OAE Assessment of Prof. Knowledge

Which of the following situations most clearly illustrates how a student's development in one domain (eg cognitive linguistic, physical, social, emotional) can affect development and/or performance in another domain?

Competency 0001

• A student with severe physical disablities exhibits strong verbal and conceptual skills in her academic work

• A student who is a talented athlete is also one of the highest achievers in her school in math and science

• A student with low self-esteem refuses to attempt new or challenging learning tasks because he is sure he will fail.

• A student who is bilingual shows similar skills and confidence in both languages in which he is proficient

A 9th grade teacher is aware that students at this age differ widely in their level of cognitive development. Which of the following approaches would best address this range of development?

Competency 0001

• Alternating presentations that introduce abstract concepts with related hands-on student activities.

• Reviewing concepts and skills mastered in earlier lessons at the beginning of each new unit

• Emphasizing the use of performance based assessments to evaluate student's understanding

• Aligning the sequence of concepts and skills taught in class with the curriculum sequence.

A middle school will begin offering exploratory classes as part of the curriculum. Students will be able to choose two exploratory classes to attend once a week during each semester. Exploratory classes will address topics such as website construction, horticulture, photography, chess, dance, and creative writing. This expansion of the curriculum is especially appropriate for middle school students because it:

Competency 0001

• Allows students to identify their particular abilities and interests and use different kinds of thinking skills.

• Helps relieve pressure placed on students by themselves and others to conform to peer group norms.

• Provides students with individualized learning experiences that support their academic needs.

• Helps prepare students for the subject-oriented curriculum found in high schools and colleges.

A kindergarten teacher can best apply the concept of developmentally appropriate practice by making which of the following a priority?

Competency 0001

• Minimizing the amount of structure and routine

• Providing students with frequent opportunities to participate in cooperative learning activities.

• Focusing instruction on students' social skills rather than on their academic skills.

• Designing a learning environment that supports the essential role of play in students' learning.

A teacher observes that some students tend to talk to themselves softly during individual problem-solving activities. The teacher should be aware that this type of self-talk:

Competency 0001

• Suggests that a student is feeling a high level of anxiety about their ability.

• Helps guide a student's thinking about the learning task.

• Plays a key role in developing a student's self-esteem.

• Indicicates the student may have an undiagnosed learning disability.

In which of the following situations is the teacher's strategy most likely to promote students ability to regulate their own learning?

Competency 0001

• A teacher shows third-grade students how to use a log to record each book they read for recreation during a grading period.

• A teacher helps each fourth grade student identify weekly goals that target the student's specific academic needs.

• A fifth-grade teacher uses the results of regularly administered interest inventories to select materials for the classroom library.

• A sixth-grade teacher offers after school review sessions before tests when a number of students submit a request.

A first grade teacher gives each student in a small group a ball of clay of approximately the same size. The teacher observes that after several students split their clay into two pieces, one student is unhappy, stating that "they have a lot more clay" than he has. The teacher's observation most strongly suggests that this student:

Competency 0001

• May be showing signs of a possible developmental delay in the cognitive domain.

• Has not yet developed the concept of conservation of mass.

• May be showing signs of a possible development delay in the social-emotional domain

• Has not yet developed teh concept of object permanence.

A middle school science teacher regularly uses a strategy called "word journal" with students. Students first participate in a learning experience such as a lecture, demonstration, or hands-on activity. Then the teacher asks students to think about the experience and choose a single word to summarize the experience. Students write the word they choose in their "word journal" along with a brief explanation of why they chose that particular word. Below are journal entries created by two students following a lesson on the scientific method.

Student 1: I selected the word "steps" because the scientific method involves several steps. Each step is important and must be done in the exact order. If I can remember the order of the steps, I can think like a scientist.

Student 2: I picked "observation" because it seems really important tot he whole process. You have to observe something when you are testing a hypothesis. Then you observe your data and draw conclusions about it. That's what the scientific method is all about.

The teacher would like to expand this strategy in a way that is responsive to the unique characteristics of middle school students. The teacher can best achieve this goal by having students:

Competency 0001

• Discuss their selected words and explanations with their peers in small groups.

• Vote on one word from all of the students selected, that best summarizes the learning experience.

• Post their selected words and explanations on a classroom or electronic bulletin board.

• Think of as many alternative words as possible that summarize the learning experience.

Teachers on a middle school teaching team wish to help students develop a sense of personal responsibility with regard to their learning. Which of the following practices would be most effective in promoting this outcome?

Competency 0002

• Holding conferences with students and parents each grading period to discuss progress in meeting assignment deadlines.

• Displaying in a prominent area a weekly list of students who have overdue assignments in each subject area.

• Having students maintain a planning calendar on which they record and monitor their progress in completing assignments.

• Posting on a bulletin board a reminder to students listing the due dates for assignments in each subject area.

When students are working on math problems independently, the teacher asks the students questions such as "how did you decide which operation to use?" and "What steps did you take to get this solution?" By taking this role during students independent work, the teacher is most likely to achieve which of the following outcomes?

Competency 0002

• Encouraging students to experiment with new problem solving strategies

• Promoting students awareness and understanding of tehir own thinking processes

• enhancing students ability to monitor their own learning progress.

• Increasing students' confidence in their ability to master challenging learning tasks.