Contents
Cluster 1 Learning, Teaching, and Educational Psychology 1
Cluster 2 Cognitive Development 7
Cluster 3 The Self, Social, and Moral Development 12
Cluster 4 Learner Differences and Learning Needs 19
Cluster 5 Language Development, Language Diversity,
and Immigrant Education 22
Cluster 6 Culture and Diversity 26
Cluster 7 Behavioral Views of Learning 33
Cluster 8 Cognitive Views of Learning 36
Cluster 9 Complex Cognitive Processes 41
Cluster 10 The Learning Sciences and Constructivism 47
Cluster 11 Social Cognitive Views of Learning and Motivation 51
Cluster 12 Motivation in Learning and Teaching 55
Cluster 13 Creating Learning Environments 61
Cluster 14 Teaching Every Student 66
Cluster 15 Classroom Assessment, Grading, and Standardized Testing 72
Handout Masters 76
i
,Cluster 1
Learning, Teaching, and Educational Psychology
Cluster Objectives
After studying this Cluster, students should be able to achieve the following:
Module 1 - Learning and Teaching
Objective 1.1 Describe the key elements of and changes to the No Child Left Behind Act.
Objective 1.2 Discuss the essential features of effective teaching, including different
frameworks describing what good teachers do.
Module 2 - Research and Theory in Educational Psychology
Objective 1.3 Describe the methods used to conduct research in the field of educational
psychology and the kinds of questions each method can address.
Objective 1.4 Recognize how theories and research in development and learning are
related to educational practice.
End-of-Cluster Interactive Activities (eText and MyEducationLab)
Connect and Extend to Licensure
Practice Using What You Have Learned
Effective Teaching
Using Research to Understand and Improve Teaching
Using Research to Guide Education
To get a list of all media content for this Cluster, including the video examples, go to
the Video and Interactive Exercises tab in the left-hand navigation bar in the etext. You can
also find all of the media content under the Cluster Resources tab in the left-hand navigation
bar in the MyEducationLab.
1
,Class Activities
Learning about NCLB
Many students have heard about the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), but they have never
examined the impact of NCLB on everyday education. Ask students to collect two or three
scholarly articles related to NCLB and summarize their findings in three main points. During the
next class period, invite students to break out into groups of three to four to discuss their
findings. They should be able to identify whether their findings matched their beliefs about
NCLB and how they might use educational research to be informed policy consumers.
What Is Good Teaching? I
Objectives
Students will recall their own teaching and learning experiences.
Students will discuss what inspired them to become teachers.
Students will discuss what made their own teachers good or bad and why.
Activity Participants Time Materials
Ask students to divide into pairs and Student 5 minutes
describe to each other what inspired them to pairs
become teachers (if relevant). If they are not
planning to teach, ask them to discuss their
intended profession.
Ask students to think about their own Student 5 minutes
teachers and discuss what made them good pairs
or bad and why.
Ask students to consider what type of Student 5 minutes
teacher they wish to be and how they intend pairs
to become that kind of teacher.
Return to the full group and ask students to All students 15–20
describe characteristics of good and bad minutes
teachers. Look for commonalities and
discuss them.
Differentiated Instruction
1) Have students identify the group they expect to teach.
2) Students then generate a list of the ways individuals in this group may differ from one
another. Encourage students to consider such factors as cultural and ethnic background, SES,
interests, ability level, and the type of instruction or learning activities individuals may
prefer.
3) Have students generate a list of strengths associated with each item on their lists in terms of
what individuals in this group bring to the classroom.
4) Have students form groups of three to four based on the groups they expect to teach.
5) In groups, students share their lists and discuss ways in which these strengths can be used in
classrooms.
2
, Beginning Teachers
1) Ask students to imagine that they will begin their first teaching assignment in a week. Does
this make them anxious? What are some of their primary concerns?
2) Generate a list on the board/projector screen. Make two points:
a. Their concerns are not unique—their peers and those who have gone before them
have shared these same concerns.
b. The content from the text will address many of these concerns.
3) Have students form groups of three to four to discuss strategies that would build their
confidence.
4) Each group shares a few strategies with the larger class.
What Is Good Teaching? II
Show students a video clip of effective teachers [http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=2EdWgsTUhmI] and less-than-effective teachers [http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=dxPVyieptwA]. Ask students to list the effective practices exhibited in the first video.
Likewise, ask students to express why the second example illustrates less-than-effective
teaching.
Psychology and Education
Have your students read the following article:
Thorndike, E. L. (1910). The contribution of psychology to education. Journal of Educational
Psychology, 1, 5-12.
Students should be in small groups of four to answer the following questions:
What are the roles for education and psychology envisioned by E. L. Thorndike? [Two
students should take responsibility for presenting the role of education, and the other two
should present the role of psychology.]
Have those roles changed?
What kinds of methods did Thorndike recommend for use in research?
Professional Development Plan
Objectives
Students will identify what constitutes scholarly research.
Students will identify ways to acquire and interpret scholarly research.
Students will identify ways to use educational research in their practice.
Activity Participants Time Materials
If possible, plan a time with your students to 30–60 Library-produced
visit your library and speak with a library minutes in directors or
specialist about ways to acquire your the library; instructor-produced
school’s professional journal holdings. If 15–20 directions for
you cannot do so, be sure to compose a one- minutes for finding scholarly
page summary to provide to students. handout research
Students should select two or three pieces of All students, 20 minutes
scholarly research and identify ways they independently
3
Cluster 1 Learning, Teaching, and Educational Psychology 1
Cluster 2 Cognitive Development 7
Cluster 3 The Self, Social, and Moral Development 12
Cluster 4 Learner Differences and Learning Needs 19
Cluster 5 Language Development, Language Diversity,
and Immigrant Education 22
Cluster 6 Culture and Diversity 26
Cluster 7 Behavioral Views of Learning 33
Cluster 8 Cognitive Views of Learning 36
Cluster 9 Complex Cognitive Processes 41
Cluster 10 The Learning Sciences and Constructivism 47
Cluster 11 Social Cognitive Views of Learning and Motivation 51
Cluster 12 Motivation in Learning and Teaching 55
Cluster 13 Creating Learning Environments 61
Cluster 14 Teaching Every Student 66
Cluster 15 Classroom Assessment, Grading, and Standardized Testing 72
Handout Masters 76
i
,Cluster 1
Learning, Teaching, and Educational Psychology
Cluster Objectives
After studying this Cluster, students should be able to achieve the following:
Module 1 - Learning and Teaching
Objective 1.1 Describe the key elements of and changes to the No Child Left Behind Act.
Objective 1.2 Discuss the essential features of effective teaching, including different
frameworks describing what good teachers do.
Module 2 - Research and Theory in Educational Psychology
Objective 1.3 Describe the methods used to conduct research in the field of educational
psychology and the kinds of questions each method can address.
Objective 1.4 Recognize how theories and research in development and learning are
related to educational practice.
End-of-Cluster Interactive Activities (eText and MyEducationLab)
Connect and Extend to Licensure
Practice Using What You Have Learned
Effective Teaching
Using Research to Understand and Improve Teaching
Using Research to Guide Education
To get a list of all media content for this Cluster, including the video examples, go to
the Video and Interactive Exercises tab in the left-hand navigation bar in the etext. You can
also find all of the media content under the Cluster Resources tab in the left-hand navigation
bar in the MyEducationLab.
1
,Class Activities
Learning about NCLB
Many students have heard about the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), but they have never
examined the impact of NCLB on everyday education. Ask students to collect two or three
scholarly articles related to NCLB and summarize their findings in three main points. During the
next class period, invite students to break out into groups of three to four to discuss their
findings. They should be able to identify whether their findings matched their beliefs about
NCLB and how they might use educational research to be informed policy consumers.
What Is Good Teaching? I
Objectives
Students will recall their own teaching and learning experiences.
Students will discuss what inspired them to become teachers.
Students will discuss what made their own teachers good or bad and why.
Activity Participants Time Materials
Ask students to divide into pairs and Student 5 minutes
describe to each other what inspired them to pairs
become teachers (if relevant). If they are not
planning to teach, ask them to discuss their
intended profession.
Ask students to think about their own Student 5 minutes
teachers and discuss what made them good pairs
or bad and why.
Ask students to consider what type of Student 5 minutes
teacher they wish to be and how they intend pairs
to become that kind of teacher.
Return to the full group and ask students to All students 15–20
describe characteristics of good and bad minutes
teachers. Look for commonalities and
discuss them.
Differentiated Instruction
1) Have students identify the group they expect to teach.
2) Students then generate a list of the ways individuals in this group may differ from one
another. Encourage students to consider such factors as cultural and ethnic background, SES,
interests, ability level, and the type of instruction or learning activities individuals may
prefer.
3) Have students generate a list of strengths associated with each item on their lists in terms of
what individuals in this group bring to the classroom.
4) Have students form groups of three to four based on the groups they expect to teach.
5) In groups, students share their lists and discuss ways in which these strengths can be used in
classrooms.
2
, Beginning Teachers
1) Ask students to imagine that they will begin their first teaching assignment in a week. Does
this make them anxious? What are some of their primary concerns?
2) Generate a list on the board/projector screen. Make two points:
a. Their concerns are not unique—their peers and those who have gone before them
have shared these same concerns.
b. The content from the text will address many of these concerns.
3) Have students form groups of three to four to discuss strategies that would build their
confidence.
4) Each group shares a few strategies with the larger class.
What Is Good Teaching? II
Show students a video clip of effective teachers [http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=2EdWgsTUhmI] and less-than-effective teachers [http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=dxPVyieptwA]. Ask students to list the effective practices exhibited in the first video.
Likewise, ask students to express why the second example illustrates less-than-effective
teaching.
Psychology and Education
Have your students read the following article:
Thorndike, E. L. (1910). The contribution of psychology to education. Journal of Educational
Psychology, 1, 5-12.
Students should be in small groups of four to answer the following questions:
What are the roles for education and psychology envisioned by E. L. Thorndike? [Two
students should take responsibility for presenting the role of education, and the other two
should present the role of psychology.]
Have those roles changed?
What kinds of methods did Thorndike recommend for use in research?
Professional Development Plan
Objectives
Students will identify what constitutes scholarly research.
Students will identify ways to acquire and interpret scholarly research.
Students will identify ways to use educational research in their practice.
Activity Participants Time Materials
If possible, plan a time with your students to 30–60 Library-produced
visit your library and speak with a library minutes in directors or
specialist about ways to acquire your the library; instructor-produced
school’s professional journal holdings. If 15–20 directions for
you cannot do so, be sure to compose a one- minutes for finding scholarly
page summary to provide to students. handout research
Students should select two or three pieces of All students, 20 minutes
scholarly research and identify ways they independently
3
