Holly Sutton

EDU 250 Online Spring 2017

Dr. Regina Stone-Hernandez
April 25, 2017

Synthesis

In this class many items were discussed like the different types of

learning or how to really get a student to master the content. In this class

concepts were to taught to keep the student involved and learning the

material they are being taught. The main points talked about were

stimulus/response, Behaviorist learning, Cognitive and Constructivism

learning, Universal Design and Blooms Taxonomy.

Stimulus/response is something taught that does not have the student

master the material, the student is merely memorizing the material.

Stimulus/response involves different learning tools like Jeopardy, Quizlet and

crossword puzzles. All of the learning activity gives the student a hint and

they fill in the correct answer, they used lower order thinking skills of

remembering, understanding and applying. This style of learning is a

behaviorist learning theory. The student is not creating the material; they are

simply answering the questions.

Learning Activities that activate higher order thinking skills (HOTS) are

activities such as StoryBird, Storyboard That, or Movie Productions. These are

Cognitive or Constructivism Learning theories because the student is

creating them. The student is using the material to master the concepts

which in this case are creating, analyzing and evaluating. By using these

learning activities in the classroom the students will be using the technology
by themselves to truly understand and not merely just memorize the

material.

Two of the most talked about things in this class was Blooms

Taxonomy and Universal Learning. Blooms Taxonomy was created for the

student to activate higher order thinking skills and not just temporary

knowledge. At the end of most of the assignments we were asked to develop

Check for Knowledge questions and we used higher order thinking skill

questions to get the student thinking and using critical thinking skills. When I

begin teaching I will have some of Higher Order Thinking and Lower Order

Thinking just to have the student involved in both. If I want the student to

truly master whatever concept I am teaching I will have them do activities

involving both. Universal Learning goes hand in hand with this because

Universal Learning is teaching students using whatever way they learn. I may

teach one day using hands on activities, I may spend another day talking,

another may be spent working in groups or alone. Whatever way I teach, I

will take into account how each student learns best and take that into

account whatever that may be.