Reflective Journal #4
Description:
Chapter 7 defined the effective lesson. The effective lesson contains many elements that teachers need to consider when thinking about what they will teach to their students on a daily basis. Direct instruction, as well as, whole and small group discussion are key components of an effective lesson. The intentional teacher plans lessons based on set forth objectives that they would like for their students to master.
Analysis:
Lesson planning can be a daunting task for any teacher. Planning for 170+ days of instruction each year that meets all the required standards of instruction requires for teachers to plan effectively for each class period. One of the ways this can be done is through direct instruction. Direct instruction "is used to describe lessons in which you transmit information directly to students, structuring class time to reach a clearly defined set of objectives as efficiently as possible" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 162). There are many steps to direct instruction.
The first step to direct instruction is to understand what you want your students to accomplish or learn from the lesson. This can be done through "setting out objectives or what you want your students to know or be able to do at the end of the lesson" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 164). Objectives are important and should be the foundation for any lesson. Many times these can come from state defined standards or learning objectives that your students must master by the end of the school year. A good way to begin each lesson is to let your students know what the objective is for the day. Verbalizing the objective makes them understand that there is a purpose to the lesson and grabs their attention from the very beginning.
The next component to direct instruction is reviewing prerequisites. This may come through discussing briefly what was learned the day before and making sure that your students understand the previous content before moving on. Advanced organizers or "introductory statements by the teacher that remind students of what they already know and give them a framework for understanding the new material to be presented" are important to use to "set the stage" for new content (Slavin, 2015, pg. 168).
Next, it is time to present the new material. Presenting new material requires careful preparation by the teacher. The teacher must decide on the lesson structure or how it will be "logically organized" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 168). A good way to do this may be to outline the lesson so you can see the order in which you should present the new content. While you are presenting the new material, it is also important to "emphasize or clear indications about the most important elements of the lesson" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 168). It is also necessary to be very clear during direct instruction to make sure your students are understanding the new content. One way to help facilitate this process is through modeling or worked examples. This allows for you to "pose a problem and then work it out on an overhead or chalkboard, explaining your thinking at each step" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 169). You must make sure that however you choose to present the new material, that you keep your student's attention throughout the lesson and check for their understanding of the content.
There are many ways to check for understanding or conduct learning probes during direct instruction. A learning probe "refers to any of a variety of ways of asking for brief student responses to lesson content" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 170). This is necessary to make sure your students are understanding the material you are presenting. If they are not you may need to "slow down and provide additional explanation" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 170). One of the most powerful ways to check for understanding during direct instruction is through questioning your students. This can be done by asking questions throughout the lesson that probe students to recall what you have said or predict what may come next in the lesson. You should make sure you are giving students enough time to answer the questions before you move on to something else or call on another student. This is called "wait time" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 173). Once you have made sure students understand the content you have presented, it is then time for the students to independently practice what they have learned.
Independent practice allows students to practice with new content on their own to make sure they have mastered it and is "most critical when students are learning skills, such as mathematics, reading, grammar, composition, map interpretation or a foreign language (Slavin, 2015, pg. 173). It is important to really consider what you are wanting your students to accomplish through independent practice. You need to make sure that you do not assign independent practice "until you are sure all students can do it" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 175). Additionally, you should "keep independent practice short, give clear instructions, monitor students without interrupting, collect the work they do, assess it and provide feedback" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 176).
Assessing and providing feedback to students is the last step to direct instruction. Each "lesson should contain an assessment of the degree to which students have mastered the objectives for lesson" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 176). The only way for the teacher to know they can move on to introducing new content is through assessment. If students haven't mastered the new material, it will be necessary to reteach the lesson or work with the students who did not master the material to make sure they get it before moving forward.
Some important things to consider while implementing direct instruction in your classroom is how students best learn new concepts. A concept is "an abstract idea that is generalized from specific examples" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 179). Each student takes in new content in different ways. Therefore, intentional teachers must vary the way they present material so it reaches each student. Sometimes, students may learn best from examples. Teachers should try to "order examples from easy to difficult, select examples that differ from one another, and compare and contrast examples and non examples" when presenting new content (Slavin, 2015, pg. 179).
Discussions are also an important element to consider when planning instruction. Discussion can be used to consider "controversial topics, to question, or meet objectives" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 182). They can be used as a whole-group, class-wide discussion or small group. The teacher should select the model of discussion that they believe will best fit the lesson objectives. For whole-group discussions, the teacher serves as the "moderator" who "guides the discussion and helps the class avoid dead-ends" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 183). In small-group discussions teachers select a "leader" who is "responsible and well-organized" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 184). These student leaders help to facilitate the discussion and make sure their group stays on track. The teacher then moves around the room monitoring students while they are discussing in their small-groups.
Overall, the intentional teacher "must select their instructional strategies with purpose" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 185). This is done through following all the steps of direct instruction to plan effective lessons. The most crucial piece of all lesson planning is making sure that the set forth objectives are met in a way that connects with and engages your students. With purposeful and intentional lesson planning, teachers can ensure that students are meeting objectives and mastering content.
Reflection:
Lesson planning can be a difficult task but it is extremely rewarding when you plan a lesson that is both engaging and meets the objectives you have set for the day. As the text stated, the intentional teacher must pay careful attention to lesson planning and make sure that each day's lesson is purposeful and engaging for students. In my experience, effective lessons lend themselves to a positive classroom environment and help to manage student behaviors.
The current curriculum that I teach is based off of 4 units that divide evenly through the four 9-week quarters we teach in a calendar year. For each of these units, I try to begin my planning by looking at the summative assessment we give at the end of each unit. I then write my objectives based off what the assessment asks my students to know or do. I then take those objectives and work them into the 9 weeks I have to address the new content. I like to have my plans set for at least a week if not a few weeks ahead of time so that I am prepared and not scrambling for a lesson each morning when I walk in the school building.
Objectives are really key in making sure that lessons are purposeful. As a content team, we use our GA state standards to help us define the objectives for our course. When looking at the required standards, we can then develop our content around lessons that help students master these objectives. The learning platform that we use to document our daily lessons and publish them is called itsLearning. On Friday's I make sure that my lessons are posted to this site for the next week. I connect the objectives or standards to each lesson and make sure to reference these when introducing them to my students. If students are absent, they can check this site to get any work they missed and move through the lesson plan.
When introducing new content, it is essential that I prepare lessons that engage students. This can be done many ways but as the text states, I believe discussions lend themselves well to facilitating student engagement around new ideas. I try to vary whether they are whole-group or small-group depending on the topic and the student's background on the topic. No matter which type of setting, I make sure to prepare adequately for the type of discussion that will be held. This includes selecting questions that will elicit a high level of student response and also making sure to select good leaders for small-group discussion. A technique that I use often are Socratic Seminars which put students at the center of the discussion and allow for the teacher to simply observe the discussion.
I also try to integrate many checks for understanding through my direct instruction. Questioning I have found is a key component to keeping students engaged in lessons. In my course, we do a lot of reading of texts. I try to stop every few pages or paragraphs to ask students questions about what we have read. I use study aides such as guided reading questions and graphic organizers to help students organize their ideas about the content we are reading. In addition to questioning, I try to incorporate smaller informal assessments into each lesson. Some of my favorites are tickets out the door, think-pair-share activities, student examples, or smaller quizzes to help check for understanding and assess my students. I found by using these I can see who has mastered the content and who may need remediation in order to move forward.
As an intentional teacher, it is imperative that I put forth the time and attention needed to effectively plan lessons for my students. Whether through direct instruction, whole or small-group discussion, or independent practice students must have the ability to learn new content in a variety of engaging ways.
Reference
Slavin, R. E. (2015). Educational Psychology: Theory and Practice. Pearson.
Analysis:
Lesson planning can be a daunting task for any teacher. Planning for 170+ days of instruction each year that meets all the required standards of instruction requires for teachers to plan effectively for each class period. One of the ways this can be done is through direct instruction. Direct instruction "is used to describe lessons in which you transmit information directly to students, structuring class time to reach a clearly defined set of objectives as efficiently as possible" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 162). There are many steps to direct instruction.
The first step to direct instruction is to understand what you want your students to accomplish or learn from the lesson. This can be done through "setting out objectives or what you want your students to know or be able to do at the end of the lesson" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 164). Objectives are important and should be the foundation for any lesson. Many times these can come from state defined standards or learning objectives that your students must master by the end of the school year. A good way to begin each lesson is to let your students know what the objective is for the day. Verbalizing the objective makes them understand that there is a purpose to the lesson and grabs their attention from the very beginning.
The next component to direct instruction is reviewing prerequisites. This may come through discussing briefly what was learned the day before and making sure that your students understand the previous content before moving on. Advanced organizers or "introductory statements by the teacher that remind students of what they already know and give them a framework for understanding the new material to be presented" are important to use to "set the stage" for new content (Slavin, 2015, pg. 168).
Next, it is time to present the new material. Presenting new material requires careful preparation by the teacher. The teacher must decide on the lesson structure or how it will be "logically organized" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 168). A good way to do this may be to outline the lesson so you can see the order in which you should present the new content. While you are presenting the new material, it is also important to "emphasize or clear indications about the most important elements of the lesson" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 168). It is also necessary to be very clear during direct instruction to make sure your students are understanding the new content. One way to help facilitate this process is through modeling or worked examples. This allows for you to "pose a problem and then work it out on an overhead or chalkboard, explaining your thinking at each step" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 169). You must make sure that however you choose to present the new material, that you keep your student's attention throughout the lesson and check for their understanding of the content.
There are many ways to check for understanding or conduct learning probes during direct instruction. A learning probe "refers to any of a variety of ways of asking for brief student responses to lesson content" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 170). This is necessary to make sure your students are understanding the material you are presenting. If they are not you may need to "slow down and provide additional explanation" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 170). One of the most powerful ways to check for understanding during direct instruction is through questioning your students. This can be done by asking questions throughout the lesson that probe students to recall what you have said or predict what may come next in the lesson. You should make sure you are giving students enough time to answer the questions before you move on to something else or call on another student. This is called "wait time" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 173). Once you have made sure students understand the content you have presented, it is then time for the students to independently practice what they have learned.
Independent practice allows students to practice with new content on their own to make sure they have mastered it and is "most critical when students are learning skills, such as mathematics, reading, grammar, composition, map interpretation or a foreign language (Slavin, 2015, pg. 173). It is important to really consider what you are wanting your students to accomplish through independent practice. You need to make sure that you do not assign independent practice "until you are sure all students can do it" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 175). Additionally, you should "keep independent practice short, give clear instructions, monitor students without interrupting, collect the work they do, assess it and provide feedback" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 176).
Assessing and providing feedback to students is the last step to direct instruction. Each "lesson should contain an assessment of the degree to which students have mastered the objectives for lesson" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 176). The only way for the teacher to know they can move on to introducing new content is through assessment. If students haven't mastered the new material, it will be necessary to reteach the lesson or work with the students who did not master the material to make sure they get it before moving forward.
Some important things to consider while implementing direct instruction in your classroom is how students best learn new concepts. A concept is "an abstract idea that is generalized from specific examples" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 179). Each student takes in new content in different ways. Therefore, intentional teachers must vary the way they present material so it reaches each student. Sometimes, students may learn best from examples. Teachers should try to "order examples from easy to difficult, select examples that differ from one another, and compare and contrast examples and non examples" when presenting new content (Slavin, 2015, pg. 179).
Discussions are also an important element to consider when planning instruction. Discussion can be used to consider "controversial topics, to question, or meet objectives" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 182). They can be used as a whole-group, class-wide discussion or small group. The teacher should select the model of discussion that they believe will best fit the lesson objectives. For whole-group discussions, the teacher serves as the "moderator" who "guides the discussion and helps the class avoid dead-ends" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 183). In small-group discussions teachers select a "leader" who is "responsible and well-organized" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 184). These student leaders help to facilitate the discussion and make sure their group stays on track. The teacher then moves around the room monitoring students while they are discussing in their small-groups.
Overall, the intentional teacher "must select their instructional strategies with purpose" (Slavin, 2015, pg. 185). This is done through following all the steps of direct instruction to plan effective lessons. The most crucial piece of all lesson planning is making sure that the set forth objectives are met in a way that connects with and engages your students. With purposeful and intentional lesson planning, teachers can ensure that students are meeting objectives and mastering content.
Reflection:
Lesson planning can be a difficult task but it is extremely rewarding when you plan a lesson that is both engaging and meets the objectives you have set for the day. As the text stated, the intentional teacher must pay careful attention to lesson planning and make sure that each day's lesson is purposeful and engaging for students. In my experience, effective lessons lend themselves to a positive classroom environment and help to manage student behaviors.
The current curriculum that I teach is based off of 4 units that divide evenly through the four 9-week quarters we teach in a calendar year. For each of these units, I try to begin my planning by looking at the summative assessment we give at the end of each unit. I then write my objectives based off what the assessment asks my students to know or do. I then take those objectives and work them into the 9 weeks I have to address the new content. I like to have my plans set for at least a week if not a few weeks ahead of time so that I am prepared and not scrambling for a lesson each morning when I walk in the school building.
Objectives are really key in making sure that lessons are purposeful. As a content team, we use our GA state standards to help us define the objectives for our course. When looking at the required standards, we can then develop our content around lessons that help students master these objectives. The learning platform that we use to document our daily lessons and publish them is called itsLearning. On Friday's I make sure that my lessons are posted to this site for the next week. I connect the objectives or standards to each lesson and make sure to reference these when introducing them to my students. If students are absent, they can check this site to get any work they missed and move through the lesson plan.
When introducing new content, it is essential that I prepare lessons that engage students. This can be done many ways but as the text states, I believe discussions lend themselves well to facilitating student engagement around new ideas. I try to vary whether they are whole-group or small-group depending on the topic and the student's background on the topic. No matter which type of setting, I make sure to prepare adequately for the type of discussion that will be held. This includes selecting questions that will elicit a high level of student response and also making sure to select good leaders for small-group discussion. A technique that I use often are Socratic Seminars which put students at the center of the discussion and allow for the teacher to simply observe the discussion.
I also try to integrate many checks for understanding through my direct instruction. Questioning I have found is a key component to keeping students engaged in lessons. In my course, we do a lot of reading of texts. I try to stop every few pages or paragraphs to ask students questions about what we have read. I use study aides such as guided reading questions and graphic organizers to help students organize their ideas about the content we are reading. In addition to questioning, I try to incorporate smaller informal assessments into each lesson. Some of my favorites are tickets out the door, think-pair-share activities, student examples, or smaller quizzes to help check for understanding and assess my students. I found by using these I can see who has mastered the content and who may need remediation in order to move forward.
As an intentional teacher, it is imperative that I put forth the time and attention needed to effectively plan lessons for my students. Whether through direct instruction, whole or small-group discussion, or independent practice students must have the ability to learn new content in a variety of engaging ways.
Reference
Slavin, R. E. (2015). Educational Psychology: Theory and Practice. Pearson.
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