Haim Ginott1972-1973: teacher, child psychologist

I’ve come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom…my personal approach creates the climate…my daily mood makes the weather.

As a teacher, I possess tremendous power..I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal..it is my response that decides whether a ..child [is] humanized or de-humanized.

Chief Dan George1899-1981, Chief of the Coast Salish Tribe

If you talk to the animals, they will talk with you and you will know each other. If you do not talk to them, you will not know them. And, what you do not know you will fear. What one fears one destroys.

Teaching excellence with diverse learners

RCDE Faculty Retreat, February 3-4, 2011

Carol Rosenthal, DirectorAcademic Resource Center, Logan campus

Finding our students’ stories

Teaching excellence…

•Ensures engaged, active learning experiences ▫Weave instruction with students’ “stories”

•Hones teaching basics.▫Simple, yet elegant solutions

•Embraces fresh perspectives and methods.

diverse learners….

•Represent richness and heterogeniety.

•Need their “stories” known and integrated into instruction.▫ Encourages trust, rapport, motivation,

effort

▫Discourages fear, anxiety, isolation, pessimism, (learned) helplessness

Discovering richness

•First week exercise: Learn student stories

▫“What are some of your family and cultural strengths?”

▫“What are some talents and skills evident in your family?”

▫“If I were to walk into your home, describe what I would find that helps me know (you) (what you are most proud of) (how you are unique).”

Weave stories into content instruction•Applications, metaphors, examples that fit

students’ stories

▫Displaced worker Chemistry, Microbiology, Economics, USU 1300, etc.

▫Time and self-management Project cycles, customer flow, inventory cycles,

family management, self-employment Cultural approaches to time: compare/contrast

▫Other examples?

•KWL: “stories” to prepare for learning▫What do you already Know about _____? (and how

did you come to know it?)▫What do you Want to know about _____?▫What did you Learn about _____?

How will you Use what you learned?

What drives students’ stories about learning?

•Dr. Marlene Schommer-Aikins, Wichita State University

Beliefs about knowledge and learning affect: active participation persistence reading comprehension learning in complex or poorly structured environments

Fixed Ability

Quick Learning

Certain Knowledge

Fact bits <------------- Concepts & relationships

Professor responsible <-------> self-responsibility

One time <--------------------------> Time/effort

Innate <------------------> effort: learn how to learn

ProductiveCounterproductive

Simple Knowledge

Omniscient Authority

Static <------------------------------------ > Dynamic

Beliefs about learning

Think-Pair-Share•What beliefs do you see most prevalent in

your students?▫In what ways do the beliefs show?

•Guiding students through teaching methods

• All-knowing authority

• Certain, unchangeable knowledge

• Simple knowledge

• Quick learning

• Fixed, innate ability

• Collaborative, active learning• Problem-solving tasks

• Structured controversy• Exposure to evolution of view

points

• Teach about Bloom’s• Think Alouds• In-class demonstration of

complex tasks• Reflection writing

• Share your experiences• Explicit and implicit study

strategies instruction

• Role models• Scaffolding learning• Tap into current abilities (use

their “stories”)

…Think Time

Essential teaching strategies

Wait time

“Wait time” as an instructional toolDr. Mary Budd Rowe, 1925-1996

1972 studyAverage wait time < 2 seconds Increase to >3 seconds = improvedLogicLanguage

Length & correctness of responses Volunteered answers

Variety of questions Higher level of thinking

“I don’t know” No response

Amount (quality vs quantity)

•“Wait time” is “think time”▫uninterrupted silence by teacher and

students so both can complete necessary information processing (Stahl, 1990)

▫the primary purpose and activity: complete on-task thinking

Information processing• Multiple cognitive tasks take time• We need uninterrupted time to

▫Process, reflect, think of response

• Exercise: cats and dogs

• How often are students typically provided sufficient time?

Types of “think time” silence

1. After teacher asks a question Clear question with adequate cues

“What is the difference between a change on the demand curve and a shift of the entire curve”?

2. During a student’s response Allow hesitation as student continues

3. After a student responds Other students need time before they comment

4. Teacher pause time Consider what your next statement or behavior will be

Effects of increased think time• More questions asked

• More accurate and complex responses

• Students initiated discussions more frequently.

• Teachers’ questions = fewer and higher quality

Think time works with all learners.Especially effective for certain cultures.

Questioning Techniques

“Always the beautiful answer/who asks a more beautiful question.”

ee cummings

“The most powerful technology we have in education is the ability to ask good questions”.

(including those questions we ask ourselves!)

Beautiful Questions help students “dive deep”

•Beautiful questions move students from “Beginner” to “Expert” thinking levels: ▫Knowledge▫Comprehension▫Application▫Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation

How do we learn: beginner to expert

Knowledge: (memorize)Can you recognize and recall information?

ComprehendCan you put information into your own words,

explain to others accurately

ApplyCan you apply what you know

to “real life” situations?

AnalyzeCan you break info. into parts

and examine?

EvaluateCan you evaluate, judge, make informed opinion?

Bloom’s Taxonomy of Thinking & Learning

Deep learning

Shallow learning

How do students typically respond to these types of questions – and

why?

•Do you have any questions?

•Are there any questions?

•What questions do you have?

Students don’t always know what they don’t know or understand. Or they need a specific focus.

Do you have any questions?Okay, so summarize why it’s important to use Think Time. (a great

Think/Pair/Share)Which of the following is the better example of an application level

question and why?

Are there any questions? What questions do you have? In the past two lectures, I covered the following concepts. What parts are

still confusing for you?

What would you like me to explain better ? What can I clarify?

I know this topic can be really confusing. What things are still unclear or don’t make sense to you?

Give students permission to be confused.

Beautiful questions

Take effort, time,

practice. Questioning is a skill that must be learned

and practiced.

Models for your students how they

need to think.

Don’t just

happen.

Brief, active learning exercises that require students to process information individually and collaboratively

•Effective for beginning and ending class▫Helps you avoid the “What questions do you

have?” trap

•Great during lectures (with Think-Pair-Share)

Quick Thinks

Select the best response.

•Select the best answer for a M/C test question.

ExampleJean stole a loaf of broad in order to feed his starving family. What level of moral development would say that what he did was “OK”?A. Pre-ConventionalB. ConventionalC. Post-ConventionalD. Les Miserables is a sweet musical, I don’t care if it makes me less of a man!

Correct the error•Instructor poses a test item that

contains an error; students must find the error.

Example next slide

The Equilibrium Constant

K = 1 K < 1 K > 1

[Products] [Reactants]K =

Reactant Product

Complete a sentence starter•Instructor provides a sentence stem for

students to complete (not just at knowledge level)

Example: The three strikes mandatory sentencing laws might result in __________.

Compare or contrast•Instructor poses a comparison or

contrast item to the class.

Example: Compare Alpha vs Beta Decay relative to radioactive decay.

Relative size Particle charge

Alpha decayBeta decay

Reorder the steps•Given a set of randomly ordered steps ,

students are asked to correctly sequence them.

ExampleDrawing stereo-images

1. Identify the molecule as R or S.2. Create a 3-D drawing of the molecule.3. Draw the mirror image of your 3-D molecule.4. Draw a "mirror".

Support a statement•Students are given a statement and, based on

their reading, assignments, or lecture notes, are asked to provide support for the statement.

ExampleCriminal behavior is a rational choice made by a

motivated offender who perceives that the chances of gain outweigh any possible punishment or loss.  (Criminological Choice Theory)

Teaching students how to learn

•Note taking systems: how to “dive deep”▫Summaries ▫Self-test questions

•Cornell system/adaptations

Strategic reading

•Think Aloud textbook tour▫“architecture” of their text

Teaching students how to

learn

Visual organizers: match

how information is organized to the

learning task

Why teach visual organizers?

Elaborative rehearsal = long term memory

Humans seek

patterns

Words alone not sufficient

How we organize information affects

comprehension!

Patterns help us learn & remember

CATs •Classroom Assessment Techniques:

Thomas Angelo & Patricia Cross 2nd ed., 1993, Jossey Bass▫What are students capable of now?▫How well are students learning?▫How effectively am I teaching?

• Informal, consistent monitoring of students’ learning

•Feedback: Are they getting it? >>> teaching effectiveness

Minute Paper• Excellent for large classes

• Quickly assesses student learning vs teacher’s perceptions

• More than recall: students evaluate and self-assess▫How well did I understand?

Examples▫What was most confusing about ____________? ▫What is the single most significant reason Italy

became a center of the Renaissance? ▫List the 3 most important points from today’s

lecture?

Class opinion pollStep 1: Please respond to each of the following

statements: strongly agree (1)……..I’m neutral (3)………I strongly disagree(5):

1. I need to change my teaching methods to improve students’ critical thinking.

2. I can’t take time in class to add activities or discussion.

3. I’m reluctant to create any more I have to respond to.4. If students don’t take responsibility, what I do doesn’t

matter.

Step 2: Discuss answers with your partner.

Step 3: Show of hands poll (I-Clicker). Discuss with class.

Defining Features Matrix• Teaching goal: distinguish between theories,

systems, processes, etc.

▫Develops : Analytical skills Conceptual and factual understanding Implicit and explicit study strategy (how to

organize information to see relationships)

Example CAT

Institutional assessment

Teacher-directed +

Standardized & validated +

Focused on classroom teaching and learning

+

Replicable +

Useful to administrators +

Feedback for teachers and students

+ +

“Misconceptions/Preconceptions”

• Gauge where students are at

• Develop students’ ability to distinguish between fact and opinion

• Determine/develop openness to new ideas

Question: What makes the seasons change on Earth?

1. Sort explanations into categories (e.g., correct; “weather”, “distance”, “other”) Perfect for I Clicker!

2. Quick discussion to explain choices - Think-Pair-Share

3. Assignment: Students research which answer is correct and explain in short paper.. Class discusses evidence for each position.

4. Professor concludes explaining why other models are reasonable, though incorrect.

Muddiest PointWhat was the muddiest point in……lecture, video, lab,

discussion, presentation? Prof. responds in next class with discussion,

activity, additional simulation

▫Advantages: Excellent for large classes Safe alternative to asking questions Focuses future lectures and assignments Teaches metacognitive behavior (self-testing)

▫Disadvantages Students may have difficulty expressing what they don’t

know.

One more….•What do you want your professor to Start,

Stop, Keep Doing?

Source: Teaching Professor: Magna Publication

Start Doing Stop Doing Keep Doing

ARC: www.usu.edu/arc

Study Smart Starter Kit