Good evening. Thanks so much for joining us in this, our first ever, live event.
We have been working hard to bring this to you, but as with most new things, we may still have a few technical things to work out.
A few things to note:
-Make sure you are "refreshing" your page every minute or so - that's how you'll be able to see the new content.
-If you're not seeing the comments, you need to click on the link in the white box (on the right hand side of the page) that says "How To Make Your Classroom Bloom - September 6, 2007". This will allow you to see the conversation.
A bit about the format - we will spend the first 15 - 20 minutes on a more interview type of discussion with Linda Brown. I'll be asking the questions and she'll respond. After that initial time, we'll open the discussion up to your questions and comments. Use the "Make a Comment" link to post your comment or question.
If you need technical assistance during the event, please email bmills@performance-education.com - he'll try and get you fixed up.
We will begin promptly at 8PM EST - see you then.
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82 comments:
linda testing here
Howdy George.
At the risk of being prompt - let's begin.
It's my true honor to introduce to you Linda Brown, lead author and inspirational guru here at Performance Education.
Linda, why don't you go ahead and tell us a little bit about yourself and your background.
my mother was a high school Spanish teacher,
my brother is a high school English teacher, and
my sister teaches first grade.
I taught grades 6-8 at an all-white exclusive private school.
Then grades 9-12 at an inner-city high school with 50% African American students.
Linda, why don't you take a couple of minutes to explain why our products rely so heavily on Bloom's Taxonomy.
Bloom’s taxonomy
Critical thinking – recall, interpret, apply, analyze, synthesize, evaluate – are skills for life.
In order to survive and succeed in this world, young people need to use their brains.
(Any drug dealer will tell you that.)
Young people need critical thinking in order to avoid bad things:
getting divorced
being a lousy parent
losing a good job
ending up in prison
voting for an idiot
Young people need critical thinking in order to do well on STANDARDIZED TESTS. All tests are based on Bloom's taxonomy.
We use Bloom's taxonomy to write lessons. We want to set students up for success - not failure.
So tests are based on Bloom's Taxonomy, but you often tell us students become better students and people because of Bloom's Taxonomy. How do you find their strengths and weaknesses - and how do you improve upon them?
Bloom's taxonomy is natural -
It's based on how your brain works.
DIAGNOSE YOUR STUDENTS
Pass out the student test from “How to make your classroom BLOOM.”
It diagnoses how each student’s brain works.
After you diagnose each student, assign seats.
Students sit in 6 rows - recall, interpret, apply, analyze, synthesize, evaluate.
At any time, on any given topic, you can tell the class: “GROUP THINK!”
Having the opportunity to work with you for a good number of years now - I know about some of the students you've been able to work with - why don't you explain a little about how every lesson was written for a particular student.
It's all about modeling.
One student is excellent at recall.
(She has tricks to remember facts.)
Another student is an outstanding evaluator.
We learn from each other.
I learned from Marvin, the class clown. He was A+ at evaluating.
Oh, yes, I designed the debates for Cherikka.
The angriest, most argumentative 16-year-old you will ever meet.
(Her mom was in prison.)
As a result, she went from hating the class to loving it.
Why I love debates
Students were brilliant – they really BLOOMED.
The greatest debaters always elicited an AHHHHHH from the class.
That was awesome.
At the end of class, they streamed out of class still debating!
At the end of the year somebody stole the gavel.
As a keepsake.
(If they hated debates, they would have stolen it in September.)
So every year I asked the Rotary to buy me a new one.
Marvin taught me that a 16-year-old African American who plays fullback on the varsity team - and who is the class clown - can be (not become) an outstanding Chief Justice during a debate. (He was born to it. His brain was a natural evaluator.)
My student Wendell was amazingly visual. He could look at a map and draw the Philippines. (That's the archipelago to end all archipelagoes.)
I could talk about my students till midnight . . .
While we're talking about debates, at teacher conferences, we often hear teachers say "I love everything - I just haven't tried the debates yet."
Why are teachers so afraid to try debates and what advice can you give?
In short, we don't dream up lessons. They are tried and true.
Based on real students in a real classroom.
Why teachers don't run debates . . .
That's easy.
The average teacher is afraid of SILENCE.
We like to fill the air with noise.
My classes were either very silent (group work, whispering so nobody stole your clever ideas) or uproarious.
Debates:
When it comes to running a debate, follow the ritual (it's spelled out in the lesson), then take a deep breath . . .
Look down at your grade sheet and count to 30. The kids will conclude that you are not going to save them, so they start debating.
The first students says, "Well . . ." and he/she has the floor.
So debates are good. What else do you have your students do?
For those of our audience who haven't yet had the opportunity to get a Toolbook, walk us through a couple of your lessons and explain how students get practice in all levels of Bloom.
The reason why you must run debates is that debates use ALL SIX LEVELS OF BLOOM'S TAXONOMY! (The very things said there will end up on standardized tests. That's because the human being writing the test questions thinks a lot.)
Okey-doke.
Recall - we remember terms in the game "A to Z." We define terms in the game "Can you talk like an Egyptian?"
Interpret - Students interpret (translate into their own words)photos, political cartoons, quotations.
Apply - Students look at Marcus Garvey and find a similar person in modern times = Malcolm X.
Both believed in black nationalism.
Analyze: That's the Bell Game and The Great Race.
Synthesize: That's the groups like "Life is like a rock group" and "Bloom!"
Evaluate: That's the debates!
The most sophisticated lessons are:
"Life is like a rock group"
"Bloom!"
and debates
That is, they use the highest levels of critical thinking = synthesis and evaluation.
Finally, I'd like to go ahead and address the TEST:
In our meetings, we often hear you say "to test often is a checkup - to test once is an autopsy." What do you mean by that and why should teachers begin in September preparing for EOG tests?
You've developed our products specifically for that, how so?
The folks who write STANDARDIZED TESTS are masters at #5: Synthesis.
That is, they want students to ADD UP THE FACTS, MAKE GENERAL STATEMENTS, AND DRAW CONCLUSIONS.
That's what those darn tests are all about.
Students do poorly on standardized tests for many reasons.
Let me address a couple.
First, they don't understand the logic of a test.
When a test seems "stupid," they respond accordingly . . .
They fill the bubbles willy-nilly:
abba abba abba ccccc
We teach students the LOGIC of a multiple-choice test.
In fact, our MOTHER OF ALL TESTS is a mega-test precisely because we take the same question and ask it in six different ways!
Students take our practice tests, realize what is going on, change their answers, and lo and behold! they figure the sucker (tests) out.
It is a revelation.
OK - I've taken enough time asking questions.
I'd like to open things up to you!
What questions / comments / thoughts do you have you'd like to share.
To ask a question or make a comment, simply click on the link that says "Post a Comment".
Be sure to put your name and location in the "Name" Box.
When we provide 500 test questions, a teacher can test every week.
Some teachers give a pre-test at the beginning of each class. I think that's pretty neat.
I do not love tests.
But I do have compassion for those (including my own son) who freeze up.
Practice eases the tension.
I love the lesson plans. The biggest problem I have is that NCLB has so limited the time I have to get through the material, that I don't have the time to do the really "cool" lessons. Do you have any suggestions. Thank you.
Yes, I know that time is your enemy.
Homework - can all internet stuff be done at home?
Group work - There's a teacher in New York State who can do "Bloom!" in 10 minutes. That is, her students can.
Tests - can they be done at home?
Most of your free lessons are geared for Social Studies. Can you envision using Bloom's Taxonomy in other subjects?
Time: Here's a group thing that takes only 10 minutes.
"Four Corners"
Put signs on all 4 corners of your classroom: AGREE, SORT OF AGREE,
DISAGREE, SORT OF DISAGREE.
The teacher states the controversy:
Immigrants should be given amnesty.
Students move to their corners.
Then give an argument.
The idea is to persuade other students to join you in your corner.
It's exciting, no?
Lessons for other subjects:
I don't see why not.
First, it's how your brain works.
Second, it's how they write standardized tests for English and science.
Probably math, but I'm no sure.
Terri
I teach high school history at a JJAEP (on block scheduling) and I can generally get the students interested but how do I keep them engaged?
There are six levels in Bloom's Taxonomy. Is there an order of importance or are all parts equal?
How can you keep students interested?
STUDENTS WANT TO SHINE
THEY WANT TO BE ADMIRED
BY THEIR PEERS
You make them shine.
Whatever it takes.
My colleague took photos of students - everywhere. When they danced on stage, when they played football, when they did debates in class.
MVP - put a board up in your classroom (or better, out in the hall) of your STARS.
Engaged:
You could create a poster on your door for the stars
Best memory
Best interpreter
Best Analyzer
Best Applier
Best Synthesizer
Best Evaluator
Best Debater
and so on . . .
With phots
Every week
Bloom's six levels:
The lowest level is recall - all you have to do is memorize. (For me, who cannot memorize a phone number, that is not as easy as it sounds.
The highest level is evaluator - like a judge in the courtroom. An outstanding evaluator must be able to do all the previous five steps.
In short, an evaluator has wisdom.
You love groups – what is the ideal group?
Every human being is GIFTED with one of the six levels of Bloom.
That is, Marvin was an outstanding evaluator, but a lousy memorizer.
So we help each other. Sallie shows Marvin the little tricks to memorizing.
You know, like how to memorize the Great Lakes.
You stated earlier that the Mega-test asks questions six different ways. Do you or does a team write these questions? What strategy do you use to write a meaningful question in several different ways?
The ideal group is . . .
Pure Bloom!
Pass out the student test from “How to make your classroom BLOOM.”
It diagnoses how each student’s brain works.
After you diagnose each student, assign seats.
Students sit in 6 rows - recall, interpret, apply, analyze, synthesize, evaluate.
At any time, on any given topic, you can tell the class: “GROUP THINK!”
Example
This week you are covering Prohibition, 1919-32.
Recallers - The toughest term (Volstead Act) - how do you remember the definition?
Interpreters - What were the original goals of Prohibition?
Appliers - If we had Prohibition now, what would be different?
Analyzers - List the causes and results of Prohibition.
Synthesizers - Should government ban the sale of marijuana today?
Evaluators - Did Prohibition live up to its original goals? (nope)
How we write tests . . .
Well, there are certain tricks of the trade.
First, there are questions that are BIG in the testing world.
Like "intended consequences" vs "unintended consequences."
Prohibition lends itself to that.
What did they originally want? (lower alcoholism, cut # of bars, lower crime).
Instead, Prohibition caused just the opposite!
How to write test questions:
Another biggie among test writers is:
What recent person is like this guy who made history?
Marcus Garvey is like Malcolm X.
How to write test questions:
Usually, we just take one topic (Prohibition) and ask questions according to Bloom:
Recall the definition.
Interpret this quotation.
Apply this to banning marijuana today.
And so on
Nobody wants to ask about how to teach the class from hell?
Linda - you might mention the lessons that work precisely to teach students how tests are written - Balderdash and Can you Talk Like . . .
I know these are among teacher's favorite tools.
Can you talk like an Egyptian:
Students define terms.
In the process, they learn the logic of a multiple-choice test.
Group 1: writes the dictionary definition.
Group 2: writes the opposite.
Groupe 3: writes a plausible.
(Close, but no cigar.)
Group 4: writes a plausible.
Group 5: writes a TOTALLY bogus definition.
The class must guess which is the correct definition.
STUDENTS LISTEN BECAUSE THEY WANT TO HEAR THE BOGUS ONE.
The bottom line?
Kids are writing multiple-choice questions.
The tough ones are always the PLAUSIBLES.
And that's true when you're actually taking a test.
I like the bogus answers.
Example:
Define the Carpathians.
The bogus answer?
"The most popular rock group in Eastern Europe."
I'll mention my "Class from Hell" they are the "Smartest Kids in the School" and they know it.
What would you suggest to a young teacher who is given this task?
They are the type who know that given who they are, their parents and the administration has their back.
I think they want to break me.
The highest I.Q. students can be a pain.
They want to be clever - even at your expense.
Forget that.
Instead, you make them SHINE.
You make them the star.
You set it up so they are the sun, the moon, and the stars.
That's what our lessons are for - especially "Bloom!" "Life is like a rock group" and debates.
OK Linda - You've just written a new book on Presidential Campaigns '08:
What is your prediction for the Presidential election, 2008?
There are times when students want to break you.
If you are big, like my brother, you can stare 'em down.
If you are small, like me, take a different strategy.
I remove myself as a target.
Shoot, I'm at the back of the room.
The student is in front of the class - performing what he does or does not know.
THE CLASS FROM HELL
If I talk, students don’t listen.
So I don’t even try.
Instead, I would ask Cherikka to read a story aloud from Predicting the Past.
About Teddy Roosevelt’s life as a child.
Then she asks the class to predict what happens to him.
Next time, she introduces a game and explains the rules – and kids play the game.
Eventually, I build their trust.
Predicting the Past is our new series.
We have stories about all 43 presidents, including George W. Bush.
We tell you about his childhood, then you predict what happens to him as president.
It's fascinating.
A lot of our presidents were orphans.
That is, they had incredible obstacles to overcome.
Real stories about real people.
PREDICTION, by the way, is #5 on Bloom's taxonomy.
I just finished writing a brand-new book on the 2008 election!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s based on 3 premises:
1. The middle class is in deep trouble.
2. Iraq will be eclipsed by the economy (health care, NAFTA, gas prices)
3. If the economy is the main issue, the candidates may be surprising:
John Edwards (Democrat) and Governor Huckabee of Arkansas (Republican).
My questions is about time too - I think it should be a civic teacher's responsibility to teach current events. But with trying to keep up with what I know is going to be on the test - I don't feel like I can spare the time. I guess I'm not necessarily looking for an answer, it's just a pet peeve.
We've got a few more minutes - go ahead and get your questions in. If we don't get to them, we'll be posting a summary of this event in which we will finish answering all the questions.
Current events . . .
So kids can become citizens – for life!
I always watched the news with my father.
He always got excited, even agitated.
It was exciting.
We just started a new series on current events.
It's called “Chopsticks in China”
It’s all about Chinese imports . . .
It might save a life – the lead levels in U.S. children are already elevated.
A middle schooler might prevent his/her baby brother from eating toys painted with lead.
Like many folks, I’m not happy about the de-industrialization of America.
That is, sending factories (and jobs) overseas.
Next current events topic?
Maybe immigration . . .
Friends, what issue are you most passionate about?
CURRENT EVENTS
I don't blame you.
Current events takes up too much time.
The thing is:
What is current events today
ends up on a STANDARDIZED TEST
tomorrow.
I found that out the hard way -
with the Patriot Act.
No sooner had Congress passed it than it appeared on the New York State Regents exam!!!
Edwards and Huckabee. Do you really think they have a prayer?
Passion: Our eroding civil rights in the United States.
Edwards & Huckabee . . .
If the front-runners tire out or fall down, you have to move to the second tier.
As I've mentioned a couple of times before - this is our first event. And I've already got a good list of things I think we can improve on (I think video will need to be in the budget . . .) . Please take some time to provide us some critique whether good, bad or ugly.
Shoot me an email at gshirey@performance-education.com when you've got a minute or two.
Who knows there might even be a really good coupon in it for you.
Our eroding civil rights . . .
I am distraught about the state of the U.S. Constitution.
Is that what you mean?
Like everybody under the sun, I have my own concerns.
I dislike NAFTA and globalism.
Both Edwards and Huckabee feel the same way.
Yes, and the fact the Americans are increasingly subjected to disrespect by public employees...with no recourse.
Disrespect by public employees . . .
You should tell us what happened.
Sign in to the guest book using the "Post a Comment Link" and we have a nice gift for your participation. (Free E-Book anyone?)
For example, I continue to read of accounts of airport personnel disrespecting citizens. It seems to be an over-reaction to 9-11 and national security and cause to act inhumanely towards citizens.
Yes, a Libertarian would be outraged.
I am glad we have Libertarians.
They remind us of how much liberty we have lost.
Vote for Ron Paul!!!!!!!!!!!!
"He who gives up liberty to get security will end up losing both."
I'm sure Linda can pull a Lesson Plan out of that - the great thing about her lessons are the ability to look at subjects from all perspectives.
I can see it now: Patriot Act - Bad for American Civility?
OK - I know lot's of us have early wake up calls so I'd like to say thanks for being with us and we look forward to seeing you again real soon.
Feel free to contact us with any questions - that's what we're here for.
Good night, Gracie.
Thanks Linda - talk to you soon!
I was not able to log in, i am tmalone@hotmail.com
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