ABCTE PTK EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
A group of students wants to produce and electronic magazine that publishes original
student writing and art. Their adviser is planning a unit to train them how to use a word-
processing application to create pages that include features such as images, multi-
column layouts, sidebars, headers, footers, links, and page backgrounds. Which of the
following would be the BEST culminating activity for this portion of the training? -
ANSWERSSmall teams producing a document under proctored conditions, using
specified features, and within a time limit.
Why? The purpose of the training is to prepare students to apply what they learn. The
team and time limit conditions make the performance more realistic; the whole activity
promotes retaining and transferring what has been learned.
Which of the following is MOST likely to promote effective transfer of knowledge to
students? - ANSWERSHaving students work on their own with specific information
related to a topic before giving an organizing lecture.
Why? Studies indicate that topics need to be organized and connected in order to
promote transfer of knowledge, but that a larger number of topics covered quickly will
hinder student transfer because students have too little time to connect and organize
the information. Introducing organizational structure early makes student learning
difficult in that they first need specific information about the topic before thy
organizational structure can make sense and be remembered.
Students are about to take a paper and pencil test. If there is time for only one of the
following activities, which would BEST prepare students for the test? -
ANSWERSStudents should make a chart of the important topics with notes on
subtopics below each.
Why? Organizational structures help students to connect and remember.
How should a teacher generally begin almost every class? - ANSWERSBy telling
students what they will be covering that day.
Why? Telling students what they will be covering helps focus students' attention. A
teacher should remind students to pay attention if she notices that their attention is
wandering, but she need not start every class with this reminder. Reviewing skills is
helpful on occasion, but not in every class.
Consider the following question asked by a first grade teacher: 'What do the three
stories we have read by Tomie de Paola have in common?' - ANSWERSAnalysis of the
separate stores and comparison between them.
Why? This question utilizes comparisons, which is part of the fourth level of Bloom's
Taxonomy, analysis. The teacher is looking to see which students are able to think of all
three stories at the same time and make comparisons between them.
, In order to use an inductive sequence for teaching about World War II, which of the
following would be the BEST way for a class to work? - ANSWERSExamine events
leading up to the war and develop a general model of world war in the process.
Why? Induction is the process of building a general model.
Given the following set of scores on standardized test, which choice most closely
approximates the difference between the mean and median of the set: 89, 65, 77, 93,
80, 87, 79 - ANSWERS1
Why? The mean of the data is 81.43 and the median is 80. The difference between
them is 1.43, which is closer to 1.
A 5th grade student has just finished a three-week unit on the American Revolution in
social studies. Which strategy would be BEST to use to culminate the unit? -
ANSWERSGive a free-response test on the 'big ideas' of the unit and have students
choose a project from a list of eight projects.
Why? In order to know whether the learning objectives of the unit have been met, the
objectives must be measured. A test on the major concepts of the American Revolution
achieves that goal. The project, from a limited number of choices that relate to the
objectives, gives students another way to show what they have learned.
Which of the following language arts activities requires the highest order of thinking
skills? - ANSWERSImagining and writing a new ending to a novel.
Why? Imagining and writing a new ending to a story is an example of the synthesis level
of thinking on Bloom's Taxonomy. The 6 levels of thinking skills are knowledge,
comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation.
Curriculum planning is a major aspect of a teacher's job. Which teaching practice listed
below will BEST help students to achieve grade-level outcomes? - ANSWERSUsing the
state curriculum at the beginning of the school year to determine the learning objectives
for the year, which are then incorporated units units of study.
A 9 year old student with diagnosed ADD is in a regular education classroom. He has
average ability in math. Which strategy below will MOST effectively help him memorize
his multiplication facts? - ANSWERSHave him spend 15 minutes per day using a
computer program that practices multiplication facts.
Why? A multiplication fact program on the computer will probably hold his interest for
more time than any of the other strategies, which means he will practice more. Working
with another student may be a chance to goof off, rather than focus on practicing.
When planning how students will practice correct spelling of the words 'there', 'their',
and 'they're', which of the following is the BEST pattern? - ANSWERSPractice
frequently at first, spread out practice after that.
Why? Frequent initial practice helps people to acquire a skill and develop frequency
with it. Further practice aids retention.
ANSWERS
A group of students wants to produce and electronic magazine that publishes original
student writing and art. Their adviser is planning a unit to train them how to use a word-
processing application to create pages that include features such as images, multi-
column layouts, sidebars, headers, footers, links, and page backgrounds. Which of the
following would be the BEST culminating activity for this portion of the training? -
ANSWERSSmall teams producing a document under proctored conditions, using
specified features, and within a time limit.
Why? The purpose of the training is to prepare students to apply what they learn. The
team and time limit conditions make the performance more realistic; the whole activity
promotes retaining and transferring what has been learned.
Which of the following is MOST likely to promote effective transfer of knowledge to
students? - ANSWERSHaving students work on their own with specific information
related to a topic before giving an organizing lecture.
Why? Studies indicate that topics need to be organized and connected in order to
promote transfer of knowledge, but that a larger number of topics covered quickly will
hinder student transfer because students have too little time to connect and organize
the information. Introducing organizational structure early makes student learning
difficult in that they first need specific information about the topic before thy
organizational structure can make sense and be remembered.
Students are about to take a paper and pencil test. If there is time for only one of the
following activities, which would BEST prepare students for the test? -
ANSWERSStudents should make a chart of the important topics with notes on
subtopics below each.
Why? Organizational structures help students to connect and remember.
How should a teacher generally begin almost every class? - ANSWERSBy telling
students what they will be covering that day.
Why? Telling students what they will be covering helps focus students' attention. A
teacher should remind students to pay attention if she notices that their attention is
wandering, but she need not start every class with this reminder. Reviewing skills is
helpful on occasion, but not in every class.
Consider the following question asked by a first grade teacher: 'What do the three
stories we have read by Tomie de Paola have in common?' - ANSWERSAnalysis of the
separate stores and comparison between them.
Why? This question utilizes comparisons, which is part of the fourth level of Bloom's
Taxonomy, analysis. The teacher is looking to see which students are able to think of all
three stories at the same time and make comparisons between them.
, In order to use an inductive sequence for teaching about World War II, which of the
following would be the BEST way for a class to work? - ANSWERSExamine events
leading up to the war and develop a general model of world war in the process.
Why? Induction is the process of building a general model.
Given the following set of scores on standardized test, which choice most closely
approximates the difference between the mean and median of the set: 89, 65, 77, 93,
80, 87, 79 - ANSWERS1
Why? The mean of the data is 81.43 and the median is 80. The difference between
them is 1.43, which is closer to 1.
A 5th grade student has just finished a three-week unit on the American Revolution in
social studies. Which strategy would be BEST to use to culminate the unit? -
ANSWERSGive a free-response test on the 'big ideas' of the unit and have students
choose a project from a list of eight projects.
Why? In order to know whether the learning objectives of the unit have been met, the
objectives must be measured. A test on the major concepts of the American Revolution
achieves that goal. The project, from a limited number of choices that relate to the
objectives, gives students another way to show what they have learned.
Which of the following language arts activities requires the highest order of thinking
skills? - ANSWERSImagining and writing a new ending to a novel.
Why? Imagining and writing a new ending to a story is an example of the synthesis level
of thinking on Bloom's Taxonomy. The 6 levels of thinking skills are knowledge,
comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation.
Curriculum planning is a major aspect of a teacher's job. Which teaching practice listed
below will BEST help students to achieve grade-level outcomes? - ANSWERSUsing the
state curriculum at the beginning of the school year to determine the learning objectives
for the year, which are then incorporated units units of study.
A 9 year old student with diagnosed ADD is in a regular education classroom. He has
average ability in math. Which strategy below will MOST effectively help him memorize
his multiplication facts? - ANSWERSHave him spend 15 minutes per day using a
computer program that practices multiplication facts.
Why? A multiplication fact program on the computer will probably hold his interest for
more time than any of the other strategies, which means he will practice more. Working
with another student may be a chance to goof off, rather than focus on practicing.
When planning how students will practice correct spelling of the words 'there', 'their',
and 'they're', which of the following is the BEST pattern? - ANSWERSPractice
frequently at first, spread out practice after that.
Why? Frequent initial practice helps people to acquire a skill and develop frequency
with it. Further practice aids retention.
