DESE Curriculum Development & Instructional Strategies 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A teacher uses stations where students rotate between a teacher-led group, an independent practice task, and an online adaptive program. This describes which instructional model?
- Jigsaw cooperative learning
- Station rotation blended learning (Correct answer)
- Flipped classroom model
- Differentiated workshop model
Correct answer: Station rotation blended learning
The station rotation model is a blended learning approach where students cycle through stations, at least one of which uses technology.
Question 2: A teacher assesses students before a unit, during instruction, and at the end to measure growth. This complete assessment cycle is BEST described as:
- Norm-referenced assessment
- Portfolio assessment
- Assessment for, as, and of learning (Correct answer)
- High-stakes testing
Correct answer: Assessment for, as, and of learning
Assessment for learning (formative), as learning (self-assessment), and of learning (summative) together create a comprehensive assessment cycle.
Question 3: When designing lessons using Universal Design for Learning (UDL), teachers should provide multiple means of:
- Grading, feedback, and retention
- Representation, action/expression, and engagement (Correct answer)
- Content, pacing, and grouping
- Lecture, practice, and assessment
Correct answer: Representation, action/expression, and engagement
UDL's three core principles are multiple means of representation (the 'what'), action and expression (the 'how'), and engagement (the 'why').
Question 4: A teacher notices that despite covering the topic in class, students consistently miss questions about inferencing on assessments. The teacher's BEST next step is to:
- Move on to the next unit since the topic was already taught
- Re-teach inferencing using a different instructional strategy and provide additional practice (Correct answer)
- Lower the standards for inferencing questions on future assessments
- Assign extra homework on the topic without changing instruction
Correct answer: Re-teach inferencing using a different instructional strategy and provide additional practice
Effective teachers use assessment data to identify gaps and adjust their instructional approach, not simply re-expose students to the same method.
Question 5: The 'spiral curriculum,' developed by Jerome Bruner, is based on the idea that:
- Students should master a topic completely before moving on
- Core concepts should be revisited repeatedly with increasing depth and complexity (Correct answer)
- Curriculum should be organized strictly by subject area
- Students learn best through direct instruction from the teacher
Correct answer: Core concepts should be revisited repeatedly with increasing depth and complexity
Bruner's spiral curriculum revisits foundational ideas at increasing levels of sophistication as students develop cognitively.
Question 6: A teacher designs a lesson where students generate their own questions, research answers, and present findings. This approach is MOST aligned with which theory?
- Behaviorism
- Direct instruction theory
- Inquiry-based learning (constructivism) (Correct answer)
- Mastery learning theory
Correct answer: Inquiry-based learning (constructivism)
Inquiry-based learning, rooted in constructivism, positions students as active investigators who construct knowledge through questioning and discovery.
Question 7: Which of the following BEST describes the purpose of a curriculum map?
- To list all textbooks approved for use in a district
- To provide a visual overview of what is taught, when, and how it aligns to standards across time (Correct answer)
- To outline the grading policy for a course
- To document student behavioral expectations
Correct answer: To provide a visual overview of what is taught, when, and how it aligns to standards across time
A curriculum map is a planning tool that shows the alignment of content, skills, assessments, and standards across a unit or school year.
DESE Curriculum Development & Instructional Strategies 5
A teacher uses stations where students rotate between a teacher-led group, an independent practice task, and an online adaptive program.
This describes which instructional model?