In order to teach a good lesson, you must make sure all students are focused and fully engaged. When students are "half there" as I like to say, I cannot be 100% sure that they will remember every piece of information that I give them, nor if they will be focused during the main reason for that lesson. Using tools and different approaches to the students' learning is a key part in making sure that all students are learning all the time. Dr. Orey said that "when using a PowerPoint, to use images that actually have meaning for [the concept being learned] and to not just use a picture of a boy because the person you are talking about is a man", (Laureate Education, 2010). This is a very powerful piece to me because I can see how if I am teaching about factoring and I refer to a factor rainbow, I am going to use an image of a rainbow and place the numbers correctly at the bottom so that the students not only have a real-life connect, but they can have a visual of the factoring idea as well.
When looking into "Cues, Questions and Advance Organizers", I found another great ideas that I already use in the classroom, but may need to brush up on again. One main piece that I use every single day with the students is "waiting briefly before accepting responses from students," (Pitler, 2007). I agree that the longer a student has to think, the better their response will be. When asking questions I normally count slowly to 5, this is my "wait time". Another part with this that I use, and I need to train myself better on is when students just call out answers. Sometimes I get so excited that I just go with what they are saying as I teach my lesson. By getting so wrapped up in certain students following the lesson, I sometimes forget those that did not respond and may be clueless as to where we are going with it. This is my flaw and I will be working on fixing it. A way I have addressed it to students in the past is to compare calling out to watching a movie or reading a book. I tell them when they call out it is like ruining the end of the movie or book and I ask them how they feel if someone does that. I compare that to their learning, and for that day I get many hands raised, but again I have to go back and retrain myself and the students to continue to raise their hands.
One final piece that I feel relates to a student's cognitive learning is by accessing their prior knowledge to the content each day. "Questions are effective learning tools even when asked before a learning experience," (Pitler, 2007). Accessing prior knowledge not only helps me see where each group of students is in their world of learning, but it lets their minds start to paint images of what we are talking and learning about. They start to share ways they did things in fourth grade and will actually tell me what teacher taught them the strategy or concept. This helps students become more focused in the beginning of learning and will have more of a positive response when asking for ideas or volunteers to share in front of the whole group.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). [Webcast]. Cognitive Learning Theory. Baltimore: Author.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD
I know exactly what you are talking about. I was thinking the same way today during my lessons when students were calling out. I love when the class is engaged and we are having more of a discussion rather than lecture but I need to mindful of those students who are sitting back. They may not be up to speed with where everyone else is. I too need to give more wait time and get those students to not call out. I need to make sure everyone is on the same page. I really like your example of calling out being compared to calling out at a movie.
ReplyDeleteAccessing prior knowledge helps student’s process information better because they are making connections to something they already have in their long term memory. Like you said, it may also reel them into the lesson from the beginning and this way you know you have the undivided attention. As you said in the beginning, if you don’t have then full attention, you cannot be sure that they will remember the lesson.
Jason, Do you have any suggestions as to what you and I could do to help to manage the impulsivity of the students and to make sure we are using wait time? I count to five, when I remember to, but that is all I have right now.
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