Reflective Journal Post #4

 

Description:

            The readings in EDAT 6115 this week helped to identify the components of an effective lesson. As stated in the introduction to the chapter, “conducting effective lessons is at the heart of a teacher’s craft” and should be the focus of continuous learning and growth (Slavin, 2018, p. 160).  The analysis and reflection below will address creating and implementing effective lessons in theory and in practice.

Analysis:

            Effective planning and implementation of lessons takes intentional decision making by a teacher to accommodate for the many factors that exist within a classroom. One such decision that must be carefully considered is the instructional methods by which learning will take place. As highlighted in the readings, there are many different instructional strategies to choose from based upon the learning objectives of the lesson. It is the job of the teacher to “be able to use all of them and discern when each is appropriate” (Slavin, 2018, p. 160).  Often the most effective lessons incorporate multiple strategies to accommodate for learning at all levels.

            Direct instruction was highlighted as a method to quickly and efficiently teach content that all students need to learn (Slavin, 2018, p. 160).  This method of instruction can be effective if properly designed and executed. The key to direct instruction is ensuring that is well planned and “flows along a logical path, from arousing student interest to presenting new information to allowing students to practice their new knowledge or skills to assessment (Slavin, 2018, p. 161). Direct instruction should not be used as a stand-alone method of content delivery but has been shown to have an effect size of 0.60 by John Hattie’s meta-analyses which indicates positive effects on teaching (Visible Learning, 2018).

            Another method of instruction highlighted in the readings was the use of small group discussions. In small collaborative groups students are expected to work more independently of the teacher discussing different aspects of new concepts (Slavin, 2018, p. 182).  For small group discussions to be productive and beneficial significant planning must occur to ensure the learning goals and expectations for learning are clear. More differentiation might also be needed for learners with different levels of prior knowledge or those who are progressing at different paces. Often small group discussions are more productive when they are well-organized, involve specific roles for students, and require equal participation among group members (Slavin, 2018, p. 182).

Reflection:

I took away several important reminders from the readings this week. First, direct instruction should always begin with the clearly identifying the objectives and learning goals for the students.  This ensures the message of the lesson is clearly communicated and that the learning goals maintain the focus of the lesson. In my own class, I do this with a weekly announcement using our learning management system Canvas. The post includes lessons and activities planned for the week as well as the standards, learning goals, and any assessments that will be done. All the content and activities are directly linked for students from that announcement giving it value for them to view and keep referencing throughout the week.

Second, I was glad to find that research does support direct instruction for some purposes. I feel as though lately direct instruction has gotten a bad name and is always considered the lazy way to teach. I find it to be the opposite in my own classroom as I am exhausted after lecture days (as are my students). In Advanced Placement Biology, the units are very process heavy (think photosynthesis or mitosis) with students required to know very specific details. When I introduce a new process, I typically give direct instruction through lectures that are highly visual, graphic and animation heavy. As Slavin (2018) stated, “direct instruction can be more efficient than discovery in conceptual development” (p 160).  When I begin direct instruction it typically involves a quick orientation discussion about what the big ideas are and how all the parts will connect. I throw it all at them using new vocabulary and a great deal of new knowledge that they are unfamiliar with.  This allows students to connect previous knowledge they do have with new content.  Although it can be overwhelming at first, my students come to expect it and appreciate it after some practice. The lectures soon become more of a whole-class discussion which is very productive. Previously, I pointed out that direct instruction has an effect size of .60 on Hattie’s Visible Learning scale but classroom discussions have an effect size of .82 (Visible Learning, 2018).  I was happy to find that the data correlates with my own experiences in my classroom showing the same positive impacts I witness daily.

Lastly, I appreciated the section on transfer of learning. All too often, students (and teachers) get caught up in learning concepts and struggle “to transfer their knowledge or skills to real-life situations” (Slavin, 2018, p. 177). I am lucky in my content areas that many times life and content collide without me even trying (this past year in a pandemic for example). However, I appreciated the reminder to make the connections clear and experiential for my students. Using problem-based learning opportunities and current news headlines allows me to show students exactly how they will use the content we are learning in real life. Over the past few years, I have incorporated more online discussion posts for students to participate in that allow me to extend content outside of the classroom. In these posts, students investigate new research, provide opinions or solutions for problems, and work through case studies that are related to content from class. 

 

References

Slavin, R.E. (2018). Educational Psychology: Theory and Practice (12^th ed.). Pearson.

Visible Learning. (2018, March). Hattie effect size list - 256 Influences Related To Achievement. VISIBLE LEARNING. https://visible-learning.org/hattie-ranking-influences-effect-sizes-learning-achievement/.