Effective Teaching
Mackenzie Hudson, Mark PottsTrevor Wagner, Troy Wagner
Essential Question
What characteristics of lesson planning make
teaching effective?
Goals• Demonstrate knowledge of characteristics of effective teaching• Understand importance of working positively in collaborative groups
Objectives• List 5 of the 11
Assignments That Matter characteristics• Define effective teaching• Deconstruct an effective lesson plan and describe its successful components
What is Effective Teaching?
• Involves technology integration• Uses the characteristics of Assignments That Matter • Uses teaching style that benefits every student • Keeps students motivated and engaged
Assignments That Matter Characteristics•Collaborative
•Authentic•Allow for feedback•Allow for interactive learning•Engaging•Encourage higher-thinking skills•Have clear and illustrative examples•Give students choices•Encourage creativity•Reinforce instruction•Encourage students to be proactive
El Misterio de los MayasStudents create an answer to the essential question while learning about the scientific method, the Mayan culture and history and develop conclusions about civilizations, past and present.
Essential Question:What brings about the rise and fall of great civilizations?
Sequence of Events1. Present Essential Question2. Hold group discussion about Content
Questions3. Ask Gauging Student Needs questions and
instructional time4. Presentation of Maya instructions handout5. Teach about scientific method6. Individual research on specific topic7. Work in small groups to form hypotheses explaining the collapse of the Mayans8. Group must test and quantify their thesis statements and come to conclusions9. Presentations10. Wrap-up discussion11. Concluding essay
Theorist• Constructivism• Student-driven lessons• Hypothesis leads to research• Critique & Revision
Use of Constructivism
• Mayan decline study provides insights of current cultural experiences• Lesson starts with questions meant to build meaning• Promotes using prior knowledge• Interpreting and predict information (hypothesis through Scientific Method)• Dialogue among students
Noted Theorists Ideas
• Jean Piaget child is a scientist, knowledge of relationships along events (e.g. Mayan decline vs. current culture)
• B.F. Skinner important to see consequences of Mayan culture and understand the causes
• Lev Vygotsky stressed the importance of past experiences and connecting them to the present
• Jerome Bruner student selects information to form a hypothesis to enhance meaning
• John Dewey social learning makes knowledge applicable to life
PsychologistIncorporates Left Brain and
Right Brain Students
Left Brain Students• Independent research• Individual reflection essay Right Brain Students • Group work • Presentation
Psychologist: Left Brain vs. Right Brain Teacher
Left Brain• Some lecture
• Scientific Method• Develop hypothesis
Right Brain • Hands-on work • Group project
Use of Different Kinds of Intelligence
• Mayan lesson incorporates strengths of:– Verbal/Linguistic learners: reading, writing, speaking, and
conversing– Logical/Mathematical learners: involves computer skills; solving
problems through logic– Interpersonal learners: involves working with other people and
understanding how to work collaboratively
Intrinsic
Motivation
Extrinsic
• Gives choices• Solving real-world problems• Student-centered assessments allow students to set goals
• Group process rubrics and project rubrics self-progress reminders• Pre-project questioning creates individual motivation/interest
Pedagogy
Project-based Learning
Collaborative Learning
• Driving question• Culminating project• Collaborative• Socratic Method (thinking driven by questions)
• Small groups work towards common goal• Interdependence
Mayan Technology Integration
• Helps evaluate use of technology in classroom– Use of technology integration matrix
o Active – student actively engaged in technical toolso Constructive – students use technology tools to build
understandingo Authentic – technology tools used to solve real-world problems
• Technology integration matrix not incorporated:o Collaborative – students use technology to collaborate with
other studentso Goal-Directed – students use technology to set goals, plan
activities, monitor progress, and evaluate resultso Done in the classroom and not through the use of technology
Technology Integration in Project Curriculum
The levels that are not used in the Mayan project include:
• Entry/Adoption – technology not used to deliver instructions or direct students toward use of tools
• Adaptation – all students use slideshows to present; students cannot choose other possible tools for presentations
Projects Inclusion of Bloom’s Taxonomy
• Knowledge – asks Who, What, and When questions to find curriculum-framing concepts/answers to prior knowledge• Comprehension – deep understanding of pitfalls of great societies; own cultural experiences• Application – studying factors of Mayan demise allows insights into own culture’s survival• Analysis – developing hypothesis after synthesizing group findings• Synthesis – students work together to prepare and organize creative/thorough presentation; feedback allowed• Evaluation – teacher-lead discussion on factors of Mayan demise; essay of individual learning
Instructional DesignerAssessment Timeline: Break it down
Pre-project Gauge student needs; class questioning• determine prior knowledge• create interest (engage students)• promote critical thinking & monitor understanding
During Project Conferences; peer feedback; group collaboration rubric
• students are aware of expectations for group collaboration• students assess their group collaboration• conferences help students progress and stay on track
Post Project Reflection essay; group process rubric• students summarize thoughts • students are aware of how they were assessed
Differentiated Instruction
1. Know your students2. Have a repertoire of
teaching strategies3. Identify a variety of
instructional activities4. Identify ways to access or
evaluate student progress
Lesson Execution of Differentiated Instruction
• Special Needs Students– Provide guidance for finding sources– Hold additional conferences to help organize data– Provide the English project rubric
• Gifted/Talented Students– Expand research components to accommodate the student’s interests
and ability level
• Nonnative Speaker– Provide guidance for locating resources– Hold additional conferences to help organize data– Use an appropriate language version Internet Encyclopedia for research– Provide the English project rubric if the student’s first language is not
Spanish
NETS Standards Compliance
• Collaboration• Real-world issues• Pursue individual curiosities• Reflection • Multiple assessments• Learner-centered strategies• Fluency in technology systems
Levels of Technology Integration
• Mayan Project incorporates:– Exploration: students research using technical tools inside and outside the
classroom– Infusion: emphasizes high order of technical and analytical thinking– Mechanical Integration: students solving real-world problems using digital
tools– Refinement: instruction based on student needs, no division between
technology and learning
• What could have been incorporated:– Expansion: student collaboration outside the classroom to solve problems
Pros• Project focused on technology use• Requires synthesis and evaluation• Rubrics and assessments are clear and concise• Driven by student results• Active learning• Multidisciplinary
Cons• Lesson lacks intrinsic and extrinsic motivation• Directions are not completely concise and clear• Students are not required to work or collaborate outside
classroom
What does it mean to design and teach Assignments that Matter?
• Collaborative• Authentic• Allow for feedback• Allow for interactive learning• Engaging
• Students work in groups• Relates to society/civilization today• Group process rubric and essay• Learn through research
Mayan Project Summary
• Encourage higher-thinking skills
• Have clear and illustrative examples
• Give students research choices
• Encourage creativity• Reinforce instruction• Encourage students
to be proactive
• Hypothesis formation and testing
• Examples and rubrics provided• Students choose investigation
area• Creative presentation• Use instructional info to
complete assignment• Students research chosen topic
to create own hypothesis