Hierarchic: 4 Main Ideas

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Name:

Caitlin Magee
Is about

Date:

October 7, 2013

C-A (Concept Attainment)

Main idea Main idea

It is a teaching model designed to help students of all ages elaborate and reinforce their understanding of concepts and practice critical thinking.
Main idea Main idea

Planning

Implementing

Assessment

Motivation

-Identify topics -pick a topic that is important for students to understand -Specify learning Objectives -be clear about learning objectives, they will guide your thinking as you select your examples -Select Examples and Nonexamples -select examples that best illustrate the characteristics of the concept. This is essential. -Sequence examples and nonexamples -examples should be arranged so students are given as much practice with the process

- Four phases to C-A Model: -Phase 1 : the teacher introduces the lesson and explains how the activity will be conducted -Phase 2 : Students are presented with an example (or two) and a non-example, and they hypothesize possible labels for the concept based on the initial examples and non-examples -Phase 3: Additional examples and non-examples are presented, and students eliminate existing hypotheses and add new ones based on new examples/nonexamples -Phase 4: A single hypothesis is isolated and defined, and additional examples are analyzed based on the definition.

-Students knowledge and understanding of a concept can be measure by defining the concept, identifying the concepts characteristics, relate the concept to other concepts, or identify or supply examples of the concept not previously encountered. -Teachers can assess critical thinking by having learners analyze hypotheses as they are presented with additional examples. Assessing thinking always involves simultaneous assessment of content understanding.

-The C-A activities may be motivating because they are intellectual puzzles in which the students use clues to identify the idea. -Can capitalize the motivating effects of students working together -Allowing students to work in groups increases student involvement, which also increases motivation.

So what? What is important to understand about this?

The C-A model allows students to grow in their understanding of the concepts and critical thinking skills. Clearly specified objectives give the students a better chance at understanding what the teacher wants them to know and understand. Assessing the student by having to define the concept, give characteristics, or supply examples of the kinds of characteristics unique to that concept help the student to better understand and motivate them to learn.