in-struhk-shuh n Cited Script for C & I 212 By Pam Hansen Michael Richardson
Instruction [in-struhk-shuh n] is the act of teaching, education or knowledge or information imparted. (Dictionary.com) An instruction is a form of communicated information that is both a command and an explanation for how an action, behavior, method, or task is to be begun, completed, conducted, or executed. (Wikipedia)
How does this apply to secondary education? The bottom line is that teachers instruct. It is the means by which they impart the necessary information for their students to absorb to continue on their path towards graduation. The methods to instruct are varied and can make a huge difference in how a student absorbs and retains the material given. It will profoundly affect if the student really learns the material or merely remembers it long enough to pass the assessment and move on. Methods include; direct instruction, indirect instruction, experiential learning, independent study, and interactive instruction (Saskatoon Public Schools website, 2008)
The direct instruction strategy is high teacher directed and among the most commonly used at all educational levels. It is very effective for teaching step by step skills or providing information. What comes to mind, however, is a Peanuts cartoon. When ever an adult speaks-all you hear is wah, wah wah- unintelligible speech. All too often, repeated lecturing leads to it all sounding like the peanuts cartoon.
Indirect instruction showcases the teacher as a facilitator and supporter of the lesson. The teachers arranges the learning environment, provides the opportunity for the students to learn and when necessary and appropriate provides feedback.
Experiential instruction is activity and learner centered. The student is given the opportunity to reflect on the experience and figure out how to use the critical lessons learned in other areas.
Interactive instruction relies heavily on discussion and sharing among participants. Students and teachers learn from each other and develop the ability to organize their thoughts and develop rational arguments. The teacher’s role is mainly to outline the topic, set aside the proper discussion time and provide the composition and size of the groups as well as define the reporting criteria.
Independent study encompasses a range of instructional methods which are intended to foster the development of abilities in the individual student. While the independent might be initiated by either the student or the teacher, it is usually used by the student under the guidance and supervision of the classroom teacher (Saskatoon Public Schools website, 2008).
Another variable that affects instruction and learning methods is the topic of multiple intelligences. Psychologist Howard Gardner developed this theory which states that there are at least eight intelligences that affect how people learn. They are; logical/mathematical, linguistic, musical, spatial, bodily/kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist. (Woolfolk, 2007). People with different intelligences learn in different styles which include visual learning (through seeing an event happen), auditory learning (listening to or about an event), and kinesthetic learning (through moving, doing, and touching) (Woolfolk, 2007). This leads to a seemingly endless combination of variables that must be taken into account when trying to prepare lesson plans for a group of students with different learning styles and intelligences. What is a teacher to do? Short of developing lessons for each and every pupil in each class, the teacher has to pick a few different methods of getting the information across that will reach the most students. This may not be as difficult as it sounds since many of the learning styles and intelligences overlap in the methods by which they learn.
Linguistic learners value language. For them direct instruction including listening to lectures and discussion would be valuable. Their preferred methods would be interactive instruction featuring debate, talking, and role playing.
Logical and mathematical learners might enjoy more direct instruction featuring structured overviews and comparing and contrasting information.
Musical learners might use direct instructional methods of demonstrations and listening or interactive instructional concepts through cooperative learning.
Visual learners would learn from the direct methods of demonstrations and from reading and through indirect methods of computer assisted learning activity pages.
Auditory learners like to listen so direct instruction through lectures by the teacher or audio media works well as would indirect methods of debates, role playing and discussion.
Kinesthetic learners like movement so indirect methods might suit them best. Direct methods of drill and practice especially in movement subject areas work well. Independent learning through computer assisted activities as well as other hands on approaches of experiential learning.
Naturalists discriminate well among things in the living world. Direct learning of compare and contrast suits them well. Cooperative learning lessons for interactive methods and fieldtrips in the experiential instructional arena.
Spatial learners like puzzles especially jigsaw where they can visualize the picture and find the missing parts. Other interactive activities might include brainstorming (dreaming and visualizing). They are thinkers in the direct learning field and would make good use of computer assisted activities using visual cues.
Interpersonal learners play well with others and instructional methods like role playing and debates are well suited to them. Indirect instructional methods of problem solving and case studies would do well here also.
Intrapersonal learners do best on their own so independent studies would have value. They would also do well in indirect learning such as reflection on materials and reading for meaning. Experientially they would benefit from learner centered activities.
Lets look at a specific lesson on sex education. The possibilities for using a variety of forms of instruction in the area of sex education are practically limitless. For example, a teacher could give a demonstration on how to properly put a condom on using a banana. This would be a type of instruction that would be great for visual learners, but it could also work well for kinesthetic and intrapersonal learners if they had the opportunity to practice putting a condom on a banana themselves. A classroom discussion, or question and answer session or even a debate on birth control methods, which is commonly used in sex education could be beneficial for an auditory, interpersonal naturalist, and linguistic learners. Lecturing about STD rates could also be a good form of learning for an auditory learner, and ever more specifically someone who thinks in a logical-mathematical way. Role playing ways to say “no” would give all students more confidence but would be especially useful to linguistic, auditory, kinesthetic, and spatial learners. Videos and diagrams could allow a visual learner to retain a great deal of information, add music to a video and the musical learners would retain more.
As you can see there are a variety of forms of instruction and it is important that a teacher utilizes them all. Using one form of instruction all the time could be beneficial for some, but it is crucial to give all students and all types of learners an opportunity to learn by a variety of methods. Variety is after all the spice of life!
in-struhk-shuh n
Cited Script for C & I 212
By
Pam Hansen
Michael Richardson
Instruction [in-struhk-shuh n] is the act of teaching, education or knowledge or information imparted. (Dictionary.com) An instruction is a form of communicated information that is both a command and an explanation for how an action, behavior, method, or task is to be begun, completed, conducted, or executed. (Wikipedia)
How does this apply to secondary education? The bottom line is that teachers instruct. It is the means by which they impart the necessary information for their students to absorb to continue on their path towards graduation. The methods to instruct are varied and can make a huge difference in how a student absorbs and retains the material given. It will profoundly affect if the student really learns the material or merely remembers it long enough to pass the assessment and move on. Methods include; direct instruction, indirect instruction, experiential learning, independent study, and interactive instruction (Saskatoon Public Schools website, 2008)
The direct instruction strategy is high teacher directed and among the most commonly used at all educational levels. It is very effective for teaching step by step skills or providing information. What comes to mind, however, is a Peanuts cartoon. When ever an adult speaks-all you hear is wah, wah wah- unintelligible speech. All too often, repeated lecturing leads to it all sounding like the peanuts cartoon.
Indirect instruction showcases the teacher as a facilitator and supporter of the lesson. The teachers arranges the learning environment, provides the opportunity for the students to learn and when necessary and appropriate provides feedback.
Experiential instruction is activity and learner centered. The student is given the opportunity to reflect on the experience and figure out how to use the critical lessons learned in other areas.
Interactive instruction relies heavily on discussion and sharing among participants. Students and teachers learn from each other and develop the ability to organize their thoughts and develop rational arguments. The teacher’s role is mainly to outline the topic, set aside the proper discussion time and provide the composition and size of the groups as well as define the reporting criteria.
Independent study encompasses a range of instructional methods which are intended to foster the development of abilities in the individual student. While the independent might be initiated by either the student or the teacher, it is usually used by the student under the guidance and supervision of the classroom teacher (Saskatoon Public Schools website, 2008).
Another variable that affects instruction and learning methods is the topic of multiple intelligences. Psychologist Howard Gardner developed this theory which states that there are at least eight intelligences that affect how people learn. They are; logical/mathematical, linguistic, musical, spatial, bodily/kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist. (Woolfolk, 2007). People with different intelligences learn in different styles which include visual learning (through seeing an event happen), auditory learning (listening to or about an event), and kinesthetic learning (through moving, doing, and touching) (Woolfolk, 2007). This leads to a seemingly endless combination of variables that must be taken into account when trying to prepare lesson plans for a group of students with different learning styles and intelligences. What is a teacher to do? Short of developing lessons for each and every pupil in each class, the teacher has to pick a few different methods of getting the information across that will reach the most students. This may not be as difficult as it sounds since many of the learning styles and intelligences overlap in the methods by which they learn.
Linguistic learners value language. For them direct instruction including listening to lectures and discussion would be valuable. Their preferred methods would be interactive instruction featuring debate, talking, and role playing.
Logical and mathematical learners might enjoy more direct instruction featuring structured overviews and comparing and contrasting information.
Musical learners might use direct instructional methods of demonstrations and listening or interactive instructional concepts through cooperative learning.
Visual learners would learn from the direct methods of demonstrations and from reading and through indirect methods of computer assisted learning activity pages.
Auditory learners like to listen so direct instruction through lectures by the teacher or audio media works well as would indirect methods of debates, role playing and discussion.
Kinesthetic learners like movement so indirect methods might suit them best. Direct methods of drill and practice especially in movement subject areas work well. Independent learning through computer assisted activities as well as other hands on approaches of experiential learning.
Naturalists discriminate well among things in the living world. Direct learning of compare and contrast suits them well. Cooperative learning lessons for interactive methods and fieldtrips in the experiential instructional arena.
Spatial learners like puzzles especially jigsaw where they can visualize the picture and find the missing parts. Other interactive activities might include brainstorming (dreaming and visualizing). They are thinkers in the direct learning field and would make good use of computer assisted activities using visual cues.
Interpersonal learners play well with others and instructional methods like role playing and debates are well suited to them. Indirect instructional methods of problem solving and case studies would do well here also.
Intrapersonal learners do best on their own so independent studies would have value. They would also do well in indirect learning such as reflection on materials and reading for meaning. Experientially they would benefit from learner centered activities.
Lets look at a specific lesson on sex education. The possibilities for using a variety of forms of instruction in the area of sex education are practically limitless. For example, a teacher could give a demonstration on how to properly put a condom on using a banana. This would be a type of instruction that would be great for visual learners, but it could also work well for kinesthetic and intrapersonal learners if they had the opportunity to practice putting a condom on a banana themselves. A classroom discussion, or question and answer session or even a debate on birth control methods, which is commonly used in sex education could be beneficial for an auditory, interpersonal naturalist, and linguistic learners. Lecturing about STD rates could also be a good form of learning for an auditory learner, and ever more specifically someone who thinks in a logical-mathematical way. Role playing ways to say “no” would give all students more confidence but would be especially useful to linguistic, auditory, kinesthetic, and spatial learners. Videos and diagrams could allow a visual learner to retain a great deal of information, add music to a video and the musical learners would retain more.
As you can see there are a variety of forms of instruction and it is important that a teacher utilizes them all. Using one form of instruction all the time could be beneficial for some, but it is crucial to give all students and all types of learners an opportunity to learn by a variety of methods. Variety is after all the spice of life!
References:
Instruction. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved March 16, 2008, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/instruction
Instruction. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved February 24, 2008, from Reference.com website: http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Instruction
Instructional Strategies Online. (2004) Retrieved February 17, 2008, from Saskatoon Public Schools. Website: http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/INSTR/index.html
Woolfolk, A. (2007). Educational Psychology. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.