Kenneth Miller EDM 517 Blog

  Kenneth Miller EDM 517 Dr. Walsh-Moorman 11-25-23 Blog #6 In chapter six of her book Rigor by Design, Not Chance , Karen Hess discusses methods associated with classroom engagement and the crucial role it plays in the intellectual development of young students. Hess describes how students can comply by doing the assigned word but are mentally disengaged from the material. Hess provides us with advice about how to capture students' attention, keep them engaged, and structure productive group work in the classroom.  Group work in the classroom can be rather tricky. Whether it be a group full of unproductive students or a lack of communication within the group, many obstacles can get in the way. To avoid issues, Hess suggests that teachers pay attention to these four aspects: Group Processing: Create habits that produce positive production during group work. Avoid harsh or negative feedback, encourage students to take turns, and build off each other's ideas. Consider assigning...

Kenneth Miller EDM 517 Dr. Walsh-Moorman 11-19-23 Blog #5 In chapter 5 of Rigor by Design, Not Chance, Karen Hess discusses the importance of  Performance-Based Assessments (PBAs) and their role in designing complex tasks. Performance-based assessments are a type of evaluation that goes beyond traditional tests. They assess people's ability to apply their knowledge and skills in practical situations or projects. Instead of just answering questions, individuals are asked to demonstrate their abilities through tasks, projects, or simulations. These assessments provide a more comprehensive understanding of a person's capabilities and can be used to evaluate various skills, such as problem-solving, critical thinking, communication, and creativity. Hess goes on to share an eight-step process for designing performance-based assessments: I. Identify what you want the assessment to measure. Figure out how you’d like your students to use their knowledge to perform a task or create som...

  Kenneth Miller EDM 517 Dr. Walsh-Moorman 11-12-23 Blog #4 Chapter 4 of Rigor by Design, Not Chance discusses the use of scaffolding in the classroom and how this teaching method benefits students' academic development. Framing is vital in education because it helps students learn and understand new concepts. It supports and guides students as they develop their skills and knowledge. By breaking down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable steps, scaffolding allows students to build their understanding and confidence gradually. Teachers may utilize scaffolding by giving instruction that explains the topics at hand, providing feedback to learners to keep them engaged, and supplying students with hints to help them succeed. Karen Hess goes on to list three reasons why scaffolding should be used during instruction. Reason I: To Deepen Content Knowledge and Connect to Big Ideas As previously mentioned, the main goal of scaffolding is to help students build a foundation of knowledg...

  Kenneth Miller EDM 517 Dr. Walsh-Moorman 11-05-23 In the third chapter of Rigor by Design, Not Chance, Karen Hess discusses the importance of building schemas in the classroom. It is crucial to create schemas in an academic environment because it can have a significant impact on students' learning. When students have well-developed schemas, it helps them make connections between new information and what they already know. “Learning activities that build schemas (mental models) in each content domain is crucial to students' long-term memory retrieval and their ability to transfer learning to novel situations (far transfer)” (Hess, 2023, p.56).  This not only enhances their understanding but also improves their problem-solving skills and critical thinking abilities. So, by building schemas, we can empower students to become more effective learners.  After a brief overview of schemas, Hess breaks down the stages of building schemas and how they vary amongst different subje...