Study Guide for Praxis PLT

Passing the Praxis PLT Resource link:

SAU’s Educational Psychology and/or Learning Theory Textbooks make for great study aids to review over the pedagogical and professional information included within the Praxis PLT Exam. The Educational Psychology Textbook actually contains a section in the back of the textbook for reviewing specific PLT content and addresses where to locate the information within the textbook. The information below can be found within that Textbook or can be reviewed on your own.

Textbook recommendation: ED PSYCH Modules

Second Edition

Lisa Bohlin, Cheryl Durwin, Marla Reese-Weber

ISBN 978-0-07-809766-7

There are Apps available for PLT resource aid, one example:

I. Students as Learners

A. Student Development and the Learning Process

1. Theoretical foundations about how learning occurs: how students construct knowledge, acquire skills, and develop habits of mind

  • The Brain and Development
  • Cognitive Development
  • Language Development
  • Behavioral Learning Theories
  • Social Cognitive Theory
  • Information Processing
  • Metacognition
  • Transfer of Skills and Knowledge
  • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Examples of important theorists:

  • Jean Piaget
  • Lev Vygotsky
  • Howard Gardner
  • Robert Sternberg
  • Erik Erikson
  • Lawrence Kohlberg
  • Urie Bronfenbrenner
  • David Ausubel
  • Jerome Bruner
  • B. F. Skinner
  • Albert Bandura

Important terms related to learning theory:

  • Conservation
  • Constructivism (individual vs. social)
  • Equilibration
  • Co-construction (see “intersubjectivity”)
  • Private speech (see “egocentric speech”)
  • Scaffolding
  • Zone of Proximal Development
  • Modeling
  • Rote memorization
  • Elaboration
  • Organization
  • Rehearsal
  • Automaticity

Learning (classical conditioning)

Learning (operant conditioning)

Learning (observational learning)

Knowledge (see “metacognitive knowledge”)

Memory

Schemas

Transfer

2. Human development in the physical, social, emotional, moral, and cognitive domains

  • Contexts of Development
  • Social Development
  • Emotional Development
  • The Brain and Development
  • Cognitive Development
  • Language Development
  • Moral Development

Contribution of important theorists:

  • Jean Piaget
  • Lev Vygotsky
  • Erik Erikson
  • Lawrence Kohlberg
  • Carol Gilligan

Major progressions in each developmental domain and the ranges of individual variation within each domain

Impact of students’ physical, social, emotional, moral, and cognitive development on their learning and how to address these factors when making decisions

How development in one domain, such as physical, may affect performance in another domain, such as social

B. Students as Diverse Learners

1. Differences in the ways students learn and perform

  • Using Science to Inform Classroom Practices
  • Contexts of Development
  • Individual Differences in Language Acquisition
  • Individual Differences in Information Processing
  • Intelligence
  • Giftedness and Creativity
  • Cognitive Disabilities
  • Emotional, Social, and Behavioral Disorders

Important terms related to diversity:

  • Learning styles
  • Multiple intelligences
  • Performance modes, including concrete operational thinking, visual learners, and aural learners

Gender differences

Cultural expectations and styles

2. Areas of exceptionality in students’ learning

Important terms related to exceptionality:

  • Special physical or sensory challenges
  • Learning disabilities
  • ADHD
  • Autism
  • Functional and mental retardation

3. Legislation and institutional responsibilities relating to exceptional students

Important terms relating to exceptionality:

  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA); Section 504 Protections for Students
  • Inclusion
  • Mainstreaming
  • “Least restrictive environment”

4. Approaches for accommodating various learning styles, intelligences, or exceptionalities

Issue in Standardized Testing

Alternative Assessment

Testing modifications

5. Process of second language acquisition and strategies to support the learning of students

6. Understanding of influences of individual experiences, talents, and prior learning, as well as language, culture, family, and community values on students’ learning

Multicultural backgrounds

Age-appropriate knowledge and behavior

The student culture at school

  • Creating a Productive Learning Environment

Family backgrounds

Linguistic patterns and differences

C. Student Motivation and the Learning Environment

1. Theoretical foundations of human motivation and behavior

  • Behavioral Theory
  • Cognitive Theories
  • Self Theories

2. How knowledge of human motivation and behavior should influence strategies for organizing and supporting individual and group work in the classroom

  • Creating a Productive Learning Environment

3. Factors and situations that are likely to promote or diminish student’s motivation to learn, and how to help students to become self-motivated

  • Behavioral Theory
  • Self Theories

4. Principles on effective classroom management and strategies to promote positive relationships, cooperation, and purposeful learning

  • Creating a Productive Learning Environment
  • Understanding and Managing Student Behavior
  • Instruction: Applying Behavioral, Cognitive, and Constructivist Approaches
  • Grouping Practices

Establishing daily procedures and routines

Establishing classroom rules

Using natural and logical consequences (Behavioral Learning Theories)

Providing positive guidance

Modeling conflict resolution, problem solving, and anger management

Using objective behavior descriptions (Understanding and Managing Student Behavior)

Responding to student behavior (Behavioral Learning Theories)

Arranging classroom space

II. Instruction & Assessment

A. Instructional Strategies

1. Major cognitive processes

  • Metacognition
  • Transfer of Skills and Knowledge
  • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Critical thinking

Creative thinking

Higher-order thinking

Inductive and deductive thinking

Problem structuring and problem solving (Critical Thinking and Problem Solving)

Memorization and recall

Social reasoning (see “prosocial reasoning”)

Representation of ideas (see “schemas” and “propositional networks”)

2. Major categories, advantages, and appropriate uses of instructional strategies

  • Creating a Productive Learning Environment
  • Understanding and Managing Student Behavior
  • Instruction: Applying Behavioral, Cognitive, and Constructivist Approaches
  • Grouping Practices

Cooperative learning

Direct Instruction

Discovery Learning

Whole-group discussion

Concept mapping

Questioning

Learning centers

Small-group work

Project approach

3. Principles, techniques, and methods associated with major instructional strategies

  • Creating a Productive Learning Environment
  • Understanding and Managing Student Behavior
  • Planning for Instruction
  • Grouping Practices

Direct Instruction (See “Mastery Learning”, “Discovery Learning and Guided Discovery”, and “Expository Teaching”)

Student-centered methods

4. Methods for enhancing student learning through the use of a variety of resources and materials

  • Creating a Productive Environment
  • Understanding and Managing Student Behavior
  • Instruction: Applying Behavioral, Cognitive, and Constructivist Approaches
  • Grouping Practices

Computers, internet resources, Web pages, e-mail

Service learning

B. Planning Instruction

1. Techniques for planning instruction, including addressing curriculum goals, selecting content topics, incorporating learning theory, subject matter, curriculum development, and student development and interests

  • Creating a Productive Learning Environment
  • Understanding and Managing Student Behavior
  • Instruction: Applying Behavioral, Cognitive, and Constructivist Approaches
  • Grouping Practices

Behavioral objectives: affective, cognitive, psychomotor, speech/language (“See Bloom’s taxonomy”)

Leaner objectives and outcomes (Assessing Student Learning)

Antibias curriculum (Information Processing, Metacognition, Transfer of Skills and Knowledge)

2. Techniques for creating effective bridges between curriculum goals and students’ experiences

  • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
  • Instruction: Applying Behavioral, Cognitive, and Constructivist Approaches
  • Grouping Practices
  • Creativity and Giftedness
  • See “Assessment Planning”

Modeling

Independent practice, including homework (See “Direct Instruction”)

Activating students’ prior knowledge

Encouraging exploration and problem solving

C. Assessment Strategies

1. Types of assessments

  • Intelligence
  • Assessing Student Learning
  • Test Construction and Use
  • Performance Assessment
  • Standardized Tests and Scores

2. Characteristics of assessments

  • Assessing Student Learning
  • Test Construction and Use
  • Performance Assessment
  • Standardized Tests and Scores
  • Issues in Standardized Testing

3. Scoring assessments

  • Assessing Student Learning
  • Test Construction and Use
  • Performance Assessment

4. Uses of assessments

  • Intelligence
  • Assessing Student Learning
  • Test Construction and Use
  • Performance Assessment
  • Standardized Tests and Scores
  • Issues in Standardized Testing

5. Understanding of measurement theory and assessment-related issues

  • Test Construction and Use
  • Standardized Tests and Scores
  • Issues in Standardized Testing

6. Interpreting and communicating results of assessments

  • Intelligence
  • Assessing Student Learning
  • Standardized Tests and Scores

III. Communication Techniques

A. Basic, effective verbal and nonverbal communication techniques

  • Understanding and Managing Student Behavior
  • Intelligence

B. Effect of cultural and gender differences on communications in the classroom

C. Types of communications and interactions that can stimulate discussion in different ways for particular purposes

  • Metacognition

Probing for learner understanding

Helping students articulate their ideas and thinking processes

Promoting risk taking and problem solving (Critical Thinking and Problem Solving)

Facilitating factual recall

Encouraging convergent and divergent thinking

Stimulating curiosity (See “Applications: Creating an Intrinsically Motivating Learning Environment” and “Promoting Creativity”)

Helping students to question (Critical Thinking and Problem Solving and “Reading Comprehension”)

Promoting a caring community

IV. Profession & Community

A. The Reflective Practitioner

1. Types of resources available for professional development and learning

  • Using Science to Inform Classroom Practices

2. Ability to read, understand, and apply articles and books about current research, views, ideas, and debates regarding best teaching practices

  • Using Science to Inform Classroom Practices

3. Ongoing personal reflection on teaching and learning practices as a basis for making professional decisions

  • Using Science to Inform Classroom Practices
  • Transfer of Skills and Knowledge
  • Creating a Productive Learning Environment
  • Understanding and Managing Student Behavior

B. The Larger Community

1. Role of the school as a resource to the larger community

  • Contexts of Development

2. Factors in the students’ environment outside of school (family circumstances, community environments, health and economic conditions) that may influence students’ life and learning

  • Contexts of Development
  • See “Common Causes of Misbehavior”
  • Intelligence. See “Socioeconomic and Cultural Factors”

3. Develop and utilize active partnerships among teachers, parents/guardians and leaders in the community to support educational process

  • Contexts of Development
  • Creating a Productive Learning Environment

4. Major laws related to students’ rights and teacher responsibilities

  • Cognitive Disabilities
  • Emotional, Social and Behavioral Disorders

Appropriate education for students with special needs