Description:
The
focus of reading and discussion in EDAT 6115 this week was on the effective
lesson with a focus on direct instruction. Our discussions in class were based
on how to prepare for teaching a lesson based on how the class is formatted.
When thinking about planning effective lessons it is important to think about
the different formats we structure our classes to help students learn best.
Analyze:
Teaching
lessons are what makes up most of a teacher’s day. Teachers are constantly
working to create engaging and thoughtful lessons to ensure students can
understand and implement the newly learned information. Slavin (2018)
introduces the importance of the effective lesson, “The lesson is where
education takes place” (Slavin, p. 160). Based on the readings from Slavin and
from the class discussion, it is important to form an understanding of the most
effective and efficient ways to teach our students (Slavin, 2018, p. 160).
Slavin
first introduces the concept of direct instruction. Slavin (2018) explains how
direct instruction works, “…direct instruction is used to describe lessons in
which you transmit information directly to students, structing class time to
reach a clearly defined set of objectives as efficiently as possible” (Slavin,
p. 160). Recent studies have shown that direct instruction is most beneficial
and effective to use with our students when teaching deeper conceptual
learning. Direct instruction follows a step by step process: state what you
want students to learn, review skills, present the new information, probe
students, provide independent practice of the new skill, provide feedback to
students, provide more practice and review through homework (Slavin, 2018, p.
161). The process can be utilized based on teacher and student need, it may
take several days or it may take one class period.
The
first step is to state what the students will learn throughout the lesson, it
is important to give students a purpose to their learning. One way to do this
is through gaining the interest of the student in the lesson. In my classroom,
I like to introduce the learning objective through having students make a
connection to what we will be learning about with a real-life situation, for
example rationing during World War II. I might pose a question like, “Think of
a time where you had to ration your food or belongings.” The final portion to
starting your lesson is to give your students an end, tell them what their end
goal will be following the end of the lesson.
The
next step is to review any prerequisite knowledge needed. This can be as easy
as asking students to summarize their learning from yesterday through a sticky
note reflection and having the students Think-Pair-Share their responses. After
a quick review of the previously learned information it is time to present the
new material to the students. When presenting new information, teachers need to
ensure that their lessons are structured in sequential order, provide clarity,
explanations of the content, examples, models, videos, maintain the attention
of the students, and determine content coverage and pacing (Slavin, 2018, p.
168). Slavin (2018) stated, “Research finds that effective teachers also use
many explanations and explanatory works and frequently use a pattern of
rule-example-rule when presenting new concepts” (Slavin, p. 167).
The
next step is to conduct learning probes with your students. Slavin (2018)
defines learning probes, “The term learning probe refers to any of a variety of
ways of asking for brief student responses to lesson content” (Slavin, p. 168).
Probing students is a great tool for checking for understanding and questioning
the students. In my classroom, I like to introduce new concepts through a
probe. This gives the students an opportunity to be exposed to the new
information and clarifies any misconceptions about the topic. After teaching
the new content and probing the students about the information it is time to
let them practice their newly learned skills through independent practice. It
is important to only assign independent practice when you are sure they can
practice the skill on their own. The practice assignments need to be short,
give clear instructions, monitored by the teacher, and then collected and
graded. In my classroom, my students complete their independent practice
through center work which could include writing activities, task cards, and
modeling activities.
The
next step is to assess the students and provide feedback on their learning.
Slavin (2018) argues, “Every lesson should contain an assessment of the degree
to which students have mastered the objectives that were set for the lesson”
(Slavin, p. 174). In my classroom, I enjoy assessing my students informally
through utilizing sticky notes, plickers or a goformative quiz. I believe using
quick exit tickets or sticky note reflections are an easy way to ensure all
students are on track and show understanding of the concepts that you want them
to learn. Assessments allow the teacher to know which students have mastered
the concepts and which students may need a reteach or remediation.
The
next step is to provide the students with more practice and review of the
skill. Slavin (2018) concludes, “Practice or review, spaced out over time,
increases retention of many kinds of knowledge” (Slavin, p. 175). The most
effective ways for students to continue practice is through homework. In my
classroom, I utilize informational text passages that the students interact
with nightly through completing a first read, marking up the text, answering
questions, and preparing for in class debates and discussions.
In
addition to the processes of direct instruction it is also important to
understand how our students learn and transfer the concepts that we teach. Mostly
our teaching focuses on concepts, some are simple and some are much more
complex. Some concepts are learned through observation and others are learned
by a definition. How do we transfer the learning of those concepts into
learning and comprehension for our students? One way is through creating
real-life learning experiences for our students. In our school, our students
participate in Market Day which utilizes Economics to teach the students the
skills and content through the creation and selling of a handmade product.
Another
addition to instruction are using discussions to guide student learning.
Discussions are great tools to talk about subjective and controversial topics,
difficult concepts, and affective objections. Discussions can be used through
whole-class or through small group formats. In my classroom, I utilize small
group discussion formats very frequently. I enjoy this format because it
ensures every student has a role and participates. Slavin (2018) concludes, “Research
on small-group discussions indicates that these activities can increase student
achievement more than traditional lessons if the students are well prepared to
work in small groups and if the group task is well organized” (Slavin, p. 182).
All
in all, direct instruction can be an effective instructional tool for teachers
to utilize, however, it is important to consider your students prior to
choosing your format. In addition, it is vital for teachers to be intentional
about choosing the way in which they utilize direct instruction. For example,
in my classroom, I utilize small-group discussions, practice problems through
collaborative group work, and utilize probes to ensure I am meeting my student’s
needs.
Reflection:
As
a second-year teacher I am constantly learning new skills and strategies to
implement into my classroom. When I first read, and learned about direct
instruction I had the mindset that it wasn’t a good strategy for kids, that
they shouldn’t just “sit and get” their information. Through reading the
chapter from Slavin my mindset has shifted and I learned that this format of
instruction is very beneficial for students. Direct instruction allows for our
students to take a concept they know a lot about and use their knowledge to
create explanations.
In
our county, we have a focus on just-in-time direct instruction. This format
ensures that students can move on their learning as they are ready and with the
guidance of their teacher. I think a positive to this concept is that it almost
forces students to think deeper outside of school. For most of my activities I
require students to prepare material or annotate a text prior to coming to
class. I think this format allows students to become experts on the content and
gives them the confidence to openly discuss the content they have learned.
To
become a better and more effective teacher, I will utilize some new knowledge I
learned. I have never thought about using discussions to talk about
controversial topics with my students. I usually tell the students the facts,
or avoid the controversial topics when possible in my classroom. However,
discussions allow for students to gain knowledge about issues around them and
engage in conversations about the issues. I plan on implementing bi-quarterly “debates”
where students complete research in class and at home about a controversial
topic that correlates to our unit of study.
In
conclusion, through reading the discussion posts and reading the text this week
my beliefs about direct instruction have changed. I now have a better
understanding that direct instruction is not just “sit and get,” it involves
discussions and collaborations with students. In addition, I learned that for
direct instruction to be effective for my teaching, I need to utilize it in the
correct way for it to benefit my students.
Reference
Slavin, R. E. (2018). Educational
psychology: Theory and practice (12th ed.). Boston,
MA: Pearson Education.
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