are also good fodder for reflection and understanding the classroom.
Thanks for the thoughtful answers, Evan. I enjoyed reading it and also agree with your discussion answer.
However, for comprehension question 3, I should clarify that I'm referring to the text on the bottom of 257. Actually, according to Bloom, it's complexity that teachers in general think is more closely linked to students' levels, while he believes it's difficulty. Here is the relevant quote: "\Then teachers are asked whether complexity or difficulty is more closely linked to student ability. they more often choose complexity. Some explain their belief that only students of higher ability can carry out the processes indicated in the Analyze. Evaluate. and Create levels. Others say that whenever they have tried to bring slower students up the taxonomy. the lesson got bogged down. But the real connection to ability is difficulty, not complexity.." and then he goes on to justify why this is. Not sure I agree with him, but he attempts to make his case anyway.
1) Bloom's taxonomy was revised in the 1990's to reflect later research, to allow for more overlap between levels, and also to make it easier for educators to use (e.g. on the bottom of the pyramid "remembering" is clearer than "knowledge" since it better describes what kind of thinking the students would do).
2) The bottom three levels are convergent and the upper three levels are divergent thinking. Convergent thinking basically means using speed, accuracy, and logic to give the best or "correct" answer to something. Divergent thinking is more creative, and involves brainstorming, free writing, and things like that. They are often both used together when problem solving. At first you might brainstorm possible solutions that can be evaluated later. During this time, open-mindedness, curiosity, and imagination are valuable. Then when that is finished, you would use convergent thinking to evaluate and select the best possible solution. At that time, you would evaluate the ideas based on set criteria, and probably select the most effective and practical one to implement.
3) I'm going to quote myself here: One example is, “Name the states and their capitals in order of their admission into the Union [of the United States” is a more difficult task than simply naming the 50 states, but it does not require more complex thinking.
Cognitvely complex tasks are most useful to students, particularly these days when technology can make things much less "difficult." HOwever, it is easier for teachers to make something more "difficult" than it is for them to make something more complex, so students usually get burdened with tasks involving difficulty rather than complexity. Sad as that may be.
Regarding comprehension Q3) This surprised me too, but conversely Bloom argues on bottom of page 256 it's the other way around. That teachers in general believe complexity is the more accurate way to gauge Ss abilities, but he believes it's difficulty. Like I replied to Evan, I'm not sure I agree with him. In fact there's a lot I take issue with in the reading, but we can discuss beginning of SLA.
A) Do you agree with Bloom’s original model that basically applied a hierarchal system to the six levels, and only when a student attained the skills of a lower complexity, he or she could move to the next level? In your own teaching experience, what has led you to agree or disagree with this belief?
Absolutely not. Bloom made a mistake in his first model. It is absolutely possible to be able to create something better than you can evaluate something for example. For young children especially, they may be able to do something well without having a full understanding of how they are doing it. Creative writing is a good example of this. A child may be able to write an engaging story, but when ask to critique why another story is not as good, the best the child may be able to come up with is, "It's boring." Being able to insert characterization into a story without being clunky is just something that a child may pick up from reading, but not even realize he's doing it.
Andrew and Evan, I am the summarizer this week so here goes:
ReplyDeletePowerPoint Slides
The slides have two general topics: information processing and Bloom’s taxonomy. First, the information processing section offers a review and an expansion of what we covered last week. The slides basically say that when we process information, first we do it consciously, and after practice, we do it automatically because information has moved from our short-term memory to our long term memory. One example of this would be speed chess (this example is not in the reading). After enough practice, a person can look at a chess board, analyze it (often connecting the location of the pieces in this game to location of the pieces in previous games played or studied), and make good moves in seconds.
The second topic on the slides is Bloom’s taxonomy. Bloom created this taxonomy in order to promote higher forms of student thinking, such as analyzing and evaluating, rather than just remembering facts (rote learning, which is at the bottom of the pyramid). The highest form of thinking is required when a student creates something.
Article (PDF File)
The article is about different kinds of thinking, how we think, and what use this is to educators. After discussing what thinking is and distinguishing between different types of it, the article says that teachers don’t so much teach students how to think, but rather help learners to organize content in order to facilitate more complex processing. This is where Bloom’s taxonomy comes in. The model has six levels: remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate and create. The idea is creating something requires more complex thought than remembering something. The article states that one of the reasons the model is useful is that when teachers try to stimulate more complex thought, they often simply increase the difficulty of the task rather than the complexity of it. One example is, “Name the states and their capitals in order of their admission into the Union [of the United States” is a more difficult task than simply naming the 50 states, but it does not require more complex thinking. A key quote near the end of the article: “Our students would make a quantum leap to higher-order thinking if every teacher in every classroom correctlyand regularly used a model such as Bloom’s revised taxonomy."
Here you go Dave and Sean:
ReplyDeleteQ1: What are the dimensions of thinking? Describe each one in one sentence.(Before the revision)
Q2: Name and describe the 3 important characteristics of the revised model.
Q3: Why did they revise Bloom's model?
D: What do you do in your classroom to promote a positive learning environment where your students can acquire good thinking skills?
Q1
Delete• Basic processes
1. Observing
2. Finding patterns and generalizing
3. Forming conclusions
4. Assessing conclusions based on observation
• Domain specific knowledge: Knowledge in a particular content area.
• Critical thinking: making judgments
• Creative thinking: putting info together to create a new concept.
1. Preparation
2. Incubation
3. Illumination
4. Verification
• Metacognition: awareness of one’s own thinking
Q2
1) Loosening of the hierarchy - allows for different types of higher order thinking to be more accurately described
2)Cognitive thinking- the hierarchy does not deal with emotional thought
3)The levels are fluid and overlap, meaning that the borders are not clear cut.
Q3
The model was revised because the original was to rigid, and as science progressed being proven increasingly inaccurate. The revision allowed for more fluidity between levels and shows a better understanding of thought based on recent science
D
I don't do anything specific. I try and make them solve problems and occasionally do things to allow them to see ideas from a different perspective, which I believe fosters good thinking skills.
1. Remembering is recalling and recognizing things that were previously learned.
DeleteUnderstanding is making sense of things that were learned.
Applying is solving problems.
Analyzing is sorting information into categgories .
Synthesizing is creating and imagining new possibilities.
Evaluation is making judgments on learned things.
2. The Hierarchy of the model has been relaxed. Emotional responses have been separated from cognitive thought. The first three levels are convergent and the upper three levels are divergent thinking. The bottom two levels deal with acquiring information. The middle two deal with transforming information. The upper two deal with generating new information.
3. Bloom's model needed revising to become relevant in terms of modern research and use.
Discussion: To promote a positive learning environment where my students can acquire good thinking skills I try to keep in mind they are children and they have different interests and ways of reasoning than adults. Also when dealing with more complex thinking tasks I try to explain what is required in simplistic terms while keeping the difficulty to a minimum until I see that they can complete the tasks. I also note that since English isn't their native language they need to adjust to more complex ways of thinking while using English. I can't help but sympathize with them when I realize they want to discuss a topic in more detail but are struggling while trying to express it in English due to their limitations with the language. I have found myself in such situations before and the last thing I would want is for someone to overlook me or think I'm a developmentally delayed simpleton because I can't fully express my cognitive thoughts in a foreign tongue. Sometimes I just let them spill it out in Korean and then work with them as they translate. I think this is why more complex aspects of language are often taught and explained in a bilingual friendly environment.
As the applier I believe this information is useful in the classroom and even in the EFL classroom.
DeleteUnless a teacher is spouting out pure unintelligible gibberish they are probably helping to develop a learner's cognitive thinking processes no matter how poor their teaching skills are. Even if they aren't asked questions or producing output, students must be thinking at some level if they are consciously aware of what is going on.
If teachers keep in mind Bloom's taxonomy they can further enhance the cognitive capabilities of their students simply by varying the types of questions askend and tasks assigned. Asking students to complete all four types of questions and tasks from all six categories as often as possible would be ideal in any teaching situation. Tasks from the bottom three levels are quite common, but students are quite capable of completing the more complex tasks at higher levels as long as the difficulty is appropriate.
I like to see it as a pyramid instead of a tower, and when teaching EFL we must remember that a student's ability to express themselves in a foreign language is not a sign of a lack of cognitive development or thought. Their pyramids' have bigger bases than they let on.
In other words their L1 input is vastly greater than L2 input therefore their knowledge is better remembered and understood in L1 terms. When given a topic that requires a higher level of cognitive thought it is likely that most of their conscious thought process is being done in terms of L1 aswell. We must understand that their output is limited due to L2, not due to a lack of cognitive capability. Failure to understand this would be insulting to the intelligence of our students. Recognizing this would allow us to have more realistic expectations as EFL teachers.
Week 9 Reading
ReplyDeleteChapter 7 Thinking Skills and Learning (summary of key points)
Thinking is a Representational System
- An individuals thinking patterns vary when encountering different challenges,and those semiautonomous variations in thinking result in different degrees of success in learning.
Thinking and emotion
- Positive emotions boost learning and critical thinking.
- Neutral/Negative emotions narrow the scope of learning/ attention and thinking.
Components of models of Human Thought
• Basic processes
1. Observing
2. Finding patterns and generalizing
3. Forming conclusions
4. Assessing conclusions based on observation
• Domain specific knowledge: Knowledge in a particular content area.
• Critical thinking: making judgments
• Creative thinking: putting info together to create a new concept.
1. Preparation
2. Incubation
3. Illumination
4. Verification
• Metacognition: awareness of one’s own thinking
*As teachers we need to work harder at teaching students how to organize content in such a way that it facilitates and promotes higher-order thinking.
Model Thinking skills
- Teachers should nurture a love for learning and establish a setting that is conducive to creative and critical thought
Bloom’s hierarchy- See ppt!
The Critical Difference between Complexity and Difficulty
Complexity – thought processes that the brain uses to deal with information.
Difficulty – amount of effort the learner must expend within a level of complexity to accomplish a learning objective.
* Name the states vs. Name the states and capitals vs. Name the states, and capitals in order of admission to the union.**All are remember level complexity but the last is much more difficult
* Fast Learners aren't necessarily better than slow learners at more complex tasks
* Higher order thinking increases understanding and retention
For Swati, Justin, and Michael
ReplyDeleteComprehension Qs.
1) Describe different ways a teacher can create/establish positive learning settings.
2) Briefly describe each of 6 levels of Bloom’s revised model.
3) Please define difference between Complexity and Difficulty in your own words.
Discussion Q.
• Do you find Bloom’s model useful? Why or why not?
1. )
Delete“Students are more likely to learn thinking skills in classrooms where teachers nature a love for learning and establish a setting that is conductive to creative and critical thought. “
I take it one step further and try to build a relationship with my students when possible.
At my fist job I teach close to a thousand students. I can’t recall a single name. We have no relationship. They learn little and care less.
At my second job I teach eighty students. I know their names. I know when they’re feeling bad without saying it to me. I know if their parents are strict or easy going. I physically play with them. My new co-teacher is about 24 years old. She has been on the job for about 2 months now. Some of the naughty kids ignore her instruction, but will listen to me (usually the other way around). This is because the students don’t have a relationship with her. The reverse is true at my first job. My co-teachers know all the students names, and the kids will greet them and not me. As with most things in life, the more you put in, the more you get out.
2.)
1. Create
2. Evaluate
3. Analyze
4. Apply
5. Understand
6. Remember
The revised taxonomy retains the six levels but changes the labels to verb form, renames three levels, and interchanges the top two levels.
3.)
Complexity is the thought process that the brain uses to deal with information.
Difficulty refers to the amount of effort that the learner must expend within a level of complexity to achieve a goal.
Discussion
I do find Boom’s model useful. That said he is only defining what many teachers were already doing in the classroom on their own. Bloom’s model better puts these concepts into a structure for analysis, but these ideas do not owe their origins to him. I find Blooms model useful in the way I find my thumbs useful. They both just kinda came with my body.
Ans 1)
DeleteAs per the article, teacher can create a conducive environment for the positive learning by following ways:
1. By displaying genuine care for the learning
2. Explaining students their aim for learning according to their own thinking process
3. Teacher willfully accepting his/her mistake
4. Changing their own position as per the requirement
5. Giving student the authority to plan/edit decision relating to learning and assessment
6. Giving students space for their own thinking and application
7. Permitting student to choose task/assignment
8. Prepare lesson plans with the aim of developing higher order thinking skills in students.
Ans. 2)
The six levels of Bloom's Revised Model include:
i) Create
ii) Evaluate
iii) Analyse
iv) Apply
v) Understand
vi) Remember
Bloom's emphasis is on imagining and composing the idea to further appraise it and analyse while distinguishing. After distinguishing the idea is practically applied, this executed idea is further discussed and explained to define the details which helps in recalling and recognizing the idea at later stage.
Ans. 3)
Complexity according to Bloom represents the six level of Bloom's Taxonomy where a simple question is related to the level of REMEMBERING.
Difficulty on the other hand is related to amount of effort, a learner must apply within a particular level of complexity to achieve the learning objectivity.
Comprehension Qs.
Delete1) Describe different ways a teacher can create/establish positive learning settings.
This week's reading says that positive learning climates are created when teachers:
- Show a commitment to learning
- Analyse their own thinking and explain themselves
- Change their positions on certain issues when warranted
- Are willing to admit mistakes
- Allow students to participate in classroom decisions
- Encourage students to think for themselves
- Let students choose assignments and activities
- Present lessons that force students to use higher-level thought processes
I think that's all true, but there's one item that isn't on the list: teachers should be at least somewhat NICE! I don't mean to suggest that teachers need to become Mary Poppins when they walk into the classroom, but I think students are more likely to learn when they like the teacher. It goes back to that business with the affective filter and how learning comes last in the cognitive pecking order behind survival and emotional gymnastics. I've had plenty of teachers who are the right blend of nice and serious, and those are typically the teachers I respond to best.
If a teacher can manage to do all of the items in the bullet list above, then that person is probably nice by default. The more likely scenario is that the vast majority can manage some of those things but not all, and it's certainly possible to do certain things to promote a positive learning climate while silently radiating negativity to an entire classroom. Niceness, in my opinion, goes a long way in many occupations, and teaching is one of them.
2) Briefly describe each of 6 levels of Bloom’s revised model.
Well, this is embarrassing. I used those 6 levels for my highlighting task (which I wrote a couple days ago, but didn't post because I thought the Discussion *Leader* should post first), and I did that because there honestly weren't many other new terms in the reading that seemed relevant.
3) Please define difference between Complexity and Difficulty in your own words.
Complexity requires higher-level thinking and difficulty requires more thinking that may be of a simple nature. Maybe the easiest way to put it is that complexity is to difficulty as quality is to quantity. Take the AP US History Exam, for example. One part is pure difficulty, and that would be the 80 multiple choice questions that span a period of 400+ years. The complexity comes in the form of essay questions that require the student to take a position and defend it or, in the case of document-based questions, analyse written and visual evidence to draw a conclusion.
Discussion Q.
• Do you find Bloom’s model useful? Why or why not?
I do find Blooms's model useful. I think it's very easy, and probably extremely common, for teachers to get stuck in the lowest two levels of the taxonomy: remembering and understanding. In fact, I confess that when I first started teaching at Hongik I often felt that it was enough for students to understand things, and it didn't always occur to me to take them through any of the other levels.
Where I think Bloom's Taxonomy will really help me in the future is in lesson planning and designing activities. It's almost like a roadmap to where I should be trying to take students with the materials and lessons I come up with.
I'm the highlighter so here we go:
Delete- BLOOM'S TAXONOMY OF THE COGNITIVE DOMAIN: Bloom's Taxonomy is a a classification of human thought that is divided into six different levels. The 2001 revision goes like this, from highest level of complexity to lowest:
CREATE (imagine, compose, design)
EVALUATE (appraise, assess, judge, critique)
ANALYZE (contrast, distinguish, deduce, analyze)
APPLY (practice, calculate, apply, execute)
UNDERSTAND (summarise, discuss, explain, outline)
REMEMBER (define, label, recall, recognise)
I included the synonyms from page 251 of the reading because I think they're helpful in differentiating each level of the taxonomy. For the remainder of my highlighting task, I am going to define each level for the purpose of clarity. Obviously we all know what the individual words mean, but it seems important to understand them within the context of Bloom's research and the 2001 revision. Let's go in reverse order of complexity just for fun! I know, I'm crazy.
- REMEMBER: This is the basic regurgitation of information from memory. It doesn't imply any understanding, it's simply opening a drawer in your brain and pulling out a piece of "previously learned material". For example, you might know that Photoshop is a photo editing tool but you don't know how it works.
- UNDERSTAND: This is when you can apply sense to that previously learned material. It's the stage where a student goes "oh ok, now I get it" and becomes capable of using that material to solve a problem or make a decision. So now you've tried Photoshop and you can see that it has different tools that perform different functions for photo editing.
- APPLY: At this level, you are using previously learned material in new situations with little or no assistance. You're using that material to solve a problem or complete a task, and you have just photoshopped your head onto a picture of Godzilla because your Photoshop teacher assigned it as homework.
- ANALYZE: You are now able to break something down into pieces, look at those pieces, and understand how the whole thing is organized and how it works. You did a pretty terrible job of photoshopping that Godzilla pic, but you just saw a classmate's Godzilla photoshop job and it looks much better. You can see that this other person used feathering to blend his neck with the lizard neck and color correction was done to match the tone of the face to the overall tone of the Godzilla source image. And now that you look at your own Godzilla thing, you can see several other areas where you can make improvements.
- EVALUATE: Evaluating is where you judge something based on a set of criteria. You and your Photoshop classmates all compare Godzilla pics and you can tell that yours is the worst in the class and that other guy's is the best, and you can explain why one is better than the other.
- CREATE: This is where you use your previously learned material to create something new and unique. So that Godzilla thing didn't go so well, but now you're photoshopping your head onto every movie monster you can find, and you assemble them all into an awesome composition that is now on display at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Bonus words!
- BASIC PROCESSES: The group of tools we need for transforming and evaluating info. They include:
a. Observing (recognizing and recalling)
b. Finding patterns and generalising (classifying, compare/contrast, separating information by relevance)
c. Forming conclusions based on patterns (hypothesising, predicting, inferring, applying)
d. Assessing conclusions based on observations (checking consistency, identifying biases & stereotypes, identifying unstated assumptions, knowing when something has been over- or under-generalised, fact-checking)
- METACOGNITION: Awareness of your own thinking processes, such as knowing when you're learning effectively and, if you're not, knowing that something needs to change.
Ans.4
DeleteI find Bloom's model useful,as it covers all essential components of teaching and learning.It is teacher friendly as well student friendly ,if applied in the classroom.
This model not only covers the essentials in classroom teaching but also it is useful for online teaching modules.
Stimulating complex thoughts help in long term learning.
he he he Michael ,I like that idea of reversing...at least some reason to smile in super hectic week 9.
DeleteSUMMARY:
DeleteThe article explains thinking as a representational system which is highly influenced by the positive and negative thinking. Here positive thinking enhances critical thinking whereas negative thinking limits the area of attention with an individual.
Reading then proceeds towards Dimensions of 'human thinking' which either follows a basic process comprising of (Description of learning environment): observing finding patterns and generalizing, forming conclusions assessing conclusions.
The writer focuses upon how teachers can model thinking skill in their classrooms, suggesting measures to have positive learning atmosphere in the classroom.
BLOOM TAXONOMY
It follows a set pattern of stages with the objective of motivating students for evaluation and critical thinking, rather than remembering the knowledge without its understanding. The six levels suggested by Bloom are further divided into 2 sections. The upper three (divergent) represents creativity while lower three (Convergent) represent accuracy.
I am the Discussion Leader for my group this week.
ReplyDeleteGreg and Evan... please answer these questions when you have the chance.
Comprehension:
1) How was Bloom’s taxonomy model revised and what was the rationale behind the revisions? How do these revisions help educators better evaluate students’ proficiency levels (as opposed to the original model)?
2) On the model, which levels describe a convergent thinking process and which describe a divergent thinking process, and what’s the difference between the two?
3) According to Bloom’s taxonomy, what is the critical difference between complexity and difficulty? Furthermore, according to the reading, which is more closely linked to students’ abilities and why does this go against the conventional wisdom of teachers in general?
Discussion:
A) Do you agree with Bloom’s original model that basically applied a hierarchal system to the six levels, and only when a student attained the skills of a lower complexity, he or she could move to the next level? In your own teaching experience, what has led you to agree or disagree with this belief?
1) The names and order of the items in Bloom's model were changed to better reflect how they can be used in learning objectives. The dotted lines around the different levels represent how a learner can move from place to place rather than just linearly. The new names help teachers because they use language that teachers are much more familiar with.
Delete2) The three lower levels (remember, understand, and apply) are convergent because the learner uses material they already know to process the task. The top levels (analyze, evaluate, and create) are divergent because the learner's output is not part of the original item/task.
3) Difficult tasks can require lots of work, but still not require the learner to use more complex thought processes. The three divergent levels are much more complex than the lower three convergent levels because they require higher levels of processing and more learner input and creation.
I may have missed part of the answer to this one in the reading, but I'm guessing the conventional wisdom of teachers is that understanding, remembering and applying are good ways to judge how well a S has learned material, but in fact these are the lowest forms of cognitive processing.
Discussion:
I disagree as well. My main issue is with the linear absoluteness of the original model. It suggests that cognitive process should only move in one direction, which would lead teachers to think that all learners are working towards the same goal and will view each step as more difficult. It's similar to the modified PPP-approach that was mentioned in the Meth reading: some people learn in different ways and an absolute structure does not cater to everyone.
Here's my thoughts on applying all this to the classroom.
Teachers could use the revised Bloom's model to structure course material in a way that makes tasks more accessible for learners. Start with lower-complexity (convergent) work before moving to tasks that require divergent thinking. The quote that teachers "tend to increase difficulty rather than complexity" when trying to make students think more is also very relevant. I know that I often tend to just make questions longer for my students instead of asking them to analyze, evaluate and create -- which would be a better use of everyone's time.
Keeping a list of the 6 stages of the revised model nearby when planning lessons would also be helpful to most teachers. It would be interesting to look at our lesson plans for the upcoming microteaching and match each stage of the lesson to a stage of the model. The note on page 259 suggests deleting lower-level processing tasks in order to focus more on developing higher processing during class time. I think language teachers need to remember that higher-processing tasks in a 2nd language can be INCREDIBLY tiring for a language learner, especially at lower levels.
The points about positive learning environments on the bottom of 247 and top of 248 are also good fodder for reflection and understanding the classroom.
Thanks for the thoughtful answers, Evan. I enjoyed reading it and also agree with your discussion answer.
DeleteHowever, for comprehension question 3, I should clarify that I'm referring to the text on the bottom of 257. Actually, according to Bloom, it's complexity that teachers in general think is more closely linked to students' levels, while he believes it's difficulty. Here is the relevant quote: "\Then teachers are asked whether complexity or difficulty is more closely linked to student ability.
they more often choose complexity. Some explain their belief that only students of higher ability
can carry out the processes indicated in the Analyze. Evaluate. and Create levels. Others say that
whenever they have tried to bring slower students up the taxonomy. the lesson got bogged down.
But the real connection to ability is difficulty, not complexity.." and then he goes on to justify why this is. Not sure I agree with him, but he attempts to make his case anyway.
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DeleteWow, serious formatting issues for copy-and-pasting from the PDF. But it's there on the bottom of page 256, beginning of page 257.
DeleteThanks for the clarification Andrew, I'll have to take another look at the reading.
Delete1) Bloom's taxonomy was revised in the 1990's to reflect later research, to allow for more overlap between levels, and also to make it easier for educators to use (e.g. on the bottom of the pyramid "remembering" is clearer than "knowledge" since it better describes what kind of thinking the students would do).
ReplyDelete2) The bottom three levels are convergent and the upper three levels are divergent thinking. Convergent thinking basically means using speed, accuracy, and logic to give the best or "correct" answer to something. Divergent thinking is more creative, and involves brainstorming, free writing, and things like that. They are often both used together when problem solving. At first you might brainstorm possible solutions that can be evaluated later. During this time, open-mindedness, curiosity, and imagination are valuable. Then when that is finished, you would use convergent thinking to evaluate and select the best possible solution. At that time, you would evaluate the ideas based on set criteria, and probably select the most effective and practical one to implement.
3) I'm going to quote myself here:
One example is, “Name the states and their capitals in order of their admission into the Union [of the United States” is a more difficult task than simply naming the 50 states, but it does not require more complex thinking.
Cognitvely complex tasks are most useful to students, particularly these days when technology can make things much less "difficult." HOwever, it is easier for teachers to make something more "difficult" than it is for them to make something more complex, so students usually get burdened with tasks involving difficulty rather than complexity. Sad as that may be.
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DeleteRegarding comprehension Q3) This surprised me too, but conversely Bloom argues on bottom of page 256 it's the other way around. That teachers in general believe complexity is the more accurate way to gauge Ss abilities, but he believes it's difficulty. Like I replied to Evan, I'm not sure I agree with him. In fact there's a lot I take issue with in the reading, but we can discuss beginning of SLA.
DeleteA) Do you agree with Bloom’s original model that basically applied a hierarchal system to the six levels, and only when a student attained the skills of a lower complexity, he or she could move to the next level? In your own teaching experience, what has led you to agree or disagree with this belief?
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely not. Bloom made a mistake in his first model. It is absolutely possible to be able to create something better than you can evaluate something for example. For young children especially, they may be able to do something well without having a full understanding of how they are doing it. Creative writing is a good example of this. A child may be able to write an engaging story, but when ask to critique why another story is not as good, the best the child may be able to come up with is, "It's boring." Being able to insert characterization into a story without being clunky is just something that a child may pick up from reading, but not even realize he's doing it.
Thank you. I like your answer to the discussion question especially.
Delete