PLT Review Session: Preparing for Case Studies! Dr. Brian E. Harper

What exactly is the format of the Praxis PLT examination? You will be asked to : complete 24 multiple choice questions that assess a beginning teacher’s knowledge of job-related skills and knowledge respond to 4 case studies Today we will focus on the case studies!

Case histories/studies CR 1 CR 2 CR 3 CR 1 CR 2 CR 3 CR 1 CR 2 CR 3 CR 1 CR 2 CR 3 List 2 Strategies List 2 Strategies List 2 Strategies List 2 Strategies List 2 Strategies List 2 Strategies List 2 Strategies List 2 Strategies List 2 Strategies List 2 Strategies List 2 Strategies List 2 Strategies CR = Constructed Response Question

What content areas will the exam address? Students as Learner (approx. 35% of total score) Student development and the learning process Students as diverse learners Student motivation and the learning environment Instruction and Assessment (approx. 35%) Instructional strategies Planning instruction Assessment strategies

What content areas will the exam address? Communication Techniques (approx. 15%) Effective verbal and nonverbal communication Cultural and gender differences Stimulating discussion and responses in the classroom Teacher Professionalism (approx. 15%) The reflective practitioner The lager community

What will be expected of my response to the case studies? Each case study response will be scored either 2, 1, or 0. To earn a 2, you must: Provide an appropriate answer all parts of the question Display understanding and application of all relevant terms, theories and content

Okay, how should I time and write my responses? Timing: 5 minutes to read each case 5 minutes to write each response to the question. 5 minutes (for each case) to look over your three responses and make any changes

Is there a formula to follow when writing case study responses? For each case study response: PREPARE! Paragraphs I will need Rephrase the question Essential facts from the case to include Psychological theory to reference Absolutely clear interpretation of that theory REstate thesis

Step 1: Paragraphs I will need Here you will decide how many paragraphs will be needed to answer the question. Each question mark (?) or part of a question requires its own paragraph.

Step 1: Paragraphs I will need For example: How should Mr. Asaki respond to Alicia and her comments expressed in her writing? What should Mr. Asaki not do? Explain you reasons for answering as you did. You will need 2 paragraphs to answer this question.

Step 1: Paragraphs I will need For example: Suppose that Ms. Kelly and the principal are discussing effective classroom management practices. Describe two strategies that Ms. Kelly could use for her approach to classroom management. Explain why each of the strategies you recommend would be effective. Base your answer on sound principles of classroom management. You will again need 2 paragraphs to answer this question.

Step 2: Rephrasing the question This allows us to create the thesis which provides the foundation for our answer It also guarantees that you are responding directly to the question and not “rambling” or “riding the fence” (a common problem students have with writing clear case study responses)

Step 2: Rephrasing the question For example: How should Mr. Asaki respond to Alicia and the comments expressed in her writing? What should Mr. Asaki not do? Explain you reasons for answering as you did. Your first sentence for paragraph 1 could read: “Mr. Asaki should respond to Alicia’s comments by consulting with his administrator regarding Alicia’s essay.” Your first sentence for paragraph 2 could read: “Mr. Asaki should certainly not choose to ignore the ideas expressed in Alicia’s essay.”

Step 2: Rephrasing the question For example: Suppose that Ms. Kelly and the principal are discussing effective classroom management practices. Describe two strategies that Ms. Kelly could use for her approach to classroom management. Explain why each of the strategies you recommend would be effective. Base your answer on sound principles of classroom management. Paragraph 1 could begin with “One strategy that Ms. Kelly could use for her approach to classroom management would be to model desirable classroom behaviors for her students.” Paragraph 2 could begin with “A second strategy Ms. Kelly could use would be to institute a token system as a means to reward instances of good behavior.”

Step 3: Essential Facts from the case to include Now reference the specific aspect of the case that is relevant to your question. This is a key element that reviewers will be looking for when they grade your responses.

Step 3: Essential facts from the case to include For example: How should Mr. Asaki respond to Alicia and the comments expressed in her writing? What should Mr. Asaki not do? Explain you reasons for answering as you did. This sentence in paragraph 1 could read: “Alicia has repeatedly expressed morbid thoughts and written suicidal statements.” This sentence in paragraph 2 could read: “For this assignment, Alicia specifically wrote that she wished she had never been born and desires that she was dead.”

Step 3: Essential Facts from the case to include For example: Suppose that Ms. Kelly and the principal are discussing effective classroom management practices. Describe two strategies that Ms. Kelly could use for her approach to classroom management. Explain why each of the strategies you recommend would be effective. Base your answer on sound principles of classroom management. This sentence in paragraph 1 could read: “Ms. Kelly is only in her fourth year of teaching and clearly states that she wants to be a master teacher.” This sentence in paragraph 2 could read: “Ms. Kelly wants to emphasize appropriate classroom behavior among her third grade students”

Step 4: Psychological Theory to reference Now, introduce the psychological theory that informs your thesis Don’t get caught up in using a bunch of jargon, but make it clear that you took an Ed psych class and learned something!

Step 4: Psychological Theory to reference For example: How should Mr. Asaki respond to Alicia and the comments expressed in her writing? What should Mr. Asaki not do? Explain you reasons for answering as you did. This sentence in paragraph 1 could read: “One of the key goals of instruction is to create a warm, caring classroom atmosphere” This sentence in paragraph 2 could read: “The law states that classroom teachers are required to report suspected abuse, neglect, and at-risk situations”

Step 4: Psychological Theory to reference For example: Suppose that Ms. Kelly and the principal are discussing effective classroom management practices. Describe two strategies that Ms. Kelly could use for her approach to classroom management. Explain why each of the strategies you recommend would be effective. Base your answer on sound principles of classroom management. This sentence in paragraph 1 could read: “Psychological research has shown that modeling acceptable prosocial behaviors is an effective way to establish standards of classroom conduct” This sentence in paragraph 2 could read: “Skinner’s conception of operant conditioning posits that a response followed by a reinforcer is more likely to occur again”.

Step 5: Absolutely clear interpretation of that theory Here you will “break down” the theoretical statement you just made Your goal here is CLARITY and APPLICABILITY!!!

Step 5: Absolutely clear interpretation of that theory For example: How should Mr. Asaki respond to Alicia and the comments expressed in her writing? What should Mr. Asaki not do? Explain you reasons for answering as you did. This sentence in paragraph 1 could read: “Part of Mr. Asaki’s role as a teacher would involve exhibiting an active interest and concern for his student’s welfare” This sentence in paragraph 2 could read: “In instances where a teacher suspects that a student is depressed or possibly suicidal, he or she must report those suspicions to the appropriate staff members”

Step 5: Absolutely clear interpretation of that theory For example: Suppose that Ms. Kelly and the principal are discussing effective classroom management practices. Describe two strategies that Ms. Kelly could use for her approach to classroom management. Explain why each of the strategies you recommend would be effective. Base your answer on sound principles of classroom management. This sentence in paragraph 1 could read: “By showing her students examples of appropriate behavior rather than just telling them what is appropriate, Ms. Kelly can be confident that her students understand her expectations.” This sentence in paragraph 2 could read: “By rewarding good behavior, Ms. Kelly will be encouraging students to consistently follow the rules of her classroom.”

Step 6: REstate your thesis “Second slice of bread” in the sandwich: you are restating the first sentence of this paragraph This will form the conclusion of each paragraph

Step 6: REstate your thesis For example: How should Mr. Asaki respond to Alicia and the comments expressed in her writing? What should Mr. Asaki not do? Explain you reasons for answering as you did. Your last sentence for paragraph 1 could read: “Subsequently, Mr. Asaki is clearly obligated to consult an administrator regarding the comments Alicia expressed in her writing .” Your last sentence for paragraph 2 could read: “And so it would certainly be inappropriate for Mr. Asaki to ignore the comments expressed by Alicia in this writing assignment.”

Step 6: REstate your thesis For example: Suppose that Ms. Kelly and the principal are discussing effective classroom management practices. Describe two strategies that Ms. Kelly could use for her approach to classroom management. Explain why each of the strategies you recommend would be effective. Base your answer on sound principles of classroom management. Paragraph 1 could end with “Subsequently, having Ms. Kelly model appropriate behavior would assist her in her approach to classroom management” Paragraph 2 could end with “Thus, the use of a token reward system would also encourage Ms. Kelly’s students to demonstrate desirable classroom behaviors. ”

When are you planning to take this exam? 10 November test January test March test June test Sometime after June

How do I register for the examination? www.ets.org