Bloom's+Taxonomy

WHAT IS BLOOM'S TAXONOMY?

Bloom's taxonomy is a classification of learning objectives and levels of intellectual behavior that is important in learning. It was created by Benjamin Bloom in 1965, publisher of //The Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, The Classification of Educational Goals, Handbook.//

This is an example of the original model of Bloom's taxonomy. Notice that he uses nouns instead of verbs in describing the objectives. This changes when a student who studied under Bloom comes up with a more modern version of Bloom's taxonomy in the 1990's.

This is the current model of Bloom's taxonomy. Notice how she created a model using verbs instead of nouns. This aligns with the modern theory in education of making learning more active to increase student interest.

Here is a breakdown of the different levels or categories of Bloom's triangle.  Remembering: ** can the student recall or remember the information? (define, list, repeat)  
 * Understanding: ** can the student explain ideas or concepts? (classify, identify, translate) 
 * Applying **: can the student use the information in a new way? (demonstrate, sketch, write) 
 * Analyzing **: can the student distinguish between the different parts? (compare, contrast) 
 * Evaluating **: can the student justify a stand or decision? (defend, support, evaluate) 
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14pt;">Creating **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14pt;">: can the student create new product or point of view? (assemble, create) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14pt;">

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR EDUCATORS?

We should challenge our students and ourselves to not only assess using the lowest level of Bloom's triangle. We need to create projects and assessments that challenge our students and require higher level thinking. Bloom's also provides a way to scaffold presentation of new material. For example, you would never expect a student to create a something when they have just been introduced to the material. On the first day of new material, they should be able to remember or recall what you taught them. For a final evaluation of their learning, you should not have them translate sentences as this is lower level thinking. Instead, they should be showing their understanding by creating or evaluating something relevant to what you taught.



Xtranormal movie on Bloom <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14pt;">