stephanie and some other hodgman women!

Models of Instruction in my Own Classroom

When thinking about the model of instruction that I like the least or see the smallest amount of potential of use for myself I was faced with some difficulty. I naturally would begin brainstorming when reading about or being taught a model about how I would be able to implement that model into my own classroom. I truly enjoyed learning about all of these models and the more time I spent thinking about and discussing them, the more application for them I was able to see. If I had to choose one model that I didn't see myself using as much it would probably be the Web quest Model for problem based instruction. The reason behind this I would say was because it is a lesson that one cannot change the day of if the students are taking the lesson in a different direction. While it is clearly important for the students to gain the knowledge you are trying to teach them, I fell it is very important for the students to feel like they have a choice in their learning. While you are able to offer many choices in a web quest, you can never be sure what the students are desiring from and the lesson and you as their teacher. The web quests can be amazing, but they can also be limiting.

http://volweb.utk.edu/Schools/bedford/harrisms/studentpage.htm

This web quest stuck out to me because it directly relates to the core standards covered in the Utah State Core Curriculum. I think this is an interactive web quest that I could use to help my students with their personal writing skills and voices.

Concept Development!

I really enjoyed Wendy and Whitnee's lesson that they presented to us. Even though I couldn't teach that exact lesson in a high school English class, I immediately was able to start thinking of lessons and concepts that I could share through using that model. One of the concepts that I think can be a difficult one is discovering the reasons characters in literature do the things they do and the thought processes behind those actions. Some students can really struggle with putting themselves into a book, but it is a necessary thing to be able to do when talking about voice, tone, character analysis, and many other components of literature as well. In talking about the concept of relating the text to self, many discussions can arise about other parts of the students' lives that they find relation to in the book. They are able to not only understand the characters we are studying in literature, but also the books as a whole as well as the authors intentions in writing the way they did (when you get to more advanced classes involving literary criticism).

Differentiation

Let me start by saying I really loved reading and studying the Hallmarks of a Differentiated Classroom! I love how you broke it down for us and covered all of the bases for creating that effective differentiated classroom. I have really enjoyed learning about the Learner- Centered style of teaching and number five really stuck out to me as being that type of instruction for us as teachers to give up some of our responsibility and power. Obviously I know it is important for us to stay in control of our classrooms and to be the leader that is in charge, but giving the students freedom to become a true component in their learning is so important. I loved the wording "students come to know their strengths and limits, as well as the strengths and limits of their classmates as they gain greater autonomy for their learning". It was in a more open and less limited classroom my seventh grade year, when I was helping a classmate understand a topic that I decided I really wanted to help people learn for the rest of my life. I felt so fulfilled and helpful to my friend when I was able to help him, and I knew that I could be an effective educator.

Direct Instruction Review~

I think the most difficult step for teachers is the seventh and final step. We as teachers have so much ground to cover in any given subject and grade level that taking the time to go back later on and review material in an enjoyable way can be nearly impossible. Unless we give cumulative tests at the end of units or semesters there isn't a true assessment of that knowledge that they learned previously. We have already moved on from that material and it's almost a guarantee that the students have forgotten it. It is our job as teachers to make that step a priority and to create fun ways to show the students that the material that was covered in the past is important and that it is still pertinent to them and applicable (without giving them a written test).
For me, personally, the most unnatural step in the direct instruction model is stating the objective. It feels to me that is similar to stating at the beginning of one's essay, "In this essay I will talk about..." I have always been taught that this is not how you write an effective and good essay. I know there are better ways to state one's objective in a classroom like an attention grabbing activity or demonstration, without actually saying, "today you're going to learn about..." That step could be difficult for me if I don't make it an interesting instructional step rather than a blatant statement.
For the students, reviewing and assessing their previous knowledge can feel like a total waste of time. Reviews can always feel tedious and useless, especially when done in a boring, unengaging way. Unless this first step is done with enthusiasm and treated as something fun rather than a straight review and or assessment then the rest of the lesson will feel the same. You don't always have to do an extensive activity that is fun and exciting, but you do need to grab the attention of the students and make them interested in what you're about to teach them.