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

Knowing our students’ stories:

Teaching excellence…

•Ensures engaged, active, relevant 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

▫Oil worker Chemistry, Economics, USU 1300…..

▫Returning vets Physics, Sociology…..

▫Non-traditional students Accounting, Psychology……

▫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 really “think time”▫uninterrupted silence by teacher and students so both can complete necessary information processing (Stahl, 1990)

on-task thinking

Information processing

• Exercise: cats and dogs

• Multiple cognitive tasks take time

• We need uninterrupted time to process, reflect, think of response

• 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 certain cultures.

English Language Learners: BICS & CALP•BICS: Basic

interpersonal communication skills

▫ Day-to-day language

▫ Meaningful context

▫ Low cognitive demand Language not

specialized

▫ Acquired in 6 months-2 years

•CALP: Cognitive academic language proficiency

▫ Content-specific

▫ Low context: lectures, textbook

▫ High cognitive demand: language and concepts

▫ 5-7 years acquisition (7-10 years if low or no native proficiency or schooling)

Advance Organizers: Vocabulary “Wall”

•Electoral college•PrimaryPresidential

election

•Meiosis•MitosisCell

division

•Potosi•Kunta HaraAge of

Discovery

Advance Organizers: Key questionsAge of Discovery, 15th-17th c.

How did silver from the “New World” transform European civilization?

Keywords: Potosí

Key Questions:

1) What triggered the Great Age of Discovery?

2) How does silver transform the global economy?

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”.

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 & practiceModel for your students how they need to think.

Don’t just happen.

•Brief, active (I-Clicker)

•Students process individually & together

•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.

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

The Equilibrium Constant

K = 1 K < 1 K > 1

[Products] [Reactants]K =

Reactant Product

Compare or contrastExample: Compare Alpha vs Beta Decay relative to radioactive decay.

Relative size Particle charge

Alpha decayBeta decay

Reorder the stepsExampleDrawing 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".

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 the 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 pattern

s

Words alone

not sufficie

nt

How we organize information affects

comprehension!

Patterns help us learn & remember

CATs •Classroom Assessment Techniques:

Thomas Angelo & Patricia Cross 2nd ed., 1993, Jossey Bass

• Informal, consistent monitoring of students’ learning

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

Minute Paper• Quickly assesses student learning vs teacher’s

perceptions

• 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 Analytical skills (Bloom’s)

Concepts and facts

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

• 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? Instructor responds in next class with

discussion, activity, additional simulation

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