221+Agenda+-+9.19.13

Whadya Think?
Post questions, comments, ideas to discuss based on your professional engagement research on Direct Instruction. (To post - 1) Sign in, 2) Click "edit", 3) Type your entry, 4) Sign your post (three tildes ~), 5) Click "save")

I think that most people have a negative idea of direct instruction as someone just droning on in front of a classroom. As a future math teacher I see direct instruction as the teaching technique I will most likely use more often. In all of my math classes from the 6th to the 12th grade my math teachers mainly used direct instruction to teach us. I think this is a great technique for a math classroom. Sometimes it is easy for direct instruction to develop into a teacher just talking at students who are not retaining the information but as long as the teacher is careful to keep students involved it can be very effective. When direct instruction is being implemented it is really important for the teacher to ask questions to the class frequently. If a teacher does not students will not need to pay attention and the focus of the lesson will be lost on the students. I think that a teacher who uses direct instruction but makes sure to include students in dialogue can be very successful. I imagine myself using this technique often as a math teacher. user:emilys932

I personally think society always puts a negative connotation with direct instruction. Personally I have experienced the most direct instruction in my classes here at Gonzaga. With the heavy amounts of material and often large class size most college professors use direct instruction to teach the material to their students. Less effective direct instruction comes from when teachers are there only to get through all their material and put the consideration of their students secondary. More effective direct instruction exists when teachers take an interest in their students and engage them with things such as interaction, laughter, question and response, and a variety of visuals. There is a lot of controversy around direct instruction because it has the power to literally destroy a class and even a course. At the same time it is effective and yields good test results. The teacher MUST remain a student of their students while incorporating some lecture into their classroom. Plain and simple. user:treuter2

As far as I have experienced, direct instruction is one of the most, if not the most, commonly used method of teaching used in the classroom. This may because it is the form of teaching that has always been used. It is traditional, and frankly, it works. But does it work best? To use or not to use? That is the question that has been in controversy. There is no doubt that it works, otherwise a vast number of students would not graduate and many would not be in college right now. However, I do not think that Direct Instruction is always the best method to reach students. Some students need to be engaged and reached in a way a lecture and book reading can't do. Teaching needs to take many different approaches to reach the variety of students teachers will have in their classrooms. Just as there are many different learning styles, there should be many different teaching styles and ways to get information across to students. I believe that a balance of interactive learning and direct instruction is needed, at least by a majority of teachers. Students need information directly given to them, but they also need a way to personally connect and engage in what they are learning to help them fully understand topics, remember what they learned and enjoy learning. user:Christina_R1

In the recent years, there has been lots of controversy over direct instruction. While it is definitely one of the most used forms of teaching I've ever experienced, I believe that there needs to be a balance between direct instruction and interactive learning. I have experienced direct instruction in every single one of my classes at Gonzaga as well as in high school and middle school. Sometimes, it was very effective in helping me understand concepts. However, other times it was boring and I learned nothing. The classes that I've gotten the most out of in my years of schooling had a good balance of both direct instruction and interactive learning. For example, in my English classes, we would have Socratic Seminars every week. These helped me get a different perspective and a deeper understanding of the content. Direct instruction can also be improved so that students can get the most out of lectures. Teachers must work to make their instruction engaging and exciting by using multiple forms of media and involving every student. If teachers act uninterested in the subject or simply talk "at" the students, their lessons will be ineffective and detrimental to the students. user:ckeever1

There's no denying that direct instruction can be great, but it can also be very detrimental to a learning environment. When you have large classes with a lot of material to cover, there has to be at least some direct instruction. I think that's perfectly fine if you do it well. I've had teachers who literally just write on the board and talk without any inflection or interaction, but I've also had teachers who do nothing but lecture and I still feel like they're having a personal conversation with me. If teachers can lecture in a way that makes the student feel like the teachers is having a conversation with them, then direct instruction can work pretty well. I think a large part of having students succeed in a classroom is not the teaching method being used, but the way the teaching method is used. user:mheckman12

Direct instruction, to me, is a great method to introduce a new topic to a class. However, once the students have a general understanding and are ready to diver deep rather than just skimming the surface of said topic, it is best to back off of direct instruction from a teacher and move on to other methods. One of the many ways teachers gage their students understanding is whether or not they feel comfortable teaching that topic to others; by moving away from the direct instruction, a teacher can encourage peer teaching within the class. Even though peer teaching may result in one student sharing what they learn in a direct instruction type of manner, many students – especially middle schoolers – are more likely to listen to what a friend says than what the teacher says. I believe that direct instruction should not be erased or removed from a teacher’s repertoire of teaching strategies; it should just be joined by many more modern ways to convey information to the student audience. user:ElizabethB0

Like all methods of teaching, Direct Instruction is useful in certain situations and detrimental in others. Direct instruction is important in situations where students need to learn certain material, take certain notes, or prepare a certain way for a test. As the teacher of a class, direct instruction is a great way to start a unit or chapter and introduce students to what will be learned throughout the chapter. However, direct instruction is not the perfect teaching style for every situation. I believe it is an important tool within the teachers toolbox that contains the many other teaching styles that we have not yet been introduced to. Direct instruction becomes dangerous when it is the only style that a teacher uses at higher levels of learning. As Dr. Traynor has stated, a boring teacher or a teacher who lectures early in the morning can find that students hear the lesson as "blah blah blah". Creative and interactive lessons are a better way to get learning across, in my opinion, but direct instruction is a style that should not be completely discarded. user:awestby11

A.M.D.G. While Direct Instruction is described by many as a "least effective" method of teaching, many also believe it is "most effective." When discussing with my peers and recalling upon my secondary education experience with Direct Instruction I find myself in the middle of these two poles in relation to the method. One reason as to why it is viewed both so positively and negatively is because I believe its definition is not firm, nor up to date. Due to this, it has a bad connotation. Today, it is important to acknowledge the term is used in a variety of ways, but it is a must to understand the teaching method of Direct Instruction is teacher-centered and focuses on direct delivery of information/ content to the student. This often includes lectures and step-by-step guidance or learning steps. In looking ahead to my teaching days I plan to use much direct instruction. I am very traditional and I believe in the past, specifically in the middle ages when the first higher levels of education originated, lecture was practiced and used effectively. Thus, I am a rather large proponent. Yet, at the same time I believe the needs of all students must be met and differentiation must be taken into accord. This means that discussions and hands on activities cannot be totally forgotten. I feel the "Sage on Stage" article does a nice job of highlighting how test scores and lectures do not mean everything. It is this that further encourages me to be open and strive to find a healthy balance in education philosophy that includes class lecture, group work, discussion, and hands on activities. I believe Direct Instruction is effective, but a healthy blend can be more effective. user:rercoliRobert Ercoliuser:rercoli

Direct instruction is a very basic way of teaching material. The teacher just stands up at the front of the classroom and lectures. I think this can be both an effective way to teach and a very passive way to teach. It can be effective if both the teacher and the students make it interesting. Teachers should be enthusiastic about the lesson that they are teaching their students and opening the lesson up to discussion and questions. Meanwhile, students should be taking notes, listening, and asking questions. There should be full participation in order for students to fully grasp what they are being taught. That way, the teacher can better know whether or not the students understand the material. However, direct instruction can be boring and students can lose focus quickly during a lecture. Also, direct instruction can work better for some students rather than others depending on what type of learner they are. Direct instruction is the simplest way to deliver the material for the lesson being taught, but I don’t think whether or not it’s the most attention-grabbing and/or effective method really depends on the teacher and/or the students. user:victoria_m1

The fact that direct instruction is described as “teacher-based” leads me to dislike it from the start. I know that certain subjects, like math or history for example, are most easily taught with direct instruction. It is also easier to maintain control over a class when the teacher is the head of learning. Finally, with direct instruction, teachers have an easier time getting through their material. But through my experiences, I’ve noticed that students learn the most – and remember the best – when they are actively involved in their learning. Because of this, the classroom should be a place where students facilitate their own education. They should discuss with one another concepts of the lesson, and be forced to figure them out on their own. Teachers should not always tell students the answers, but point them in the right direction. I understand that this is not realistic for all classrooms; some need more discipline and guidance than others. However, I believe that all children have the ability and the desire to gain knowledge in one form or another. Therefore, all students are capable of learning productively and efficiently in this way. user:julia1286

In my past experiences, DI is the most commonly used. Especially when you get into higher education, teachers and professors rely on this method the most. Although I feel like teaching should move in a direction away from this teacher-based way of teaching, I think that direct instruction is good in some cases; it all depends on differentiation. If a student, or group of students, is not meeting their academic goals, Direct Instruction is going to be the simplest way to help the students understand the concepts. That being said, if time permits and the students are at a level where the activity is applicable, I think that students should be taught mostly through other student-centered methods. Another good thing to students working together is letting the higher achieving students help and teach their peers that may be struggling with the subject. DI, if done in the simplest way, only provides the student with one way of looking at the content, or one method of solving the problem proposed. Having students share their ways of seeing the content allows students greater chances of understanding and success. user:jarmour500

Throughout my high school experience, the majority of the teachers used direct instruction, especially in math and history classes because it was the easiest way for the kids to "learn" the material. I put learn in quotes because by learning I mean spitting out the information on a test and forgetting the information a week later. Direct instruction is very easy for teachers to teach but its dry and boring for the students to learn. While I feel some direct instruction is necessary, it cannot be the only form of teaching you use in your classroom. Once the students have an understanding of the background of the information you have to deepen their understanding for it. That can be achieved in many ways. In high school some of my teachers would give us video projects to show how we understood the material and we could make it in our own creative ways, group work is always another option. To this day I can tell you what happens in the play Romeo and Juliet because my friends and I acted it out in 9th grade for our English teacher. Direct instruction is a good intro into a new unit, but if it is used everyday your class will lose interest in what you are teaching and that is when behavioral problems could start happening. user:pauljm12

I'm one of those kids who always learned best from direct instruction. Sometimes, it's nice to just chill out and take notes. However, I see a lot of problems with D.I., (even though it is my favorite style to learn from): especially with the technologized kids of today. Why memorize something off a powerpoint when it can be looked up? In addition, some kids struggle with lectures because they just aren't kinetic enough. Lectures cater to auditory and visual learners, meaning kids who learn hands on can often have a hard time with them. I think that direct instruction is not the best method to teach a whole class with because of this. Instead, it would be better if it was not used every day, or was used for a short time each day, then followed by an activity that reinforced what was learned in the lecture. It also doesn't give kids much of an opportunity to interact with the material, unless the teacher asks the students an open ended question from time to time. Direct lecture is good at getting the basics laid down, but it must be coupled with critical thinking in order to stick in student's memories and work for all learning styles! user:sdouglas15

Agenda
8:00 - 8:15 - Welcome and Review (Robert)
 * Notetaker - Tyler
 * Photographer - Audrey
 * Reviewer - Miranda

8:15 - 8:45 - Discussion about Direct Instruction

8:45 - 9:15 - Direct Instruction Demo
 * []

9:15 - 9:25 - Break

9:25 - 10:15 - Designing a rubric for direct instruction

A Competition Rubric For Effective Direct Instruction (Max and Christina)

Intro: outline topic, spark interest, objectives stated, check for prior knowledge

Middle: engaging students, ask questions, time management, basic speaking skills, visuals, humor relatable stop to boost energy, and check for understanding

Conclusion: summarize topic discussed, check for understanding, end with something memorable to leave the students with something to think about


 * [[file:Direct Instruction Activity Guide.docx]]
 * Activity Guide guidelines

10:15 - 10:35 - Revising a lecture
 * How and when would you make this lecture more interactive?
 * http://ant.umn.edu/
 * http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3fI5mQSlnQ
 * Post the link here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IvmpxkyVm8JOE36iqnuLarJyVoBzLZTqvBndLe_XH_k/edit?usp=sharing

10:35 - 10:40 - Closure


 * To Do:**
 * Direct Instruction Activity Guide ** (Any topic, use bullet points, should be designed for Garry Middle School Students) **
 * **Teaching Demos for next class**
 * 1) Julia
 * 2) Max
 * 3) Miranda

Tyler's Notes:

9/19/2013

Robert’s Review:

- Offered story time for students to tell personal stories about our experience at Garry, reviewed SWBAT and Bloom’s Taxonomy. - Field Information Seminar. - Lesson Design Plan: Using academic language - New Teachers Survival Guide:
 * o Ways to get attention from your students: (stop smile and wait, presence, whispering)

- Why are students not responsive? - How do you handle when students are not responsive?
 * o Not engaged, material may be way too easy or way too hard, it’s early in the morning, thinking about things outside of class, don’t want to embarrass themselves in front of their peers, or the teacher is poorly executing their lesson.
 * o Wait and see if students respond. (Wait 14 seconds!)

HEADS UP 7-UP!!!

Direct Instruction Class Discussion

- Most feel it is very effective, but there must be subtle changes to it in order for it to be effective. - As a class we are so used to it because the majority of our lessons at GU are direct instruction. - Students must be included in on the classroom conversation. - Not all direct instruction is boring.

What makes good direct instruction? - Must have a strong presence in the classroom. - Conversational type tone with students. - Must relate academic topic to students’ lives. - Using questions to always keep students thinking.

Anny’s Direct Instruction Lesson (PREZI)

- How do you know if you’ve taught something? - How do you know if your students have learned something? - How do you know what they’ve learned?

3 Major Types of Assessment - Diagnostic: Finding out what they know beforehand - Formative: Finding out how students’ understanding is being formed along the way - Summative: Finding out what the students learned at the end of instruction

Key Issues - Validity: Is it trustworthy? - Reliability: Does it provide consistent results? - Usability: Is it usable?

Assessment Options:

Diagnostic: Pre-Quiz, Pre-Test, Pre-Game Formative: small groups with one summarizing speaker, class blog, problems Summative: creative paper, evaluation of a class discussion

Purpose of Assessment: to find out what students have learned and see how it compares with what you as a teacher taught.

- *** Need a memorable, enticing, and important closing.

A Competition Rubric For Effective Direct Instruction (Max and Christina won)

Intro: outline topic, spark interest, objectives stated, check for prior knowledge Middle: engaging students, ask questions, time management, basic speaking skills, visuals, humor, relatable, stop to boost energy, and check for understanding Conclusion: summarize topic discussed, check for understanding, and end with something memorable to leave the students with something to think about

Video Ant Activity - Great example of a technology tool. - Connects to YouTube which pretty much all students have used