Topics Covered
Current section: I. Students as Learners
- I. Students as
Learners - II. Instruction and
Assessment - III. Communication
Techniques - IV. Profession and
Community
I. Students as Learners
- Student Development and the Learning Process
- Theoretical foundations about how learning occurs: how students construct knowledge, acquire skills, and develop habits of
mind
- Examples of important theorists
- Important terms that relate to learning theory
- Human development in the physical, social, emotional, moral, speech/language, and cognitive domains
- Contributions of important theorists
- Major progressions in each developmental domain and the ranges of individual variation within each domain
- Impact of students' physical, social, emotional, moral, and cognitive development on their learning and how to address these factors when making instructional decisions
- How development in one domain, such as physical, may affect performance in another domain, such as social
- Theoretical foundations about how learning occurs: how students construct knowledge, acquire skills, and develop habits of
mind
- Students as Diverse Learners
- Differences in the ways students learn and perform
- Learning styles
- Multiple intelligences
- Performance modes
- Concrete operational thinkers
- Visual and aural learners
- Gender differences
- Cultural expectations and styles
- Areas of exceptionality in students' learning
- Visual and perceptual difficulties
- Special physical or sensory challenges
- Learning disabilities
- Attention-deficit disorder (ADD); Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Functional mental retardation
- Behavioral disorders
- Developmental delays
- Legislation and institutional responsibilities relating to exceptional students
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
- Inclusion, mainstreaming, and "least restrictive environment"
- IEP (Individualized Education Plan), including what, by law, must be included in each IEP
- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Services Act
- Due process
- Family involvement
- Approaches for accommodating various learning styles, intelligences, or exceptionalities
- Differentiated instruction
- Alternative assessments
- Testing modifications
- Process of second-language acquisition and strategies to support the learning of students for whom English is not a first language
- Understanding the influence of individual experiences, talents, and prior learning, as well as language, culture, family, and
community values on students' learning
- Multicultural backgrounds
- Age-appropriate knowledge and behavior
- The student culture at school
- Family backgrounds
- Linguistic patterns and differences
- Cognitive patterns and differences
- Social and emotional issues
- Differences in the ways students learn and perform
- Student Motivation and the Learning Environment
- Theoretical foundations of human motivation and behavior
- Important terms that relate to motivation and behavior
- How knowledge of human motivation and behavior should influence strategies for organizing and supporting individual and group
work in the classroom
- Examination debate and parliamentary debates
- Individual events: extemporaneous speaking, oratory, and interpretation
- Program management: tournament management, forensics program philosophy, and school relations
- Factors and situations that are likely to promote or diminish student's motivation to learn, and how to help students to become self-motivated
- Principles of effective classroom management and strategies to promote positive relationships, cooperation, and purposeful
learning
- Establishing daily procedures and routines
- Establishing classroom rules
- Using natural and logical consequences
- Providing positive guidance
- Modeling conflict resolution, problem solving, and anger management
- Giving timely feedback
- Maintaining accurate records
- Communicating with parents and caregivers
- Using objective behavior descriptions
- Responding to student behavior
- Arranging classroom space
- Pacing and structuring the lesson
- Theoretical foundations of human motivation and behavior