10

andFaulty notions about teaching

Learning

Article Summary from2003 Journal of Special Education– Written by William Heward.

Presented by: Brent Daigle, Ph.D.

Assumptions

1. Students with disabilities have the right to an effective education.

2. Special education instruction should be individualized, intensive, and goal-directed.

3. Special education teachers should know how to select and apply research-based strategies.

4. Research-based instructional tools are underused in special education. A large research-to-practice gap remains.

Presented by: Brent Daigle, Ph.D.

Faulty notion # 1

impedestrue learning

Structured teaching

Research supports an instructional approach that relies on explicit instruction, guided practice, and feedback (i.e., direct instruction.)

Faulty notion # 2

trivializes education& ignores the whole child

Teaching discrete skills

Discrete skills , such as an emphasis on sight words and phonics, is important and critical to improved academic outcomes. Presented by: Brent Daigle, Ph.D.

Faulty notion # 3

deep understanding& dulls their creativity

Drill & practice limits

If done properly, drill and practice builds fluency and leads to improved outcomes. Presented by: Brent Daigle, Ph.D.

Faulty notion # 4

(and/or cannot, should not)measure performance

Teachers do not need to

It is indefensible to make instructional decisions without data from direct and frequentmeasurement. Presented by: Brent Daigle, Ph.D.

Faulty notion # 5

internally motivated

to really learn

Students must be

Overwhelming empirical evidence that contingent teacher praise, approval and other forms or positive reinforcement (e.g., token economy) have positive effects on student behavior and achievement. Presented by: Brent Daigle, Ph.D.

Faulty notion # 6

is a teacher’s

primary goal

Building self-esteem

Primary goal is improved achievement. Increased self-esteem is the result of improved outcomes or mastery of a new skill. Presented by: Brent Daigle, Ph.D.

Faulty notion # 7

with disabilitiesrequires unending patience

Teaching students

If there is no change in learning, teacher must differentiate their instruction, not simply become more patient. Research indicates that patient teachers often translates into slowed-down instruction, lowered expectations, fewer opportunities to respond, and few in-class and homework assignments, all of which students with disabilities do not need.

Faulty notion # 8

learns

differently

Every child

Many instructional strategies were founded on a few basic principles of learning. The challenge for teachers is to find the combination of strategies that address the unique needs of each child. Presented by: Brent Daigle, Ph.D.

Faulty notion # 9

is

good

Eclecticism

Constantly changing the combination of principles and methods of instruction from a large variety of theories and models is counterproductive to students with exceptionalities. It is more important for special educators to have knowledge and skills in using a core set of instructional methods and approaches to meet the needs of students in their class. Presented by: Brent Daigle, Ph.D.

Faulty notion # 10

is

a creative teacher

A good teacher

Presented by: Brent Daigle, Ph.D.

Creativity is good, however it must have an instructional purpose. Your creativity, when done correctly, should be used to extend the curriculum based on the standards you are targeting.

Presented by: Brent Daigle, Ph.D.