Ideas and Activities to Differentiate Instruction through Strategies

Learning Targets Content Objectives : I will be able to select learning strategies appropriate to a lesson’s objectives. I will be able to incorporate explicit instruction and student practice of metacognitive strategies in lesson plans. I will be able to identify techniques for scaffolding verbal, procedural and instructional understanding. Language Objectives: I will be able to identify language learning strategies to use with students. I will be able to discuss the importance of asking higher-order questions to students of English of all proficiency levels. I will be able to write a set of questions with increasing levels of difficulty on one topic

Strategies -- Feature 13 Ample opportunities provided for students to use learning strategies.

A primary goal of instruction is to assist all students in becoming strategic thinkers, those who possess a variety of approaches for solving problems, comprehending texts, and remembering information.

Instructional vs. Learning Strategies It is important for teachers to recognize the distinction between instructional strategies and learning strategies. Reproducible 6.3 VS

Instructional Strategies: Decisions Teachers Make Activities, techniques, approaches, and methods that teachers use to promote student learning and achievement

Student strategies for learning Learning Strategies: Student strategies for learning Conscious, flexible plans learners use to make sense of what they’re reading and learning; these reside in the learners heads

Cognitive and Metacognitive Strategies When teachers systematically incorporate a variety of cognitive and metacognitive strategies into their instruction, and provide appropriate modeling and practice in how to use the strategies, students’ understanding of content is enhanced.

Cognitive Strategies Cognitive strategies are directly related to individual learning tasks and are used by learners when they mentally and /or physically manipulate material, or when they apply a specific technique to a learning task.

Metacognitive Strategies The process of purposefully monitoring our thinking is referred to as metacognition (thinking about thinking). Metacognition is characterized by (1) matching thinking and problem-solving strategies to particular learning situations, (2) clarifying purposes for learning, (3) monitoring one’s own comprehension through self-questioning, and (4) taking corrective action if understanding fails.

Cognitive and Metacognitive Strategies Rereading Predicting/Inferring Highlighting Self Questioning Read Aloud Monitoring/Clarifying Taking Notes Evaluating Mapping Information Summarizing Finding Key Vocabulary visualizing Mnemonics

Social/Affective Strategies Learning can be enhanced when people interact with each other to clarify a confusing point or when they participate in a group discussion or cooperative learning group to solve a problem.

Declarative, Procedural, and Conditional Knowledge When teaching strategies, educators need to help English learners and other students understand declarative, procedural, and conditional knowledge (Lipson and Wixson, 2008).

Declarative Knowledge (The What) What a particular strategy is What does it mean to predict (question, monitor, clarify, summarize, etc.) What does it mean to reread (or highlight, use a mnemonic, etc.)

Procedural Knowledge (The How) How a particular strategy is used by a student. How do I ask myself a question? How should I state a prediction? What should I do to monitor my understanding.

Conditional Knowledge (The Why) Why and under what conditions particular strategies are used When I’m reading, when is a good time to stop and summarize what I have read? How do predictions differ when I’m reading narrative or expository text?

Strategies -- Feature 14 Scaffolding techniques consistently used, assisting and supporting student understanding (e.g. think-alouds).

Scaffolding

Scaffolding The term scaffolding refers to the degree of support and assistance that teachers provide when students are learning a new content concept and to the gradual release of responsibility from the teacher to the students when the support is reduced. The ultimate goal is for students to reach independence in the understanding and application of key concept.

Verbal Scaffolding Paraphrasing Using “think alouds” Reinforcing Contextual Definitions Providing Correct Pronunciation by Repeating Students’ Responses Slowing Speech, Increasing Pauses, and speaking in Phrases

Providing Procedural Scaffolding Apply Practice Student- Centered Model Peer- Assisted Teach Teacher- Assisted Teacher- Centered Mini -lecture Practice Peer Modeling Apply strategies Explicit Instruction Teacher Modeling Discussion Reciprocal teaching during independent Cooperative Learning reading

Strategies -- Feature 15 A variety of questions or tasks that promote higher-order thinking skills (e.g., literal, analytical, and interpretive questions)

How many questions do teachers ask that are higher order thinking skill? 80% of all questions are knowledge, recognize or recall based. The lowest level kinds of questions!! Teachers must plan these questions out ahead of time because it is too difficult to come up with them off the top of our heads.

Blooms Taxonomy Evaluation Synthesis Analysis Application Determining value and providing a rationale for the response Synthesis Creating a “new” from the parts Analysis Breaking the concept into component parts Application Demonstrating knowledge by applying concept to one’s own life Comprehension Basic understanding of concept (e.g. providing definitions) Knowledge Simple recitation of information

Revised Blooms Taxonimy 1. Remember 2. Understand 3. Apply 4. Analyze 5. Evaluate 6. Create

Ticket Out List the two bits of information that has the most value for you to take back to your classroom.