Direct Instruction

Haley ToyeMakary SinManpreet Rai

Chapter 12Pages 471-473, 474-476, 483-488

Direct InstructionAlso called EXPLICIT TEACHING“Systematic instruction for mastery of basic skills, facts, and information”ACTIVE TEACHING is teaching characterized by high levels of teacher explanations, demonstration and interaction with students.

Teacher explanation is appropriate for:• Communicating large amounts of material to students in a short period of time• Introducing a new topic• Give background information• Motivating students to learn more on their own

• Explanation and Direct Instruction

This is how Sheldon uses Direct Instruction to explain physics to Penny…

Useful for… Not Useful for…

• Science Facts• Math Problems• Reading Vocabulary• Grammar Rules

• Creative Writing• Solving Complex Problems

• Discussing an Issue

Direct Instruction best applies to the teaching of basic skills, or skills that are needed for later learning and

can be taught in a step by step sequence.

•Teaching a grade 4 class long division is a good time to use direct instruction.

Asking your grade 11 English Class to write an essay on their personal hero is a good time to use direct instruction.

TRUE FALSE

TRUE FALSE

In order for direct instruction to be successful…

1. Effective teacher management of the classroom with minimal student interruption

2. Teacher maintains a strong academic focus and uses available instructional time wisely

• In order for direct instruction to be successful…

• 3. Teacher chooses tasks carefully and clearly presents solutions. The teacher is continuously diagnosing each students progress. The teacher identifies weaknesses and provides help through remedial instruction

• In order for direct instruction to be successful…

• 1. Review and check the previous days work. • Re-teach if necessary• 2. Present New Material make the purpose clear, teach in small steps and provide examples/non-examples

• 3. Provide Guided Practice • Provide questions, practice problems and listen for misconceptions and misunderstanding. Students should answer about 80% of questions correct

• 4. Give feedback and correctives based on student answers

• Re-teach if necessary.

• Rosenhein’s 6 Teaching Functions

5. Provide Independent PracticeLet students apply their learning on their own through seatwork, homework or cooperative groups. Students should answer 90% of questions correctly and be well prepared for examination.6. Review weekly and monthlyInclude homework, test often and re-teach material missed on the tests.

•Well-organized presentations, clear explanations, the use of explanatory links and reviews can help students perceive connections among ideas.•Reviewing refreshes prior knowledge•Guided instruction doesn’t overload students with information and allows the teacher to address misconceptions

•Why does Direct Instruction Work?

•Some students have trouble listening for more than a few minutes at a time.

•Criticisms of Direct Instruction

• Scripted Cooperation is a learning strategy in which two students take turns summarizing material and criticizing the summaries• Pose a question, and give all students a few minutes to come up with some ideas. Ask them to share their ideas with the class• Ask students to finish sentences such as, “Today I learned…,” “I was surprised…,” Students can keep a journal of these sentences

•Tips for Keeping Students Engaged

•Pose an idea, and get students to work in pairs to elaborate on the idea•Voting-ie. “How many of you…”•Choral Response- Have the whole class repeat a statement in unison. • Ex. “An octagon has 8 sides”•Speak-Write- Explain to students that you are going to talk briefly for 3-4 minutes and they are expected to listen, but not take notes. At the end of the time, ask them to summarize what you have just said.

• Most criticisms of direct instruction are the same criticisms of behavioural learning theories. Young children, especially need some guidance, instruction, feedback and review in order to build a base foundation of understanding before they can be expected to think abstractly and actively. Without direct instruction, the child’s understanding may be incomplete or misleading.

•Criticisms of Direct Instruction Contin’d

• Individualized Instruction

• refers to the idea of tailoring the pace,

learning objectives, level and assessment

approach so that each individual student

benefits.

• Individualized Instruction &…

• When put together, allows teachers to focus on the areas of improvement and learning problems of individual students • Mostly focused in primary schools

Constructivist Approach

• Students are encouraged to build their learning and knowledge on their own– Mostly focused in secondary schools

Direct Instruction

•A blend of both approaches?

• However still, individualized instruction maintains that most students in the secondary school age still lack the basic knowledge and skills to direct most of their own curriculum, which must be at least partially directed by their teachers

• Ex: Distance & Online Learning (blackboard)

Individualized instruction is a method of managing the whole teaching process without requiring a lecture from the teacher the whole entire time

• A lecture consumes up to 80% of an average teacher’s in class time and is inherently an inefficient method of conveying information. The average student retains only approximately 10% of what is presented in a lecture and without considerable reinforcement of that content, the student retains only 2% or less information within 24 hours.

3 Fundamental Variables of Individualized Instruction:

1. Pace - the amount of time given to a student to learn the content

- specific due dates are defined and negotiated

2. Method - the way the instruction is structured and managed- usually designed for the average learner

3. Content – the material to be learned- less frequently modified

•Seatwork

• lessons assigned to be done by students at their desks in the classroom

• Seatwork should not be the main mode of instruction. It should follow up a lesson and give students supervised practice

• Students should see the connection between seatwork and the lesson

• Keeping Students Involved - get the students started correctly by making sure that they understand the assignments

- first do a few questions as a class

- hold the students accountable for completing their work correctly

- the work should be checked, give students a chance to correct the errors or revise the work, and the results counted towards the class grade

• Seatwork should be not be too difficult- the objectives should be clear, all the

materials that might be needed should be provided, and the work should be easy enough that the students can succeed on their own

- success rates should be near 100 percent

• Monitoring

- Be available to students- move around the class

- Have short frequent contacts- avoid spending too much time with 1

or 2 students

- Enforce Reminders- correct off task behaviour right away

- Have a time frame- you shouldn’t spend too much time

on seatwork

• Completion and Handing In

- have a plan of what the students do once they finish their seatwork

- ‘finished work tub’

- enforce rewards for completion of work

- make sure the students aren’t rushing to finish their work

• How to help your student finish their seatwork

1. Signal the student that he/she is off task2. Problem-solve with the student3. Have the student begin his/her seatwork

with you4. Provide the seatwork in chunks5. Arrange a seatwork buddy for the student6. Use a timer to keep the student on task7. Reward students who finish their seatwork

•Homework

• Monitoring Homework• make sure families know what students are expected to learn

- send home a list of course objectives, homework policies and consequences

• help families find a comfortable and helpful role in their child’s homework

- helping their child brainstorm- setting up a quiet study area- discuss strategies at parent/teacher conferences

• find out what responsibilities the child has at home- call or email teacher for help

• if no one is available to help out at home…- assign study buddies- provide internet and library resources

•How else can you help with hw?

• provide clear, purposeful, and developmentally appropriate assignments

- what, how, when why it has to be done• establish a partnership with parents and students that promotes timely, regular communication

- monthly calendar, communication booklet/log, etc.

• monitor homework and provide regular feedback• summarize and report on homework completion • teach skills necessary for successful homework completion

- materials organization, time management, problem solving

Learning and Teaching Math

• It is believed that traditional mathematics instruction often teaches students unintended lessons, for example, when students think that math doesn’t need to make sense, they just need to memorize a formula.

•Mathematics

• Strong support for constructivism approach comes from mathematics education

•Constructivist Approach

• 3 main notions1. Thinking process of students is the

focus of attention2. One topic is considered in depth rather

than attempting to cover many topics3. Assessment is ongoing and is mutually

shared by teachers and students

•Constructivist Approach

1. Promote students’ autonomy and commitment to their answers

2. Develop students’ reflective process3. Construct case history of each

student4. If student is unable to solve a

problem, intervene to negotiate possible solution with student

5. When the problem is solved, review the solution

•Constructivist Approach to Mathematics

Learning and Teaching Science

• For students to understand science, they have to directly examine their own theories and confront the shortcomings

•Science

• For conceptual change to occur, students must go through six stages

•Conceptual ChangeA method that helps students understand

(rather than memorize) concepts in science by using and challenging the students’

current ideas

1. Initial discomfort with their own ideas and beliefs

2. Attempts to explain away from inconsistencies between their theories and evidence presented to them

3. Attempts to adjust measurements or observations to fit personal theories

4. Doubt5. Vacillation (to swing indecisively from one

course of action or opinion to another)6. Conceptual change

•Conceptual Change

• Similar to Notions of Piaget:I. AssimilationII. DisequilibriumIII. Accommodation

•Conceptual Change

• Two central features of conceptual change teaching:

I. Teachers are committed to teaching for student understanding rather than covering the curriculum

II. Students are encouraged to make sense of science using current ideas

•Conceptual Change

• Guidelines for conceptual change teaching

1. Encourage students to make their ideas explicit

2. Help students see differences among ideas

3. Encourage metacognition4. Explore status of ideas5. Ask students for justifications of their

ideas

•Conceptual Change

Open inquiry: transform what students do to resemble what scientists do

•Conceptual Change

•Sources Cited