Identifying Opportunities for

Higher Level Thinking with the Web

Bernie Dodge, PhDSan Diego State University

Bernie Dodge, PhDSan Diego State University

Bernie’s Taxonomy

Life Verbs

Classroom Verbs

Decide Design Create Predict Judge

Know Tell Remember

Apply Analyze Explain

Design Tasks

Give learners the task of bringing about some desired result while

working within realistic constraints

Give learners the task of bringing about some desired result while

working within realistic constraints

Ask Yourself….

Is there something that could be designed that would engage learners with the content?

Characteristics

A pre-set desired result Realistic contraints that make the

design a challenge, A process that mirrors something

people do outside of schools as workers or citizens

Things You Might Design Museum or exhibit Event Commemoration Itinerary Physical object Invention

An Exercise

Decision Tasks

Give learners a choice, decision or judgment to make

Give learners a choice, decision or judgment to make

Ask Yourself….

Can this content be wrapped around a decision or choice or judgment to be made?

Characteristics

Somewhere between 2 and 7 possible alternatives

No obvious best choice Support available on the web for each

choice. No straw men! Should mirror the kind of decisions made

in life outside of school by professionals, organizations, governments or individuals. Not a bogus choice that only happens in classrooms.

Things You Might Decide Which energy source should be

developed to replace oil? Who was the best world leader of

the 20th century? Should stem cell research be

supported? Which of these TV shows is worth

watching?

An Exercise

Analysis Tasks

Give learners the task of breaking down a complex idea, event or artifact into some useful set of

subcomponents.

Give learners the task of breaking down a complex idea, event or artifact into some useful set of

subcomponents.

Ask Yourself….

Is there a fruitful, meaningful way to take this content apart and examine the individual pieces?

Characteristics

The target of the analysis should be complex, at least to the learners

The target should be analyzable from at least 2 different perspectives, ideally more.

Conducting the analysis should teach things that could be applied to other content.

Things You Might Analyze What would a slave owner be offended by

while reading Tom Sawyer? What would a slave be offended by?

What characteristics of rural life would be appealing to senior citizens? What parts are less appealing?

How do TV commercials make us want to buy things?

What are the benefits of space exploration? Who benefits most?

An Exercise

Creative Tasks

Give learners an open-ended task to create something within a given genre while using content drawn

from the web

Give learners an open-ended task to create something within a given genre while using content drawn

from the web

Ask Yourself….

Is there something that could be created that would require applying knowledge about this content?

Characteristics

Opportunity to make something unique and surprising

Many possibilities Not totally open-ended. Constrained

by need for accuracy, usefulness, adherence to a genre, etc.

Things You Might Create

Stories, skits Poems, songs Drawings, posters, multimedia Physical objects Games

An Exercise

Prediction Tasks

Give learners the task of extrapolating existing data to a

future time

Give learners the task of extrapolating existing data to a

future time

Identifying Opportunities for

Higher Level Thinking with the Web

Bernie Dodge, PhDSan Diego State University

Bernie Dodge, PhDSan Diego State University