Instructional DesignD. LemonNC Teach IIApril 4, 2009

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Teaching is ComplexTeaching involves much more than telling students information. It involves classroom management, short and long term planning,

knowledge of content, knowledge of learning styles, use of materials, and an understanding of varied instructional skills and strategies

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Are you good enough?

Estimates of teacher effect revealed that highly effective teachers tended to be effective with all groups of students regardless of initial achievement level, while highly ineffective teachers produced unsatisfactory gains among all groups of students (Sanders & Rivers, 1996).

Moreover, results were additive and cumulative, so that the contributions of both highly effective and ineffective teachers to students learning gains could be measured for at least four years after students left their classrooms (Sanders & Rivers, 1996). Simulations revealed that students who were assigned to highly effective teachers after having been assigned to a series of highly ineffective teachers made greater than expected gains, but not enough to make up for lost ground.

Children assigned to three effective teachers in a row scored at the 83rd percentile in math at the end of 5th grade, while children assigned to three ineffective teachers in a row scored at the 29th percentile.

This figure illustrates results from an equivalent study on math performance in Dallas (Jordan, Mendro, & Weerasinghe, 1997). The results are very similar.

Planning for InstructionThe instructional decisions we make will increase the probability that our students will learn.

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Elements of Effective InstructionTeachers make hundreds of decisions every hour. The decisions that are made make the difference in the learning that occurs in the classroom.A teacher can motivate students and can get through to the most difficult students.

Teaching Makes a Difference!

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Planning for InstructionPlanning is the key to effective instructionEffective teachers spend necessary time deciding on how to facilitate an environment where varied learning styles are met.

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Define Instructional GoalsAn objective may be defined as a general statement of desired accomplishment.

Example: Given peanut butter, jelly, and bread, the learner will follow the steps to create a delicious sandwich.

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Conduct a Task Analysis Identify which prerequisite skills need to be mastered to reach the objective. The task analysis is performed by asking "What are all of the things the student must know and/or be able to do to achieve the goal?"

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Prerequisite skills needed to make a sandwichOpen the jarsUse a knifeSpread the peanut butter without tearing the breadSpread the two ingredients evenly so that the sandwich is not overpowered by one taste

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Select the Objective: Level of DifficultyIf we start instruction at a level that is either too easy or too difficult for the learners, we are wasting their time and ours.Task analysis can add precision to a

teachers diagnosis of students learning needs.A task analysis is done by listing the subskills or prerequisites that are necessary for a student to accomplish a given objective.

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Select the objective at the correct level of difficultyOnce the sub-learnings are listed, eliminate any learnings not essential and sequence the learnings.

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Select an objective at the correct level of difficultyMake task analysis part of your daily

thinking and planningBefore you teach, consider what your

students will need to know before you beginDo they know the necessary prerequisite

skills needed to be successful?How can you give your students a quick

assessment to determine what they know?

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Your TurnThink about a task that you know how to do well. It can be something you perform each day such as driving, cooking, changing diapers, etc., or a task you do occasionally such as decorating a tree or dancingWrite the name of the task at the top of your paper and think about all of the prerequisite skills you need to understand and be able to do to accomplish the taskList all of these skills and be prepared to discuss the process

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Designing InstructionStep One Decide on your objectiveThink:What will the students be able to do when demonstrating mastery of this objective?

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Designing InstructionReview the lesson plan for todays lesson and discussUsing the lesson plan format given, choose an objective you are going to teach to others and write this goal under Statement of Objective

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Selecting an objective: Level of complexityStudents have the most difficulty with problems requiring higher levels of thinking.When teachers understand the various levels of cognition, (domains) it is easier to write plans that encourage mastery learning of the objectives.

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Defining Higher Levels of ThinkingBenjamin Bloom developed a classification of thinking skills: Blooms TaxonomyConsider the difference in difficulty between memorizing and singing a song and creating the words and melody for an original one!

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Blooms Taxonomy Knowledge: recalling factsComprehension: comprehend the facts,

summarizeApplication: solve a problem in a new

situationAnalysis: break down information and identify

relationships between the parts Synthesis: bring together several pieces of information, ideas, or skills and arrange them into a creative new wholeEvaluation: make a judgement and give reasons to support that particular position

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Blooms Taxonomy Knowledge: write, list, name, label, define Understanding: summarize, explain, describe, draw a picture, predict, defend Application: develop, propose, demonstrate, use

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Blooms TaxonomyAnalysis: break into parts, clarify, identify the patterns, issuesSynthesis: design, create, compose, inventEvaluation: conclude and support that conclusion, select the best and tell why, criticize, choose and justify your decision

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Revised BloomOriginal Terms New TermsEvaluationSynthesisAnalysisApplicationComprehensionKnowledge

CreatingEvaluatingAnalysingApplyingUnderstandingRemembering

(Based on Pohl, 2000, Learning to Think, Thinking to Learn, p. 8)

Sample Unit : Space

RememberingCut out space pictures from a magazine. Make a display or a collage. List space words (Alphabet Key). List the names of the planets in our universe. List all the things an astronaut would need for a space journey.UnderstandingMake your desk into a spaceship, Make an astronaut for a puppet play. Use it to tell what an astronaut does. Make a model of the planets in our solar system. ApplyingKeep a diary of your space adventure (5 days). What sort of instruments would you need to make space music? Make a list of questions you would like to ask an astronaut.AnalyzingMake an application form for a person applying for the job of an astronaut. Compare Galileos telescope to a modern telescope. Distinguish between the Russian and American space programs.EvaluatingCompare the benefits of living on Earth and the moon. You can take three people with you to the moon. Choose and give reasons. Choose a planet you would like to live on- explain why.CreatingWrite a newspaper report for the following headline: Spaceship out of control. Use the SCAMPER strategy to design a new space suit. Create a game called Space Snap. Prepare a menu for your spaceship crew. Design an advertising program for trips to the moon.

Your TurnComplete the Blooms Taxonomy activities in your groupEach group must reach consensus on the answers and be able to defend your reasoning

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Teach to the ObjectiveTeachers must plan instruction around clearly defined objectives NOT activitiesThink about what the learning will look like if it is accomplished. Are you teaching what you are assessing?Teacher and learner time should be spent on the taskThere is a direct relationship between the

amount of time a student spends working on a task and the achievement of that task

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Teach to the ObjectiveTo increase student achievement in your classroom: specify what the student is to learn (clearly define the objective) find ways to keep the student involved with the specific learning (plan teacher and student behaviors that lead to the

accomplished task of that objective)

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Teach to the objective When selecting your activities, ask yourself the following questions:What new learning(s) do I want my students to be able to do at the end of class?What is the thinking skill needed to achieve this objective?Does my objective match the thinking level required of the task?What percent of time will be devoted to student engagement of the pursuit of the intended learning?

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Designing Instruction

Focus and Review

Think..How will I generate interest in the objective I am going to teach? What prerequisite skills will students need to know to be successful?

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Your TurnReview the objective you listed on your lesson planQuickly complete a task analysis to review the prerequisite skills required for successDecide on the thinking level required for students to successfully master the objectiveDecide on a way to introduce the task and generate interestComplete the section for focus and review on your lesson plan form

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Monitor and AdjustPorter and Brophy (1988):Effective teachers continuously monitor their students understanding of presentations and responses to assignments. They routinely provide timely and detailed feedback

Research states that the most effective teachers ask an average of 24 questions during a 50-minute period: the least effective asked an average of 8.6.

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Monitor and Adjust Mager (1968): If telling were the same asteaching, wed all be so smart we couldhardly stand it. Without the monitoring and adjusting, wed be simply telling!

Of the variables influencing learning, frequent assessment and feedback are ranked among the most important.

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A traditional view of the teacher is of someone who dispenses knowledge: someone who Lectures, tells, disseminates, covers material. The students sit passively while the teacher does all of the work. Consider the amount of information available to students through technology. Teaching has to change!

Teaching Strategies

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Effective Teaching StrategiesDemonstrations allow students to experience more fully the information and concepts the teacher wants to impart during the lesson. Although the teacher is still the center of the action and the dispenser of knowledge, students can more easily see what they need to know and more efficiently link it to prior knowledge in their own ways. Students remember much better what they have both heard and seen (or even touched, smelled, or tasted)!

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Effective Teaching StragegiesMastery occurs when students are able to use the information when they need it! Students need to be actively involved in learning what are they doing to demonstrate the new learning?A great way to assess mastery is to ask students to teach others.

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Your TurnThink about a teacher who made an impact on your learningWhat teaching strategies did the teacher use to make learning effective?List any strategies or activities you remember and be ready to share and list on the board.

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Select an Instructional MethodThe purpose of selecting an instructional method is to identify and employ teaching strategies and techniques that most effectively achieve the performance objectives.

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Active LearnersCurrent educational theory and research support the use of instructional methods that make students active learners (e.g., lecture, lab, small group discussion, case-based study, simulations, independent study, etc.).

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Designing Instruction

Design teaching and learning strategies to teach the objective.

Think..What should the students do to effectively learn the objective?

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Designing InstructionTeacher Input What information do students need to know? How will you disseminate this information?Guided Practice How will you assess if students understand the knowledge before assigning independent practice?Independent Practice - How will students apply and practice the new knowledge?

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Your TurnThink about the objective you have chosen to teach and decide on what information you must provideHow will you facilitate an environment for students to learn this information?Complete the teacher input, guided practice and independent practice part of your lesson plan form

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Monitoring Strategies Choral responses Signals (thumbs up or down) Write answer down Discuss answer with a partner

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Steps in Monitoring and Adjusting Elicit overt behavior: Check the behavior Interpret the behavior Act on the interpretation-Adjust the level of difficulty-Move on-Reteach-Abandon

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Curriculum and Assessment to Improve Teaching and LearningFocus on standards as the basis for developing curriculum and developing assessmentsBackward Design: Identify the NCSCOS objectives that define what students should know and be able to do, Determine the assessments that will allow the students to demonstrate what theyve learned, Decide on the instructional strategies that will prepare students to show what they have learned

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Designing InstructionClosureWhat will students do to help them remember the new learning?

ThinkResearch tells us that the brain easily remembers the first and last parts of a task. How will I close the lesson to promote further retention?

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Your TurnReview the strategies you listed to teach your students the objective you have chosen to teachHow will you know they understand?Complete the closure section of your lesson plan

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AssessmentShould provide ongoing feedback to students and teachers regarding what students have learnedShould be used to improve teaching and learning, not simply judge and/or rank student performanceShould include a wide range of methods such as traditional paper/pencil tests, projects, performance tasks, rubrics, portfolios, etc

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Plan and ReflectIt is important to remember that sometimes the plans that look so good on paper actually fail in practice. Remember to reflect on each lesson by analyzing the teaching methods implemented and the course materials provided. Did students learn the intended objective? What will you do differently next time?

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Elements of a Lesson PlanObjectives--what students will be able to do as a result of the lesson Standards--which state content and developmental standards are addressed in the lesson Procedures--what the teacher will do to get the students there Assessment --what the teacher can do to see if the lesson was taught effectively: watching students work, assigning application activities, getting feedback, etc. Modifications/accommodations for any special needs students in the class

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Elements of Lesson PlansAdditionally, many lesson plans also include: Materials needed for the class period and any special equipment Time estimates, and of course procedural subpoints.

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Planning for Instruction Anticipatory Set (setting the stage)--attention-getter and focuser Statement of Objectives--tell students what they'll be able to do as a result of the lesson Instructional Input--lecture, but not necessarily lecture: demo, explanation, instructions Guided Practice--help students start practicing new skills, applying new knowledge Check for Understanding--watch faces, ask questions Independent Practice--turn them loose to work on their own, homework assignment, etc.Closuresummarize the main points that students should remember

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Your TurnReview and refine the plan you have written.Exchange plans with a partner and critique the lesson plans using the rubric provided.

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Effective Instructional SkillsThe teacher in the classroom makes the

differenceTeacher behaviors have a direct link to

student achievementClassroom instruction and climate have

nearly as much impact on learning as student aptitudeDetailed planning is imperative to successful teaching

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Lesson Plan AssignmentReview the lesson plans and be prepared to ask questions and/or discussWhat new learning is to occur and how will the students demonstrate the new learning?Are students actively involved in the learning process?

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Lesson Plan AssignmentChoose an objective from the curriculum you plan to teachWork in groups to brainstorm and analyze available resources

Use the lesson plan format provided and develop a detailed plan for one of the objectivesSubmit to me via Taskstream and share with classmates for feedback

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Lesson Plan Resourceswww.ncpublicschools.orghttp://www.gaston.k12.nc.us/departments/eleminstr/pacing.htmhttp://www.gaston.k12.nc.us/departments/secinstr/index.htmhttp://www.learnnc.org/

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