James Raths

The topic of “dispositions” is central to teacher education and to teacher educators. Because of perhaps precipitous action on the part of accrediting agencies in teacher education, teacher educators need to define, teach, and assess dispositions in their programs. This book examines the sources of the concept dispositions, how it evolved in teacher education, what forms it has taken in selected programs, and what challenges remain in this arena for teacher educators.

The topic of “dispositions” is central to teacher education and to teacher educators. Because of perhaps precipitous action on the part of accrediting agencies in teacher education, teacher educators need to define, teach, and assess dispositions in their programs. This book examines the sources of the concept dispositions, how it evolved in teacher education, what forms it has taken in selected programs, and what challenges remain in this arena for teacher educators.

With the current emphasis on standards in the schools, one may think that this is a new phenomenon. However, as this pamphlet clearly demonstrates, while standards in American schools have a long history dating back to Reconstruction, the recommendations for what is needed to improve teacher education are remarkably similar—brighter students, more realistic classes, rigorous general education, serious evaluation, and so on. The reports and guidelines share a zeal for the standards they are promulgating, but are thin on research to support their recommendations. The irony is that the 'profession's power is so fragmented, and its prestige so ailing,' that adequate support for teacher education and professional practice remain elusive. The report concludes that only a concerted effort by a coalition of organizations could generate the support needed to achieve a major breakthrough in the quality of schooling and teacher education.

Embodying advances in cognitive psychology since the publication of Bloom's taxonomy, this revision of that framework is designed to help teachers understand and implement standards-based curriculums as well as facilitate constructing and analyzing their own. A revision only in the sense that it builds on the original framework, it is a completely new manuscript in both text and organization. Its two-dimensional framework interrelates knowledge with the cognitive processes students use to gain and work with knowledge. Together, these define the goals, curriculum standards, and objectives students are expected to learn. The framework facilitates the exploration of curriculums from four perspectives-what is intended to be taught, how it is to be taught, how learning is to be assessed, and how well the intended aims, instruction and assessments are aligned for effective education. This "revisited" framework allows you to connect learning from all these perspectives.

Drawing heavily from Bloom's Taxonomy, this new book helps teachers understand and implement a standards-based curriculum. An extraordinary group of cognitive psychologists, curriculum specialists, teacher-educators, and researchers have developed a two-dimensional framework, focusing on knowledge and cognitive processes, that defines what students are expected to learn in school. A series of vignettes-written by and for teachers-illustrates how to use this unique framework. A revision only in the sense that it builds on the original framework, it is a completely new manuscript in both text and organization. Its two-dimensional framework interrelates knowledge with the cognitive processes students use to gain and work with knowledge. Together, these define the goals, curriculum standards, and objectives students are expected to learn. The framework facilitates the exploration of curriculums from four perspectives-what is intended to be taught, how it is to be taught, how learning is to be assessed, and how well the intended aims, instruction and assessments are aligned for effective education. This "revisited" framework allows you to connect learning from all these perspectives. This "Professional Edition" includes an additional section ("The Taxonomy in Perspective,") which is not available in the "Revisited for Teachers" edition of the book.