The Art and Science of Teaching - Chapter 2

A Team TEAM presentation

Introduction of Critical-Input Experiences

• Comprehensive approach for students to construct meaning

• Critical-Input Experiences (present important new content)

• Different types of critical input experiences effect students differently

Critical Input Experiences

• Previewing - refers to any activity that starts students thinking about the content that they will encounter in the critical experience.

• These activities are useful to students who do not have a great deal of background knowledge about the topic

• Small Chunks-refers to  this practice as teaching in small steps. 

Critical Input Continued • Active Processing Using Macro strategies- refers to

reciprocal teaching . It integrates the more specifics strategy in groups and rotate the position of student leader.

• Summarizing and note taking- - requires students to translate information from critical input experience into their own abbreviation form.

• Non-linguistic Representation- is the aspect of information processing is most observable as the mental images associated with one's experiences

       

Reflection

• Students review critical-input experience and identify points of confusiono Level of certainty on a topico Accurate Perceptionso Inaccurate Preconceptions

• Benefits:o Enhances learningo Provides teacher with diagnostic information

Cooperative Learning

• Students interact in groups about concepto Students experience multiple perspectiveso Facilitates knowledge development

• Research shows groups of 2-3 are most effective

Action Step 1: Identify Critical-Input Experiences

• Teachers single out a few well structured input experiences as critical to students' learning.

• Provides focus for both teachers and students o Examples:

Read a section of a textbook that explains and exemplifies information

Watch a video, or watch a demonstration to accomplish same learning goal

Action Step 2: Preview the Content Prior to a Critical-Input Experience

• Activate prior knowledge• Strategies:

o What do you know? Ask students what they think they know about a

topico Overt Linkages

Connections between previously addressed content

o Teacher Prepared Notes Provides students with an outline of the

important content within an upcoming critical-input experience

Action Step 3: Organize Students into Groups to Enhance the Active Processing of Information• Enhances the process of new information • Groups provide students:

o Multiple reference pointso Opportunity to see how others process informationo Opportunity to see how others react to his/her

processing of information• Be sure to:

o Establish ruleso Behavior expectationso Provide examples of processo Allow students to practice process

Present New Information in Small Chunks and Ask for Descriptions, Discussion, and Predictions. • Information should be broken down into

small chunks in order to be processed more easily.  Strategies include:

Action Step 4:

Reciprocal Teaching• students generate predictions, discussion leader raises

questions, and group members discuss questions.• group member summarizes and clarifies difficult concepts

Jigsaw• students assigned to 4 person heterogeneous groups

and assigned topics.  Students become experts on topic and present the information to the class.  

Concept Attainment• Lead students to a concept by asking them to compare

and contrast examples (called exemplars) and non-examples that contain characteristics (called attributes).

Action Step 4:

Action Step 5: Ask Questions That Require Students to Elaborate on InformationElaborative questions come in two forms:1.General Inferential Questions

o Students answer questions that go beyond what was presented Default questions require use of background

knowledge Reasoned questions require synthesis of

knowledge2.Elaborative Interrogations

o Students provide justification(s) for their answers to  general inferential questions

o Teacher articulates the generalizations made by the student

1.Notes 2.Graphic Organizers3.Dramatic Enactments4.Mnemonics5.Academic Notebooks

Action Step 5: Have Students Write Out Their Conclusions or Represent Their Learning Non-Linguistically

Action Step 6: continued

 1. Notes o students differentiate between important

information and supplemental informationo try to have students process new knowledge

in 2 modalities - linguistic & non linguistic 2. Graphic Organizers

o  Form of non linguistic representationoOne of the most popular ways for students to

represent knowledge in a critical-input experience

Action Step 6: continued

 3. Dramatic Enactmentsogroups of students physically act out or

symbolize the content 4. Mnemonic Devices Employing Imagery

oemploy only after students have a good, complete understanding of the content

ouse a symbol that suggests or reminds the student of the information that he/she is trying to recall

Actions Step 6: continued

 5. Academic Notebooksoare adaptations of the time-honored

science notebooks/labsopermanent records of students' thinking

Action Step 7: Have Students Reflect on Their Thinking

Students conclude a critical-input experience by looking at their thinking process (metacognition)

Three sample prompts:1.What were you right/wrong about?2.How confident are you in what you learned?3.What went well/poorly during your learning experience?

 Not necessary to ask each question, but the most appropriate for the critical-input experience.

Conclusion

Essential Final Thoughts....