Instructional Strategies

1. Instructional Strategies • Instructional strategies – refer to the arrangement of the teacher, learner, and environment • Many different types – we will explore only two

2. Station Teaching • Students are in small groups and rotate from learning center to learning center effectively and efficiently. • Provides students with a variety of drills and tasks • Works best when equipment or space is limited • Provides students with opportunities to practice and apply the same skill to different situations – crucial to mastering open skills

3. Station Teaching (Cont.) • Set up different activities around the gymnasium • Divide class into equal number of groups and assign to a different starting station • Place a task card describing what you want them to do • Make sure each station requires about the same amount of time to complete.

4. Station Teaching (Cont.) • Have students complete a data sheet at each station. • It is best to start with only 3-4 stations and then add more -this will minimize teacher talk • Can use this with a variety of teaching styles – reciprocal, self-check, and inclusion • Keep tasks fairly simple

5. Cooperative Learning • Research shows that cooperative learning results in greater achievement gains, improved cross-cultural friendships, increased social skills, enhanced self-esteem, greater interdependence (teamwork), increased cognitive and affective abilities, and an improved classroom climate.

6. Cooperative Learning (Cont.) True cooperative learning requires: • Formation of heterogeneous teams • Establishment of positive interdependence and individual accountability • Opportunity for team members to get acquainted with one another and establish a team identity. • Use of an established structure • Opportunity to debrief the situation

7. 1. Form Heterogeneous Groups • Teams should have a balance of gender, ethnicity, ability, etc. • You can randomly assign and then adjust for the above or you can rank students by ability and then assign one from the top with one from the bottom, etc. • Group sizes of 4-6 are about right, but partners can work too.

8. Establish positive interdependence and individual accountability • Set up one task to be accomplished by each group. Make sure it can be completed ONLY if the students cooperate • Establish individual accountability making sure each member has a specific task, role, or resource ensuring that each must contribute to the successful completion of the task

9. 3. Promote Team Building • Students need time to get to know one another and develop trust before being presented with a task • Groups go through 4 stages: • Forming • Storming • Norming • Performing

10. 4. Select a Structure • There are many – we will limit to four • Think-pair-share: • Students work with partners. You pose a question and give students time to think about their answer. • After thinking, they share their responses with their partners. • Partners question each other to help refine the answer

11. Structure for Cooperative Learning (Cont.) 2. Numbered Heads: • Students work in partners • You pose a question and they solve it together – asking each other questions to make sure their answer is appropriate

12. Structure for Cooperative Learning (Cont.) 3. STAD (student teams achievement divisions) • Students assigned to groups of four • You present the lesson and supply instructional materials, then students work to make sure everyone in their group masters the information • Reciprocal style helps here

13. Structure for Cooperative Learning (Cont.) 4. Jigsaw: • Students assigned to home teams of 4-6 members • Each member of the home team selects a different piece of material to learn. • Have students from different teams who have similar pieces of information, forms expert groups to discuss their information and develop a presentation for their home teams. No more than 4-6 in expert groups • Have students return to home groups to share information

14. 5. Be Sure to Debrief • Ask students: • Was the task completed? If not, why? • How did it feel to have someone accept your suggestions? • How did it feel to have someone complement you? • What can you do next time to make your group work more successfully? • What learning can you take from their experience to use in the future? • What were some encouraging things you saw or heard?

15. Working with Limited-English Proficient Students • LEP = limited English Proficient • SDAIE = specially designed academic instruction in English • Four methods for working with LEP students: • create a supportive learning environment • Use a variety of instructional strategies, including cooperative learning • Make sure information is comprehensible to students • Include a technique called total physical response

16. 1. Supportive Environment • Ask them to share their experiences • Incorporate some of their background into the class • Establish consistent routines so they know what is happening next • Avoid forcing them to speak (takes 6 mo. To a year at least) • When they do speak, correct their errors only through verbal mirroring

17. 2. Variety of Strategies, Including Cooperative Learning • All of your students learn in unique ways – including the LEP students • Technology is helpful • Nice to have a bi-lingual student in group with LEP

18. 3. Comprehensible Input • Use simple terms • Reinforce key concepts over and over again • Check often for student understanding • Slow down speech pattern • Pause frequently • Enunciate clearly • Emphasize key words of phrases • Keep information in context

19. 3. Comprehensible Input (Cont.) • Use visual aids, gestures, organizers, and other real objects • Demonstrate concepts • Simplify information • Expand on student’s ideas by asking additional questions • Provide definitions • Make comparisons • Provide lots of examples • Avoid idioms • Summarize often • Increase wait time

20. 4. Total Physical Response • There is a definite link between physical activity and language acquisition. • TPR = demonstrate something physically and have the student respond with a physical movement

21. Summary • You will work with 20 – 60 different learning styles during one instructional period • Make sure learning is hands-on, relevant, and student centered.