Interview

Overview

Principles of Learning

Information Processing

Content Standards

Tenets of Democracy

Questions

Interview: Previewing Questions

1.      The students are using software that enables them to write better with the disabilities they have.  What types of disabilities would hinder one’s ability to write, and how?

2.      Nancy Amdor uses a scoring sheet to assess student writing.  In light of theoretical research, name other methods you would have utilized to evaluate the students’ work.

3.      Addressing individual student needs requires a great deal of flexibility on the part of the teacher.  What if Amdor had not adapted to students’ needs?  Name some possible outcomes.

4.      In high school, how did your level of comfort in certain settings affect the extent to which you learned?

Interview: Post-viewing Questions

1.       Nancy Amdor discusses that her strategy with the students is to base her teaching and materials in relation to the individual’s needs.  How does this fit with the model’s description of teacher knowledge and behavior?

2.      What are the positive and negative aspects of Amdor’s assessment technique?  How would this lesson have been different if she would have given the students a spelling and comprehension test at the end of the unit?

3.      Amdor helps her students to be actively involved and encourages them to “learn by doing.”  In high school, did your teachers encourage this?  What behaviors did they show that encouraged or discouraged active learning and involvement?

4.      Put yourself in the students’ position.  What would you have enjoyed in the lesson?  What did Ms. Amdor do to facilitate your active involvement?  What sparked your interest?  What frustrations would you have?

Overview: Previewing Questions

1. Do you have any experience in special education? How do teachers’ strategies compare to those used by regular classroom teachers?

2. What is a pre-writing activity? What purpose does it serve? Do you think it is important for a written assignment ? Give examples of pre- 
   writing activities.

3. What is assistive technology? How does it affect learning? Explain.
   

Overview: Post-viewing Questions

1. How does Amdor introduce the new writing project to her students? What teaching strategies does she use? Do you think they are effective? Give reasons. 
   
   
2. How does the teacher connect the new information to the students’ previous knowledge ? How does she activate this knowledge?
   
   
3. Have a look at Inspiration software and 
   Co:writer. Do you consider they can help 
   students with disabilities? What would be the 
   advantages\disadvantages of using them? Read the “Comments” section of the lesson plan.

Principles of  Learning: Previewing Questions

1.       Why is active involvement important in the classroom setting for student learning?

2.       How is motivation in the classroom affected by frequent positive feedback?  Read a current research article about motivation.  Summarize. How does it affect student learning?

3.       This teacher uses an enjoyable setting to help her students grasp important concepts. What is your definition of an enjoyable setting?  What observable behaviors would students demonstrate in this setting? What would you have incorporated in the lesson to make the setting even more comfortable for the students?

Principles of  Learning: Post-viewing Questions 

1.       In what ways would you as a teacher involve the students in this lesson?  Think of some strategies Amdor used, and incorporate your own.

2.       Read Amdor’s lesson plan.  For each lesson procedure, identify ways in which Amdor incorporated the Principles of Learning into each.

3.       Refer to the checklist of observable behaviors for enjoyable setting.  What ways does Amdor incorporate these behaviors in the video?  Give concrete examples of strategies you would have incorporated into the lesson so the students would show these behaviors.

Information Processing: Previewing Questions 

1.       How does communication assist students in information processing?

2.       Appreciation is included as a segment of information processing in the Technology as Facilitator of Quality Education Model.  In your own words, what is appreciation and how does it apply to learning?  How might appreciation facilitate student learning?

3.       What are some ways to use technology to search for information?  How could you as a teacher incorporate these searches into a lesson?

Information Processing: Post-viewing Questions

1.       Identify and familiarize yourself with the components of the information processing model in the Technology as Facilitator of Quality Education Model.  How does Ms. Amdor incorporate each of these steps?

2.       Give an example from the video of how technology and/or the internet has assisted a student with a learning disability for two of the information processing components. 

3.       Assume the role of Ms. Amdor.  What would be some challenges and frustrations you would have while leading the students through each of the information processing stages?

4.       What are some other strategies Amdor could have incorporated into her lesson to help the students progress through the presearch and search stages of information processing?

Content  Standards: Previewing Questions 

1.       Pretend you are a member of the National Council of Teachers of English.  What are some standards you would adopt?  Explain why.

2.       How can the use of content standards help or hinder teacher instruction and student learning?

3.       Do you think there should be different content standards for students with different I.Q. and/or achievement levels? Why or why not?

Content  Standards: Post-viewing Questions 

1.       Pick two language arts standards that Amdor utilizes in her classroom.  Refer to the descriptions of  The List of Standards for the English Language Arts, and explain how her classroom activities demonstrate these content standards.

2.       For most of the language arts standards shown in the video, technological tools facilitated learning.  What are some ways technology impacts how students learn standards?

3.       The Co-Writer software assists the students in writing their paper.  What are the benefits and disadvantages of using this software to help the students with English Language Arts Standards 6 and 8?  (Refer to the section of the video in which the student uses the software).

Tenets of Democracy: Previewing Questions 

1.       What is empowerment?  How can a teacher empower students to learn new ideas? What have your teachers done to empower you as a student?

2.       How does/can empowerment affect self-esteem?

3.       What are some advantages of working in a group rather than individually when brainstorming?

Tenets of Democracy: Post-viewing Questions 

1.       Refer to the Democracy portion of the Technology as Facilitator of Quality Education Model.  Look at the checklist of observable behaviors for thinking together and making meaning. How does Ms. Amdor and her students display these behaviors?

2.       How does Ms. Amdor model tolerance in the video?  Why is it important in the classroom?

3.       How is “thinking together and making meaning” shown in the video?  What could a teacher do and/or say to encourage students to think together and make meaning?  Why is this important?

Technology: Previewing Questions 

1.       How can students with learning disabilities benefit from using computer word processing software?

2.       Why is it important for teachers to have knowledge of technological equipment operation when working with students?

3.       Refer to the Technology as Facilitator of Quality Education Model, and study the Basic Technology Equipment Operations and Concepts.  What is adaptive assistive technology?  How can it be utilized in the classroom?

Technology: Post-viewing Questions 

1.       Do you feel that the graphic organizer software used in this video helps the students complete their assignments?  Why?  What is another way to use technology to help students learn?

2.       The students in the video used several technological resources.  What other tools could the teacher have incorporated into the lesson?  Refer to the Technology Summary in the Technology as Facilitator of Quality Education Model.

3.       In the video, the ULTimate Reader software read the student’s document aloud.  How do you think this helped him with his writing and thought processes?  “Invent” a different type of software that might help the students organize his/her thought processes.

Teacher Knowledge : Previewing Questions 

1.       In your own words, what is interpersonal intelligence?

2.       What are the characteristics of students that teachers should be familiar with?  Explain why each is important.  Refer to the knowledge of student characteristics summary in the Technology as Facilitator of Quality Education Model.

3.       Reflect on your high school experience.  How did your teachers demonstrate content knowledge?  How did your teachers demonstrate knowledge of student characteristics?  How would it have affected your learning if they were not familiar with content or student characteristics?

4.       The explanation of teacher knowledge in the Technology as Facilitator of Quality Education Model contains an explanation of Gardner’s Theory of multiple intelligences.  Why is it important for teachers to be knowledgeable about this theory?  Include any other concepts you know about Gardner’s Theory. 

Teacher Knowledge : Post-viewing Questions 

1.       How does Ms. Amdor address the student’s interpersonal intelligence?  Why is this important?

2.       Read the summary of Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences.  How does Amdor address verbal/ linguistic and interpersonal intelligences?

3.       Amdor discusses how she “reads” students’ nonverbal behaviors.  This allows her to adjust her teaching behavior accordingly.  Give two examples of how a teacher might avoid potential problems by noticing a student’s nonverbal behaviors (ie, facial expressions, gestures)? 

Teacher Behavior: Previewing Questions 

1.       Read the "Five Propositions of Accomplished Teaching” in the Pedagogy summary of the Technology as Facilitator of Quality Education Model.  Summarize the five propositions.  What would you add, remove, and/or change in this list?

2.       Look at the checklist of observable behaviors for conduct management in the Technology as Facilitator of Quality Education Model.  Choose three of these. For each, give an example of a high school or elementary school student showing incorrect conduct, and explain how you as a teacher could effectively manage this behavior.

3.       What skills do teachers need to effectively manage their classrooms?

Teacher Behavior: Post-viewing Questions 

1.       The summary of the description of classroom management states that “school and classroom management aims at encouraging and establishing student self-control through a process of promoting positive student achievement and behavior.”  How does Ms. Amdor accomplish this in her classroom?

2.       How does Ms. Amdor effectively use classroom management skills in the video?

3.       Amdor monitors the groups in the lesson.  How does she do this to help the students learn effectively?  Why is this important?