Levels of Questions in Bloom's Taxonomy

Page 1 of 2 The goal of classroom questioning is not to determine whether students have learned something (as would be the case intests, quizzes, and exams),but rather to guide students to help them learn necessary information and material. Questions should be used toteachstudents rather than to just test students! Teachers frequently spend a great deal of classroom time testing students through questions. In fact, observations of teachers at all levels of education reveal that most spend more than 90 percent of their instructional time testing students (through questioning). And most of the questions teachers ask are typically factual questions that rely on short-term memory.
Jabberwocky

Taxonomyis an orderly classification of items according to a systematic relationship (low to high, small to big, simple to complex). Although questions are widely used and serve many functions, teachers tend to overuse factual questions such as What is the capital of California? Not surprising, many teachers ask upward of 400 questions each and every school day. And approximately 80 percent of all the questions teachers ask tend to be factual, literal, or knowledgebased questions. The result is a classroom in which there is little creative thinking taking place. It's been my experience that one all-important factor is key in the successful classroom:students tend to read and think based on the kinds of questions they anticipate receiving from the teacher. If students are constantly bombarded with questions that require only low levels of intellectual involvement (or no involvement whatsoever), they will tend to think accordingly. Conversely, students who are given questions based on higher levels of thinking will tend to think more creatively and divergently. Many years ago, an educator named Benjamin Bloom developed a classification system we now refer to asBloom's Taxonomyto assist teachers in recognizing their various levels of question-asking (among other things). The system contains six levels, which are arranged in hierarchical form, moving from the lowest level of cognition (thinking) to the highest level of cognition (or from the least complex to the most complex):
Fire Alarm

Observations of both elementary and secondary classrooms has shown that teachers significantly overuse knowledge questions. In fact, during the course of an average day, many teachers will ask upward of 300 or more knowledge-based questions.

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Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation

Knowledge

This is the lowest level of questions and requires students to recall information. Knowledge questions usually require students to identify information in basically the same form it was presented. Some examples of knowledge questions include
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What is the biggest city in Japan? Who wroteWar and Peace? How many ounces in a pound?

Words often used in knowledge questions includeknow,who,define,what,name,where,list, andwhen.

Expert Opinion

Never end a presentation by asking, Are there any questions? This is the surest way to turn off students. Instead, say something like, Take five minutes and write down two questions you have about the lesson. Share those questions and discuss possible answers with a partner.
Comprehension

Simply stated, comprehension is the way in which ideas are organized into categories. Comprehension questions are those that ask students to take several bits of information and put them into a single category or grouping. These questions go beyond simple recall and require students to combine data together. Some examples of comprehension questions include
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How would you illustrate the water cycle? What is the main idea of this story? If I put these three blocks together, what shape do they form?

Words often used in comprehension questions includedescribe,use your own words,outline,explain,discuss, andcompare.
Jabberwocky

Inanalysis, you move from the whole to the parts. Insynthesis, you move from the parts to the whole.

Application

At this level, teachers ask students to take information they already know and apply it to a new situation. In other words, they must use their knowledge to determine a correct response. Some examples of application questions include
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How would you use your knowledge of latitude and longitude to locate Greenland? What happens when you multiply each of these numbers by nine? If you had eight inches of water in your basement and a hose, how would you use the hose to get the water out?

Words often used in application questions includeapply,manipulate,put to use,employ,dramatize,demonstrate,interpret, andchoose.

Analysis
An analysis question is one that asks a student to break down something into its component parts. To analyze requires students to identify reasons, causes, or motives and reach conclusions or generalizations. Some examples of analysis questions include
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What are some of the factors that cause rust? Why did the United States go to war with England? Why do we call all these animals mammals?

Words often used in analysis questions includeanalyze,why,take apart,diagram,draw conclusions,simplify,distinguish, andsurvey.

Synthesis
Synthesis questions challenge students to engage in creative and original thinking. These questions invite students to produce original ideas and solve problems. There's always a variety of potential responses to synthesis questions. Some examples of synthesis questions include
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How would you assemble these items to create a windmill? How would your life be different if you could breathe under water? Construct a tower one foot tall using only four blocks. Put these words together to form a complete sentence.

Words often used in synthesis questions includecompose,construct,design,revise,create,formulate,produce, andplan.

Evaluation
Evaluation requires an individual to make a judgment about something. We are asked to judge the value of an idea, a candidate, a work of art, or a solution to a problem. When students are engaged in decision-making and problem-solving, they should be thinking at this level. Evaluation questions do not have single right answers. Some examples of evaluation questions include
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What do you think about your work so far? What story did you like the best? Do you think that the pioneers did the right thing? Why do you think Benjamin Franklin is so famous?

Words often used in evaluation questions includejudge,rate,assess,evaluate,What is the best ,value,criticize, andcompare.

It's Elementary
Many teachers think primary-level students (kindergartenthrough grade 2) cannot handle higher-level thinking questions (application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation). Nothing could be further from the truth! Challenging all students through higher-order questioning is one of the best ways to stimulate learning and enhance brain developmentregardless of age.

What does all this mean? Several things, actually! It means you can ask your students several different kinds of questions. If you only focus on one type of question, your students might not be exposed to higher levels of thinking necessary to a complete understanding of a topic. If, for example, you only ask students knowledge-based questions, then your students might think that learning (a specific topic) is nothing more than the ability to memorize a select number of facts. You can use this taxonomy to help craft a wide range of questionsfrom low-level thinking questions to high-level thinking questions. If variety is the spice of life, you should sprinkle a variety of question types throughout every lesson, regardless of the topic or the grade level you teach. Bloom's Taxonomy is not grade-specific. That is, it does not begin at the lower grades (kindergarten, first, second) with knowledge and comprehension questions and move upward to the higher grades (tenth, eleventh, twelfth) with synthesis and evaluation questions. The six levels of questions are appropriate for all grade levels.

Perhaps most important, students tend to read and think based on the types of questions they anticipate receiving from the teacher. In other words, students will tend to approach any subject as a knowledge-based subject if they are presented with an overabundance of knowledge-level questions throughout a lesson. On the other hand, students will tend to approach a topic at higher levels of thinking if they are presented with an abundance of questions at higher levels of thinking.

Read more on TeacherVision:http://www.teachervision.fen.com/teaching-methods/newteacher/48445.html#ixzz1WTaJlLkj TEXTBOOKS:ADVAN AND DISADVAN Textbooks provide you with several advantages in the classroom:
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Textbooks are especially helpful forbeginning teachers. The material to be covered and the design of each lesson are carefully spelled out in detail. Textbooks provide organized units of work. A textbook gives you all the plans and lessons you need to cover a topic in some detail. A textbook series provides you with a balanced, chronological presentation of information. Textbooks are a detailed sequence ofteaching proceduresthat tell you what to do and when to do it. There are no surpriseseverything is carefully spelled out. Textbooks provide administrators and teachers with a complete program. The series is typically based on the latest research and teaching strategies. Good textbooks are excellent teaching aids. They're a resource for both teachers and students.

Fire Alarm

Some textbooks may fail to arouse student interest. It is not unusual for students to reject textbooks simply because of what they arecompendiums of large masses of data for large masses of students. Students may find it difficult to understand the relevance of so much data to their personal lives.
Use Textbooks Wisely

A textbook is only as good as the teacher who uses it. And it's important to remember that a textbook is just one tool, perhaps a very important tool, in your teaching arsenal. Sometimes, teachers over-rely on textbooks and don't consider other aids or other materials for the classroom. Some teachers reject a textbook approach to learning because the textbook is outdated or insufficiently covers a topic or subject area.

As a teacher, you'll need to make many decisions, and one of those is how you want to use the textbook. As good as they may appear on the surface, textbooks do have some limitations. The following table lists some of the most common weaknesses of textbooks, along with ways of overcoming those difficulties. Weakness Student Difficulty Ways of Overcoming Problem Provide students with lots of information sources such as trade books, CD-ROMS, websites, encyclopedias, etc. Use textbook sparingly or supplement with other materials. Ask higher-level questions and provide creative thinking and problem-solving activities. Discover what students know about a topic prior to teaching. Design the lesson based on that knowledge. Use lots of supplemental materials such as library books, Internet, CD-ROMs, etc. Involve students in problemsolving activities, higher-level thinking questions, and extending activities.

The textbook is Students only see one designed as a the sole perspective on a concept source of information. or issue. Textbook is old or outdated. Textbook questions tend to be low level or fact-based. Textbook doesn't take students' background knowledge into account. Information shared with students is not current or relevant. Students assume that learning is simply a collection of facts and figures. Teacher does not tailor lessons to the specific attributes and interests of students.

Students cannot read or Reading level of the understand important textbook is too difficult. concepts. The textbook has all the answer to all the questions. Students tend to see learning as an accumulation of correct answers.

Think of a Textbook as a Tool

I like to think of textbooks as toolsthey are only as good as the person using them. A hammer in the hands of a competent carpenter can be used to create a great cathedral or an exquisite piece of furniture. In the hands of someone else, the result may be a rundown shack or a rickety bench. How you decide to use textbooks will depend on many factors.
Expert Opinion

Remember, no textbook is perfect, and no textbook is complete. It is but one resource at your disposal. Use it as a blueprint, a guidebook, or an outline.

I would like to add a personal note of caution here: do not make the mistake of basing your entire classroom curriculum on a single textbook. The textbook needs to be used judiciously. A carpenter, for example, doesn't use only a hammer to build a magnificent oak chest. She may use a plane, chisel, saw, sander, or any number of tools to create the masterpiece she wishes to build. A great classroom program, just like a great piece of furniture, needs many tools in its construction. When thinking about how you want to use textbooks, consider the following:
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Use the textbook as a resource for students, but not the only resource. Use a textbook as a guide, not a mandate, for instruction. Be free to modify, change, eliminate, or add to the material in the textbook. Supplement the textbook with lots of outside readings. Supplement teacher information in the textbook with teacher resource books; attendance at local, regional, or national conferences; articles in professional periodicals; and conversations with experienced teache

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INSTRUCTIONAL STYLE OR TEACHING METHODS

Authoritarian - Dictatorial: This type of teacher dictates exactly what to do in a step-by-step manner and offers much direction at each step. They explain art concepts and principles; art history chronologically with slides and reproductions, concern for skill and craftsmanship, student ability to follow directions and be responsible. The teacher offers himself/herself as a model of master artist and art authority. Students rated as low in art ability tend to learn about art via this method (Madeja, 1967; Michael, 101). Laissez-faire: These teachers allow students to grow and learn on their own with little or no extrinsic help. The teacher offers suggestions andARE496/are496/TOC.htmlARE496/are496/TOC.htmlARE496/are496/TOC.html information when student asks (p. 106). This method is not recommended because teachers are paid to teach not to do their own artwork. Assigned topic, Student Oriented: The teacher perceives his/her job as motivating students first to express themselves and then develop their abilities and knowledge about art. Teachers are concerned about inspiring students' confidence, creativity, perception, art knowledge, skill/craftsmanship, and attitudes. In this method, teachers

and students decide on a topic, art medium, etc. When teaching art history, the teacher tends to select artworks around topics: or periods or styles. Teachers try to emotionalize the experience (p. 103). The might use mariachi music to get students excited about a "Mexican Bullfight," for example. They might ask, "What if. . ." They give an unusual twist tot he topic They praise student artwork in progress with appropriate suggestions and questions. Media Method: Most min-course that are popular in high school are developed around a certain medium (ceramics, photography). These teachers are concerned with knowledge about a particular art medium and related artists. . They are successful with timing is holding back a surprise such as presented gold overglaze in ceramics or a special paper in printmaking to renew interest (p. 105). Facilitator Guide: The teacher uses individual or group work. Students decide with teacher upon art experiences and interests based on student-teacher conferences. This method works with students who are self motivated or at an advanced level class. Here students choose their own topic, art media, and plan their study with help of teacher. Good teachers: use dramatic body movements, variations in voice, eye contact, emotive face expressions, lively exception of ideas, project their voices, are enthusiastic. And are professionally dressed (p. 107).

Filipino Folk Songs

Examples of popular Filipino folk songs in Tagalog: Bahay Kubo, Sitsiritsit Alibangbang, Leron Leron Sinta, Paruparong Bukid, Magtanim ay Di Biro, Lulay, Aking Bituin
awit song kanta (Spanish-derived word) song

awiting bayan folk song

kantahing bayan folk song

awiting Pilipino Filipino song

harana serenade

katutubong awit native song

talindaw boating song

diona wedding song

uyayi / hele lullaby

Dandansoy is not a Tagalog song but a traditional Visayan song. Visayan is a language different from Tagalog.

Pamulinawen is an Ilocano folk song. Ilocano is another language very distinct from Tagalog.

Atin Cu Pung Singsing is a popular Kapampangan folk song. Kapampangan is a language spoken in Pampanga province. Lawiswis Kawayan is a Waray folk song. Waray or Winaray is a language spoken in Samar, Leyte and Biliran in the Visayas region of the Philippines. It is not Tagalog.

Types of Paint for Children

By Suzie Faloon, eHow Contributor
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Children love to paint craft items, paper and coloring-book pages. It is important to find paints that are nontoxic for children to use. Fast-drying and easy clean-up paints are products that parents and teachers appreciate when working with children. Children like bright colors and creamy texture when working with paint products. Some paints have distinct odors that may be irritating to children with asthma and allergies, but there are several types of paint that are safe and child friendly.

1. Acrylic

Nontoxic acrylic paint is available in tubes and squirt bottles. These paints are available in many colors that are compatible with the types of projects children enjoy doing. The ease of application and quick-drying feature make acrylic paint one of the most desirable art products for children to use. It has an easy clean-up quality. It works well for painting on three-dimensional products such as plaster of Paris figurines, wooden boxes and clay pots. Keep in mind, however, that some acrylic paints can stain clothing.

Finger Paint
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This thick, colorful paint is favored by young children. Little ones enjoy squishing the paint in their hands and making designs with it on paper sheets. Finger paint can be purchased or made with a variety of child-safe ingredients. Tempera paint can be used as a finger-paint medium.

Poster Paint
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Poster paint is packaged in jars or markers. This is another quick-drying paint that is nontoxic. Some poster paints tend to have an odor, so you may want to check them before purchase. Poster paints come in fluorescent and metallic colors for adding special decoration to poster projects. Children can use poster paint for signs, birthday or welcome home placards.

Tempera
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Tempera paint is often used in schools. There is a student-grade tempura paint manufactured for school projects. Tempera comes in bottles and jugs. It mixes well and has a thick creamy consistency that allows children to do paintings and other art projects easily. It can be used for finger painting, and can be used on construction paper, cardboard and papier-mache items. It is nontoxic but does have an odor. Some tempera paints can stain clothing, so parents will want children to wear protective cover-ups or old clothing when using it.

Paint Kits
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There are many paint-by-number kits on the market for children. The kits have either acrylic or watercolor paints in them. The acrylic paint comes in tiny pots with snap-on caps. The watercolors come in tiny tubes; children should be monitored to make sure they don't squeeze out too much watercolor paint. A little goes a long way, as it mixes with water to be spread onto canvas paper. Watercolors are for the child who has had painting experience and has mastered using acrylic paints. There are also colored pencils that are used for a form of watercolor art.

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