Ackerman Curriculum Repository Proposal

The Assumptions Teachers Make

First, educators make assumptions about the students who enter their classrooms. Sometimes these assumptions are accurate, sometime not. Sometime these assumptions inhibit teaching and learning, sometimes they promote it. These assumptions can be cultural or socioeconomic, reflect expectations regarding prior knowledge and experience, reflect certain values or expectations. Perhaps the most difficult aspect of these assumptions to overcome is that neither the teacher nor the student may be aware of Read More

Ackerman Curriculum Repository Proposal

Elevator Pitch on Teaching and Learning

Ostensibly, teaching and learning are directly associated. Teachers teach what they have planned, learners learn what they are expected to learn; that learning is demonstrated on the tests we administer, everyone leaves the classroom fulfilled. Reality gets in the way of this plan, however. Students do not learn what teachers teach… they learn things other than what was taught… the tests may not even Read More

Ackerman Curriculum Repository Proposal

Headings in Documents

Word processors provide users with pre-defined formatting styles. Ostensibly these are provided to make it easy to apply formatting styles and to facilitate the use of outlines in organizing one’s writing. For those who use screen readers (software that convert the text into speech generated by the compute and played thought the computer’s speakers), the Read More

Ackerman Curriculum Repository Proposal

Thinking About Adult Learners

Much of the cognitive and learning science research that is undertaken is conducted on young people and adolescents. These students are usually compulsory attendees and they are studying a curriculum that is prescribed. Further, the faculty are adults who are in positions of both authority and expertise. Community college students choose to attend enroll and Read More

Ackerman Curriculum Repository Proposal

Elevator Pitch on Student Engagement

Blumenfield, Kempler, and Krajcik (2006) suggest engagement in grounded in four factors: Value- Learners tend to be engaged with material and lessons they believe are important to them. Value is also closely related to motivation, interest, and goals, all of which are addressed in the next section. Competence- Learners tend to engage in activities they Read More

Ackerman Curriculum Repository Proposal

Significant Learning

Fink (2003) proposed a taxonomy of significant learning that reflects the aspects of learning commonly cites by advocates for deeper learning. According to Fink, significant learning comprises:  Foundational knowledge which is the information that is transferred in the Standard Model of Education as well as broader concepts that help organized information;  Application which finds learners using the foundational knowledge to solve (or at least attempt to solve) Read More

Ackerman Curriculum Repository Proposal

Perspectives on Learning

One of the reasons there is so much debate about teaching and learning and what we should have students spend their time doing when they are in schools is that there are different theories about human learning. By theories, of course, I mean ideas supported by evidence that accurately predict and explain what we observed. Read More