While

in class, we were introduce to inquiry-based learning and project-

based learning. Inquiry-based learning is a form of hands-on learning where
students are presented with different problems and situations instead of the teacher
just giving a lecture. This allows students to develop questions that interest them
and truly engage them. Teachers provide the essential question and students are to
research the topic in class. At the end of their research the teacher is able to have
the students present their information and reflect on what they learned. Project-
based Learning is a way of teaching that centers around hands-on activities,
projects, group work and real world connections. It is a way to keep students
engaged and always participating. It also teaches them leadership and collaborative
skills. As a future educator I plan to implement this since I strongly believe it is the
best way to engage the students.
Digital Blooms taxonomy is a framework for ways to incorporate technology
into the classroom and categorizes educational goals. It is deconstructed into six
goals that include: remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate and create.
Blooms taxonomy guides teachers in creating and delivering rigorous lessons that
challenges and engages students at multiple levels of cognitive function.
Performance-based assessment measures each students ability to access and apply
information learned from a lesson. This challenges students to use their higher-
order thinking skills. An example of performance-based assessment would be
grading a students writing assignment based on his/her knowledge of a lesson
rather than how well it was written. I feel that this is an effective way of measuring
how well a lesson was learned and I plan to use this when I start teaching.
Thematic Unit is when you correspond a specific theme into all areas of
instruction like reading, writing, math and science. There are many reasons for the
use of thematic units in the classroom like increasing students interest. I have had
the chance to observe a thematic unit lesson. From what I saw, it has a positive
effect on the students participation and willingness to learn. For these reasons, I
plan to incorporate this into my classroom to engage and excite students.
WebQuest is a an online tool that can be used for learning. This is when
students use information from the web to evaluate and learn a lesson or topic
provided by the teacher. It is usually centered around group work, providing each
student with a task. The teacher selects the resources used to complete each task. If
I were to teach a higher-grade level, I would definitely consider using this tool since
it requires students to complete tasks independently.