CED 522
Teacher as Facilitator of Religious Learning
Timothy W. Brock
What Will Students Accomplish?
The material included in these notes was derived from Chapter 7-What Will Students Accomplish? Of the textbook, Teaching Today’s Teachers to Teach by Donald Griggs. Additional information will be provided by the class professor.
Introduction
In attempt to answer the question, “What Will Students Accomplish?”, the material in this chapter focused on developing skills in writing learning objectives for Bible studies. As stated in the text, the very nature of this question assumes that there is a purpose for teaching and learning (an aim to be taken and a target to be hit). Different educators use a variety of terms to indicated this purpose (outcomes, goals, aims, or expectations), but in this material, Griggs selected the term “objective” to denote a statement of purpose for teaching and learning.
In the chart of page 78 of the text, Griggs compared and contrasted the characteristics of “goals” (the broader, more inclusive term) and “objectives” (the more specific term used in this chapter). Please review the information included in this chart.
In the text, Griggs admitted and listed several limitations of being specific about learning objectives. These included:
· Writing objective that are simplistic.
· Sticking too closely to the objectives and missing unplanned “teachable moments.”
· Focusing on only one type of objective.
· Developing a sense that, once the objectives are achieved, the student has completed the learning process.
While admitting these limitations, Griggs still developed the case for written objectives as the starting point for the Bible study process (Plan A), with the understanding that “Plan B” may also come to play in the classroom context.
Examples of Learning Objectives
On page 81 of the text, Griggs provided four set of learning objectives as exemplars of his approach. Each set of objectives was geared to a different age group of children or adolescents. Please review these objectives. Then compare and contrast these four sets of objectives, focusing on how they are similar and how they are different. Notice and list the action verbs that are used in these objectives.
Type of Learning Objectives
For the purposes of this class (and for the lesson plan that you will develop for Assignment #2 in this class), we will focus on the six types of learning objectives listed and explained by Griggs on page 83 of the text. These types of objectives (along with action verbs associated with each type) are included below:
Remembering
You will recall this is an important first step toward learning and that it is just that—a first step.
· Locate
· Name
· Define
· Find
· List
· Recall
· Retell
· Match
Comparing
When information that is remembered is compared to other information, more learning about a subject is possible.
· Categorize
· Distinguish
· Contrast
· Differentiate
· Debate
· Review
· Sort
· Connect
Interpreting
This aspect of the learning process seeks to respond to the question, “Why?” Students are invited to search for the meaning of the subject they are studying.
· Explain
· Analyze
· Conclude
· Summarize
· Question
· Suggest
· Explore
· Discuss
Creating
Students show evidence of what they have learned when they are able to express, by some creative means, their understanding of the subject.
· Dramatize
· Write
· Design
· Create
· Speak
· Construct
· Draw
· Revise
Applying
Learning is reinforced and made personal when students are able to apply the subject to their own experiences, values, and life situations.
· Relate
· Show
· Identify with
· Apply
· Connect
· Imagine
· Illustrate
· See the relevance
Deciding
A goal of teaching in the church is to influence the way persons incorporate what they have learned in the way they live their lives.
· Choose
· Serve
· Decide
· Act
· Participate
· Use
· Help
· Work
Practice Exercise
Locate a teacher’s guide for a curriculum material series used in your congregation. Find the lesson for next Sunday. Identify the learning objectives stated in that curriculum piece for that lesson, Using the types of learning objectives listed above (remembering, comparing, interpreting, creating, applying, and/or deciding), classify each of the stated objectives.
The Bible Passage Gives Us Clues
about Learning Objectives
I am a firm believer in the idea that “the Bible tells us how it wants to be taught.” By this, I mean that each passage of scripture, each biblical story, gives us clues about the type(s) of learning object(s) that should be used with that material. Over the course of time, with practice and with prayerful reading of the texts, the Christian educator will develop skills in “reading these clues.”
Prior to class, select three passages of scripture. Prayerfully read each text. As you read, decide which one(s) of the types of learning objectives described above (remembering, comparing, interpreting, creating, applying, and/or deciding) is most consistent with the heart of each passage. Be prepare to share the results of your work with the other members of the class.
Summary
· Identify what students are expected to accomplish with words that are specific and observable (begin each objective with an action verb).
· Keep the objectives general enough so as to be open to a variety of teaching activities and specific enough so as to be accomplished in the session.
· Be sure the objectives are directly related to the main idea, or focus, of the session so as not to introduce new material about the subject of the study.
· Avoid naming specific learning activities the students will do in the session.
· Write objectives that are appropriate to the abilities of the students in the class.
· Consider writing objectives for particular students based on their interests, needs, or abilities.
· Even if a given curriculum does not explicitly state the objectives of a session, the teacher will be better able to adapt the lesson for her or his class when time is taken to decide what the objectives are.
CED 522
Teacher as Facilitator of Religious Learning
Timothy W. Brock
What Will Students Accomplish?
The material included in these notes was derived from Chapter 7-What Will Students Accomplish? Of the textbook, Teaching Today’s Teachers to Teach by Donald Griggs. Additional information will be provided by the class professor.
Introduction
In attempt to answer the question, “What Will Students Accomplish?”, the material in this chapter focused on developing skills in writing learning objectives for Bible studies. As stated in the text, the very nature of this question assumes that there is a purpose for teaching and learning (an aim to be taken and a target to be hit). Different educators use a variety of terms to indicated this purpose (outcomes, goals, aims, or expectations), but in this material, Griggs selected the term “objective” to denote a statement of purpose for teaching and learning.
In the chart of page 78 of the text, Griggs compared and contrasted the characteristics of “goals” (the broader, more inclusive term) and “objectives” (the more specific term used in this chapter). Please review the information included in this chart.
In the text, Griggs admitted and listed several limitations of being specific about learning objectives. These included:
· Writing objective that are simplistic.
· Sticking too closely to the objectives and missing unplanned “teachable moments.”
· Focusing on only one type of objective.
· Developing a sense that, once the objectives are achieved, the student has completed the learning process.
While admitting these limitations, Griggs still developed the case for written objectives as the starting point for the Bible study process (Plan A), with the understanding that “Plan B” may also come to play in the classroom context.
Examples of Learning Objectives
On page 81 of the text, Griggs provided four set of learning objectives as exemplars of his approach. Each set of objectives was geared to a different age group of children or adolescents. Please review these objectives. Then compare and contrast these four sets of objectives, focusing on how they are similar and how they are different. Notice and list the action verbs that are used in these objectives.
Type of Learning Objectives
For the purposes of this class (and for the lesson plan that you will develop for Assignment #2 in this class), we will focus on the six types of learning objectives listed and explained by Griggs on page 83 of the text. These types of objectives (along with action verbs associated with each type) are included below:
Remembering
You will recall this is an important first step toward learning and that it is just that—a first step.
· Locate
· Name
· Define
· Find
· List
· Recall
· Retell
· Match
Comparing
When information that is remembered is compared to other information, more learning about a subject is possible.
· Categorize
· Distinguish
· Contrast
· Differentiate
· Debate
· Review
· Sort
· Connect
Interpreting
This aspect of the learning process seeks to respond to the question, “Why?” Students are invited to search for the meaning of the subject they are studying.
· Explain
· Analyze
· Conclude
· Summarize
· Question
· Suggest
· Explore
· Discuss
Creating
Students show evidence of what they have learned when they are able to express, by some creative means, their understanding of the subject.
· Dramatize
· Write
· Design
· Create
· Speak
· Construct
· Draw
· Revise
Applying
Learning is reinforced and made personal when students are able to apply the subject to their own experiences, values, and life situations.
· Relate
· Show
· Identify with
· Apply
· Connect
· Imagine
· Illustrate
· See the relevance
Deciding
A goal of teaching in the church is to influence the way persons incorporate what they have learned in the way they live their lives.
· Choose
· Serve
· Decide
· Act
· Participate
· Use
· Help
· Work
Practice Exercise
Locate a teacher’s guide for a curriculum material series used in your congregation. Find the lesson for next Sunday. Identify the learning objectives stated in that curriculum piece for that lesson, Using the types of learning objectives listed above (remembering, comparing, interpreting, creating, applying, and/or deciding), classify each of the stated objectives.
The Bible Passage Gives Us Clues
about Learning Objectives
I am a firm believer in the idea that “the Bible tells us how it wants to be taught.” By this, I mean that each passage of scripture, each biblical story, gives us clues about the type(s) of learning object(s) that should be used with that material. Over the course of time, with practice and with prayerful reading of the texts, the Christian educator will develop skills in “reading these clues.”
Prior to class, select three passages of scripture. Prayerfully read each text. As you read, decide which one(s) of the types of learning objectives described above (remembering, comparing, interpreting, creating, applying, and/or deciding) is most consistent with the heart of each passage. Be prepare to share the results of your work with the other members of the class.
Summary
· Identify what students are expected to accomplish with words that are specific and observable (begin each objective with an action verb).
· Keep the objectives general enough so as to be open to a variety of teaching activities and specific enough so as to be accomplished in the session.
· Be sure the objectives are directly related to the main idea, or focus, of the session so as not to introduce new material about the subject of the study.
· Avoid naming specific learning activities the students will do in the session.
· Write objectives that are appropriate to the abilities of the students in the class.
· Consider writing objectives for particular students based on their interests, needs, or abilities.
· Even if a given curriculum does not explicitly state the objectives of a session, the teacher will be better able to adapt the lesson for her or his class when time is taken to decide what the objectives are.