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Identifying Learning Modalities- Assessment  2

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Identifying Learning Modalities- Assessment  2

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Here is a second self guided quiz students can take to identify strategies that will help them to understand how they learn effectively.

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Learning Style Assessment - How To Study

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Learning Style Assessment Your preferred learning style is the way in which you learn best. Three learning styles that are often identified in students are: Auditory Visual Tactile/Kinesthetic

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This article sites great ways to craft clear and direct objectives that will guide both the student and instructor. I think when I am having meetings with students objectives are completely neccessary as we are having the meeting to achieve some kind of goal or series of goals. In addition, it provides a design that incorporates both backwards planning and Bloom's Taxonomy.

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What is Bloom's Taxonomy

Bloom's Taxonomy is a classification of the different outcomes and skills that educators set for their students (learning outcomes). The taxonomy was proposed in 1956 by Benjamin Bloom, an educational psychologist at the University of Chicago. The terminology has been recently updated to include the following six levels of learning. These 6 levels can be used to structure the learning outcomes, lessons, and assessments of your course. :

1. Remembering: Retrieving, recognizing, and recalling relevant knowledge from long‐term memory.

2. Understanding: Constructing meaning from oral, written, and graphic messages through interpreting, exemplifying, classifying, summarizing, inferring, comparing, and explaining.

3. Applying: Carrying out or using a procedure for executing, or implementing.

4. Analyzing: Breaking material into constituent parts, determining how the parts relate to one another and to an overall structure or purpose through differentiating, organizing, and attributing.

5. Evaluating: Making judgments based on criteria and standards through checking and critiquing.

6. Creating: Putting elements together to form a coherent or functional whole; reorganizing elements into a new pattern or structure through generating, planning, or producing.

Like other taxonomies, Bloom's is hierarchical, meaning that learning at the higher levels is dependent on having attained prerequisite knowledge and skills at lower levels. You will see Bloom's Taxonomy often displayed as a pyramid graphic to help demonstrate this hierarchy. We have updated this pyramid into a "cake-style" hierarchy to emphasize that each level is built on a foundation of the previous levels.

You may use this graphic for educational or non-profit use if you include a credit for Jessica Shabatura and citation back to this website.
How Bloom's can aid in course design

Bloom's taxonomy is a powerful tool to help develop learning outcomes because it explains the process of learning:

Before you can understand a concept, you must remember it.

To apply a concept you must first understand it.

In order to evaluate a process, you must have analyzed it.

To create an accurate conclusion, you must have completed a thorough evaluation.

However, we don't always start with lower order skills and step all the way through the entire taxonomy for each concept you present in your course. That approach would become tedious-for both you and your students! Instead, start by considering the level of learners in your course:

1. Are lots of your students freshman? Is this an "Introduction to..." course? If so, many your learning outcomes may target the lower order Bloom's skills, because your students are building foundational knowledge. However, even in this situation we would strive to move a few of your outcomes into the applying and analyzing level, but getting too far up in the taxonomy could create frustration and unachievable goals.

2. Are most of your students juniors and seniors? Graduate students? Do your students have a solid foundation in much of the terminology and processes you will be working on your course? If so, then you should not have many remembering and understanding level outcomes. You may need a few, for any radically new concepts specific to your course. However, these advanced students should be able to master higher-order learning objectives. Too many lower level outcomes might cause boredom or apathy.

How Bloom's works with learning outcomes

Fortunately, there are "verb tables" to help identify which action verbs align with each level in Bloom's Taxonomy.

You may notice that some of these verbs on the table are associated with multiple Bloom's Taxonomy levels. These "multilevel-verbs" are actions that could apply to different activities. For example, you could have an outcome that states "At the end of this lesson, students will be able to explain the difference between H2O and OH-." This would be an understanding level outcome. However, if you wanted the students to be able to "... explain the shift in the chemical structure of water throughout its various phases." This would be an analyzing level verb.

Adding to this confusion, you can locate Bloom's verb charts that will list verbs at levels different from what we list below. Just keep in mind that it is the skill, action or activity you will teach using that verb that determines the Bloom's Taxonomy level.

Bloom's Level

Key Verbs (keywords)

Example Learning Outcome

Evaluate
choose, support, relate, determine, defend, judge, grade, compare, contrast, argue, justify, support, convince, select, evaluate.

By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to determine whether using conservation of energy or conservation of momentum would be more appropriate for solving a dynamics problem.

Learning outcome examples adapted from, Nelson Baker at Georgia Tech: nelson.baker@pe.gatech.edu
How Bloom's works with Quality Matters

For a course to meet the Quality Matters standards it must have learning outcomes that are measurable. Using a verb table like the one above will help you avoid verbs that cannot be quantified, like: understand, learn, appreciate, or enjoy. Quality Matters also requires that your course assessments (activities, projects, and exams) align with your learning outcomes. For example, if your learning outcome has an application level verb, such as "present", then you cannot demonstrate that your students have mastered that learning outcome by simply having a multiple choice quiz.

Course level and lesson level outcomes

The biggest difference between course and lesson level outcomes is that we don't directly assess course level outcomes. Course level outcomes are just too broad. Instead, we use several lesson level outcomes to demonstrate mastery of one course level outcome. To create good course level outcomes, we need to ask ourselves: "what do I want the students to have mastery of at the end of the course?" Then, after we finalize our course level outcomes, we have to make sure that mastery of all of the lesson level outcomes underneath confirm that a student has mastery of the course level outcome-in other words, if your students can prove (through assessment) that they can do each and every one of the lesson level outcomes in that section, then you as an instructor agree they have mastery of the course level outcome.

How Bloom's works with course level and lesson level outcomes:

Course level outcomes are broad. You may only have 3-5 course level outcomes. They would be difficult to measure directly because they overarch the topics of your entire course.

Lesson level outcomes are what we use to demonstrate that a student has mastery of the course level outcomes. We do this by building lesson level outcomes that build toward the course level outcome. For example, a student might need to demonstrate mastery of 8 lesson level outcomes in order to demonstrate mastery of one course level outcome.

Because the lesson level outcomes directly support the course level outcomes, they need to build up the Bloom's taxonomy to help your students reach mastery of the course level outcomes. Use Bloom's Taxonomy to make sure that the verbs you choose for your lesson level outcomes build up to the level of the verb that is in the course level outcome. The lesson level verbs can be below or equal to the course level verb, but they CANNOT be higher in level. For example, your course level verb might be an Applying level verb, "illustrate." Your lesson level verbs can be from any Bloom's level that is equal or below this level (applying, understanding, or remembering).

Steps towards writing effective learning outcomes:

1. Make sure there is one measurable verb in each objective.

2. Each outcome needs one verb. Either a student can master the outcome , or they fail to master it. If an outcome has two verbs (say, define and apply), what happens if a student can define, but not apply? Are they demonstrating mastery?

3. Ensure that the verbs in the course level outcome are at least at the highest Bloom's Taxonomy as the highest lesson level outcomes that support it. (Because we can't verify they can evaluate if our lessons only taught them (and assessed) to define.)

4. Strive to keep all your learning outcomes measurable, clear and concise.

When you are ready to write, it can be helpful to list the level of Bloom's next to the verb you choose in parentheses. For example:

Course level outcome 1. (apply) Demonstrate how transportation is a critical link in the supply chain.

1.1. (understand) Discuss the changing global landscape for businesses and other organizations that are driving change in the global environment.

1.2. (apply) Demonstrate the special nature of transportation demand and the influence of transportation on companies and their supply chains operating in a global economy.

This trick will help you quickly see what level verbs you have. It will also let you check that the course level outcome is at least as high of a Bloom's level as any of the lesson level outcomes underneath.

Before you begin constructing your outcomes:

Please read our Learning Outcome : Before and After Examples page.

Additional External Resources:

For a longer list of Bloom's Verbs - TIPS tip: You can also use the "find" function (press: Ctrl-f or command-f on a mac) in your browser to locate specific verbs on this list.

To see how Bloom's can be applied specifically to distance education: Digital Approaches to Bloom's Taxonomy

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Using Bloom's Taxonomy to Write Effective Learning Outcomes

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Bloom's Taxonomy is a classification of the different outcomes and skills that educators set for their students (learning outcomes). The taxonomy was proposed in 1956 by Benjamin Bloom, an educational psychologist at the University of Chicago. The terminology has been recently updated to include the following six levels of learning.

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Despite the website name, here are FREE examples of Bloom's Taxonomy questions. I would like to integrate these into my one on one meetings with students to evaluate their understanding of the material we've covered and hopefully help them question whether they understand the information we've discussed.

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FREE - Bloom's Question Cards - Bloom's Taxonomy

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These question card FREEBIES are based upon the original Bloom's Taxonomy. Use them to promote higher-level thinking during lessons and after read-alouds. Color code them by copying them on different colors so they are easily differentiated. Adorable covers for each question type are included.Lookin...

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This is a great article and video that conveys the important for student evaluating their level of content understanding. It provides them with feedback and a chance to participate in the question/response portions of the pedagogical cycle.

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Identifying Learning Modalities- Assessment 1

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Identifying Learning Modalities- Assessment 1

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Here is a self guided quiz students can take to identify strategies that will help them to understand how they learn effectively.

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VARK Questionnaire version 8.01
Choose the answer which best explains your preference and click the box next to it. Please click more than one if a single answer does not match your perception. Leave blank any question that does not apply.

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VARK Questionnaire: How do you learn best?

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Fill in the VARK questionnaire to find out your learning style - do you prefer to use Visual, Aural, Read/write or Kinesthetic learning strategies, or a combination?

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As an individual working in the environment of student services and in small student group sessions I thought these were some excellent ice breaker options. Many are easily adaptable to college aged students.

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Cooperative learning

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Use these strategies to improve your students' cooperative learning skills. Included are articles to teach you about each concept and lesson plans with which you can implement the strategies. These are great professional development resources and are an excellent resource to ensure that you are improving your professional skill set.

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ADVERTISEMENT | REMOVE ADS Cooperative learning We found 16 items Use these strategies to improve your students' cooperative learning skills. Included are articles to teach you about each concept and lesson plans with which you can implement the strategies. These are great professional development resources and are an excellent resource to ensure that you are improving your professional skill set.

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My Content Area

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This visual helps organize the methodological process of evaluating the successes and weaknesses of teachers and students in the classroom. It is a handy reference.

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M4: Presentations that Engage Adult Learners

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M4: Presentations that Engage Adult Learners

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I like the rhyming nature of this visual. I think it's a good tip to keep in mind when assembling the components of an effective presentations.

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This article is brilliant in connecting technology touchstones in the classroom to teaching and employing the pedagogical cycle.

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8 ways to think about tech in ways that actually improve the classroom.

Bringing technology into the classroom often winds up an awkward mash-up between the laws of Murphy and Moore: What can go wrong, will - only faster.

It's a multi-headed challenge: Teachers need to connect with classrooms filled with distinct individuals. We all want learning to be intrinsically motivated and mindful, yet we want kids to test well and respond to bribes (er, extrinsic rewards). Meanwhile, there's a multi-billion-dollar industry, in the US alone, hoping to sell apps and tech tools to school boards.

There's no app for that.

But there are touchstones for bringing technology into the classroom. With educational goals as the starting point, not an afterthought, teachers can help students use - and then transcend - technology as they learn.

"App-transcendence," says Howard Gardner, a professor at Harvard's graduate school of education who is known for his theory of multiple intelligences, "is when you put the apps away and use your own wits, not someone else's." To help kids get to that point, Gardner suggests that teachers and parents "ask who created the technology and for what purpose, to what extent is it flexible, to what extent are the data produced going to be used by the manufacturer and the creator? In other words, interrogate the technology, interrogate the software. The existence of it is nice, but that's not a mandate to use it."

The following is what teachers (and parents) need to know when looking at the increasingly lucrative landscape of apps, learning systems, MOOCs and hardware. Already, K-12 schools represent a $600 billion market. Keeping up with the deluge of products is impossible and really not all that helpful. Instead, these 8 touchstones - based on research and backed by good common sense and teacher know-how - will outlast any technology life cycle.

1. Keep learning goals ahead of the technology.
At the start and end of each school day, ask: What's the pedagogical goal? "What we're doing in schooling and in teaching is trying to convey content knowledge, whether it's music, art, or math," says Punya Mishra, a professor of Educational Psychology & Educational Technology at Michigan State University. "We're trying to help learners parse and make sense of the world." Mishra points to the work of Lee Shulman, who in the 1970s pioneered the idea of "pedagogical content knowledge," in which good teachers are more than just content experts; they're experts in teaching that content. Pedagogy and content, Mishra says, can't be considered independently of each other; the same goes for tech and content. "Part of the challenge with technology," he says, "is that we see a new tool and say, Let's put it in classrooms. Tech becomes an add-on, as opposed to integral to the subject."

Skip the templates and overly pat apps.

2. Opt for the open-ended.
Drill and grill? Yeah, that sounds about as fun as a root canal. Let students surprise you and themselves. Katie Davis, a former fourth-grade teacher who now works as an assistant professor at the University of Washington Information School and recently co-authored The App Generation with Gardner, suggests using technology as a starting point, a way to introduce new experiences and modes of expressions. Opt for flexible technology that draws on a student's inner resources and judgment and is relevant to them. Query any educational technology, says Davis: "Can students ask, What do I think about this? What direction do I think I should go? The experiences should be open-ended and as non-constrained as possible." In other words, skip the templates and overly pat apps. Let kids get comfortable with the messiness of life and learning.

Look for technology that uses questions to foster curiosity and the joy of discovery.

3. Don't let tech make learning easy.
Use technology to nudge students away from looking for confirmation for what they already know. Instead, challenge them - encourage risk and confusion that can't be solved with a few clicks. Find learning technologies that identify and push against a student's cognitive gap, that space between what a student knows and doesn't know. Then serve up an appropriate next step (and no, not "helpful hints" that give away answers). You're looking for the Goldilocks factor, says Elizabeth Bonawitz, a professor of psychology at Rutgers: Keep learning challenging, but not impossible. Look for technology that uses questions to foster curiosity and the joy of discovery.

4. Take feedback seriously.
Skip educational software that offers only simple "correct" or "wrong" responses. Feedback, particularly how often and how it is given, is "massively underappreciated," says Neil Heffernan, a former middle school math teacher who is now a professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Computer Science Department.

Heffernan developed a tutoring system, called ASSISTments, to help kids in the moment and to assess their progress over time. More than 100,000 schoolchildren across the country have tried the free setup, and Heffernan is now considering how online tutoring might offer students encouragement and gentle nudges in the form of pre-recorded videos by their teachers. Perhaps most interesting, though, is how classroom behavior changes based on the tech. "We're seeing a whole-class discussion about an error that 51 percent of a class made," says Heffernan. "What's the conceptual mistake that someone made to get that common wrong answer? The students' next step is to write the message to kids who actually make this error going forward. All the kids who get to that question tomorrow will have the benefit of this student-generated feedback message."

Small nudges, in the form of well-crafted feedback, can make big differences in learning outcomes for kids. Based on three decades of research, Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck developed "growth mindset," the notion that intelligence and talents can be developed over time - and that a learner's mental attitude or inclination matters. Computer programs like Brainology and Math 180 are based on Dweck's growth mindset; other ed tech offerings are moving in this direction.

5. Stay skeptical of individualized learning - for now.
Research into individualized learning in the digital realm is still at a preliminary stage (read: way behind the marketing of ed-tech startups). But Sidney D'Mello, a professor of psychology and computer science at the University of Notre Dame, thinks the future is promising. D'Mello develops "affect-aware technology," software that works to detect facial cues and then reacts to a student's confusion, boredom or disengagement. His tutoring systems use a $20 commercial eye tracker to identify when a student might be zoning out or wallowing in confusion. But for these technologies to work at the individual level, a classroom's culture is tantamount. Develop, says D'Mello, "a culture that values failure and where confusion doesn't mean you're stupid."

Look beyond Facebook, Instagram and texting.

6. Bring in student interests, authentically.
Who likes chocolate-covered broccoli? Exactly. Mimi Ito, a professor and cultural anthropologist of technology use at the Humanities Research Institute at the University of California, Irvine, often "sees teachers try to graft some of the idioms of social media or popular media onto classroom practices" - in other words, writing lessons that use Facebook, Instagram and texting. But as she says: "Kids are resistant to having their fun space colonized by adults." Rather, she suggests, look to "connect with kids' interest-driven practices through sites and educational technology that are authentically tied to classroom learning."

Teachers can help students see the relevance of their passion, be it gaming, fandom or something altogether different. If their enthusiasm involves content production and sharing (say, writing, performing or making things), all the better. When there's authenticity, students "welcome a brokering of connections," says Ito. "It's not enough for kids to be geeking out and getting good at something with their peers. When a caring adult - a teacher, mentor, or parent - also shares that interest and is able to demonstrate that the skills they're developing are relevant to the adult world or school, that's a profound transformation for kids."

Look for technology that supports social interaction.

7. Start conversations.
Look for technology that supports social interaction, says Lori Takeuchi, senior director and research scientist at the Joan Ganz Cooney Center. "What are the conversations that technology can inspire?" she asks. Consider the notion of "learning around technology" and get comfortable with the fact that there's never one perfect tech solution.

Takeuchi helped design a survey of 694 randomly selected K-8 teachers to track their use of videogames in the classroom. Teachers' top complaint? Difficulty finding just "the right game" for their students. There's no way to make that easy. Most teachers rely on word of mouth and their own hands-on experience. In the survey, 48 percent of game recommendations came from other teachers, 41 percent came from their own experience, and 31 percent came from students.

Use open online materials to share content, lesson plans and professional development.

8. Make it open, make it better.
There's a movement online for teachers to share content, lesson plans and professional development. Known as open educational resources (OERs), these online materials are freely and openly available. For Elizabeth Murray, OERs can be a powerful resource for letting educational technology do what it's good at - expanding and enhancing lessons and learning.

Murray is a founder of MIT's BLOSSOMS (Blended Learning Open Source Science or Math Studies) and co-director of LINC (Learning International Networks Consortium). Both organizations rely on distance and e-learning technologies, largely interactive video lessons, as a way to offer access to quality educational resources. That may sound familiar, but their approach, honed over the past decade, is different. With BLOSSOMS, "we want concepts that are difficult for teachers to teach and difficult for students to learn," says Murray. Consider, for instance, the physics behind answering the question, How do mosquitoes fly in the rain? "We've found that teachers see BLOSSOMS' lessons both as a content resource and as professional development. They learn to teach well by co-teaching with another teacher and then adding to or sharing the lesson." Resources that encourage professional development - often lacking at schools - can help teachers use educational technology to empower and inspire their own teaching practice.
Featured artwork via iStock.

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Bringing technology into the classroom often winds up an awkward mash-up between the laws of Murphy and Moore: What can go wrong, will - only faster. It's a multi-headed challenge: Teachers need to connect with classrooms filled with distinct individuals.

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M2: An effective learning environment should have shared missions/values/visions

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M2: An effective learning environment should have shared missions/values/visions

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I think the ideas on this Pinterest Board (while some may be more elementary based) can be modified to fitting into an adult learning environment. I think the clearly stated object/expectation factor and idea of shared common goal between the learners and instructor set the stage for an effective learning environment. This board provides a variety of ways to approach the construction of this foundation.

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Find and save ideas about Classroom mission statement on Pinterest, the world's catalogue of ideas.

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M1: Adult learners want "real world" experiences

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M1: Adult learners want "real world" experiences

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This article provides a wonderfully scultped techniques for making learning "real world based". Students may find their drive or motivation enhanced when they can observe how the content is applicable to life outside of school. This adds meaning to the content and the overall classroom experience in my opinion.

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Younger children love the "make believe" of pretending to be grown up. Teens who are less interested in school may respond to a dose of "real life" reality.

No matter how old your students are, here are a few ways to bring the real world into to your classroom this school year:
Invite Guest Speakers
Bring in a guest speaker who works in a field connected to what you're studying. An English teacher may get new levels of effort if her students realize that writing essays can prepare them to be a journalist that reviews videos games or interviews famous people. And math teachers who constantly get asked, "Why do I need to know this?" may benefit from introducing an architect, computer programmer, or scientist who uses math on a regular basis.
Practice "Real World Research"
Adults do research all the time, though we may not call it that. We want to take a vacation, throw a party, or make a major purchase, and we research our options before making a decision. Use that same pattern of behavior with your students. If you're teaching geography, have students plan a trip to the country you're studying. They'll want to know about the weather and the best historical sites to visit before they go - and they'll learn about the country in a fun way. In math class, have students plan a fund raising event for a cause they believe in. They'll have to make sure their expenses don't surpass their income, and their math skills will play an important role.

This term is familiar to social studies teachers; it means a document, photograph, etc, that was created at the time being studied. For example, the Declaration of Independence is a primary source document. Some primary source materials will be too difficult for younger children, but keep in mind that the Diary of Anne Frank and the Little House on the Prairie books are primary source materials, too. These documents can make history come alive!
Observe the World Around You
Teach your students how to conduct a scientific observation by taking them out to the playground to observe the plants, birds overhead, or ants on the ground. Better yet, bring in a well-trained dog or cat and have students observe its behavior. The students will be thrilled to have an animal in the classroom and will be more attentive because of the novelty. If you teach English, use the same process but have students write a descriptive passage about what they observed - a great way to reinforce adjectives and adverbs.
Ask Older Students to "Be the Expert"
Have students evaluate something they read as if they were an expert in the field. For example, if they were psychiatrists, what would they say about Oedipus or Macbeth? Are they sane? If not, what kind of disorder or mental illness do they have? Provide students with real scientific information to help them "diagnose" the characters, and if possible, bring in a psychiatrist to talk about it. This exposes students to different career fields and areas of study and puts a unique spin on the old book report.

Skip the "if Train A leaves at 9 a.m. ..." problems and make your own. Bring in advertisements from the newspaper and tell students: "Joey gets $10 week for his allowance and he really wants one of the newest video games. Pick out a game from the ads and figure out how many weeks Joey will have to save his allowance in order to pay for the game." The same thing can be done with clothes, electronics, or anything else your students really want.
Use the News
Find ways to use news stories to make connections between your curriculum and the real world. For example, some news outlets have recently done follow-up stories on Hurricane Katrina, which hit four years ago. Reading about the storm can make a great connection for younger students studying hurricanes or for older students who might be reading books that discuss issues of poverty, racism, etc. These stories can help students recognize that the concepts they learn about in the classroom really do affect the outside world.

You can also dip into the latest news and pop culture with TeachHUB's Pop Culture Student Activities. Check them out!

Instead of having students write the same type of essay or report every week, find some assignments that can use the formats and structures they might use in the adult world: a want ad, a memo, a business letter, etc. Even younger students can manage this if you give them a pre-formatted document and just have them fill in the blanks. Of course students still need to write essays, but it doesn't hurt to vary it up once in a while, and it teaches students useful skills for later in life.

Of course, TVs should be used sparingly in the classroom. But sometimes the most effective way to bring in the real world is to show it, especially if you can show students something they couldn't possibly see in your local community. Nature documentaries or historical footage are two perfect examples.

Every week, we post a new Video Writing Prompt based on the latest news or hit video that may help.

Simulations require planning and preparation, but they can be extremely effective. After your students read Lord of the Flies, put the boys on trial for the death of Piggy. Ask them to serve as lawyers, jury, etc; have them dress appropriately, provide evidence, give opening and closing arguments.

If they're reading a mystery, have them recreate (within reason) the scene of the crime and conduct a physical investigation. Or have them start their own country in your social studies class. What laws would they create? How would they govern their country? Once they've made their decisions, compare their process to what actually happened when the U.S. was founded.
Bring in "Celebrity Judges" or "Celebrity Coaches"
Reality TV offers one useful idea for the classroom: celebrity judges. Bring in professionals to help students evaluate or revise their work on a major assignment or project. This will take some effort on your part to recruit enough "judges," but it can have a tremendous pay-off, especially with older students. When a student realizes his grammar mistakes might cost him a job or a math student understands her miscalculation could make a building collapse, they see their homework in a new light.

With the Internet and today's computers, sharing your work with the world has never been easier. Choose a topic that will interest your community: for example, a collection of stories about local history or a research assignment on the prevalence of litter, graffiti, or another problem in your community. Have students do the research and write up their findings, then determine how to "publish" the information.

You might create a class blog, which you control, for the community to read. You might have students work together to create a handout or flyer that can be distributed in the community. If you have sufficient room in your budget, you could even self-publish a book of your students' work. Students should then have the opportunity to receive feedback from the community on their findings, whether informally as they pass out the flyers or through a formal feedback process that you control. If students know their work will be shared beyond the school's borders, they have a new reason to work harder.

Whichever approach you try, incorporating the larger world into your classroom is guaranteed to be a memorable experience for you and your students.
How do you bring the real world into your classroom? Share in the comments section!

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12 ways to bring the real world into your classroom

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Top 12 Ways to Bring the Real World into Your Classroom

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Younger children love the "make believe" of pretending to be grown up. Teens who are less interested in school may respond to a dose of â€œreal lifeâ€ reality. No matter how old your students are, here are a few ways to bring the real world to your class