Let's pretend we are teaching students to shoot a basketball into a goal. Once we have presented new information (the cues), explained its importance to shooting a goal more effectively, modeled the proper technique using the new information to give a visual of how it looks in use, we then give students a chance to practice their shooting, adding what they may already know to what they may learn from this new information.
We then assess their ability based on how many shots are made out of ten from the free throw line. Based on the formative assessment we begin to identify the differing ability levels within the group. How do we continue to have everyone engaged? We would need to either continue practice at the current level, enrich at a higher level, or remediate at a lower level based on the assessment. Here is how:
- Imagine one student has been practicing shooting with her older brother prior to the new information. After including the new information she makes above 80% of her shots from the line. She would need further enrichment during the rest of this lesson, which in this case could be moving her further away from the basket to challenge her more. This is considered challenging the task, but the student is still utilizing the new information while staying motivated to practice.
- Another student in the class has some previous knowledge of basketball because he watches games with his dad, but has limited practice. After including the new information, he is shooting between 60-80% and most likely would need to continue practicing free throws from where he is until his percentage goes above 80%. This student is considered to be within the appropriate range necessary to already be motivated to continue practicing.
- But another student, having no prior knowledge of proper shooting technique, is scoring below 60% and will need to be remediated. We would move him closer to the basket to make it easier for him to shoot into the basket. Moving closer to the basket allows him to properly interact with the new information until he understands how using it helps him be successful.
How can this apply to content teachers? What can we do to help our students practice at the appropriate level to interact with their understanding of new information? If a teacher gives an assessment, there are going to be gaps but it is how we keep students motivated and engaged that will make learning effective. Utilizing the levels of thinking available to a student in Bloom's Taxonomy helps challenge and motivate your students to keep them practicing with new information at a level they will enjoy. By meeting students where they are in relation to their ability to process and use new information, we insure they stay motivated to learn what we are teaching to them.
