Missions Site Map

Commonly Asked Questions

Index:

Introduction:    Index Top

Today there is a great failure in the school system to teach students. Some say it is the teacher, some say it is a lack of funding and administrations problems, while others maintain with regularity it is the fault of the student. In any case there is a problem which seems to have no end. From strictly a counseling point of view it is a lack of communication on all parts for varies reasons. It is the Associations position that counseling is need in order to reach the individuals involved and teach communication skills. it is not just learning how to speak or listen that is needed but an overall change in attitude from all concerned parts. The problems are more complicated as most teaching and student relationships are not based on God as the center of communication or even based on a servants basis of communication, teaching today is knowledge based which is a part of the problem. The following is a part of a report on some of the failures in communication, teaching, students, and why these problems continue to plaque parents, teachers, and students.

After reading this one could conclude several different things but in each conclusion, counseling and working with students and teachers is in need to resolve the problems. 

The purpose of this study was to collect basic and factual information about private schools, public schools, teachers and teaching methods, and home educators and their students in order to build an understanding of them. More specifically, the objectives of this study were to answer questions about (a) demographic characteristics of families, (b) selected significant characteristics of schools of what is working and what is not, (c) student performance on standardized achievement tests, (d) the relationship between student achievement and various factors related to their education, and (e) changes in data from the previous year, (f) teaching methods used.

Statistics:    Index Top

One hundred ninety students were examined. The average formal education of the primary parent was 14.5 years; it was 15.3 years for the other parent. The median annual family income was $29,450. The average age of the students was 10.3, with the average grade level being 4.3. Forty-eight percent of the students were male. Students were engaged in formal schooling 31.5 hours per week, and the religious content of the curriculum was relatively strong. The students scored, on the average, at the following percentiles on standardized achievement tests: (a) total reading, 86th, (b) total listening, 81st, (c) total language, 85th, (d) total math, 83rd, (e) science, 87th, (f) social studies, 84th, (g) basic battery (reading, language, mathematics), 84th, and (h) complete battery (all areas tested), 87th. The national average is the 50th percentile. There were low statistical relationships between students’ basic battery scores and the number of years home educated and the degree of handicap of the student. There were no significant relationships between basic battery achievement and several variables (i.e., parent scores on the NTE, family income, educational attainment of parents, religious content of curriculum, hours formal instruction per week, degree of structure in learning environment, and student’s age, mental ability, and birth order). There were significant relationships of varying strengths between complete battery scores and educational attainment of the parents and student’s mental ability, degree of handicap, and years home educated. Findings from this research and other investigations indicate that laws and regulations promoted by various organizations and states are not always based on fact and cogent reasoning. Conscientious evaluation of research findings and straightforward consideration of educational philosophies will assist in developing policy that meets the compelling interest of the state as parents work to successfully educate their children.

CHANGE IN EDUCATION is at the forefront of discussions at local, state, and national levels. Educators, business people, and politicians are scampering to find ways to improve education and its hoped-for products—literate and highly skilled high school graduates. The desire for change in education has caught Americans’ attention especially during the past decade (Cramer & Landsmann, 1992; National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983; United States Department of Education, 1990, 1991; Toch, 1991). People are looking for alternatives—the way things are today just does not seem to satisfy the various needs in the United States.

Some are developing partnerships between schools and businesses (Cramer & Landsmann, 1992). Others alter conventional schools to reflect a specific culture, such as Afrocentrism (Toch, 1991). Some figure that for-profit private schools will make the greatest contribution to what America needs (Toch). Many believe, and there is research evidence to support the idea, that parental involvement is the missing key ingredient to successful education (cf., Coleman, 1991; Goodson, Swartz, & Millsap, 1991; Henderson, 1987; Ostlund, Gennaro, & Dobbert, 1985; United States Department of Education, 1987, 1989). But all of the aforementioned continue, in one way or another, to promote the conventional school to which children go, day after day, to be taught with a large group of agemates by teaching specialists.

Many parents have decided to reclaim, in a truly pivotal way, the basic responsibility of educating their children. They are called home schoolers or home educators. These parents are the primary teachers of their own children, yet they regularly use the services of the community and one another to enrich their children’s learning experiences. Although such education has been relatively rare since the late nineteenth century, it is not at all new to Western civilization (Gordon & Gordon, 1990). According to Feinstein, 1986; Home School Legal Defense Association, 1990; Lines, 1991; Ray, 1989, 1992b about 400,000 children, grades Kindergarten through twelfth, being home educated in the United States. Since 1986 the number of homeschooled children has reached as many as 1.9 million. In addition there is another 5.2 million children enrolled in private and religious schools across America. This pales to 42 million children still in the public school. The American public has definitely taken note of home education, and private schools—its families and students—during the past decade (Allis, 1990; Boss, 1989; Toch, 1991). In the past few years, due to the failure of the public school, charter schools have taken a foothold.

There is much controversy about education as a whole. The latest is a test case in Texas as the state is calling for closure of some privates schools stating that they do not have a right to issue degrees or diplomas. Some professional groups, however, have expressed more moderate views (e.g., National Association of State Boards of Education, 1988) or no official position at all (e.g., American Federation of Teachers, 1990; National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1990) about the capabilities of parents with respect to home education.

On the other hand, those who promote home and private school education claim that students in their home and private schools will receive an overall education superior to what is available in public schools. They claim for their students higher academic success (Van Galen, 1988), more positive socialization (Harris, 1988, p. 55; Moore & Moore, 1984), reduced delinquency and use of drugs (Ballinan, 1987), and less acquiescence to negative peer pressure (Ballman), and they imply that a more productive citizenship (Harris, 1988, p. 20-23) will result. Amid the sometimes, heated debates about education, research has begun to provide answers and supply information for balanced opinion and policy regarding education, and the methods used to educate students.

Researchers interested in legal, sociological, educational, anthropological, and other aspects are focusing on the education phenomenon. The research base is growing quickly. Several investigators have studied the academic achievement of home education students in various geographic areas. Ray (1992a) studied families in Oklahoma and found that the students scored at or above the 82nd percentile in all areas tested. Wartes (1988, 1989, 1990b) has studied large numbers of the home educated and private schools in the state of Washington. These students there have consistently scored overall at about the 66th percentile on the Stanford Achievement Test. Rakestraw (1988) found the home students in Alabama to be doing at least as well as their public school peers on standardized achievement tests. Ray (1990a) investigated the achievement levels of students in Montana and found that they scored on the average at the 72nd percentile on the basic battery of standardized achievement tests. Reports from the Oregon Department of Education (1990) and the Tennessee Department of Education (1988) indicate that the students not taught in public schools were reported were doing well in terms of achievement. The Alaska Department of Education (Falle, 1986) has reported that students in their Centralized Correspondence Study Program (which is essentially home education) achieved very well compared to their Alaskan peers and the rest of the nation. Delahooke (1986) found that the intelligence and achievement levels of the private school and home school students in her study were comparable. Finally, the first study that was national in scope and focused on academic achievement (Ray, 1990b) revealed that students in 1,516 randomly selected families associated with one nationwide legal service organization scored, on average, at or above the 80th percentile in all subject areas (i.e., reading, listening, language, math, science, and social studies) on standardized achievement tests. The findings of the preceding and other studies indicate so far that the private, and home educated score on achievement tests as well as or better than those in conventional schools (cf., Ray, 1988a).

Taylor (1986) found that private school and the home educated exhibited a higher self-concept than conventional school students. Hedin (1990) found no significant differences in self concept scores between students who were educated at home, in public school, or private school when they also attended Christian churches. She did find, however, that all three groups combined had a higher self-concept than the instrument’s normative population of public school students. Delahooke (1986) discovered that home education children showed strong social and emotional adjustment. Montgomery (1989) studied home educated youth of ages 10 to 21; the students were highly involved in activities that predict leadership in adulthood.

Finally, Johnson (1991) examined the socialization practices of Christian home school families. She found, among other things, that the families have made the most of their opportunities for interaction and are not avoiding peer interaction [for their children] when it is available" (p. 14). These studies indicate positive outcomes of home education in the realm of students’ social and emotional development. A careful search has not revealed any research which essentially conflicts with these findings.

Evidence to date supports the idea that home education is a successful enterprise when compared to conventional schooling. Even with this in mind, however, numerous forces have an impact on parents’ choice to teach their own children at home. State laws on home education and private schools are quite varied (Farris, 1990b; Klicka, 1992a), as are the opinions about how they should be enforced and/or revised and to what degree home educators, private schools, and government agents should interact. Furthermore, there is much contention between the thinking of public (and sometimes private) school people and home educators with respect to who should be educating children and how it should be done (e.g., Klicka, 1992b, Chapters 11 & 18). It may be that more valid research would help to settle such contention.

Research on education and the methods used to teach students is gaining momentum, and there is the beginning of a significant research base in the field. Numerous questions have been asked and much data are forthcoming. Nevertheless, researchers are still in the relatively early stages of study of certain areas related to home education. It is likely that researchers’ interest in the topic will continue, considering the plethora of issues that this educational alternative raises. The timeless debate regarding the authority of the state versus the authority of the citizen continues to this day, and it is sometimes played out in the home education arena as a discussion about the authority of the state and that of the parents in the education of their children.

This is the opinion of a teachers’ union, but others hold contrasting views. Some educators (including some home educators) believe that the state has little or no right to regulate how or what they teach their children (Adams & Stein, 1989). One prominent advocate of home education stated the situation this way: "Our purpose in sharing statistics and other information showing that home schoolers do well--very well indeed--is not to put down public or private schools. We are simply trying to prove that home schooling is good enough for us to be left alone" (Farris, 1990a, p. 37).

The issue of whether the state or the parents should have ultimate control of a child’s education is old, and will probably remain with civilizations forever. It is helpful, therefore, to have factual information for use in developing logical and unbiased educational policy. Legislators, courts, professional educators, and the public at large need clear, basic information upon which to base their beliefs and policies related to home education.

The purpose of this study was to collect basic information, using a new teaching method called the "sky" which is in the testing stage. The system is an integrated teaching system that is designed to use concentration levels of students. In addition, because the subjects are all related it is possible to give students as much as 40% more information than in traditional the class room setting utilizing the students long term memory. More specifically, the objectives of this study were to answer the following questions:

What are the effects and causes of ADD?

                    1. What effects does divorce have on the student?

2. What effects does childhood trauma from pre-birth to one year in age have on at risk children? Do these conditions have long term effects on children's learning ability? And what are the possible effects? Are the current problems due to budget cuts and allocations of moneys spent on students? Are schools teaching the correct curriculum, (raise the standards)? Is it the student, parent, or the teacher that is the problem?

3. What are the demographic characteristics of families?

4. What are some of the significant characteristics of private schools, public schools, and home or church schools?

5. How do private schools using alternative teaching methods, perform on standardized achievement tests?

6. What is the relationship between these students’ academic achievement and various factors related to their education? Factors to be investigated with respect to the existence of significant relationships include parent education level, family income, parent performance on a pre-service teacher examination, amount of structure in the curriculum, hours of formal education in which the student is involved, degree of handicap of student, and mental ability of the student.

7. Are there any changes in findings related to objectives 1 through 4 compared to the data collected from the previous academic year?

8. Is there any correlation between abused and ADHD children?

A review of previous research (e.g., Ray, 1990a, 1990b, 1991a, 1992a; Wartes, 1990a; others cited previously) would suggest several hypotheses for this study:

1. The demographic characteristics of home education families will not differ markedly from those examined in other previous studies.

2. The home educated students will, as a group, score above average on standardized achievement tests.

3. There will be statistically significant slight to moderate correlation's (cf., Guilford’s terms, as cited by Sprinthall, 1990, p. 208) between student achievement scores and the independent variables of parent education level and degree of student handicap. There will not be significant relationships between student achievement and the other variables examined.

Concerns: The future of America, the methods of teaching, and the public school.

1) Create a full curriculum for ages preschool through 12^th grade taking in consideration the child's gifts, talents, and perhaps disabilities.

2) To be able to ascertain the differences between current curriculum used in Homeschool, Private Schools, Parochial Schools, and Public Schools.

3) To be able to ascertain the problems in schools, the failure rates of at risk children, methods of teaching, and suggest methods to correct the problems.

Journal:   Index Top

Statistics showed that over the live week study, that by using the alternative teaching method, children were able to absorb more than 40% more material than normal teaching methods in 50% of the time. There were two groups of students taken from each school at each location. The groups from each of the schools consisted of third and sixth graders.

The study included 190 students taught the same materials at each location. Each segment of study lasted three hours and thirty minutes, using the same example time frame. Each teaching segment utilized concentration times consisting of the first five minutes being considered light concentration. The second five minutes a deeper concentration, and the next 40 minutes deep concentration, which was when the most material was given and retained. After every 50 minutes there was a 10-minute break period, both for the teacher and the students. Each hour was started the same way, with the last half-hour, which was used for a review of what was learned.

The surprising thing about this study showed that sixth graders had more difficulty at first attempting to understand the teaching method than the third graders. However, once the sixth graders began to understand the teaching method they were able to excel in the material almost the times faster than the third graders. The third graders were much more open to the new teaching method than the sixth graders. The new teaching method encouraged more class participation than traditional teaching methods.

The material was the same for both the third and the sixth grade classes with the exception that the material was deeper in content for the sixth graders. The subject was entitled the ^TMsky". Students were encouraged to think of all the things that were connected to the sky. At the center of the chalkboard the word sky was written, and then students wee asked, what was in the sky? Students were prompted to think instead of simply trying to memorize what was in a book or a lecture, thus interactive learning took place. All students were encouraged to participate in the activity.

By viewing the enclosed chart, the first level of responses were, stars, aviation, birds, insects, atmosphere, environment, and sun. Lines wee drawn to each one of the words. The next step was to ask the students what things were associated with each of the main components. From the line of aviation several other lines were drawn.

Deeper subjects began to appear. From aviation students suggested, space, missiles, wings, and pilots. Each of the subjects or connections was looked at and studied individually for a complete educational experience. With each choice a lesson was prepared explaining the subject. If more time were available it would have been better to give assignments to the students, asking them to explore the meaning of the subject, a report, and give presentation to the class which would encourage, writing, grammar, spelling, and speech. By exploring certain subjects such as aviation certain math problems arise such as geometry and calculus laying a foundation for further studies. The world becomes a textbook. Students learn that everything that exists are connected, and cause and affect come into play which enables the teaching of moral values. Children become aware of each other's feelings because they also will be giving oral reports which reduces the possibility of bullying, promoting more social skills were children mature faster.

As aviation is explored, we see that other subjects a re related to aviation. One of the things that is learned is that while things are connected is the relationship between the subjects. Pilots need to be able to count on their instruments and radar as much as the people in the control towers. History is visited, while we look at the confrontation with control tower workers and the government. This leads into how the government works and the court system as they had to intervene to keep the airplanes in the air.

In the lesson the "sky", there are more than 60 topics covered. The total time in each of the classrooms consisted of 30-60 hours which allowed and in-depth explanation of each of the subjects and time for discussion. There was a total of 120 hours spent in the classroom. At the end of each weekly teaching session there were tests given to measure the levels of comprehension, with short quizzes given each day to measure how much information was absorbed. The graph shows the third graders were able to understand the teaching method faster, being able to learn more fast than the sixth graders. As time went on during the week the sixth graders did pass the mount of information they were able to take in.

An Integrated Approach to Teaching & Counseling:   Index Top

In the norm of teaching many students have difficulty connecting with the teacher and subject that is being taught. The greater the learning disorder of the student, the greater the problem is for the student to connect. By using the integrated approach to teaching students are able to connect easier and are they're for able to learn much more in a shorter period of time. In short, children make the connection from the class to the outside world.

Rather than teaching subjects separately and fragmenting the studies and lessons, discussion is promoted with students about the weather and the environment. By adding in how the pilgrims had to overcome the obstacles it gave more meaning to which the original people were who lived here and what they had to go through to survive.

Certain schools in progressive teaching combine art with science projects, music, and social studies projects and so one, but with the integrated study program is unique for combining so many different subjects under one theme. The results are that children learn more in less time.

Of the teachers involved in the learning experience, about 30% did not see the value of integrated study, stating it would be to complicated for many of the students. Their opinion was asked before presentations were made in the classroom and after. When asked again after all could concede that this method of teaching was better, but more difficult for the teachers to plan lessons. Perhaps if teachers and the NEA can accept a new method of teaching, we may be a world leader in education once again.

Teaching vs. Educating:

Today in the class room there is a process that hopefully takes place, whereby the teacher gives information confirming what is in the textbook. This is a process that utilizes short-term memory, but unfortunately they little of the information gets into long term memory, which is what is intended. The problem with this is that some are differences in students such as auditory and visual. With the he integrated method of teaching there is a hands on experience in the class room that makes the experience real to all students.

Teaching involves principles of teaching students how to think and reason through problems. The difference in teaching methods can be equated to teaching someone how to fish or how to eat. Obviously it would be better to be able to teach all students how to fish, so they will always be able to care for themselves.

It is believed that because of the lack of connection in the classroom today, we have the outcome that we have, which is a big failure rate of students. It is reported that Japanese students are as much as four years ahead of our students. Either we have lowered the standard in American education, or the standard has increased and we as teachers have not kept up with world demands. Either way, the ones that suffer is the student, and so do we as a world leader.

Content is organized with an interdisciplinary approach through units. Because critical thinking skills are required, development is enhanced. Problem solving abilities develop naturally in life application context. Analogies promote creativity and connection. Analytical thinking is foundational to the "inventive genius" the benefits of integrated teaching is that it integrates and provides an interdisciplinary approach to learning. An interdisciplinary approach increases retention, and provides greater breadth and depth of understanding, which allows for and promotes multi-level teaching and learning.

1. Know1edge: Knowledge is defined as the remembering of previously learned material. Us may involve the recall of a wide range of material, from the selected facts to complete theories, but all that is required is the bringing to mind the appropriate information. Knowledge represents the lowest level of learning outcomes in the cognitive domain
2. Comprehension: Comprehension is defined as the ability to grasp the meaning of material. This may be shown by translating material from one form to another (words of numbers), by interpreting material (explaining or summarizing), and by estimating future trends (predicting consequences or effects). These learning outcomes go one step beyond the simple remembering of material and represent the lowest level of understanding.
3. Application: Application refers to the ability to use learned material in new and concentrate situations. This may include the application of such things as rules, methods, concepts, principles, laws, and theories. Learning outcomes in this area require a higher level of understanding than those under comprehension.
4. Analysis: Analysis refers to the ability to break down material into its component parts so that its organizational structure may be understood. This may include the identification of the parts, analysis of the relationships between parts, and recognition of the organizational principles involved. Learning outcomes hoe represent a higher intellectual level than comprehension and application because they require an understanding of both the content and the structural form of the material.
5. Synthesis: Synthesis refers to the ability to put parts together to form a new whole. This ma involves the production of a unique communication (theme or speech), a plan of operations (research proposal), or a set of abstract relations (scheme for classifying information).
6. Learning outcomes in this area stress creative behaviors, with major emphasis of the formulation of new patterns or structures.
7. Evaluation: Evaluation is concerned with the ability to judge the value of material (statement, novel, poem, and research report) for a given purpose. The judgments are to be based on definite criteria these may be internal criteria (organization) or external criteria (relevance to the purpose) and the student may determine the criteria or are given them. Learning outcomes in this area are highest in the cognitive hierarchy because they contain elements of all of the categories, plus value judgments based on clearly defined criteria.

Defines

repeats

records

lists

recalls

names

underlines

labels

matches

reproduces

selects

states

Level 2: Understands, Interprets, Translates, Estimates, Justifies Comprehension:

• translates
• restates
• discusses
• describes
• recognizes
• explains
• expresses
• identifies
• locates
• reports
• reviews
• tells
• converts
• gives examples paraphrases
• rewrites
• summarizes
• predicts

Level 3: Applies, Solves, Constructs, Demonstrates Application: interprets

• applies
• employs
• uses
• dramatizes
• practices
• illustrates
• operates
• schedules
• shops
• sketches
• changes
• computes
• discovers
• manipulates
• modifies

Level 4: Evaluates, Analyzes, Recognizes, Distinguishes Analysis differentiates appraises calculates experiments tests compares contrasts criticizes

• inspects
• debates
• questions
• relates
• soles
• examines
• categorizes
• breaks down discriminates
• identifies
• separates
• subdivides
• points out outlines

Level 5: Writes, Gives, Interprets, Proposes, Integrates, Formulates Synthesis:

• composes
• plans
• designs
• arranges
• assembles
• collects
• constructs
• creates
• sets up organizes
• manages
• categorizes
• combines
• compiles
• devises
• explains
• writes
• tells
• summarizes
• rewrites
• revises
• reorganizes reconstructs rearranges prepares

Level 6: Judges Evaluation:

• appraises evaluates rates compares values revises scores selects
• assesses
• estimates
• measures
• apprises
• criticizes
• describes
• supports

1. Receiving: Receiving refers to the student's willingness to attend to particular phenomena or stimuli (classroom activities, textbook, music, etc.). From a teaching standpoint, it is concerned with getting, holding, and directing the student’s attention. Learning outcomes in this area range from the awareness that a thing exists to selective attention on the part of the learner. Receiving represents the lowest level of learning outcomes in the affective domain.

2. Responding: Responding refers to active participation on the part of the student. At this level he not attends to a particular phenomenon but also reacts to it in some way. Learning outcomes in this area may emphasize acquiescence in responding (reading assigned material), willingness to respond (voluntary reads beyond assignment), or satisfaction in responding (reads for pleasure or enjoyment). The higher levels of this category include that instructional objective's that are commonly classified under interest; that is, those that stress the seeking out and enjoyment of particular activities.

3. Valuing: Valuing is concerned with the worth or the value student attaches to a particular object, phenomenon, or behavior. This ranges in degree from the more simple acceptance of a value (desires to improve group skills) to the more complex level of commitment (assumes responsibility for the effective functioning of the group). Valuing is based on the internalization of a set of specified values, but clues to these values are expressed in the student’s overt behavior. Learning outcomes in this area are concerned with behavior that is consistent and stable enough to make clearly identifiable. Instructional objectives that are commonly classified under attitudes and appreciation would fall into this category.

4. Organization: Organization is concerned with bringing together different values, resolving conflicts between them, and beginning the building of an internally consistent value system. Thus the emphasis is on comparing, relating, and synthesizing values. Learning outcomes may concerned with the conceptualization of an organization of a value system (develops a vocational plan that satisfies his need for both economic security and social service). Instructional objectives relating the development of a philosophy of life would fall to this category.

5. Characterization by Value or Value Complex: At this level of the affective domain, the individual has a value system that has controlled their behavior for a sufficiently long time for him to develop to a characteristic life style. Thus the behavior is pervasive, consistent, a predictable. Learning outcomes at this level cover a broad range of activities, but the major emphasis is on the fact that the behavior is typical or characteristic of the student. Instructional objectives that are concerned with the student's general patterns of adjustment (personal, social, emotional) would be appropriate here.

Level 1: shows awareness, shows sensitivity, accepts differences, attends closely

• asks
• chooses
• describes
• follows
• holds
• identifies
• names
• points to selects sits erect replies uses

• answers
• assists
• complies
• conforms
• greets
• helps
• Labels
• Performs
• practices
• presents
• reads
• recites
• reports
• selects
• tells
• writes

• completes
• describes
• differentiates explains follows forms initiates invites Joins justifies proposes reads reports selects shares studies works

• Organization:
• adheres
• alters
• combines
• compares
• completes
• defends
• Explains
• generalizes
• identifies
• integrates
• modifies
• orders
• organizes
• prepares
• relates
• synthesizes

• acts
• discriminates
• displays
• influences
• listens
• modifies
• performs
• practices
• proposes
• qualifies
• questions
• revises
• serves
• solves
• uses
• verifies

1. Perception: The first level is concerned with the use of the sense organs to obtain cues that guide motor activity. This category ranges from sensory stimulation (awareness of a stimulus), through cue selection (selecting task-relevant cues), to translation (relating cue perception to action in a performance).

2. Set: Set refers to readiness to take a particular type of action. This category includes mental set (mental readiness to act), physical set (physical readiness to act), and emotional set (willingness to act). perception of cues serves as an important prerequisite for this level.

3. Guided Response: Guided response is concerned with the eight stages in learning a complex skill. It includes imitation (repeating an act demonstrated by the instructor) and trial and error (using a multiple-response approach to identify an appropriate response). Adequacy of performance is judged by an instructor or by a suitable set of criteria.

4. Mechanism: Mechanism is concerned with performance acts where the learned responses have become habitual and the movements can be performed with some confidence and proficiency. Learning outcomes at this level are concerned with performance skills of various types, but this movement patterns are less complex than at the next higher level.

5. Complex Overt Response: Complex Overt Response is concerned with the skillful performance of motor acts that involve complex movement patterns. Proficiency is indicated

Not judges resolution of uncertainty (performs without hesitation) and automatic performance (movements are made with ease and good muscle control). Learning outcomes at this level include highly coordinated activities.

6. Adaptation: Adaptation is concerned with skills that are so well developed that the individual can modify movement patterns to fit special requirements or to meet a problem situation.

7. Origination: Origination refers to the creating of new movement patterns to fit a particular situation or specific problem. Learning outcomes at this level emphasize creativity based upon highly developed skills.

Psychomotor Goals: Hierarchy of Possible Tasks    Index Top

• chooses
• describes
• detects
• differentiates
• distinguishes
• isolates
• relates
• selects
• separates

• Set: begins
• displays
• explains
• moves
• proceeds
• rests
• responds
• shows
• starts
• volunteers

• assembles
• builds
• calibrates
• constructs
• dismantles
• displays
• dissects
• fastens
• fixes
• grinds
• hears
• heats
• manipulates
• measures
• mixes
• organizes

• assembles
• builds
• calibrates
• constructs
• dismantles
• displays
• dissects
• fastens
• fixes
• grinds
• heats
• manipulates
• measures
• mends
• mixes
• organizes

• assembles
• builds
• calibrates
• constructs
• dismantles
• displays
• dissects
• fastens
• fixes
• grinds
• heats
• manipulates
• measures
• mends
• mixes
• organizes
• sketches

• alters
• changes
• rearranges
• revises
• vanes

• arranges
• combines
• composes
• constructs
• originates

Currently, one of the main failures of schools is that although there are there basic learning styles, books used for the most part in schools do not lend themselves readily to the learning styles, thus making it more difficult for some children, not only to learn, but keep up as well. Children with learning disorders need more flexibility in the way they learn. One of the main reason children should be separated out of the normal classroom is that they do need the flexibility in teaching styles to match their needs.

There are three basic learning styles: Visual or spatial, auditory, and Kinesthetic or tactical.

• tend to be quiet and often need to be coaxed into answering questions are excellent "copycats", functioning best when they can see what is expected are especially observant of details and frequently find items lost by others will take copious notes, even when their are handouts available
• are visually organized, remembering where things are, things need t be in their place can assemble almost anything without help or pictured instructions
• will catch typographical errors and recognize if they have seen the page before make it a priority to look neat
• aware of spatial relationships, being able to create well-spaced drawings, diagrams and graphs doodle while talking
• vivid imagination
• given choice would rather watch movie or TV hold feelings inside, if upset easily distracted
• respond to visual rewards

• Taught with books and pictures allowed to work challenging puzzles the teacher demonstrates the skill to model it show the word before telling him what it is. show a picture of the object Demonstrate the position of the tongue and lips when learning new words working through self-checking materials
• taught with the following aids: flashcards
• matching games puzzles of any kind dictionaries
• card files
• "how to" books with diagrams charts, maps, pictures, graphs written directions, wall strips, desk tapes time lines
• well-defined assignments

• creative writing
• applying arithmetic to word problems forming a hypothesis and testing it with experiments
• thinking beyond the obvious
• adjusting to changes in curriculum

• love to communicate and can generally "talk you ear off" remember jingles, poems, and television commercials-effortlessly continually keep the beat by tapping or making sounds usually sing and have excellent pitch memory generally remember names
• finds it easy to express themselves verbally tend to read out loud of sub-vocalize while reading
• often sound older than chronological age
• often sorts out problems by talking about them sound out words and are usually phonetic spellers
• tend to be poor test takers because they can’t sort fast enough
• enjoy listening to radio, tapes, etc. responds well to phonetic reading programs follows oral directions
• distracted by background noises respond to verbal praise

• told every step to the skill to be learned
• allowed to move their lips or sub-vocalize to increase reading comprehension
• neurological impressions are combined in teaching memorizing rules, plays, poetry, etc. taught with the following aids:
• audiocassettes music rhymes rhythm instruments
• clapping/ keeping a beat echo games
• creating conversations for puppets field trips with interview focus integrated content

• reading technical or non-fiction writing rewriting and editing written work properly researching footnotes
• paying attention to detail for accuracy in math, science and history
• developing perseverance

• relate to others more comfortably in action and body in words tend to live in perpetual motion, rarely sitting, often called hyperactive try to touch everything they see or walk past
• uses gestures while talking
• tend to have messy appearance, room and desk tend to show anger physically
• often make paper airplanes and fans out papers
• prefer to be playing, jumping, running or wrestling in their spare time have excellent muscle coordination in sports which require skills in balancing can successfully maintain balance while blindfolded
• are most distracted when they must be still or things get too quiet tend to dislike long range goal setting and complicated projects (KISS)
• good at taking gadgets apart, and put them back together find listening a challenge
• respond favorably to pat on the back compared to favorable comments can be highly competitive- loves prizes

• their learning experience allow as many opportunities as possible to do or feel they can demonstrate or model a task for the other students taught through role playing or pantomime
• pointing with fingers to follow or anchor words in early reading they are kept moving with appropriate activities they are in full control of their projects
• taught with the following aids:
• finger plays
• tracing motions
• tactile experiences with sandpaper, sand, clay, water, etc. travel/field trips
• felt pens (texture)
• math manipulative (blocks, rods, chips, play money) plays and dramatic interpretations puppet theater conduction motions in music time lines & maps made! personally
• key: hands on activities

Kinesthetic/tactile Learners tend to struggle with...

• concentrating on phonics, grammar, and math rules
• reading for information
• doing analytical work proofreading their work doing research-related writing
• giving any length of attention span to pencil and paper work completing long term projects in science and history
• understanding the relevance of their work to other academic goals

One of the focuses of the study was to find out what students thought about, teachers, parents, and other classmates. Several questions were asked on a survey about relationships at school. By looking at the data it could also be concluded that children do not feel that they do well under pressure.

At this point we thought that students were talking about pressures in the class room, but on further interviews with students, it seems that pressure they were talking about was pressure from other students, which came in the form of harassing, bullying, and threatening other students. In fact the study showed that as many as 57% were afraid to go to school. In addition, these students afraid to not only go to their teachers about these types of problems.

One of the primary reasons that the children were afraid to go to the teachers was that they felt that they would be singled out and that there was no way to talk to teachers without other students knowing what they were doing. It seems the reason that they wee afraid to go to the parents is that most of the students had gone to their parents, and felt the parents did nothing except tell them that they would have to learn how to deal with problems like this, indicating that life is full of problems or telling them to stand up to the person or persons. Although, there was no way to show a direct link between the fear and the grades, it is at least my opinion that not only children should not have to live or work in a threatening environment, I could also see how their work would be hampered as well. Everything being cause and affect the chart below shows what could conceivably happen over a period of time.

Today, children seem to have enough trouble with their own parents, let alone bad outside influences. Schools instead of looking for knives and guns in the school need to begin to look at the hearts of the student, getting close enough to each one to be able to help or know that there is a problem that exists with the student and be willing to take he time and either get the help that is needed or help themselves, taking a more aggressive role with the student, administration, and the parents if need be.

The statistics on physical child abuse are alarming. It is estimated hundreds of thousands of children are physically abused each year by a parent or close relative. Thousands die. For those who survive, the emotional trauma remains long after the external bruises have healed. Communities and the courts recognize that these emotional "hidden bruises" can be treated. Early recognition and treatment is important to minimize the long term effect of physical abuse.

Children who have been abused may display:

• a poor self image
• sexual acting out
• inability to trust or love others
• aggressive, disruptive, and sometimes illegal behavior
• anger and rage
• self destructive or self abusive behavior, suicidal thoughts
• passive or withdrawn behavior
• fear of entering into new relationships or activities
• anxiety and fears
• school problems or failure
• feelings of sadness or other symptoms of depression
• flashbacks, nightmares
• drug and alcohol abuse

Often the severe emotional damage to abused children does not surface until adolescence or later, when many abused children become abusing parents. An adult who was abused as a child often has trouble establishing intimate personal relationships. These men and women may have trouble with physical closeness, touching, intimacy, and trust as adults. They are also at higher risk for anxiety, depression, substance abuse, medical illness, and problems at school or work. Without proper treatment, physically abused children can be damaged for life. Early identification and treatment is important to minimize the long-term consequences of abuse. Child and adolescent psychiatrists provide comprehensive evaluation and care for children who have been abused. The family can be helped to learn new ways of support and communicating with one another. Through treatment, the abused child begins to regain a sense of self-confidence and trust.

Physical abuse is not the only kind of child abuse. Many children are victims of neglect, or sexual abuse, or emotional abuse. In all kinds of child abuse, the child and the family can benefit from the comprehensive evaluation and care of a child and adolescent psychiatrist. Not all children grow from infancy through their adolescent years without experiencing some bumps along the way. While every child is unique and special, sometimes they encounter emotions, feelings or behavior that cause problems in their lives and the lives of those around them. Families often worry when their child or teenager has difficulty coping with things, feels sad, can't sleep, gets involved with drug, or can't get along with family or friends.

• Children and Divorce #1
• Teenagers with Eating Disorders #2
• Teens: Alcohol and Other Drugs #3
• The Depressed Child #4
• Child Abuse - The Hidden Bruises #5
• Children Who Can't Pay Attention #6
• Children Who Won't Go to School #7
• Children and Grief #8
• Child Sexual Abuse #9
• Teen Suicide #10
• The Child with Autism #11
• Children Who Steal #12
• Children and TV Violence #13
• Children and Family Moves #14
• The Adopted Child #15
• Children with Learning Disabilities #16
• Children of Alcoholics #17
• Bedwetting #18
• The Child with a Long-Term Illness #19
• Making Day Care a Good Experience #20
• Psychiatric Medication for Children and Adolescents Part I: How Medications Are Used #21
• Normality #22
• Mental Retardation #23
• Know When to Seek Help for Your Child #24
• Who can be contacted to seek Help for Your Child #25
• Know Your Health Insurance Benefits #26
• Stepfamily Problems #27
• Responding to Child Sexual Abuse #28
• Psychiatric Medication for Children and Adolescents Part II: Types of Medications #29
• Children and AIDS #30
• When Children Have Children #31
• 11 Questions to Ask Before Psychiatric Hospital Treatment of Children and Adolescents #32
• Conduct Disorders #33
• Children's Sleep Problems #34
• Tic Disorders #35
• Helping Children After a Disaster #36
• Children and Firearms #37
• Bipolar Disorder (Manic-Depressive Illness) in Teens #38
• Children of Parents with Mental Illness #39
• The Influence of Music and Music Videos #40
• Substance Abuse Treatment for Children and Adolescents: Questions to Ask #41
• The Continuum of Care #42
• Discipline #43
• Children and Lying #44
• Lead Exposure #45
• Home Alone Children #46
• The Anxious Child #47
• Problems with Soiling and Bowel Control #48
• Schizophrenia in Children #49
• Panic Disorder in Children and Adolescents #50
• Psychiatric Medications for Children and Adolescents Part III: Questions to Ask #51
• Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation #52
• What is Psychotherapy For Children and Adolescents? #53
• Children and Watching TV #54
• Understanding Violent Behavior in Children & Adolescents #55
• Parenting: Preparing for Adolescence #56
• Normal Adolescent Development - Middle School and
  Early High School Years #57
• Normal Adolescent Development - Late High School
  Years and Beyond #58
• Children Online #59
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Children and Adolescents #60
• Children and Sports #61
• Talking to Your Kids About Sex #62
• Gay And Lesbian Adolescents #63
• Foster Care #64
• Children's Threats: When are they serious? #65
• Helping Teenagers with Stress #66
• Children and The News #67
• Tobacco and Kids #68
• Asperger's Disorder #69
• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) #70
• Multiracial Children #71
• Children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder #72
• Self-Injury in Adolescents #73
• Advocating for Your Child #74
• Pets and Children #75
• Helping Your Teen Become a Safe Driver #76
• Grandparents Raising Grandchildren #77
• When a Pet Dies #78
• Obesity in Children and Teens #79
• Bullying #80

Enclosed is a copy of the NEA’s code of Ethics that teachers and administrators are to aspire to. The code of ethics treats teachers and administrators as professionals. The criteria for the professional is that they:

1. Service to society

2. Expert knowledge: special technical knowledge which is certified by some authority and is not possessed by the lay person (expert knowledge is distinct from skill, which may be learned "on the job")

3. Autonomy

In conducting one's professional practice in the areas of :
a. diagnosis
b. treatment
c. follow-up evaluation

4. Governance over one's professional field: setting entrance requirements and handling discipline of one's colleagues. Who is responsible?

Teachers should have the right to say no, that this will either upset the curriculum or the class, but it is more than they can handle. by not doing so would seem to violate that code of ethics the NEA is attempting to put into place.

The other thing that seems less that ethical is that teachers are not allowed to choose the teaching method nor the curriculum. This may be acceptable, but it would be ethical for teachers to stand up and say that parents will not get the results, in their opinion, that they are seeking out of their children. Teachers know that schools are failing and either one of three things are true: 1. Teachers are not ethical because they refuse to be a part of the problem, which would be the ethical action for them to take, and 2. They do not care that they cannot solve the problem, thus making them equally unethical, or 3. That while teachers knowing that they are not only solving the problems, but perhaps because they are not as vocal with administrators and parents about the problems and not being able deal with he problems take pay and continue to not do the job as expected. This also is not ethical. For one to be so blatantly unethical it is inconceivable for them to be ethical in other areas of their career or life.

One possible way to resolve at least in part, some of the problems, schools could track students to find out what is happening. This is not currently being done in most schools, because of the lack of manpower and lack of funding. Even if the students are being tracked, it usually is in the areas such as math that students begin to fall behind. In the Bend, Oregon School District tracking did take place in some subjects, but were not kept up with as the area's population is in transition. By tracking the student from the beginning to the end of the students experience, I believe teachers could see problems coming and track the students progress or lack there of. This would help bring problems to the light. The second issue is how to deal with the individual learning problems or disorders.

Because of the current teaching methods used, children do not have the cohesiveness that they need for continued growth and development. This is evident in the studies that have been done by other agencies and testing centers. Teaching today is focused on the senses, touch, smell feel, see, and hear. The problem is with this concept is that it leaves out the development of the spirit in a person. Teaching children or adults works or does not work because they are reaching the spirit or not. If the spirit is reached problems will cease after a period of time. If the spirit is not reached, it becomes a spiral downward. Scripture teaches that the seed in us will always produce fruit after its own kind. If the seed is planted on self, then self increases causing perhaps disciplinary problems in the future, for example.

ADD and the problems of ADHD have increased over the last sixty years at an alarming rate, even though these disorders were not named. The disorders became named because there were more and more students identified with learning disorders. All things can be observed and tackled in many ways. Scripture also tells us that whatever we focus on increases. If we focus on problems, they will increase, or perhaps if we focus on the solution it will increase as well. The disorder then perhaps is not in the student but in the teaching method used as though originally. We cannot change students, but as educators we can change the way we deal with students and if current teaching methods being used are allowing too many students to fall between the cracks, then it is the teaching method and not the problem of the student.

Currently students are taught different subjects throughout the day. Each day there needs to be a review of the previous things learned so the new things being taught have a foundation for the current days lessons. In addition to all of the repetition, students are further fragmented because teachers jump from one subject to the next leaving problem students with larger learning problems, leaving these students further behind. The failure rate has increased in the last sixty years from 13% to as high as 54%. These children may not all be failing as far as grades go, but are failing in obtaining certain comprehension levels, thus making it more difficult to find meaningful employment. This has a bearing on an individual in having a positive attitude about their personal futures, identities, self worth, and autonomy, making each generation a little more shakier than the previous generation. From this often this causes marital problems further propagating the problems. The end result is two-fold, first it is children having children as they are not capable of dealing with the complexities of life and secondly, teachers become more desensitized and students as a whole become more fragmented and inept, creating a cycle that gets larger as time goes on and never ending.

There are many beliefs as to why things and events are the way they are. It seems that everyone has beliefs and possible solutions. We find that the reason things are the way they are is because people and values appear to be out of balance. When God is put at the center of all things, outcomes change, bringing clarity to problems. God gave us the tools and has warned us of the consequences of not going in the correct direction. Jesus gave us the parable of the prodigal son. This son wanted to go his own direction and as a result wound up in the pig slop. One possible view is that we have arrived! The question is, "what are we going to do about it?" That seems to be up to us. Life seems to be a choice and we choose who we will serve. I hope that we all do not get to used to the pig slop before enough of us come to the realization that we probably shouldn't be in the slop and it was not God's will for us, but a result of our disobedience.

One definition for insanity is to continually do thing the same way we have always done them but expect different results. God is currently not at the center of education as a whole and unless we put God back where He belongs we cannot and should not expect thing to get better. For God to be put back into education it would mean that we as Christians need to learn to work together. It would also mean that beliefs that we hold as truths may have to be looked at to see if they are indeed true. Scripture tells us that we can all things through Christ.  Everyone will admit that things do need to change, but are we willing to take the steps to effective change? Depending on our definition of Christ we end up with one of two possibilities; the first that Christ was Jesus. If we believe that that is the definition then Christ becomes an external force and then it is up to His will whether things happen or not. On the other hand if we look at Christ from a scriptural point of view we will see that Christ is made up of two parts; the first is Jesus who is the head. the second part is the body and we are the body. It takes both parts as it would seem to make things work. 

Our choice as the church and the leaders of the church is to either hang on to religious concepts that do not seem to be working or we can learn to work together to seek the truth. Being a Christian is much like the flame of a candle. All candles have a flame, but when you start putting multiple candles together it can light the world with His Light. Either way according to scripture we will be held accountable.

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                    Thompson, Derek, DR PhD, Bethel and Trinity Lutheran Schools

When anyone, anywhere, reaches out for help, we want our hand always to be there. For that I am responsible.

We are responsible both to God and each other.

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