Glossary

Ch 1

Apprenticeship of observation
The experience of watching and listening to teachers during the student years, which leads people to believe what teaching is all about
Dispositions
Qualities of mind and character
Funds of knowledge
Historically accumulated and culturally developed bodies of knowledge and skills essential for household or individual functioning and well-being
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
Act of the U.S. Congress established in 2001 that supported standards-based school reform and was a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
Scripted curricula
Commercially produced teaching programs and materials, which are highly structured with time allotments and word-by-word scripts

Ch 2

Achievement test
A test of developed knowledge or skill
Anecdotal notes
Observational notes
CBM testing (Curriculum-Based Measurement)
A method for determining students' basic skills
Content validity
Extent to which results match the intention
Criterion referenced
Measurement of whether or not students have met a predetermined or established criterion
Data
Information to be collected and analyzed in order to inform decisions
Diagnostic testing
A subset of formative assessment used in a timely manner
DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills)
A series of short tests to assess literacy
Essential understandings
Building blocks of skills, knowledge, and dispositions in the form of learning goals
Formative assessment
Formal and informal methods for determining and modifying teaching and learning
Grade equivalent
A score to compare performance on grade-level material against the performance of students of other grade levels on the same material
Norm referenced
Measurement of individual student achievement in relative comparison to a larger population of similar students
Pacing
The speed and rate at which lessons and curriculum are presented
Percentage score
A score calculated by dividing the total number of questions on an assessment by the total number of answers correct; a score of 80% correct on a test
Percentile rank
The percentage of a score in the frequency distribution that is the same or lower than other scores; a score in the 75th percentile of the test: 75% scored the same or lower
Performance task
A way of measuring what students can do through their actions compared with how much they know
Portfolio
A purposefully selected subset of student work used for assessment
Race to the Top
Contest created by the U.S. Department of Education for innovation and reform, funded by the Department of Education Recovery Act in 2009
Reliability
Consistency of assessment results
Remediation
Instruction intended to improve academic deficiencies
Standardized test
A test administered and scored in a consistent way
Standards-based education
A system of instruction, assessment, grading, and reporting based on predetermined outcomes
Stanine
A method of scaling scores on a nine-point scale
Summative assessment
Measurement of the level of proficiency that has been obtained at the end of an instructional unit
Universal screener
A first step for determining students with learning difficulties
Validity
Accuracy of an assessment
Zone of proximal development
The difference between what a learner can do with and without help

Ch 3

Collaborative learning
Learning situations involving two or more people
Elementary Reading Attitude Survey
A survey to quickly identify student attitude towards reading, published by Kear, Coffman, McKenna, and Ambrosio
Higher-order thinking
The idea that some types of learning require more cognitive processing
Interest inventories
Assessments in which students report their feelings toward certain academic subjects
Interview protocols
Discovery of information related to a student's likes and dislikes and strengths and weaknesses
Observational data
The process of observing student learning with active processing to determine the needs of students

Ch 4

Automaticity
The ability to do something without paying attention to the lower-level details
Backwards design
A method to design a curriculum by setting goals before selecting instructional methods or assessments, developed by Wiggins and McTighe
Bloom's taxonomy
A classification for learning objectives with tiered domains, which build upon each other, developed by Benjamin Bloom
Central focus
Defined by Wiggins and McTighe (2005) as "a conceptual tool for sharpening thinking, connecting discrepant pieces of knowledge, and equipping learning for transferable applications" (p. 70)
Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Classroom procedures
The routines for smooth, safe operation in the classroom
Common Core State Standards
A U.S. educational initiative that details what K–12 students should know in English language arts and mathematics in each grade
Gradual release of responsibility model
A structured method of pedagogy that transfers the learning responsibilities from teacher to student
Guided practice
Direct practice following initial instruction by teacher or peers
Independent practice
Student opportunity to directly practice after teaching
Instructional cycle
Continual cycle of teaching and assessing of learning
Instructional routines
Recurring events within a schedule that are designed specifically to decrease complexity of the classroom, minimize confusion, and prevent loss of instructional time
Long-term planning
Planning the big instructional pieces, including procedures and standards
Modeling
A form of instructional scaffolding by demonstrating the process and/or product
Next Generation Science Standards
A national effort to create new education standards that are internationally benchmarked
Objective
A clear focus for student accomplishment typically written in a clear and consistent format, which includes an observable behavior
Optimal Learning Model
A gradual release of responsibility model with the phases: "I do it, We do it, We do it, We do it, You do it", developed by Regie Routman
outman, R. (2008). Teaching essentials: Expecting the most and getting the best from every learner, K-8. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Short-term planning
Planning the smaller instructional pieces, including daily and weekly planning
Textbook
A book used as a standard of study for a subject area
Units of instruction
Manageable chunks of related material in a series of lessons

Ch 5

Ability grouping
Grouping method including homogeneous groups or mixed-ability groups
Differentiation
Doing what is fair for students with differing background experiences, cultural heritages, academic abilities, and interests
Flexible grouping
Grouping method where groups are chosen based on a specific purpose, meeting until the specific purpose is accomplished and then forming new groups
Grade-level expectations
Learning standards and academic expectations for particular grade levels
Heterogeneous grouping
Grouping method that pairs students with mixed abilities
Homogeneous grouping
Grouping method that pairs students with like abilities
Independent reading level
A student's reading ability with greater than 90% accuracy and 70% comprehension without teacher or peer support
Instructional reading level
A student's reading ability with greater than 90% accuracy and 70% comprehension without teacher or peer support
Manipulatives
Objects used by students in a hands-on manner in order to perceive mathematical concepts
Preassessment
An assessment to determine what students know about a topic before something is taught

Ch 6

5E model
A teaching approach for students to build ideas on top of each other by "engaging," "exploring," "explaining," "elaborating," and "evaluating"
Content knowledge
Body of knowledge in a specific grade level or subject area for students and teachers to know
Cooperative learning
Experiences where social and academic learning are promoted
Demonstration
Showing content, skills, or dispositions with reasons and examples
Direct instruction
A teaching model with sequential skills and content, directed by the teacher
Discussion
Listening, attending, and apprehending what students are saying and questioning
Inquiry learning
A teaching model with students inquiring about skills and content, directed by conclusions from data
Instructional models
Blueprints for teaching with specific goals and intended outcomes
Lecture
An oral presentation intended to teach skills, content, or dispositions
Maslow's hierarchy
A motivational theory in psychology proposed by Abraham Maslow that describes the growth of humans in stages: physiological, safety, belongingness and love, esteem, self-actualization, and self-transcendence
Reflection
Determining what works best for students' learning by studying teaching practices
Scaffolding
A way to move students toward independence through gained understanding
Self-monitoring
Students taking responsibility for their own behaviors as they approach independence
Student-centered
Teachers assumes duties of facilitating resource providing, assisting in interest following, and records learning
Teacher-centered
Teacher assumes duties of controlling content, leading lessons, recitation, skills, seatwork, and assigning homework

Ch 7

Academic language
The oral, written, auditory, and visual language proficiency required to learn effectively in schools and academic programs
Accountable talk
Structured student conversations accountable to the learning
Acculturation
Making explicit the purposes of language in the classroom, providing scaffolds to help students understand language norms and expectations, and affording students the opportunity to participate in classroom discussions
Discourse
Gee defines this as "a socially accepted association among ways of using language, of thinking, feeling, believing, valuing, and acting that can be used to identify oneself as a member of the socially accepted group" (p. 143)
Gee, J. P. (1990). Social linguistics and literacies: Ideology in discourses. London, England: Falmer Press.
English language learners
A person learning the English language in addition to learning a native language
Expressive language
The ability to put thoughts into words or sentences in a way that makes sense and is grammatically accurate
Frayer model
A four-square graphic organizer used for word analysis and vocabulary building developed by Dorothy Frayer
Graphic organizer
A communication tool that uses visual spaces and symbols to express relationships between knowledge, concepts, information, and thoughts
Interactive writing
McCarrier, Pinnell, and Fountas (2000) define this as "a dynamic, collaborative literacy event in which children actively compose together, considering appropriate words, phrases, organization of the text, and layout" (p. xv)
McCarrier, A., Pinnell, G. S., & Fountas, I. C. (2000). Interactive writing: How language and literacy come together, K-2. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Language functions
The purposes for using language for classroom learning
Matthew effect
The phenomenon where "the rich get richer and the poor get poorer"
Receptive language
The ability to understand or comprehend language heard or read
Register
Language used in a particular setting for a particular purpose; highly influenced and built upon a community's culture, knowledge, and norms
Schema
A mental concept for expectation based on life experiences
Sentence stems
Scaffolding to help students start spoken or written sentences
Social language
The oral, written, auditory, and visual language proficiency required to communicate socially with family, friends, and acquaintances
Syntax
The grammatical features and word usage of written or oral communication: the tools necessary for discourse, for reading and writing, for using complex language, and for engaging in cognitive processes
Think-aloud
Method teachers use to discuss how they would employ a particular strategy or function of language (predicting, inferring) and describe their thinking
Tier 1 words
Common words that most students already know (baby, hat, grass, mommy)
Tier 2 words
Words that are used frequently by mature language users (endurance, prospect, disinterested, gloomy)
Tier 3 words
Words that are specific to discipline areas (histogram, axiom, enzyme, meiosis, municipality)
Word wall
An ongoing, organized display of words for students to visually reference

Ch 8

Author chair
A method of peer feedback where one student reads aloud his or her written work to the entire class and the audience provides accolades and suggestions to improve the text
Big ideas
The culminating result of processing knowledge and skill questions
Collaborative learning
Learning where all students are expected to be involved and they are to build on one another's thoughts
Feedback
Concrete, specific, and useful information about students' performance relative to learning objectives
Gallery walk
A method of peer feedback where student work is hung on the walls of the classroom, students move around the room as if they were walking around an art gallery, and classmates take notes and share suggestions for improvement at the end of the walk
Knowledge questions
Closed-ended questions, typically asking students to recall facts and ideas
Open-ended questions
Questions providing scope for the student to construct an answer, typically not able to be answered with "yes" or "no" or one specific piece of information
Peer editing
A method of peer feedback where partners edit each other's written text based on a provided rubric or checklist
Praise
Nonspecific, energetic information relative to students' performance
Questioning
Vehicles of thinking for evaluating specifics or processing information productively
Re-norming
Creating a classroom environment in which students are willing to participate in quality questioning
Self-regulated learning
A method for students to acquire the adaptive and autonomous learning characteristics
Skill questions
Open-ended questions, typically asking students to apply the knowledge they have learned in a new context
Think-pair-share
A method of peer feedback for partners to turn toward one another and share what they have learned or what they are thinking about the material
Wait time
Creating time for students to think about and reformulate their thoughts

Ch 9

4 T's
Task, time, team, and technique
Autonomy
People's desire to direct their own learning
Classroom management
Ensuring classroom activities run smoothly, including preventative and consequential efforts
Engagement
The outward, observable result of inward motivation
Environmental distractor
Objects deterring students' learning that they cannot control
Extrinsic motivation
Behavior driven by external rewards
Fixed mind-set
Belief in talent and intelligence as unable to be changed
Flow
The positive aspect of total involvement with an experience
Growth mind-set
Belief in dedication and hard work to develop ability
Intrinsic motivation
Behavior driven by internal rewards
Logotherapy
The notion that finding meaning is the primary force for human existence
Mastery
People's urge to make progress to get better and better
Motivation
The reasons and willingness to do something
Purpose
People's yearning to learn in the service of something larger than themselves
Time on task
The appearance of engagement in learning

Ch 10

Academic knowledge (propositional knowledge)
Knowledge related to topics or areas of expertise
Disequilibrium
An imbalance between what is understood and what is encountered
Experiential knowledge
Knowledge gained through daily encounters with people
Professional autonomy
The ability to provide teaching and learning services independent of supervision
Reflection
Thinking involving intentional questioning and critiquing of beliefs, practices, or knowledge with the intent to become more mindful of and responsive to the associated implications and assumptions
Teacher research
Intentional, systematic improvement of teaching practice, both formal and informal

Ch 11

Mentor
The process of advocating for colleagues by taking time with them, sharing stories and expertise, and being trustworthy
National Board certified
Reaching excellence in education by meeting the high standards set by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
Professional organization
Teaching and learning organizations aimed at furthering the profession, interests of individuals in the profession, or public interest
Tempered radical
A person who wants to succeed in their organization yet wants to live by their own values or identities

Ch 12

edTPA
A performance-based assessment process designed by educators to answer the essential question of whether new teachers are ready for the job
Golden mean
The sweet spot between two extremes containing the right professional thing to do
Normative ethics
The study of ethical action, investigating the questions arising from moral decisions
Teach for America
A national teacher corps of recent college graduates who commit two years to teach and to effect change in under-resourced urban and rural public school systems