Understanding Each Other

How People Learn Using Basic Learning Theory to Enhance Your Teaching

When You Walk Into a School or Classroom  Sights  Sounds  Smells  Interactions All tell you something about the way the teacher works. It’s not unlike walking into a business or a restaurant.

The Physical Environment  Seating Arrangement (Theirs and Yours)  What Decorates the Walls  Lighting  Plants, animals, minerals, artifacts, equipment, other stuff  Learning Stations  Compensations for Poor Space The giant mural

The Issue is Reflection  The effective teacher is always intentional. Don’t let the conditions control you – control the conditions as best you can.  He/She asks how will this physical environment effect my students? Does this seating arrangement stress order, allow for activities, create community?

What is Teaching?

A Transformative Process  In teaching we get people together to learn.  From tutoring to large lecture, both student and teacher learn from the teaching process.

Teaching Provides  Content  Skills  Support

The Teacher Considers The LearnerThe Curriculum The Environment Learning Style Development Ability Motivation Content Skills Support School Community Expectations Resources

What do we mean by “teaching methods”?

Underlying Principles  Caring  Consideration  Positive Approach to Student Potential  Honesty  Clarity and Fairness  GRACE  For Christian Teachers, Displaying the “Fruit of the Spirit” is vital

Learning Theory Disclaimer  Many learning theorists have worked hard and discovered patterns of teaching and learning that are worthy of study. This does not mean that we accept or reject them without reflection upon our Christian perspective.

Some Theory  B.F. Skinner – Behaviorism  Outcome-Based Education  Systems Theory  Knowledge Construction  Transformational Teaching

Behaviorism  B.F. Skinner Dominated American Education Humans are just a bundle of stimulus- response Some important things were developed.  Behavioral Objectives  Shaping – Breaking a task into components.

Systems Theory and Outcome-Based Education  The behavioral model  Inputs Outputs ( Outcomes) In cognitive learning approaches the evidence seems to indicate that there is much more going on inside the learner. Learner

Systems Theory and Outcome-Based Education  The cognitive model  Inputs Outputs ( Outcomes) This makes sense if you study developmental psychology but in its extreme (humanistic) form the learner becomes the arbiter of all truth. While we must be very careful here, we must consider the learner’s individual traits and prior knowledge. Jesus did this without compromising his message. Complex Processes Within the Learner

The Learner – Modalities / Styles  Auditory  Visual  Kinesthetic  Interactive  Intra-active

The Learner - Domains  Cognitive  Affective  Psycho-Motor

The Learner  Knowledge Construction  The Zone of Proximal Development  Scaffolding

Bloom’s Taxonomy  Knowledge  Comprehension  Application  Analysis  Synthesis  Evaluation

Teaching Methods

The Lesson Plan  A detailed plan for a single lesson, usually minutes long depending on the level of the students.  Lesson vs. Activity

The Plan  Lesson Plans are designed to help us deliver needed information, skills, understandings, feelings, and perspective to our learners.  This is how we teach them.  This is how we empower them.  UNDERSTANDING is power.

How One Begins Makes All the Difference  How things look  How relaxed, warm, ready you are How well you have planned  What happens first  The first things you say and do Dead Poets Society The tone of the “pep talk” Pygmalion

Elements of the Lesson Plan Madeline Hunter 1.Specific Objective(s) based on previous Diagnosis and learner traits. 2.Anticipatory Set which helps students Perceive the Lesson Purpose 3.Learning Activities /Opportunities 4.Modeling 5.Check for Understanding (usually through) Guided Practice 6.Independent Practice (also known as homework)

Presentation Skills  “Teaching is more than telling.” Even though clarity is basic it will not sustain you or your students.  Getting and holding students attention depends on certain things that you can develop and improve

Presentation Skills  Beginning / introduction  Transitions  Presentation skills  Closure

The Skills  Enthusiasm  Clarity  Smooth Transitions Make every detail clear – where we go, what we do, how we do it. - Procedures  Timing  Variation  Interaction Discussions, feedback, informal assessment  Active, authentic learning experiences

Direct Instruction and “Chunking”  Alternation of Instruction / Reflection  Rule of Thumb – One minute of direct instruction for each year of age.

Discussion Strategies  Each has a slightly different purpose.  Discussions must be planned not a substitute for a planned lesson.  Facilitating discussions is an art and a science

Types of Discussions  Problem –solving  Group Investigations  Critical Thinking  Observation Skills  Comparison Skills  Classification Skills  Identifying Assumptions  Socratic Dialogues  Creative Thinking Imagination/inventiveness Pre-writing  Multiple Intelligences

Teaching Strategies for Authentic Teaching and Learning

Components of Authentic Learning  Content  Process  Product  An Effective Planning Format

Discovery Learning  Students learn best by doing  Associated with open classrooms  Real familiar and unfamiliar materials used as manipulatives  Often problem-solving approach How do you make green paint?

Inquiry Training  Teaching students how to ask questions and carry out research  Critical thinking approach  Questions and hypotheses What happens if you drop raisins into water?

Role Playing  Problem or dilemma  Roles and techniques must be taught to a great degree  Getting into and “living” the role  Choose role players carefully  Students can expand their understanding of the issue  Cognitive and affective goals

Simulation  Like a roleplay but more “gamelike” Rules, tokens, time limits Monopoly, Risk, The Game of Life  Simulation kits available Zoo, Dinosaur, King Lexicon, Shopping Spree, Classroom City, etc.  City building Stevens Co-op School  Bank Street – City Country Software – SimCity – loadsoft.narod.ru/games/city

Contracts for independent Learning  Good way to accommodate enrichment or honors goals

Group Rotations Using Learning Centers  Manipulatives  Computers  Instructions / worksheets  Experiments  Sign-up schedule

Cooperative Learning Strategies  Learning Teams  Cooperative Learning of Basic Skills  Cooperative Learning in Science  Literary Groups  Peacemaking Groups  Balancing Groups Heterogeneous grouping