Deck 5: What Is Taught

Question 1

The model of teaching in which the typical lecture and the homework elements of a course are reversed is called

A) flipped classroom.
B) reversed classroom.
C) looped classroom.
D) differentiated classroom.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

In the past, school programs in the arts have focused on the creation of art forms, but recently they have attended more to

A) individual performance.
B) drama, music, and dance.
C) aesthetic education as a means of perception.
D) art history.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Choose one of the innovative instructional approaches and explain how it seeks to improve student learning.

Answer 3

Answers will vary, but should include elements of the following: Interdisciplinary teaching: Students become aware of the interrelatedness of disciplines and see learning and school as a coherent unit rather than fragmented pieces. Student learning is enhanced because students are hearing the same message in different subjects; in this way their knowledge is reinforced. Cooperative learning: Students see learning as a social process and appreciate the abilities of their peers. Students take charge of their own learning and have greater motivation to do well. Individual accountability ensures that all members of the group participate. Critical thinking and problem solving: Students learn to evaluate the worth of ideas before making a decision. The focus on critically evaluating ideas helps make students better thinkers. Students appreciate their own learning strategies. Writing across the curriculum: Students come to see writing as a tool for learning, not as a skill to be mastered. Through writing, students can learn more in the disciplines, focusing on expanding their knowledge. Differentiated instruction: Because of the broad diversity among students, more than one instructional approach should be used to address diverse learning styles and needs. Block scheduling: Students save time through a smaller number of passing periods and teacher attendance taking, and other such details. This structure also allows for more flexibility in instructional methods and activities.

Question 4

Identify and describe the impact of at least three historical events or movements that have influenced changes in the curriculum over the last fifty years. Give specific examples of the changes in the curriculum.

Question 5

How has the content of textbooks been affected by the standards-based movement?

A) The content standards in a few large states determine the content in the books.
B) Fewer textbooks are being used in most states.
C) Publishers prepare individual texts to meet each state's standards.
D) Teachers have been creating their own curriculum rather than using textbooks.

Question 6

Which of the following are guiding the development of physical education curricula?

A) Focus on individual rather than team sports skills
B) Coordination, endurance, and strength goals
C) Information on nutrition, mental health, and sexuality
D) Development of aerobic capacity and appropriate levels of body fat

Question 7

In general, educational writers comment that textbooks

A) provide sufficient depth of coverage.
B) are written in a lively, varied style.
C) typically pique students' interest and stimulate student learning.
D) match none of the descriptions given here.

Question 8

In contemporary health education, a unit on AIDS directed toward adolescents would focus on

A) changing attitudes to get students to take fewer risks.
B) how to identify symptoms of AIDS.
C) how to resist peer pressure and information on avoiding risk of infection.
D) lectures on the dangers of sexual activity and how to resist peer pressure.

Question 9

According to the recent trends in foreign (or world) language instruction, which of the following would one expect to see in foreign language classes?

A) More programs starting early in elementary schools
B) More integration of international and multicultural education content
C) Use of the Internet to access current materials from other countries
D) All of these

Question 10

Why did members of the back-to-basics group push for the return to a "basic" curriculum?

A) They believed that schools did not have the financial resources to support a wide range of programs.
B) They believed that schools should prepare students to work hard and persevere at difficult tasks.
C) They believed that students were being exposed to topics and concepts that only a small percentage would actually need.
D) They vehemently opposed any inclusion of multiculturalism in the curriculum.

Question 11

Which of the following has had the most influence over the content of the curriculum in the past decade?

A) Back-to-basics movement
B) Standards-based movement
C) Decreases in financial support
D) Technology revolution in education

Question 12

In addition to using technology and emphasizing problem solving, mathematics instruction is moving toward

A) back-to-basics arithmetic.
B) a blending of the traditional subject-matter areas-algebra, geometry, etc.
C) compartmentalization of subject areas.
D) more skill drills.

Question 13

A student listens to an editorial response on the TV news in which the speaker charges that a city politician is acting like Macbeth. The student immediately knows by the reference to Macbeth that the city politician is trying to usurp power, according to the speaker. The student is able to make that connection because

A) of her critical thinking skills.
B) of her powers of memorization.
C) she is culturally literate.
D) she has had courses in British history.

Question 14

Critics of the standards-based movement cite all of the following reasons for their objections except

A) attention and money should be focused on preexisting urgent needs.
B) too much focus on testing.
C) high stakes of accountability-based test scores.
D) lack of support from parents and taxpayers.

Question 15

Current trends in math instruction are likely to lead to graduates who are able to

A) add long columns of numbers accurately in their heads.
B) explain math theories and concepts with insight and ease.
C) use mathematical reasoning to solve real problems that confront them.
D) find exact answers speedily by referring to texts and tables.

Question 16

Since 1987, when E. D. Hirsch published his work on cultural literacy, the concept has generated much attention. Briefly define the term and explain Hirsch's major argument for cultural literacy (also known as core knowledge).

Question 17

Current trends in English instruction include

A) selecting literature that is relevant to student interests and representative of accepted literary tradition.
B) writing across the curriculum with increased focus on grammar.
C) isolated instruction in reading and writing.
D) specialists teaching the skills while subject area teachers teach content.

Question 18

Teachers in foreign (or world) language departments have sought to attract more students by

A) making more use of language labs.
B) expanding their course offerings and integrating the study of language with the study of culture.
C) using the audio-lingual approach.
D) decreasing the course requirements for most language classes.