Bloom’s Taxonomy
At the heart of educational theory is the concept that the more we can engage a student in a learning
activity, the more that student learns and the more he/she retains. The most common reference that
educators use when they refer to this idea is “Bloom’s Taxonomy.” Dr. Bloom (1956) asserted that
educators needed to design lessons that promoted higher cognitive levels of thought and processes.
The revised steps of Bloom’s taxonomy include: 1. Remembering, 2. Understanding, 3. Applying, 4.
Analyzing, 5. Evaluating, and 6. Creating. As the levels of instruction increase within the taxonomy,
students are mentally engaged at an increased level.
An instructional example of how Bloom’s taxonomy would be applied could be seen with a lesson about
electrical circuits. The teacher could lecture to students about circuits (1. Remembering). The teacher
could provide a lab for students to properly connect an actual circuit (3. Applying). Students could then
write about how and why the circuit worked (4. Analyzing). A teacher could provide a problem from a
local business that required a certain type of circuit. Students could then problem-solve to design the
most appropriate circuit and present their solution(s) to the business (6. Creating).
As the levels of instruction increase, the learning becomes more in-depth and meaningful. Students are
also “pushed” harder and tend to be more tired at the end of the day. Active learning is more mentally
exhausting than passive learning.
USD 113 is a district in transition with our standards. The adjustment to “Kansas Career and College
Ready Standards” from the previous standards is not easy for teachers or for students. The standards
themselves call for more in-depth learning at an earlier age than was previously expected. This is
referred to as increased “academic rigor.”
Kansas College and Career Ready Standards impact Math, Language Arts, Science and Social Studies.
These standards all provide grade-level expectations and have a focus on increased depth of knowledge
(think Bloom’s Taxonomy), as well as content-related reading and writing. The goal is to have nationally
accepted standards that help prepare students for the workforce or for continued education.
With the emphasis on students learning more at an earlier age and to a greater depth, it should not
come as a surprise that teachers are scrambling to have students prepared. This may seem to be an
impossible task, but by rethinking our instructional decisions, we can continue to improve and to refocus
our energies. Often, it is our expectations that determine our students’ accomplishments.
Bloom’s taxonomy may be “old school,” but the advantages for providing instruction to students at a
deep level are significant. USD 113 teachers continue to be involved in professional development to
provide the best possible education to our students. Our teachers are striving to provide the students of
USD 113 the rigorous and wholistic education that will enable them to be successful in the 21st century.