1. Anchored Instruction
Definition:  Constructivist term for learning environments, which focuses on meaningful, real-life problems and activities.  Moreover, it
provides a way to recreate some of the training in formal education settings involving groups of students.

Application:  A video could be used as an anchor.  The video would be serving as the content of the lesson, and the student could relate
their problem solving to a realistic situation.

2. Authentic Activity
Definition:  An authentic activity is an activity that is originated by the students.  These activities allow the student to work hand-on
with the material, which ultimately results in meaningful learning.

Application:  Providing center activities for students allows them to explore a variety of activities themselves.  Students can also
create an independent method for organizing information that they collect about a certain topic.

3. Authentic Assessment
Definition:  Authentic assessment is used in constructivist learning environments to exhibit more qualitative assessment strategies than
quantitative ones.  It measures according to a particular student, rather than against the background of the entire class.  Although
measuring each student individually is time consuming and tedious, it is often a better predictor of what they know then a general test.

Application:  Portfolios are a great authentic assessment as well as creating anecdotal notes about the student.

4. Media Attributes
Definition:  The way in which the different parts of the media make up the world around us and attribute a variety of items to
technology.

Application:  Through combining media attributes and technology in the classroom, children will see the importance of media in technology
and vice versa.  For example, taking a trip to a newsroom and seeing how computer and technology play a vital role in developing and
showing the news.

5. Situated Learning and Cognition
Definition:  A relatively permanent change in behavior that results from oneís experiences or practices and the processes through which
knowledge is acquired that all takes place in a particular place, setting , or location.

Application:  Within a teacher education class on technology, a lesson on situated learning and cognition would include instructing
teachers on the type of environment that would be best suited for facilitating the learning process even in unfavorable conditions.
 

6. Cooperative and Collaborative Learning
Definition: Cooperative and collaborative learning is a way for teachers to give students an alternative to competition as they take on
the responsibility for their own learning as well as helping their peers through various kinds of group work.

Application:  In a Science class studying Anatomy, the students could divide into groups with each person in the group taking on the
responsibility of becoming an expert on a certain part of the body.  When the group resumes, each person will teach the rest of the group
about what they know.  The students will learn from each other, and each students will be an expert in at least one subject area.

7. Scaffolds
Definition:  Scaffolding is the process by which adults provide support to a child who is learning to master a task or problem.  When
adults scaffold a task or problem, they perform or direct those elements of the task that are beyond the childís ability and then gradually
withdraw help as the child becomes more proficient.

Application:  During  a technology class, a teacher might use the scaffolding process while teaching students a new computer process.
The teacher would start out providing full assistance to the student and then later pull back.

8. Transfer
Definition:  Influence of previously learned material on a new material.

Application:  The teacher can help students to transfer learning strategies by teaching strategies directly and then expanding the
application of the strategies to new and unfamiliar situation.

9. Self-regulated Learning
Definition:  Self-regulated learning is childrenís increasing regulation and control of their own learning processes due to their
development of their metacognitive knowledge.

Application:  The students feel the need to plan and regulate their schedules so that learning is taking place in an effective manner.

10. Multiple Perspectives
Definition:  Discovering different perspectives of persons involved in different situations.  Looking at something from a different point
of view, this can increase knowledge and understanding by observing different/ore information.

Application:  Teachers should try to expose students to various points of view.

11. Communities of Learners (COL)
Definition:  A community of learners is a technique for encouraging collaborative learning by integrating the students, teachers, and the
classroom environment to the entire community.  In creating a community of learners, students should be given the opportunity to work
together in an active, realistic role in the classroom atmosphere.

Application:  Allow students to collaborate as a class to create the rules and consequences for their classroom.
 

12. Distributed Intelligence
Definition:  Distributed intelligence refers to utilizing the knowledge of several people and resources to reach the same goal.  The idea
is to comprise a result that stems form the knowledge of several different sources.

Application:  Assign a group of students to give a presentation on a certain topic, With the group, assign individuals to certain
sub-topics that they are responsible for.  The members of the groups will then pool their information together to create a presentation.

13. Reciprocal Teaching
Definition:  An instructional activity that is in the form of a dialogue between students and teachers.  It is usually about pieces of text
and is organized into 4 strategies: summarizing, question generating, clarifying, and predicting.  The teacher and the student take turns
being the leader of the dialogue.

Application:  Teachers can have groups of students do different strategies and have the groups discuss similarities and differences in
their findings.

14. Generative Learning
Definition:  The idea that students acquire their own knowledge by making mental connections between concepts they are familiar with
and those that they are learning.

Application:  Use a real-life situation to teach a concept.  For example, use a recipe for a favorite dessert to teach a lesson on
fractions.

15. Problem Based Learning
Definition:  Strategy that creates a curriculum surrounding a central question.  This question requires the students to solve problems or
make decision.  This question is sometimes referred to as the ìessential question.î

Application:  Demonstrate how to solve problems by thinking aloud with students as you, the teacher, attack a problem and discuss what
you know about the subject, what you need to know to solve the problem, what recommendation/results you find.

16. Metacognition
Definition:  Being able to think about oneís personal thinking.  This includes thinking about: what we do and do not know, and trouble
shooting and monitoring how we learn.

Application:  Getting students to complete a KWL chart that will help them think about what they do and do not know.

17. Cognitive Apprenticeship
Definition:  Teachers relate to students as ìapprentices.î  They work along side the student to help them solve complicated problems that
they might not be able to solve on their own.  This can help with concepts that they have not yet mastered and might not yet have the
necessary skills to solve.

Application:  Scaffolding a student provides them with a cognitive apprenticeship.
 

18. Substantive Conversation
Definition:  Substantive conversations are important, informal talks among a specific group.  These conversation are usually familiar,
real, and involves  participation from both teacher and students.  Sometimes the student  will talk to a partner or a small group.

Application:  When used in the classroom, instructional conversation is an alternative to the dominance of teacher talk.  The teacherís
goal is to keep everyone in substantive discussion.  The teacher is a guide, helping students to construct their own understanding.

19. Performance Task
Definition:  An exhibit, portfolio or project that demonstrates a studentís ability to deal with complex material and apply the knowledge
to processes involving ìreal worldî applications.

Application:  Students collect certain pieces of writing throughout the year and then select pieces that they believe show their
development.

20. Portfolio
Definition:  A collection of work used to see if proficiency in one or more areas has been reached over a specific amount of time.
Students or teachers can develop the criteria for the selections in the collection and these portfolios can be used for assessment
purposes.

Application:  Students collect certain pieces of writing throughout the year and then select pieces that they believe show their
development.
 
   Concept Map