Probably his most important to American education is not his taxonomy, though. Bloom published an important work in the 1960's that led others to realize that early childhood eduation is extremely important to later intellectual development. ''Stability and Change in Human Characteristics'' (John Wiley & Sons, 1964). His research caused him to be among the leaders of the movement to create Head Start programs across America - a cornerstone of President Lyndon Johnson's 'Great Society' program.
Elliot Eisner, a former student of Bloom's at Chicago, wrote an interesting reminiscence of his teacher and it was published in a UNESCO document. www.ibe.unesco.org/publications/ThinkersPdf/bloome.pdf
Over the years, I have found Bloom's original taxonomy to be a valuable heuristic device in understanding the writing of learning outcomes (with increasing complexity) and in creating rubrics to evaluate student work. I first encountered Bloom's work in the summer after my senior year in high school when I was preparing to become an undergraduate eduation major. My aunt, Mary Lou Burlingame, was an English teacher at the Olean (NY) public high school. Though she discouraged me from entering the field of education, she stopped by one day and gave me two books that she bought when she was working on her master's degree at Penn State a few years earlier. The two books were both edited/written by Benjamin Bloom -- in 1956, the Taxonomy of Educational Objectives - Handbook I: Cognitive Domain. And in 1964, the Taxonomy of Educational Objectives - Handbook II: Affective Domain.
I distinctly recall thinking -- what use will these books from the two previous decades be as I prepare to enter college? Within the first few weeks of my first semester, I was referencing those books for papers. I used them through undergraduate, master's and doctoral work and I still reference them from my office bookshelf today.
The books still have the receipt -- my aunt paid $2.50 each for the books at Keeler's - The University Book Store in State College, PA. Perhaps the best textbook investment ever made.
I really can think of very few ideas in the history of education that have held up as well -- for over 50 years -- as has Bloom's Taxonomy. In spite of its many criticisms and detractors, it still has surprising good utility today.
David Krathwohl, an early and important collaborator with Bloom, has published an update to the original taxonomy. In so doing, he noted four key reasons that Bloom used to develop the original:
"Bloom saw the
original Taxonomy as more than a measurement tool. He believed it could serve
as a:
* common language
about learning goals to facilitate communication across persons, subject
matter, and grade levels;
* basis for
determining for a particular course or curriculum the specific meaning of broad
educational goals, such as those found in the currently prevalent national,
state, and local standards;
* means for
determining the congruence of educational objectives, activities, and
assessments in a unit, course, or curriculum; and
* panorama of the
range of educational possibilities against which the limited breadth and depth
of any particular educational course or curriculum could be contrasted."
___________________________________________________________________________________
Bloom's Taxonomy Revised:
|
Step 1 |
Step 2 |
Step 3 |
Step 4 |
Step 5 |
Step 6 |
|
Know |
Understand |
Apply |
Analyse |
Synthesise
|
Evaluate |
|
Define Repeat Record Relate Underline Recall Name Present |
Translate Describe Recognise Explain Express Identify Locate Discuss Clarify |
Interpret Apply Employ Dramatise Practise Illustrate Operate Schedule Sketch Demonstrate |
Distinguish Differentiate Analyses Experiment Examine Appraise Calculate Compare Contrast Inspect Debate Question Categorize Manage |
Compose Plan Propose Design Formulate Arrange Teach Create Assemble Collect Create Organize Prepare |
Judge Appraise Evaluate Rate Compare Revise Assess Estimate Value Criticize |
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