Planning and Planning and Organizing InstructionOrganizing Instruction

Mercer Ch. 2Mercer Ch. 2

ActivityActivity

Using large paper and markers, Using large paper and markers, draw your ultimate classroomdraw your ultimate classroom

Explain each area and their Explain each area and their relevance to the function of the relevance to the function of the classroomclassroom

Arrangement of StudentsArrangement of Students

All students should easily see and All students should easily see and hear the teacherhear the teacher

Teacher has easy access to all Teacher has easy access to all studentsstudents

Teacher sees all studentsTeacher sees all students Decide to put desks in clusters or Decide to put desks in clusters or

rowsrows Place difficult-to-teach or off-task Place difficult-to-teach or off-task

students in the middle of the room students in the middle of the room near the frontnear the front

Classroom ArrangementClassroom Arrangement

Teacher draw a rough sketch of the Teacher draw a rough sketch of the floor planfloor plan

Consider advantages for desk Consider advantages for desk arrangements: vertical rows, group arrangements: vertical rows, group circles, and small clusterscircles, and small clusters

Location of predominant activitiesLocation of predominant activities Number of students in the Number of students in the

environmentenvironment Storage area for equipment Storage area for equipment Need for special equipment for Need for special equipment for

students with special needsstudents with special needs

Managing the Physical Managing the Physical EnvironmentEnvironment

Environmental DesignEnvironmental Design Classroom ArrangementClassroom Arrangement Complements to the Complements to the

Instructional EnvironmentInstructional Environment Interest CentersInterest Centers Bulletin BoardsBulletin Boards

Environmental Design Environmental Design ConsiderationsConsiderations Sense of communitySense of community Personal territoryPersonal territory Authentic motivationAuthentic motivation Classroom flexibilityClassroom flexibility Environmental acknowledgmentEnvironmental acknowledgment Flexible seatingFlexible seating Work aestheticWork aesthetic Barrier-freeBarrier-free

Complements to the Complements to the Instructional EnvironmentInstructional Environment

Study CarrelStudy Carrel Provide a quiet place to studyProvide a quiet place to study Provide a comfortable place to Provide a comfortable place to

read independentlyread independently

Interest Centers Interest Centers ConsiderationsConsiderations

Characteristics of the userCharacteristics of the user Objectives that the activities are Objectives that the activities are

designed to meetdesigned to meet Interest value to the studentsInterest value to the students Procedures and directionsProcedures and directions Materials or equipment neededMaterials or equipment needed

Bulletin BoardsBulletin Boards

Most popular is to display Most popular is to display students’ workstudents’ work

Can foster creativity by Can foster creativity by providing example topics or providing example topics or themes for student workthemes for student work

Large-Group InstructionLarge-Group Instruction

Advantages: Advantages: time efficienttime efficient Prepares students for the type of Prepares students for the type of

instruction primarily used in instruction primarily used in secondary educationsecondary education

May help students with special May help students with special needs make the transition to needs make the transition to general education classesgeneral education classes

Large-Group Instruction Cont. Large-Group Instruction Cont.

Disadvantages:Disadvantages: Difficult for teachers to deal with Difficult for teachers to deal with

diverse abilities and skill levelsdiverse abilities and skill levels Questions may go unansweredQuestions may go unanswered Distracted students may stay off Distracted students may stay off

tasktask Students do not receive intensive Students do not receive intensive

instructioninstruction

Guidelines for Large-Group Guidelines for Large-Group InstructionInstruction Keep instruction shortKeep instruction short Use questions to involve studentsUse questions to involve students Use lecture-pause routineUse lecture-pause routine Active participation among lower achieving Active participation among lower achieving

studentsstudents Visual aidsVisual aids Lively paceLively pace Frequent change-upsFrequent change-ups Determine rules during presentation and Determine rules during presentation and

discussionsdiscussions Use participation buddies to promote Use participation buddies to promote

student involvementstudent involvement

Small-Group InstructionSmall-Group Instruction

Advantages:Advantages: Students participate more oftenStudents participate more often Teachers provide more instruction, Teachers provide more instruction,

praise, and feedbackpraise, and feedback Students can progress at their own paceStudents can progress at their own pace Less boringLess boring Monitor student progress betterMonitor student progress better ELL students are more comfortableELL students are more comfortable Important for students with LD and EBD Important for students with LD and EBD

because they lack to skills to work because they lack to skills to work independentlyindependently

Small-Group Instruction Cont. Small-Group Instruction Cont.

DisadvantagesDisadvantages Students are required to do more Students are required to do more

seatworkseatwork More planning is involvedMore planning is involved Teachers must organize Teachers must organize

instructional variablesinstructional variables Teachers must provide more Teachers must provide more

instructioninstruction

Guidelines for Small-Group Guidelines for Small-Group InstructionInstruction

Establish rulesEstablish rules Make groups homogeneousMake groups homogeneous Maintain flexible groupingMaintain flexible grouping Locate groups so teacher can Locate groups so teacher can

see all groupssee all groups Place students in semicirclePlace students in semicircle Use motivational activitiesUse motivational activities

Cooperative Learning Cooperative Learning StrategiesStrategies

Peer tutoringPeer tutoring Classwide Peer tutoringClasswide Peer tutoring Group projectsGroup projects JigsawJigsaw Student-team achievement Student-team achievement

divisionsdivisions

Guidelines for Peer TutoringGuidelines for Peer Tutoring

Determine goals for peer tutoringDetermine goals for peer tutoring Practice and learn targeted skillsPractice and learn targeted skills Provide a reviewProvide a review Develop appropriate social skillsDevelop appropriate social skills Enhance self-conceptsEnhance self-concepts

Determine target skills or content Determine target skills or content Select materialsSelect materials Design procedures for tutee and tutorDesign procedures for tutee and tutor

How to present the taskHow to present the task How to provide feedback for correct and How to provide feedback for correct and

incorrect responsesincorrect responses How to score responsesHow to score responses

Guidelines for Peer TutoringGuidelines for Peer Tutoring

Assign tutor-tutee pairsAssign tutor-tutee pairs Across-class Across-class Pull-outPull-out IntraclassIntraclass

Train tutors and tuteesTrain tutors and tutees Teach social skillsTeach social skills Review skills Review skills Schedule sessionsSchedule sessions

Classwide Peer TutoringClasswide Peer Tutoring

Three main features:Three main features: Peers are used to supervise Peers are used to supervise

responding and practiceresponding and practice A game format is used that A game format is used that

includes points and competing includes points and competing teams to motivate students and teams to motivate students and maintain interestmaintain interest

Weekly evaluation plan ensure Weekly evaluation plan ensure gains in student progressgains in student progress

Classwide Peer Tutoring Classwide Peer Tutoring FormatFormat Daily tutoring sessions of about 30 minutesDaily tutoring sessions of about 30 minutes Tutor-tutee pairs work together for a weekTutor-tutee pairs work together for a week After 10 minutes the pairs switch rolesAfter 10 minutes the pairs switch roles Two points are given for each correct Two points are given for each correct

response, one point is given for a corrected response, one point is given for a corrected responseresponse

Teacher moves around the room Teacher moves around the room monitoring tutoring behavior – awards monitoring tutoring behavior – awards bonus points for good behaviorbonus points for good behavior

End of the session, students add up the End of the session, students add up the points and record on chartpoints and record on chart

Friday the teacher conducts a more Friday the teacher conducts a more intensive assessment of the skills learnedintensive assessment of the skills learned

Student-team achievement Student-team achievement divisionsdivisions Heterogeneous group of 4 students Heterogeneous group of 4 students

are assigned to a teamare assigned to a team After teacher presents the lesson, After teacher presents the lesson,

the team works together to ensure the team works together to ensure mastery of the skills taughtmastery of the skills taught

Students take individual quizzes Students take individual quizzes without peer help. without peer help.

Quiz scores are compared to Quiz scores are compared to previous scores and points are previous scores and points are awarded based on improvementawarded based on improvement