12 Instructional Methods Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Objective Explain the role of all teachers

12

Instructional Methods

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

Objective

• Explain the role of all teachers in the development of critical-thinking skills.

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Instructional Methods

• Instructional methods may also be called instructional strategies or teaching strategies– Discussions– Skits– Demonstrations


Objective

• Develop questions appropriate for instruction based on Bloom’s Taxonomy.

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Engaging Learners in Critical Thinking• Bloom’s Taxonomy contains six levels:

Knowledge Acquiring, recalling information

Comprehension

Understanding, using information

Application Using information learned in a new situation

Analysis Examining parts of a whole and their relationship

Synthesis Using parts in a new way to create

Evaluation Assessing, judging value based on information continued


Engaging Learners in Critical Thinking• Lower levels are basic (elementary

school)• Upper levels are higher-order thinking

skills that are required for critical thinking (middle and high school)

• In later childhood and adolescence, students develop the ability to think abstractly

continued


Engaging Learners in Critical Thinking

• Building students’ abilities to use progressively more complex thinking skills is a major goal of education

• Teachers begin to lay the framework for later critical thinking in elementary grades


For Discussion

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• Identify how Bloom’s Taxonomy is used in this chapter of your textbook.


Objective

• Analyze a lesson, identifying the teaching strategies and use of questioning, examples, and closure.

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Key Instructional Skills

• Questioning• Using examples• Pacing• Achieving closure


Questioning

• A key part of almost every learning activity– Plan questions along with the lesson—

provides structure for the lesson– Ask questions of varying difficulty—check

all levels appropriate for students– Include open-ended questions—

encourages higher-level thinking


Encouraging Participation

• Create an atmosphere where all students feel comfortable participating

• Questions should be appropriate for students’ level

• Use questions to generate interest• Allow wait time before calling on a

student• Vary methods of asking for responses


For Discussion


• How might you encourage participation from shy students?


Responding to Students’ Answers• If an answer is wrong, help lead

students to the right answer

• If an answer is partially correct, acknowledge what is accurate first

• Pose follow-up questions during responses


Responding to Students’ Questions

• To further discussion, counter with another question

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continued


Responding to Students’ Questions• If you cannot answer, acknowledge that

and look it up later, or ask if anyone else can help

• Give brief answers to off-topic questions

• Help students understand which questions are inappropriate


Using Examples

• Increases understanding by bringing information to life

• Helps students retain subject matter• Start with simple examples and

progress to more complex• Ask students to provide examples to

check their level of understanding


Pacing

• Pacing should be neither too fast nor too slow– Know your natural style—get feedback and

adjust to meet learners’ needs– Look for signs of understanding—watch

students reactions and use questions and activities to gauge understanding

continued


– Alternate types of activities—helps keep students involved, attentive, and learning

– Plan for smooth transitions—make sure too much time is not lost changing activities; use clear guidelines to minimize inappropriate behavior

Pacing


Achieving Closure

• Closure helps students– reflect on what they have learned and

apply it– draw conclusions

• Usually part of the Summary section of a lesson plan


Objective

• Identify the characteristics and uses of specific types of instructional strategies.

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Basic Teaching Strategies

• Teacher-centered methods: teachers present the information and direct the learning process

• Learner-centered methods: teachers act as facilitators or guides, and students actively direct and achieve their own learning


For Reflection

• Would you be more comfortable using teacher-centered methods or learner-centered methods? Why?

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• Used frequently in upper grades• Puts students in the role of passive

listeners• Suitable for presenting factual

information

continued

Lectures


• To make lectures more effective,– keep the lecture period short– add visual elements– insert a question-and-answer session– provide partial outlines or written

questions– prepare well-organized material– convey enthusiasm– make eye contact with students

Lectures


• A basic way of learning– Textbooks– Periodicals– Internet articles– Other research

materials© Zurijeta/Shutterstock

Reading


• May be teacher- or learner-centered• Starts with a stimulating question

without a simple answer• Teachers can use questions to guide

the discussion toward the learning objective

• Discussion helps young children learn to take turns and respect others’ opinions

Discussions

continued


• In group discussions, the students keep the discussion on task

• In panel discussions, the teacher acts as a moderator

• In debates, participants try to persuade others to their opposing points of view

Discussions


• The best way to teach a process• Are usually teacher-centered• To involve students,

– have students make predictions– ask students to perform steps in the

procedure– have the students prepare and present the

demonstration

Demonstrations


• Guest speakers bring outside expertise into the classroom and generate interest

© Tomas Skopal/Shutterstock

Guest Speakers

continued


• Check school’s policies before inviting guests

• Prepare all participants ahead of time• Make sure the experience is positive

for all involved

Guest Speakers


• Simulations feel like the real situation, but risks are eliminated

• Examples include– computer-based simulations– skits– role playing– case studies

Simulations


For Discussion

• When are simulations most effective as a learning tool?



• Skits involve acting out stories

• Based on scripts written by the teacher or the students

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Skits

continued


• Students play various parts• Actively involve students in learning• Adaptable to different ages, subject

areas, and educational objectives• Process of writing requires additional

skills

Skits


• In role playing, the teacher describes a situation with an issue or problem

• Students act out roles of people in the situation– Base their actions and conversations on

how they think the people would react– Work through the situation or solve the

problem

Role Playing


• Case studies involve groups of students working together to analyze a situation

© Dawn Shearer-Simonetti/Shutterstock

Case Studies

continued


• Allow students to apply knowledge and skills to solve real-life issues

• Groups discuss possible solutions and agree on one

• Teachers can use case studies to actively involve students in dealing with real issues

Case Studies


• Reflective responses prompt students to think deeply about what they have learned

• They help teachers get a sense of where students are in their learning

Reflective Responses


• Offer students the opportunity to work with materials, ideas, people, or processes to solve a given problem

• Productive labs focus on producing an end product

• Experimental labs use formal processes to research a problem

Labs

continued


• Teachers act as planners, organizers, and managers

• Clear instructions are essential

• Labs can be expensive

© michaeljung/Shutterstock

Labs


• In cooperative learning, group members work together to achieve a common goal– Adaptable to most subjects/age groups– Also assesses individual accountability– Improves respect for others’ opinions,

negotiation skills, self-esteem, and sense of responsibility

Cooperative Learning


• May be oral, visual, or both• Helps students

– share what they have learned– build communication skills– achieve a higher level of understanding

Student Participation


For Reflection

• As a student, do you enjoy giving presentations? How might this impact your teaching career?

© Archipoch/Shutterstock


• Can be fun and challenging while building skills and reinforcing learning– Paper-and-pencil games—often word

games that build language skills– Card games—help review factual

information– Board games—encourage group skills,

math skills; can be adapted to meet learning objectives

Games

continued


– Active games—encourage physical activity, good for kinesthetic learners, offer a change of pace in learning

– Computer games—often targeted to meet specific learning needs; often have more than one level, allowing students to progress

Games


Objective

• Explain teachers’ primary considerations when deciding which teaching strategies to use.© ZouZou/Shutterstock


Choosing Appropriate Teaching Strategies• To choose, consider

– student characteristics—ages and developmental abilities

– the subject matter—may require repetition, creativity and exploration, or reinforcement

– the teaching situation—must be practical for time, materials, space, equipment, and cost


Key Points• Instructional methods help teachers

meet learning objectives• Teaching skills include questions,

examples, pacing, and closure• Teaching strategies may be teacher-

centered or learner-centered


Review• What type of questions encourage

higher-level thinking?open-ended questions• ____ ____ between asking a question

and calling on a student allows all students to mentally process the question and formulate their replies.

Wait time

continued


Review• What is the difference between a skit

and role playing?Skits are based on scripts and role

playing is not.• What should a teacher consider when

choosing appropriate teaching strategies?

student characteristics, subject matter, teaching situation

Documents

12 Instructional Methods Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Objective Explain the role of all teachers