1. TExES 191 Generalist EC-6 Test Background Information
Dion J. Dubois, Ed.D.
A National Board Certified Teacher
5th Grade Teacher
Stevens Park Elementary

2. Training Dates 9:00 – 5:00 Friday, May 31st Fine Arts, Health, PE
Science
Saturday, June 1st ELAR
Sunday, June 2nd Math & Social Studies
Practice Test: 5:00 – Friday and Saturday (Same Test)

3. EC-6 Generalist Test Content
English, Language Arts, & Reading
32%
Math
19%
Social Studies
Science
18%
Fine Arts, Health and Physical Education
12%

4. What you’re being tested on!
TExES
The TExES exam will test you on three big areas: your knowledge of the content, your knowledge of children as learners (cognitive characteristics) and your knowledge of effective learning strategies that are tied to the content and the characteristics of those children that you are teaching.
Content
Cognitive Characteristics
Learning
Strategies

5. Learner Centered Instruction
As opposed to
Teacher Directed Instruction
Not Even Dallas ISD!

6. Classic Learning Theory
Piaget – Classic Learning Theory
Four Stages of Development
Sensory-Motor Stage (Birth – 2)
Pre-Operation Stage (2-7 yrs old)
Concrete Operational Stage (7-11 yrs old)
Formal Operational Stage (7-15 yrs old)

7. Brain-Based Learning Theory
The brain is a complex adaptive system
The brain is social
The search for meaning in innate
We use patterns to learn more effectively
Emotions are crucial to developing patterns
Each brain perceives and creates parts and whole simultaneously.

8. Brain-Based Learning Theory
Learning involves focused and peripheral attention
Learning involves conscious and unconscious processes.
We have at least two ways to organizing memory
Learning is developmental
Complex learning is enhanced by challenges
Every brain is unique

9. Constructivist Learning Theory
The learner creates knowledge
The learner constructs and makes meaningful new knowledge from existing knowledge
The learner shapes and constructs knowledge by life experiences and social interactions
The student, teacher and classmates establish knowledge cooperatively on a daily basis.

10. Metacognition Learning Theory
The study of how to help the learner gain understanding about how knowledge is constructed and about the conscious tools for constructing that knowledge. Teach students to process his or her learning and mastery of skills to provide the greatest learning and retention opportunities. Students are taught to teach themselves skills in problem solving and critical thinking.

11. Associations Associations are connections of bits of knowledge.
Associating is relating what we know to what we are trying to learn.
It is using what are already know to make sense out of what we are trying to learning

12. Sample Questions What does this remind you of?
Where else have you heard something like this?
Has anything like this every happened to you?
What might his be an example of?
Have you ever been in this situation?

13. Brainstorming
Make your lessons really fun by encouraging student to use their prior knowledge in creative ways.
Challenge them to identify, associate and describe things they already know that are similar to the lesson’s new concepts.
For example, in a science lesson, have the students list all the words they might associate with the topic “energy”.

14. Graphic Organizers – Venn Diagram

15. Graphic Organizers – Spider Map

16. Graphic Organizers – Concept Map

17. Predictions
Encouraging student to integrate their prior knowledge, construct inferences, propose alternative solutions, and specify outcomes are creative ways to get students actively involved in thinking.
For example, in a reading lesson, ask the students to: Read the title. What do you think this story is about? What do you think would happen?

18. Analogies
Helping students structure and organize new learning through analogies.
For example, in a social studies lesson, ask students to consider the dangers and struggles encountered by the early pioneer settlers to learning how to ride a bike or to space exploration

19. Concept Formation
A concept is a mental construct commonly symbolized by a word – it could be an object, event, idea, or process.
Students learn new concept through a process of differentiating between examples and non-examples of essential characteristics of concepts.

20. Higher Order Thinking Skills
Knowledge
Comprehension
Application
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation

21. HOTS Descriptive Verbs
Knowledge Define, fill in the blank, identify, label, list, locate, match, memorize, name, recall, spell, state, tell, underline
Comprehension Convert, describe, explain, interpret, paraphrase, put in order, restate, retell, rewrite, summarize, trace, translate
Application Apply, compute, conclude, construct, demonstrate, determine, draw, give an example, illustrate, show, solve, use
Analysis Analyze, categorize, classify, compare, contrast, debate, deduct, diagnose, diagram, differentiate, dissect, distinguish, infer
Synthesis Change, combine, compose, construct, create, design, generate, invent, plan, predict, produce, rearrange, revise, suggest, suppose, visualize, write
Evaluation Appraise, choose, compare, conclude, decide, defend, evaluate, judge, justify, prioritize, rank, rate, support, value

22. Knowledge Who was the first person to set foot on the moon?
What is the key word in the problem?
What was the name of the main character in the story?
What is the Bill of Rights?
What part of speech is the word “picture”?

23. Comprehension Explain why astronauts had to wear space suits
What operation does the key word signify?
During what part of the country did the story take place?
What does the Bill of Rights guarantee?
Could the word picture be also used as a verb?

24. Application Compute how much you would weigh on the moon
Write and solve the problem.
Give me an example of the selfishness of the grandmother.
How have you exercised your rights under the Bill of Rights?
Write two sentences using the word as a different part of speech.

25. Analysis
Compare the type of food taken on this journey to the type of food that you would take if you were going mountain climbing for a week
Will the answer in these types of problems always be larger, smaller, or it depends?
Which of the characters displayed more aggression?
To which group of people do certain rights apply?
Of the eight parts of speeches, which ones would more than likely have words that could be used as another part of speech.

26. Synthesis
Pretend you were the first person on the moon. What would your famous words be?
Give me an example where this type of problem may yield a different type of answer?
If you would have been the main character, how would you have dealt with the grandmother?
Which “unspoken” rights do a married couple have as part of their marriage contract?
Can you think of a word that has come out in the last ten years that is used as a different part of speech?

27. Evaluation
In your opinion, has the money that has been spent on the space program been worthwhile? Defend your answer.
Would this problem be more precise if you use fractions instead of decimals?
Do you think there is a relationship between a person’s level of aggression and their quality of life?
Do you think that a person who has committed a federal crime should retain the same rights as everyone else?
Should a word be used as an adverb and an adjective in the same sentence? Why or why not?

28. Effective Teaching Strategies
Learner Centered
Active Involvement
HOTS
Creative Thinking
Learning Centers
Resource People
Cooperative Learning
Simulations
Inquiry Approach
See Pages for a description of these strategies

29. Test-Taking Skills
Forget about your district, your school, your students and instructional practice in your school.
On the other hand, whole-group instruction, dictionary work, memorization, worksheets, and workbooks are not effective teaching practices.
Focus on Phonics and teaching alphabetic knowledge of letters and combination of letters and the sound they make in the early grades.
Authentic practices in reading and writing in upper grades
Respect and incorporate cultural diversity
Incorporate technology