2. Instructional Methods12
Instructional Methods

3. Explain the role of all teachers in the development of critical-thinking skills.
© michaeljung/Shutterstock

4. Instructional Methods
Instructional methods may also be called instructional strategies or teaching strategies
Discussions
Skits
Demonstrations

5. Develop questions appropriate for instruction based on Bloom’s Taxonomy.
© Dawn Shearer-Simonetti/Shutterstock

6. Engaging Learners in Critical Thinking
Bloom’s Taxonomy contains six levels:
Knowledge
Acquiring, recalling information
Comprehension
Understanding, using information
Application
Using information learned in a new situation
Analysis
Examining parts of a whole and their relationship
Synthesis
Using parts in a new way to create
Evaluation
Assessing, judging value based on information
continued

7. Engaging Learners in Critical Thinking
Lower levels are basic (elementary school)
Upper levels are higher-order thinking skills that are required for critical thinking (middle and high school)
In later childhood and adolescence, students develop the ability to think abstractly
continued

8. Engaging Learners in Critical Thinking
Building students’ abilities to use progressively more complex thinking skills is a major goal of education
Teachers begin to lay the framework for later critical thinking in elementary grades

9. Identify how Bloom’s Taxonomy is used in this chapter of your textbook.
© Michael D. Brown/Shutterstock

10. Analyze a lesson, identifying the teaching strategies and use of questioning, examples, and closure.
© Diego Cervo/Shutterstock

11. Key Instructional Skills
Questioning
Using examples
Pacing
Achieving closure

12. Questioning A key part of almost every learning activity
Plan questions along with the lesson—provides structure for the lesson
Ask questions of varying difficulty—check all levels appropriate for students
Include open-ended questions—encourages higher-level thinking

13. Encouraging Participation
Create an atmosphere where all students feel comfortable participating
Questions should be appropriate for students’ level
Use questions to generate interest
Allow wait time before calling on a student
Vary methods of asking for responses

14. How might you encourage participation from shy students?
© Michael D. Brown/Shutterstock

15. Responding to Students’ Answers
If an answer is wrong, help lead students to the right answer
If an answer is partially correct, acknowledge what is accurate first
Pose follow-up questions during responses

16. Responding to Students’ Questions
To further discussion, counter with another question
© Tony Wear/Shutterstock
continued

17. Responding to Students’ Questions
If you cannot answer, acknowledge that and look it up later, or ask if anyone else can help
Give brief answers to off-topic questions
Help students understand which questions are inappropriate

18. Using Examples Increases understanding by bringing information to life
Helps students retain subject matter
Start with simple examples and progress to more complex
Ask students to provide examples to check their level of understanding

19. Pacing Pacing should be neither too fast nor too slow
Know your natural style—get feedback and adjust to meet learners’ needs
Look for signs of understanding—watch students reactions and use questions and activities to gauge understanding
continued

20. Pacing
Alternate types of activities—helps keep students involved, attentive, and learning
Plan for smooth transitions—make sure too much time is not lost changing activities; use clear guidelines to minimize inappropriate behavior

21. Achieving Closure Closure helps students
reflect on what they have learned and apply it
draw conclusions
Usually part of the Summary section of a lesson plan

22. Identify the characteristics and uses of specific types of instructional strategies.
© Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock

23. Basic Teaching Strategies
Teacher-centered methods: teachers present the information and direct the learning process
Learner-centered methods: teachers act as facilitators or guides, and students actively direct and achieve their own learning

24. Would you be more comfortable using teacher-centered methods or learner-centered methods? Why?
© Archipoch/Shutterstock

25. Lectures Used frequently in upper grades
Puts students in the role of passive listeners
Suitable for presenting factual information
continued

26. Lectures To make lectures more effective,
keep the lecture period short
add visual elements
insert a question-and-answer session
provide partial outlines or written questions
prepare well-organized material
convey enthusiasm
make eye contact with students

27. Reading A basic way of learning Textbooks Periodicals
Internet articles
Other research materials
© Zurijeta/Shutterstock

28. Discussions May be teacher- or learner-centered
Starts with a stimulating question without a simple answer
Teachers can use questions to guide the discussion toward the learning objective
Discussion helps young children learn to take turns and respect others’ opinions
continued

29. Discussions
In group discussions, the students keep the discussion on task
In panel discussions, the teacher acts as a moderator
In debates, participants try to persuade others to their opposing points of view

30. Demonstrations The best way to teach a process
Are usually teacher-centered
To involve students,
have students make predictions
ask students to perform steps in the procedure
have the students prepare and present the demonstration

31. Guest Speakers
Guest speakers bring outside expertise into the classroom and generate interest
© Tomas Skopal/Shutterstock
continued

32. Guest Speakers Check school’s policies before inviting guests
Prepare all participants ahead of time
Make sure the experience is positive for all involved

33. Simulations
Simulations feel like the real situation, but risks are eliminated
Examples include
computer-based simulations
skits
role playing
case studies

34. When are simulations most effective as a learning tool?
© Michael D. Brown/Shutterstock

35. Skits Skits involve acting out stories
Based on scripts written by the teacher or the students
© CREATISTA/Shutterstock
continued

36. Skits Students play various parts
Actively involve students in learning
Adaptable to different ages, subject areas, and educational objectives
Process of writing requires additional skills

37. Role Playing
In role playing, the teacher describes a situation with an issue or problem
Students act out roles of people in the situation
Base their actions and conversations on how they think the people would react
Work through the situation or solve the problem

38. Case Studies
Case studies involve groups of students working together to analyze a situation
© Dawn Shearer-Simonetti/Shutterstock
continued

39. Case Studies
Allow students to apply knowledge and skills to solve real-life issues
Groups discuss possible solutions and agree on one
Teachers can use case studies to actively involve students in dealing with real issues

40. Reflective Responses
Reflective responses prompt students to think deeply about what they have learned
They help teachers get a sense of where students are in their learning

41. Labs
Offer students the opportunity to work with materials, ideas, people, or processes to solve a given problem
Productive labs focus on producing an end product
Experimental labs use formal processes to research a problem
continued

42. Labs Teachers act as planners, organizers, and managers
Clear instructions are essential
Labs can be expensive
© michaeljung/Shutterstock

43. Cooperative Learning
In cooperative learning, group members work together to achieve a common goal
Adaptable to most subjects/age groups
Also assesses individual accountability
Improves respect for others’ opinions, negotiation skills, self-esteem, and sense of responsibility

44. Student Participation
May be oral, visual, or both
Helps students
share what they have learned
build communication skills
achieve a higher level of understanding

45. As a student, do you enjoy giving presentations
As a student, do you enjoy giving presentations? How might this impact your teaching career?
© Archipoch/Shutterstock

46. Games
Can be fun and challenging while building skills and reinforcing learning
Paper-and-pencil games—often word games that build language skills
Card games—help review factual information
Board games—encourage group skills, math skills; can be adapted to meet learning objectives
continued

47. Games
Active games—encourage physical activity, good for kinesthetic learners, offer a change of pace in learning
Computer games—often targeted to meet specific learning needs; often have more than one level, allowing students to progress

48. Explain teachers’ primary considerations when deciding which teaching strategies to use.
© ZouZou/Shutterstock

49. Choosing Appropriate Teaching Strategies
To choose, consider
student characteristics—ages and developmental abilities
the subject matter—may require repetition, creativity and exploration, or reinforcement
the teaching situation—must be practical for time, materials, space, equipment, and cost

50. Instructional methods help teachers meet learning objectives
Teaching skills include questions, examples, pacing, and closure
Teaching strategies may be teacher-centered or learner-centered

51. What type of questions encourage higher-level thinking?
open-ended questions
____ ____ between asking a question and calling on a student allows all students to mentally process the question and formulate their replies.
Wait time
continued

52. What is the difference between a skit and role playing?
Skits are based on scripts and role playing is not.
What should a teacher consider when choosing appropriate teaching strategies?
student characteristics, subject matter, teaching situation