Episode 6: Debbie Daniell/ Using Webb’s Depth of Knowledge to Guide Assessment and Instruction

Debbie Daniell is a former teacher of social studies in public schools: elementary through high school. She has worked with children of all socio-economic levels. She currently is the Social Studies Curriculum Director for the Gwinnett County Public School system in Georgia. She provides engaging instruction for teachers in many areas K-12. 

Today's interview is about her classes in Webb's Depth of Knowledge. Often shortened to DOK, Debbie encourages teachers to step out of their comfort zone and analyze the connection or lack of connection between instruction and assessment in their own lessons. She explains that often the content may be at higher levels but the assessment is not. According to Debbie, when instruction and assessment are disconnected, the students do not learn at the levels that they should. Mrs. Daniell states that DOK is about "how deep the student has to use the knowledge and cognitive processes to develop an answer." 

She is a practitioner who sees her focus as helping to support teachers as they strive to help all children to be successful. I think that you will enjoy listening to Debbie explain the differences between DOK and Bloom's Taxonomy and how to apply this information to strengthen your instruction and assessment.