Your Explicit Instruction Comment ...
What are your thoughts on Explicit Instruction?
What is Explicit Instruction to you?
How do think Explicit Instruction relates to AHA Moments and Student-Centred Learning?
What is Explicit Instruction to you?
How do think Explicit Instruction relates to AHA Moments and Student-Centred Learning?
Some past comments ...
Maja Rogic
Explicit instructions are a necessary part of understanding mathematical concepts and should be part of almost every lesson. I do agree with everything that has been presented in both videos. The only thing that I would add is that we should base our instructions on different types of our learners and use different examples and strategies (visual, real life examples, etc.) to enable everyone to get their aha moment. This obviously doesn't have to happen in front of the whole class, but it is a necessary part of learning. Sometimes I discuss someone's wrong idea of solving the problem just to let them all find the reason why it is not right. These lessons usually bring aha moments to the whole class. I mentioned coaching in my intro, and I believe it helped me grow as a teacher - not giving answers, but empowering students' knowledge by asking open-ended questions which helps them find the answers. Sometimes I send them back to practice easier questions if they keep getting stuck with more challenging ones. They're not very happy when this happens, but eventually they realize it was for their own good. Richard This is great: Sometimes I discuss someone's wrong idea of solving the problem just to let them all find the reason why it is not right. These lessons usually bring aha moments to the whole class. Great post, Maja. |
Mira Gao
We all hear when teachers plan a lesson, we need to think like children instead of thinking like teachers because sometimes we can feel trapped in the situation called the curse of the knowledge. Maths lessons can seem easy without realizing that the skipped lessons contain information that is necessary for complete understanding. Breaking messages down into smaller, simpler parts is one way to present new maths content to children. Explicit instruction is a teaching strategy which makes the lessons well-structured and systematic and leave the content unambiguous. This probably seems very simple to start a lesson through recapping the previous lesson or skills can help me getting the children’s attention and sequence the teaching steps. Instead of giving me a whole page summary of the learning contexts, they can just tell what they can remember which helps me to check how much they know and if they have the prerequisite skills. This activity can also rise students’ engagement in lessons and build their confidence at beginning of the new skill teaching. Apart from review, modelling clear explanation and simultaneously giving correct feedback during both instruction and practice students will increase positive outcomes for the lessons. Richard Very well said, Mira. |
David Slade
Explicit Instruction is necessary in certain situations during a lesson or lessons. However, in an ideal situation, I would always attempt to provide the students with tasks and activities which allow them to find their own way. 'Finding their own way' is a scary idea and it often sounds unmanageable and extremely loose, but the actions of the teacher remain key. As a teacher in these situations, I work hard to provide the students with questions and some small prompts which lead to the AHA moment. Currently, I teacher bottom sets, which is slightly restricting, as I often fall into the trap of explicit instruction first. However, I attempt to build an independence and study habits in the students which eventually help develop an ethos in the classroom which brings more freedom and exploration, and therefore, more aha moments.
Richard
Great post, David. The thing many teachers don't 'get' is that explicit instruction AND student-centric teaching AND high structure AND time-efficiency can all be part of the same thing!
Explicit Instruction is necessary in certain situations during a lesson or lessons. However, in an ideal situation, I would always attempt to provide the students with tasks and activities which allow them to find their own way. 'Finding their own way' is a scary idea and it often sounds unmanageable and extremely loose, but the actions of the teacher remain key. As a teacher in these situations, I work hard to provide the students with questions and some small prompts which lead to the AHA moment. Currently, I teacher bottom sets, which is slightly restricting, as I often fall into the trap of explicit instruction first. However, I attempt to build an independence and study habits in the students which eventually help develop an ethos in the classroom which brings more freedom and exploration, and therefore, more aha moments.
Richard
Great post, David. The thing many teachers don't 'get' is that explicit instruction AND student-centric teaching AND high structure AND time-efficiency can all be part of the same thing!