C&I 204: Lesson Design

Questioning and Indirect Instruction

October 31, 2011

Today’s Class

Discuss Questioning StrategiesDescribe Indirect InstructionPeer Review Lesson PlansEmbed VoiceThread in the Blog

Questioning Strategies

Quick Write- List 5 questioning strategies to keep in mind when having classroom discussions with students.

What types of questions can we ask? Essential (deep, significant and overarching) Clarification (to gain additional information) Organizing and Planning Questions (establish

process or check understanding) Probing (Get students to explore deeper) Divergent (Open-ended with more than one

right answer)

http://fno.org/nov97/toolkit.html

What’s it look like?

Watch the videoWhat do you see the teacher

doing? Identify the different questioning

techniques and the questioning strategies

http://learner.org/vod/vod_window.html?pid=1892

(#6, 22:30, 34:00)

Indirect Instruction

Student-Centered Instruction

Problem-centered

Project-centeredStudent-led

Inquiry

Discovery

Constructivistm

Inductive

IndirectCharacteristics

• Teachers provide students with access to information• Emphasis on experiential learning• Often involves real world problems and concepts• Relies on use of print, non-print, and human resources• Rarely a single correct answer• Teachers work and learn with students• Students make decisions about their own learning• More control over pacing

IndirectWorks best when:

Thinking outcome are desired

Process is as important as product

Need is to investigate or discover

More than one appropriate answer

Focus is personalized understanding & long-term retention

Indirect

Advantages

High level of student involvement

Takes advantage of student interests and curiosity

Offers diverse possibilities

Reduces fear of incorrect answers

Deeper understanding of content

Fosters creativity and interpersonal skills

Disadvantages

Time consuming

Outcomes less predictable

What’s your intent?

Direct Instruction

Facts, rules, action sequences

Remembering, understanding , and applying

Indirect Instruction

Concepts, patterns, abstractions

Analyzing, evaluating, creating

Must consider student ability and available resources

Direct instruction can fail because of student passivity and boredom.

Indirect instruction may fail because the teacher does not:Define the tasks.Provide adequate structure and

monitoring.Hold students accountable.

Consider combining both strategies

Indirect Instruction in the Classroom

Writer’s WorkshopCentersInquiryProjectshttp://www.learner.org/vod/vod_window.html?pid=1732

Some critics say that direct instruction stifles students and limits teacher creativity because it is systematic and scripted. Others say that indirect instruction is too time consuming and unproductive in this day and age of standard testing and accountability. What do you think?

Lesson Plan Peer Review

Find the people who have the same candy as you

Discuss your lesson plans Do your objective and your assessments

match? Are the steps clear How might you pose your questions Does your time seem reasonable? If you need transitions. How will you do it? What questions do you have?

Next Time

Blog Post #4 due on Wednesday, November 2

Read Ch. 4, Differentiating Instruction for Diverse Learners