Think Aloud Problem Solving

TAPS

Think Aloud Problem Solving.

When using TAPS, it requires a thought out lesson plan. As teachers we want students to think on their own and not become too dependent on the teacher for answers. For example, a teacher can use novels, poems, and/or a time period in history that he or she thinks changed America. Let us just say we are going to use a period in time that changed America. One can use the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, or September 11th.

When teaching the students about one of the three time periods, he or she teaches a lesson so students can become knowledgeable about the time period. When teaching a lesson, in order to keep students attention, the teacher can use TAPS. As future teachers and students ourselves, we know that we (students) have short attention spans. So therefore, the teacher is to use the Plus or Minus Two teaching method also known as "Chunks". What the teacher is to do is take the average age of the students in the class and teach a lesson. Again, this is called teaching in "chunks." Do not attempt to overload the students, because the brain can only focus on one thing at a time. For example, let us just say the average of this class (seminar III) is twenty. The teacher is then supposed to teach a lesson between eighteen-twenty-two minutes. During this time period, the teacher is to make students knowledgeable of subject.

Once teacher is satisfied with student knowledge, then he or she can then break students into groups of two-four students and do think, pair, and share. The teacher then has an option to either give the students open-ended questions, persuasive essays to write, journals, silent reflection (what have I learn so far), or a picture prompt and this is to get the students thoughts and feelings about the subject of the lesson.

Example: