Philosophy Essay
Methods 490A
Anne DeKrey
Leslie Ross
Tiffany Neuharth
Our philosophy varied from question to question, within the matching and
multiple-choice sections of the exam. Our matching question philosophy was to question
the students’ ability to apply real class activities to a standard. The questions do not
require memorization of the standards, but provide the standards so the evaluation is
based on application not memorization. The multiple-choice questions evaluated the
students’ understanding of a proper objective and the exact name for TLP. The
philosophy behind the objective question is that a student must be able to write an
objective well before doing anything else on a TLP, which is also a question on our
exam, the writing of a TLP. The knowledge of what TLP stands for is important because
a teacher must remember that a TLP is a format to write out what they will be teaching
and what the students’ will be learning side by side.
Name an activity that you feel would fits standard 9 and how it does so?
This question was chosen because it would allow for the student to demonstrate
knowledge of the standards, and also show his or her ability to apply that knowledge to
an actual classroom setting. Being able to rattle off the different standards would mean
nothing if the information was not applied and put to practical use. This question is
worded in a short answer format because it is a way to get the student writing about the
topic and therefore reflecting on it as well. It not only allows for reflection, but also
personal expression of thoughts and ideas concerning the standards and classroom
activities.
Which is more important from your perspective planning, implementing, or evaluating?
Support.
This question in this format was chosen basically for the reflective value. We thought it
was valuable to have the students think about their process in writing their lessons and
TLPs. It may show them something about the way they tend to teach, and also possibly
show them where more focus may need to be placed in their teaching. It also is a
question that allows them to ponder their style and understand their process, which is
valuable knowledge for them. Understanding something about yourself often brings on
understanding of the things around you.
Rationale for Question: Create a TLP Focusing on a Literary Term
 When writing the test, we decided that we needed to create a question that would
reflect the student’s knowledge of the Teaching Learning Plans. Although we
included a multiple choice question about the TLP’s, that wasn’t enough to reflect
any understanding of what the TLP’s were. The main reason that we decided to
include a question requiring the student to submit their own TLP was basically to
have the student show that he or she knows how to use the form, and use it
correctly. We would be able to tell if the student understands the TLP process by
noting if they filled out the form correctly, and also if it was filled out completely.
The responses would need to be more than one word and they would need to
correctly describe what they are doing in the lesson. If the student fails to fill out
the TLP correctly, we as teachers may be able to assume that the student does not
understand the TLP process.
Rationale for Question: Why are the Standards Important?
This question seemed appropriate for a short answer question so that we could get the
students to actually discuss why they felt that the standards were important. They will
have the opportunity to discuss in their own terms why the standards are important, and
focus on a certain standard, if they so choose. It will be completely up to the student. In
order to tell if a student has learned the material, we would be looking for a complete
answer. For example, if a student said, “I think the standards are important because they
provide guidance for teachers,” that would not demonstrate understanding. They would
need to describe what type of guidance or why they feel that in order to prove that they
understood the material.