ABCTE PTK Exam 20 Questions with Verified Answers
During a class discussion, a teacher asks a student to evaluate President Roosevelt's Public Works
... [Show More] Association for its effectiveness as a means to alleviate unemployment while benefiting the community. How long should the teacher wait for a response? - CORRECT ANSWER 10 Seconds
Why? Ten seconds is an appropriate length of time to wait for an answer to a question that calls for higher order thinking such as evaluating.
The four major steps to planning a lesson are: task analysis, determining objectives, determining goals, and identifying necessary prerequisite knowledge. In what order should those steps occur? - CORRECT ANSWER Objectives, goals, prerequisite knowledge, task analysis
Why? The first thing is to determine the overarching goal and then measurable objectives to reach that goal. A task analysis is completed to help guide the lesson plan, including determining the necessary prerequisite knowledge.
A student who is usually well-behaved is consistently interrupting the class routine and annoying nearby students. The teacher has a already reminded him that he must obey the classroom behavior standards, but that has not changed the behavior. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate teacher response? - CORRECT ANSWER Separate the student from his classmates and have him take a five-minute time-out.
Why? The behavior is consistent so ignoring it is ineffective. Rules must be enforced consistently, and if the student actively chooses to disobey, a consequence must follow. Referring the student to the school discipline officer is far too severe a response at this early stage, and telling him to explain behavior standards is unlikely to be effective since he has already ignored reminders. The problem is not that he cannot comprehend what the rules are, but instead why he has to follow them.
Which of the following questions BEST promotes discussion? - CORRECT ANSWER Why do we still struggle to end racism?
Why? This question allows for a large number of answers and a wide-ranging discussion. The discussion is likely to be interesting because it can include so many points of view.
What kind of information can be gathered using a formative student assessment? - CORRECT ANSWER Patterns of student errors
Why? A formative assessment is designed to give immediate evidence of student learning and is not used to grade or evaluate students.
A teacher notices that a student often misbehaves after she is given a reading assignment, most likely because the student has poor vocabulary skills and is not a competent reader. What should the teacher do? - CORRECT ANSWER Start designing a plan that will help the student build reading and language skills.
Why? Some educational problems seem to be at the root of the misbehavior. Enlisting parents might be part of the educational plan, but the focus should be more on educational strategies than on discipline. Reading assignments probably should be adapted, but suspending them is an extreme step. Asking for a special education evaluation might be part of the teacher's plan, but a referral for services implies that a good evaluation has already been made.
Students monitor a United States Geological Survey website and collect information about recent volcanoes and earthquakes. Which of the following learning goals is met by this activity? - CORRECT ANSWER Accurately observed natural events.
Why? The activity gathers reliable information about natural events, but does not call for analysis and inferences or evaluation of devices used to capture data.
A rule relationship is an excellent method for organizing knowledge. Which of the following is an example of a rule relationship? - CORRECT ANSWER The fact that all reptiles are vertebrates.
Why? Rule relationships are the backbone of organizing new materials. The other choices are not rule relationships because they do not form rules to organize and categorize individual units of knowledge.
The interquartile range of a data set - CORRECT ANSWER Describes how spread out the middle of the data is.
Why? By definition, the interquartile range is the first quartile subtracted from the third quartile (the medians of the 'top' and 'bottom' halves of a set of data that is, itself, divided at the median)
Which of the following activities, when used to begin a class period, engages students most effectively? - CORRECT ANSWER Listening to the teacher tell a relevant story or case study.
Why? A relevant story or case study immediately establishes a focal point and direction for the lesion, while providing a context so that students can immediately understand where the material 'fits'. Reviewing past lessons or skimming ahead does not build context or purpose for the lesson; neither does asking students to guess what they are about to learn.
Which scenario indicates reliability but not validity? - CORRECT ANSWER A fish market scale always underweighs a product by 3.2 pounds.
Why? A scale that is consistently off is a measure that is reliable but not valid.
What should a teacher do when a very intelligent student aggressively dominates class discussions? - CORRECT ANSWER Start asking questions that have a range of possible answers and call for multiple responses.
Why? The teacher should shift the focus of the discussion so that multiple responses are welcomed and all answers are considered carefully. The gifted student should not be isolated from the class and 'kept busy' so the other students can talk, and the student should not be reprimanded unless her behavior is inappropriate.
Norm-referenced tests - CORRECT ANSWER Determine whether students have mastered a skill set.
Why? Norm-referenced tests compare performance to a defined group of other test takers.
A fourth-grade science class completed an experiment in groups. Which method of closing the lesion will BEST clarify student's understanding? - CORRECT ANSWER Have students write what they learned from the experiment in their science journals.
Why? Following inquiry-based instruction with direct instruction helps ensure that all students understand what has occurred during the inquiry portion. Direct instruction in the closing can also give teachers a chance to go further into depth on the concept that the students explored. Having students write in their science journals about what they learned is a form of assessment; it does not clarify the students' understanding.
What is the BEST way for a teacher to check on a students' general progress toward concept mastery during independent work periods? - CORRECT ANSWER Circulate around the room and quietly look over the students' work.
Why? It is the least disruptive and will give the teacher an idea of the general progress of the class. Homework and other graded assignments will give the teacher more specific insight into each student's progress.
In order to help her students attain fluency in reading grade-level materials aloud, the teacher assesses students frequently and tailors her instruction accordingly. Which type of assessment, performed at least twice per month, would BEST monitor students' reading fluency? - CORRECT ANSWER Students read a selected passage while the teacher keeps a running record of errors.
Why? A teacher must track errors and speed over time. A running record allows a teacher to be more consistent in monitoring students because all errors are noted. Patterns of mistakes and improvements over time can easily be seen.
Which of the following prompts will require students to evaluate what they are working on? - CORRECT ANSWER 'What is the most important...'
Why? It directs students to make a judgment or form an opinion about something, a clear instance of evaluation.
The number occurring MOST frequently in a data set is called the - CORRECT ANSWER Mode
Why? The mode of any data set is the value that appears most frequently.
An elementary school teacher tells his students he will give them stickers each time they master a new part of multiplication table (1s, 2s, etc). What sort of motivational system is he employing? - CORRECT ANSWER Token economy
Why? The students are given a reward - token such as stickers, stars, chips or privileges - for achieving a goal.
A physical science class made its own polyvinyl acetate blobs to demonstrate the characteristics of plastic polymers. The science experiment is an example of what type of instruction? - CORRECT ANSWER Inquiry learning
Why? The polymer activity is an example of inquiry or discovery learning. Students use the materials themselves to discover a concept in a structured lesson. [Show Less]