Question 1

Bloom's Taxonomy

Accepted Answer

A model used in education that categorizes cognitive skills and learning objectives into six levels: Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating.

Question 2

Differentiated Instruction

Accepted Answer

An approach to teaching that adjusts content, process, product, and learning environment based on student readiness, interest, and learning profile.

Question 3

Formative Assessment

Accepted Answer

Evaluative process used during instruction to provide feedback and guide teachers' lesson adjustments, often informal and not graded.

Question 4

Summative Assessment

Accepted Answer

Evaluation at the end of a unit or course to gauge student learning, usually a formal, graded assessment.

Question 5

Constructivist Learning Theory

Accepted Answer

Suggests that people construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world through experiences and reflection.

Question 6

Zone of Proximal Development

Accepted Answer

The difference between what a learner can do without help and what they can't do, theorized by Vygotsky.

Question 7

Backward Design

Accepted Answer

A method of designing instructional curriculum by setting goals before choosing instructional methods and assessment.

Question 8

Standardized Test

Accepted Answer

A test that is administered and scored consistently in order to ensure legal defensibility of the test.

Question 9

Self-Efficacy

Accepted Answer

An individual's belief in their capacity to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific performance attainments.

Question 10

Metacognition

Accepted Answer

Awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes.

Question 11

Inquiry-Based Learning

Accepted Answer

An active learning approach in which students investigate a question or problem.

Question 12

Learning Styles

Accepted Answer

The preferred way(s) in which individuals learn, including visual, auditory, and kinesthetic styles.

Question 13

Experiential Learning

Accepted Answer

Learning through reflection on doing, which is often contrasted with rote or didactic learning.

Question 14

Culturally Responsive Teaching

Accepted Answer

An educational approach acknowledging the importance of including students' cultural references in all aspects of learning.

Question 15

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

Accepted Answer

A framework for enhancing student academic and behavior outcomes.

Question 16

Response to Intervention (RTI)

Accepted Answer

A multi-tier approach to the early identification and support of students with learning and behavior needs.

Question 17

Authentic Assessment

Accepted Answer

A form of assessment in which students demonstrate skills and competencies in real-life contexts.

Question 18

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Accepted Answer

An educational framework that guides the design of learning goals, materials, methods, and assessments with the diversity of learners in mind.

Question 19

English Language Learner (ELL) Strategies

Accepted Answer

Techniques used to assist students who are learning English as a second language.

Question 20

IEP (Individualized Education Plan)

Accepted Answer

A legal document under U.S. law that spells out a child's learning needs, the services the school will provide, and how progress will be measured.

Question 21

Scaffolding

Accepted Answer

A process that allows for a child to solve a problem or complete a task that is just beyond their reach with adult help.

Question 22

Co-Teaching

Accepted Answer

Two or more teachers working together to plan, organize, instruct, and assess the same group of students.

Question 23

Cognitive Load Theory

Accepted Answer

A theory that suggests that learning happens best under conditions that align with human cognitive architecture.

Question 24

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation

Accepted Answer

Intrinsic motivation is driven by an interest or enjoyment in the task itself, and exists within the individual, while extrinsic motivation comes from outside.

Question 25

Cooperative Learning

Accepted Answer

An instructional method in which students work together in small groups to achieve a common goal.

Question 26

Flipped Classroom

Accepted Answer

A pedagogical model where the typical lecture and homework elements of a course are reversed.

Question 27

Performance-Based Assessment

Accepted Answer

Evaluating students' abilities to perform certain tasks in relation to set standards.

Question 28

21st Century Skills

Accepted Answer

A set of abilities students need to develop in order to succeed in today's world. These include critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, digital literacy, communication, and collaboration.

Question 29

Project-Based Learning (PBL)

Accepted Answer

A teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period to investigate and respond to an authentic, complex question or problem.

Question 30

Cross-Curricular Teaching

Accepted Answer

An approach to teaching that involves integrating the content and skills of different subject areas.

Question 31

Self-Directed Learning

Accepted Answer

A process in which individuals take the initiative, with or without the help of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning goals, identifying resources for learning, and evaluating learning outcomes.

Question 32

Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK)

Accepted Answer

An educational theory about the relationship between subject matter knowledge and teaching methods.

Question 33

Praxis Assessment

Accepted Answer

A series of teacher certification tests that measures a teacher's knowledge and ability to instruct specific subjects at specific grade levels.

Question 34

Multiple Intelligences

Accepted Answer

A theory proposed by Howard Gardner suggesting that there are different types of intelligences that humans possess, not all of which are encompassed by traditional IQ tests.

Question 35

Multimodal Learning

Accepted Answer

A style of learning that uses multiple modes or methods of learning, such as visual, auditory, or kinesthetic.

Question 36

Multicultural Education

Accepted Answer

A philosophical concept built on the ideals of freedom, justice, equality, equity, and human dignity as acknowledged in various documents, such as the U.S. Declaration of Independence.

Question 37

Student-Centered Learning

Accepted Answer

An approach to education focusing on the needs of the students, rather than those of others involved in the educational process, such as teachers and administrators.

Question 38

Professional Learning Community (PLC)

Accepted Answer

A group of educators that meets regularly, shares expertise, and works collaboratively to improve teaching skills and the academic performance of students.

Question 39

Learning Targets

Accepted Answer

Brief statements that describe what students should know or be able to do by the end of a period of instruction.

Question 40

Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

Accepted Answer

A process through which children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.

Question 41

Rubric

Accepted Answer

A scoring guide used to evaluate the quality of students' constructed responses.

Question 42

Direct Instruction

Accepted Answer

A model of teaching that emphasizes well-developed and carefully planned lessons designed around small learning increments and clearly defined and prescribed teaching tasks.

Question 43

Universal Screening

Accepted Answer

A step taken by school personnel to determine which students are at risk for not meeting grade level standards.

Question 44

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Accepted Answer

A federal law that affords parents the right to have access to their children's education records, the right to seek to have the records amended, and the right to have some control over the disclosure of personally identifiable information from the education records.

Question 45

School Culture

Accepted Answer

The shared beliefs, perceptions, relationships, attitudes, and written and unwritten rules that shape and influence every aspect of how a school functions.

Question 46

Decoding

Accepted Answer

The process of translating print into speech by rapidly matching a letter or combination of letters (graphemes) to their sounds (phonemes).

Question 47

Inclusion

Accepted Answer

The practice of educating students with special needs in regular education classrooms.

Question 48

High Stakes Testing

Accepted Answer

Testing used to make major decisions about students, such as grade promotion or high school graduation.

Question 49

Student Engagement

Accepted Answer

The degree of attention, curiosity, interest, optimism, and passion that students show when they are learning or being taught.

Question 50

Curriculum Mapping

Accepted Answer

A method to align instruction with desired goals and program outcomes. It can also be used to explore what is taught and how.

Question 51

Content Knowledge

Accepted Answer

The level of understanding about a subject, including facts, information, concepts, and theories related to a specific discipline.

Question 52

Hidden Curriculum

Accepted Answer

Unspoken or implicit values, behaviors, procedures, and norms that exist in the educational setting.

Question 53

Pedagogy

Accepted Answer

The art or science of teaching, instruction, and training.

Question 54

Critical Thinking

Accepted Answer

The process of actively analyzing, interpreting, synthesizing, evaluating information gathered from observation, experience, reflection, or communication.

Question 55

Reflective Practice

Accepted Answer

A way for educators to work more effectively by observing their own teaching methods and determining what works best based on evidence and students' feedback.

Question 56

Teacher Efficacy

Accepted Answer

A teacher's belief in their ability to promote student learning and affect student achievement.

South Dakota Pedagogy and Performance Assessment