Strong (2002) states, “Teachers who successfully employ a range of strategies reach more students because they tap into more learning styles and student interests” (p. 43). Has this been your experience as a student? Give an example to either support or refute this statement.
Strong, J.H. (2002). Qualities of effective teachers. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
I highly agree. Instructional strategies are extremely important to reaching every child. In my own personal experiences I tend to need to see things more than one way to fully understand something. I like to read material but I am also a very visual learner especially when it comes to math. Teaching the material in more than one way helps me to fully understand what is important. It is really beneficial to learn the material in more than one way. It usually helps those that are still confused and if there are students that aren't confused it just clarifies the material which is good too!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Strong. Using multiple modes of teaching is very important, because not everyone learns the same way. When being instructed about a project, I like when the teacher uses all three. I like to hear the instructions and read them, but being able to see an example, or watch the teacher perform it, really helps me to get a better idea of what is expected of me. When a teacher simply gives instructions, but no examples, I am very confused and not quite sure what is being asked of me. This causes me to get frustrated. I feel like multiple modes really helps to get a complete understanding.
ReplyDeleteAddressing Cassandra's post- I completely agree that seeing examples is vital to making your own project a success. Seeing what the teacher wants and expects through examples is the great way to show students what to do on their own project!
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that using multiple strategies is a very effective way to teach because people learn many different ways. Personally, I think it is helpful to learn certain math concepts different ways because sometimes the "common" way isn't always the easiest for me to understand. I think it is really important for us as future teachers to keep this in mind because no matter what level you plan on teaching, there is always more than one right way to do a project or learn a concept.
ReplyDeleteBrandi, you have a good point. What we as teachers consider easiest, might not be the best or easiest way for the students. Giving them different ways to do something, also gives them autonomy and lets them figure out which way works best for them.
ReplyDeleteI agree that using different types of instructional strategies helps students benefit from learning. Some students may not be understanding a subject when a teacher is using one form of instruction, so if they were to apply two or three different ways to teach it, students will have a more well-rounded understanding of things. I agree with what Brandi said about math; it can be a particularly difficult subject for many students and teaching multiple strategies for figuring out different problems will really help students out. I recently taught my first lesson for level II and it was for math; the whole time I was teaching I was constantly trying to think of different ways to explain the strategies to students because some of them were able to grasp onto it right away, whereas others needed to try backing into it from somewhere else.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Calee and Cassandra that it is extremely helpful seeing an example of what the teacher expects. Just reading expectations on a piece of paper doesn't always cut it.
ReplyDeleteThis is SO important! In high-school our teacher did this, and I still remember that project, and the book it was on (1984) I realize that that is high-school, but we should be doing this in the elementary class.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that using different strategies is important to students' learning. In my experience, I was able to learn the material fairly well using almost any style, but I always noticed that some of my classmates couldn't get it with a particular strategy. But, once the teacher switched and used a different strategy, they got it right away. And as for myself, I obtained a deeper understanding of the material when we looked at it using a different strategy.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with the part on students seeing an example of what the teacher expects; very important and almost always clears up any confusion students might have about vague instruction. I wish some of my teachers in high school and even some of my professors here at UNI would have used this strategy a little more, it is very beneficial.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the statement above. In my future classroom I will have a diverse group of students who will learn best using different strategies. I have been working on my portfolio in Elementary Curriculum so this blog made me think of standard 3, diverse learners. It is important as a teacher to use a variety of instructional strategies so you get through to all of your students. I want my students to be engaged in my instruction and find learning fun. What works for your class one year, may not work for the next years class. My advice is to use a variety of instructional strategies to figure out what works for your class and to "keep them on their toes." For me, I like to be taught with an expository lesson first to get the information into my mind, but then be taught with a hands on lesson to be given the opportunity to show that I understand the material.
ReplyDeleteI fully support this statement. Having variety ensures every student is motivated to learn. Not every student can comprehend by seeing. Not every student can comprehend by hearing. Not every student can comprehend by writing it out. By giving options, you’re going to keep students interested and have them enjoy what they’re learning. Almost every college professor I have had has used a variety of teaching styles. I learn better visually, so it helps me when professors use power points or write on the board. I also need to hear it to help me fully comprehend.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this statement. I think it is very important to have variety of learning strategies throughout learning. I myself am a very hands on and visual learner. So if I was in a classroom that only lectured I would not do as well than some students who learn better that way. Every student has their particular way of learning and I think it is important to foster all those way in your teaching to make sure that students have the opportunity to learn at their best.
ReplyDeleteI think using many different strategies is important for learning. I am a visual learner, especially with subjects such as math. I find that I learn best in classrooms that the teacher uses different learning strategies. When a teacher has different options the students can use, every student has an opportunity to learn using the strategy that works best for them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Calee. Having many different strategies available is going to benefit all students. They will be able to learn using what works best for them and also can try out different strategies to see if other strategies work for them also.
ReplyDeleteStudents each learn differently. It is very important to vary your means of instruction so that all students have the opportunity to have the material presented to them in a way that optimizes their learning. Some learn best by reading, some by hearing, and others have to see it for it to be effective. Varying the teaching styles also helps to keep the classroom from being boring to the students. If you change the way the material is presented the students will be more likely to pay attention and be excited about trying new things. It's important to know each of your students' learning styles in order to be the best teacher possible for all of them.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with Cassandra. I like to see things presented the three ways also. I get extremely frustrated when I don't know what is expected out of me. I am taking a class now that is like that. We are expected to hand assignments in once a week, but the instructions aren't detailed and the professor never fully explained it or showed us an example of what is expected. As a college student this is frustrating. A younger student may find it so frustrating that they give up, or don't bother doing the work at all. It's very important to vary the way the material is presented.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this statement 100%. Students learn very differently and react differently to different types of teaching. I hope to be able to read my students well enough to know what type of teaching works well for them to learn the most efficient way as possible. I have seen many styles of teaching in my day and I have seen teachers that refuse to teach a different way because it is how they have always done it. That is frustrating for me to see because I think to myself that that teacher is selfish because they are most likely taking away from the students. Right now I have a teacher that is very hit or miss. When I say hit or miss I mean that she hops around from subject to subject and does not ever teach one thing completely through before moving on to another subject. That gets to be very exhausting for me as a student
ReplyDeleteIt has been really interesting to me to participate in these conversations about instructional strategies and motivation, etc. and think of them while I've taught my lessons for level 2. All of these things really do apply more than I thought; especially the different instructional strategies. It is so important to be prepared to explain things in several different ways to students. I struggled with being able to do this for my second lesson last week; I saw how about half of the students understood the assignment right away and the other half needed me to explain the instructions in a completely different light.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this statement. I like it when the teacher teaches several different ways like lecturing, visuals, hands-on and reading. It's important to have several kinds of presentations because students learn differently. We're learning in our Learning & Instruction course about Multiple Intelligences and that they don't have any scientific proof that students learn better certain ways, but they do learn when they are focused on the end result and the meaning. It's important to have a variety of methods available and that students do learn in different ways. I know that I like teachers that change how they teach- it engages me more as a student. Also, as Holly said when teaching a lesson sometimes student's don't understand it a certain way and you must figure out a way to rephrase/reword what you're trying to get them to understand.
ReplyDelete