What would you guess is the single, most powerful kind of instruction for typical achieving students?

HINT: The answer is NOT what you might initially guess!

Actually, it’s NONE of these

Teaching to students’ learning styles?

Multiple Intelligences?

Direct Instruction?

Cooperative Learning?

Differentiated Instruction?

Discovery, hands-on learning?

Problem-based Learning?

What would you guess is the single, most powerful kind of instruction for typical achieving students?

Answer: THERE IS NO DEFINITATIVE RESEARCH THAT SHOWS ONE APPROACH

IS BETTER THAN THE ANOTHER

(anyone who says that one approach is better than another is advocating a politically-based position, not an empirically-based position)

What would you guess is the single, most powerful kind of instruction for typical achieving students?

RESEARCH DEFINITIVELY SHOWS WHAT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE IS…

2.Quality of interactions between teacher and student

3. Frequency of correct responses

1. Amount of student engagement

Any of these instructional models will get the job done if implemented in such a way that results in …1. High levels of engagement focusing on

what students are supposed to be learning

2.Teacher/student interactions that focus on intentional learning

3. High levels correct responses & clear/explicit feedback

So what about this stuff…? Learning stylesMultiple Intelligences Direct InstructionCooperative LearningDifferentiating Instruction Strategic InstructionDiscovery LearningProblem-based Learning

So what about students with learning problems?

Are there differences in instructional models?Does it matter how they are taught? ABSOLUTELY!!

Meta-analysis of all LD intervention research unquestionably shows students with LD require …

Direct, explicit, intentional instruction

Extensive & intensiveFrequent, correct responsesDevelopmentally appropriateStrategy–use oriented

(Lee Swanson)

NEVER, EVER WORKS!

IMPLICATIONS …

The typical model for teaching skills …

Kid tries it (supposed to discover or construct a way to do it!) Kid bombs it

So then teacher tries to teach it

Teacher assigns it

NEVER,

NEVER, EVER WORKS!

The populists model for teaching content …

Kid is supposed to discover & “construct” own understanding of it

Kid bombs itSo then teacher tries correct erroneous understanding

Teacher assigns it

NEVER,

LIKEWISE …

Incorrect responses

= Incorrect learning

Anita Archer said it best …Correct responses

= Correct learning

The more incorrect responses the student makes, the more difficult it is to learn & remember the correct answer

IMPLICATIONS

Too much student-guessing = too many erroneous answers

Incorrect responses

= Incorrect learning

Anita Archer said it best …Correct responses

= Correct learning

Typical homework assignments require students to practice skills not yet sufficiently taught

RESULT:Students often practice incorrect responses, experience frustration & failureThen we blame it on the student’s lack of ability or poor effort!

The problem was that the nature of the homework practice activity was not matched with the student’s current level of learning for that task.

Homework that involves practicing skills should be reserved for practicing “easy” stuff to build fluency

Incorrect responses

= Incorrect learning

Anita Archer said it best …Correct responses

= Correct learning

IMPLICATIONS:STRUCTURE FOR SUCCESSALL independent work should be relatively EASY for students to complete independently with a high level of correct responses.

Purpose of independent work is NOT to target acquisition of a skill, but rather proficiency in using it.

“Judy, put your finger on number four …”

Tell the answer …

Low-cognitive physical responses help maintain attention …

Teacher: Judy, four times two equals six.

What does four times two equal?

Student: “Six”

then ask the question!

Low-cognitive verbal responses also help maintain attention …

CLOSED-questions seek only 1- or 2-word responses

1. Ask the whole class the question.

2. Signal (tap) and get whole-class (unison) response

Class: “27”

Thus closed-questions can be posed to whole group for a unison response

Pause for “think-time”

Teacher: “Class, what’s 3 x9?”

3x9=27

3x9=27

Should the teacher call on volunteers or non-volunteers?

Best to have a 50/50 mix … seemingly random

Make sure distribution is equal across all students

Don’t call on more boys than girls

Don’t call on more of one ethnic group than another

Be sure not to overlook the quiet, invisible students!

OPEN-questions seek multi-word, elaborated responses

1. Ask the whole class the question.

2. Call on ONE student, not whole class

Pause for “think-time”

“Why do you think the election was

unfair?”

The answer to OPEN-questions might be different for each different student, so you don’t want them all speaking at once!

3x9=27

OPEN-questions seek multi-word, elaborated responses

1.Fuzzy elaborations (contain imprecise, erroneous, loosely connected information)

Student: “Well, they moved the capital to Montgomery because … you know … there’s a river.”

Take a look at this map. Notice the rivers, and where Tuscaloosa is located. Why do you think they moved the state capital from Tuscaloosa to Montgomery?

2 kinds of elaborative responses:

3x9=27

OPEN-questions seek multi-word, elaborated responses

2.Precise & concise elaborations

Student: “Well, Montgomery is closer to the middle of the state, so it would be easier for people from all over the state to visit the capital.

Take a look at this map. Notice the rivers, and where Tuscaloosa is located. Why do you think they moved the state capital from Tuscaloosa to Montgomery?

Also, Tuscaloosa had a river next to it, but was too shallow and rocky for boats to go on. Montgomery had a river that boats from Mobile could go on to get to the capital.”

2 kinds of elaborative responses:

1.Fuzzy elaborations (contain imprecise, erroneous, loosely connected information)

Precise & concise elaborations =

Fuzzy elaborations = * Lack of knowledge

* Erroneous and superficial understanding of what is known* Lack of language skills to express what is known

AND / OR

AND / OR

NOTE: Some students with LD may have a sophisticated understanding of the information, but lack language skills to express it!

* Acquired knowledge

* Sophisticated, relational understanding of what is known* Effect language skills to express what is known

AND

AND

It’s a complete package!

Doesn’t get it!

Gets it!

Superficial, Erroneous, Incomplete

Sophisticated, Accurate, Complete

One’s understanding of an idea will fall

somewhere on a continuum

Doesn’t get it!

Gets it!

Ability to elaborate

one’s relational

understanding

Superficial, Erroneous, Incomplete

Sophisticated, Accurate, Complete

Can recognize inappropriate applications or iterations of idea

Can’t recognize inappropriate applications of idea

Makes many connections to other ideas

Can’t explain connections between this idea and others

Has sufficient knowledge of relevant facts

Knowledge of important facts is incomplete or erroneous

Can identify different manifestations of idea

Can’t identify different manifestations of idea

Can explain how idea is affected by various

phenomena

Can’t explain how different phenomena affect idea

Can explain impact of idea on the world

Can’t explain impact of idea on world

Makes effective comparisons with other ideas

Can’t contrast idea with others

Can’t summarize or explain idea in own words

Can summarize or explain gist of idea in own words

Doesn’t get it!

Gets it!

Ability to elaborate

one’s relational

understanding

IMPLICATIONSIMPLICATIONS The goal of seeking frequency of

responses should target frequency of elaborated, relational

understanding responses, NOT just responses involving factual

information

IMPLICATIONS The goal of seeking frequency of

responses should target frequency of elaborated, relational

understanding responses, NOT just responses involving factual

information

Superficial, Erroneous, Incomplete

Sophisticated, Accurate, Complete