Modules 1 & 2

Learning outcomes of the Chapter

Module 1:  Learning and Teaching Today

1.1: Describe the key elements and requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act.

Standardized reading and math tests are administered in grades 3-8 and once in High School. Science is tested in every grade, beginning in grade 3 and continuing through grade 12. According to NCLB, teachers should wait for students to ask for help before offering assistance. Teachers should make sure that all students have the chance to speak in class by calling on different students each time a question is asked. 
Under the NCLB act, schools were expected to bring student learning up to proficient levels, or have the school be at risk of closing. 
While No Child Left Behind is supposed to advocate differentiated instruction, teachers have struggled to meet the differentiated instruction standards while having their students perform proficiently on a standardized test that is not differentiated. 

1.2: Discuss the essential features of effective teaching.

Being an effective teacher goes far beyond a degree that says someone is a teacher. Effective teachers are constantly looking for ways to engage their students, and they understand that children learn differently and at different paces. Truly effective teachers put the needs of their students first, before test scores or assignments. Effective teachers put in true effort, and do not just read from the book (or Common Core module). Teachers who do not take the “easy way out,” but instead do whatever is necessary for the success of their students, are truly effective teachers.

Module 2:  Research and Theory in Educational Psychology

1.3: Describe the methods used to conduct research in the field of educational psychology.

In the field of psychology, single-subject experiments are used to explore the effects of specific interventions on a student. Ethnographic research studies real teachers, and natural classroom settings. This research studies events that typically take place in a classroom, giving researchers a better understanding of classroom occurrences and interventions.

1.4: Recognize key theories of development and learning that influence educational practice.