1. Fostering Critical Thinking
Performance Distinguished Proficient Basic Below Non-
Levels Expectations Performance
4 3 2 1 0
Fostering Consistently fosters Fosters critical At times fosters Critical thinking is Critical thinking is
Critical critical thinking thinking through critical thinking minimally is non-existent
Thinking through challenging challenging through encouraged in the
students to students to challenging classroom.
elaborate on their elaborate on their students to
thinking, question thinking, question elaborate on
their assumptions, their assumptions, their thinking,
examine biases, examine biases, question their
communicate in a communicate in a assumptions,
clear and concise clear and concise examine biases,
manner and defend manner and communicating in
their positions defend their a clear and
throughout the positions concise manner
course. throughout the and defend their
course. positions in some
areas.
Please score the following examples:
1. Discussion Forum Response
Score_______
RE: My
Practium 5/10/2010 9:02:26 PM
Experience
I am glad the experience has been helpful. I wish there was more time to collaborate with peers as
an educator! Best wishes to you!
~Instructor
2. Discussion Forum Response
Score_______
RE: Family
6/10/2010 4:37:46 PM
Functioning
Hi Student,
In your post you note the relationship between a child's home life, and his or her academic
success. Throughout my years of teaching, I have witnessed this myself. Children with severe
problems at home often have difficulties learning. This is often not due to their lack of ability, but
their lack of nurture and support at home. Family problems oftentimes lead to emotional issues.
However, a caring, supportive teacher can make a difference. Class, as teachers and other child
care workers, how can we provide support for children who are not otherwise receiving any?
Instructor
2. 3. Discussion Forum Response
Score_______
RE:
5/16/2010 8:52:57 PM
headstart
Mimicking your Parents
Student and class,
Student you mention how if you teach them love than they will give
love. These students are at a perfect age where they are learning by
watching.
Have you ever looked in a mirror and seen one of your parent's facial
expressions looking right back at you? Have you ever heard yourself say
something to your child that your parents said to you when you were
growing up? Didn't we all swear that we were going to be different with our
kids?
Now you’re the parent and your child is acquiring all of your facial
expressions and your habits, just like you did from your parents. You’re on
stage all of the time and your child is sitting in the audience. Unfortunately,
there is nothing that parents can do to prevent this, so we need to make
sure that our children are mimicking behaviors that are acceptable. Negative
behaviors such as smoking, drinking, yelling, and hitting are actions that we
do not want our children to mimic!
What are some other examples where you have found your child mimicking
someone in your family or another situation with a child?
4. Discussion Forum Response
Score_______
RE: MY
teaching 5/10/2010 9:04:47 PM
exerience
Wow!! More positive thoughts about this reading program! I am glad it has been such a good
experience!
Best wishes to you!
~Instructor
5. Discussion Forum Response
Score_______
RE: Language
Development- 4/15/2010 1:58:14 PM
Week 2
Student,
Oral language develoment is very important for young children. What are some effective ways
3. preschool teachers can assess oral language?
Instructor
6. Discussion Forum Response
Score_______
RE: Discussion
6/25/2010 6:45:14 AM
2 week 3
Hi Class,
Student mentions Chomsky's beliefs about LAD. On page 237 in your text, Berk (2008) states
that "Because the LAD is specifically suited for language processing, children master the structure of
language spontaneously and swiftly. In sharp contrast to the behaviorist view, nativists regard
deliberate training by parents as unnecessary." Class, do you feel his beliefs about LAD are always
true? Why or why not?
Instructor
Beck, L. (2008) Infants and children: Prenatal through middle childhood (6th.
Edition.) New York: Pearson Education Inc.
7. Discussion Forum Response
Score_______
RE:
5/28/2010 10:04:48 PM
db1
State Driven Curriculum
Student and Class,
You state how students are getting ready for taking the test versus
learning and letting them be children. In STATE where I teach it was
just third, fourth, seventh, ninth, and eleventh grades that were
tested. It got to a point that no one wanted to teach those grades. I
taught 4th grade for 11 years and it was stressful knowing that you
were accountable not only for information learned in 4th grade, but in
all previous years as well since they can test for all objectives K-4.
However, Kindergarten thru second grade teachers were not
accountable or other non tested grades were not accountable like we
were. However, now they test in all grades, but Kindergarten. Each
student gets tested in communication arts and math and fifth grade
has science as well.
As a teacher you do not want to teach towards the test, but you have
to. Our city newspaper publishes all test scores by district, school and
can be teacher as well (have not done that yet). You look at scores of
what the child did the year before to figure out how they can improve
for the current year. You also make sure to get all objectives that are
4. for sure tested crammed in before testing begins in April. You also
have to take a big chunk of time for review of all the concepts that will
be tested. It is a huge waste of time. It is bittersweet for me. I think
that testing is beneficial if used correctly. I think that is gives you an
idea of what the child struggles with and what they can use extra help
on. However, it should not be the basis for objectives, which ours is.
I was on the state testing team and we would get together all the red
flags that were common for the students to struggle with across the
district and then have activities that were required to do for review
throughout the year. We would also get teacher workdays to go
through and rank our students on who needs the most help to decide
how we can get the help they need to succeed. It is amazing the time
put to doing better on the test. Ideally, it is for the student to be
better, but in the districts eyes it is all about percentages.
Do you feel that the students would be better off with or without
testing and why?
8. Discussion Forum Response
Score_______
RE:
Principles for
Reading 5/3/2010 7:26:08 PM
Success -
Student
I agree. Comprehension is a very important piece.
This is why reading to children and asking questions---even at an early age---is a great benefit to a
child learning to read.
Keep up the good work!
~Instructor
9. Discussion Forum Response
Score_______
RE:
5/2/2010 10:19:50 PM
assessment/Patty
Student,
The idea is that teachers can bring students together and also diversify learning by having students
integrate together in classrooms based on academic needs and not assigned classrooms. However,
that can be done with doors as well:-).
10. Discussion Forum Response
Score_______
RE: Language
4/15/2010 1:53:57 PM
Development
5. Student,
I think show and tell is a great activity for little ones. I like allowing the child to talk freely about the
item for a couple minutes, but then I ask them to complete sentence frames such as "I like this
because ______" and I got this __________."
Instructor
11. Discussion Forum Response
Score_______
RE:
Assessment 5/10/2010 8:54:09 PM
in Reading
Hi Student,
Very thought-provoking post! Thanks for sharing!
~Instructor