For this week’s resources we learned more about two different instructional strategies: cues, questions, and advanced organizers and summarizing and note taking. With the cognitive theory, both of these instructional strategies can be implemented in the classroom effectively with the use of technology.
The first strategy I am going to focus on is summarizing and note taking. Being a third grade teacher, I will admit that I do not use this strategy very much in my classroom. After learning more about it, I feel that I will feel more comfortable integrating it into my lessons. One idea for implementing summarizing in the classroom with the use of technology is through Microsoft Word. If a student needed assistance summarizing text, there is tool called Auto Summarizing that will help summarize that text for them. I was completely unaware of this tool. As for note-taking, I love the idea of the inverted T. Students write an inverted T, or they draw one on Microsoft Word. On one side of the T they write essential words, on the other side, they can draw an image relating to those words. This addresses the dual code of the cognitive theory by having images with information to help store that information in their long term memory.
The second strategy is cues, questions and advanced organizers. I also do implement enough advanced organizers in my classroom, especially since all I teach is math and science. However, I do use cues and questions to help guide my lessons. In every lesson students are first exposed to their “I can” statement which helps expose them to the material we will cover that day. It gives them an idea of what we are going to learn that day. I also have an essential question that I focus on for the lesson. I ask the question at the beginning of the lesson, and again at the end to see if their answer has changed because of their new knowledge. Throughout the lessons, I ask many questions to help guide their thinking, but keeping their focus on the “I can” statement and essential question. Not only do I feel it helps guide student learning, but it also guides my teaching. If at the end of the lesson, students are still unable to answer the question, then I must go about teaching the content in a different way to help them gain the new information. Questioning is an excellent instructional strategy for all teachers to keep them aware of student learning throughout a lesson.
After learning about these strategies and the cognitive learning theory, I feel that both are essential in student achievement. If students do not retain the information, then they will not be able to recall it later. These strategies are excellent tools to help students put the information into their long term memory and make the connections needed in order to be successful with the new knowledge.
Happy Blogging until next time!~Sam R.
Samantha,
ReplyDeleteI like the idea you posted about the inverted T. Having the students write down the key term and then draw a picture is a good idea. When I put vocabulary up on the board, I have the definition, pronunciation, picture, and an example. I think I will start having the students utilize the inverted T strategy. I do not think I should be doing all of the work. I think most students learn and retain more when they are active in the class.
I find having the students take notes gives me an opportunity to teach them how to summarize. My notes tend to be complete sentences, and I show students how to find the important details—without writing everything down. Then I can have them take their important details and summarize what the passage, paragraph, or excerpt was about.
Landon Harrison
Samantha,
ReplyDeleteI think the inverted "T" is a great idea. I don't have Word for Mac and Pages doesn't have the "auto summarize" function. I am interested to see how this works. Summarizing is a difficult skill especially for younger students. I think that graphic organizers are great tools for helping students be able to summarize text effectively. It definitely is all about identifying the important details of a passage. Which technology the educator chooses for the next step and how they model this skill I think can depend on certain variables (age, level of technology skill, linguistic diversity, etc.) Good post.
Samantha,
ReplyDeleteIt is great that you are using drawing in your note taking. I am a very visual person and used drawings in my notes all the way up through college. It is a very good starter step too, for those students who have difficulty with writing and spelling. They can focus on the information they are putting on the paper and not on trying to spell things in a hurry.
Your “I can” statements are also great tools. I use KWL charts in my class when introducing a new topic or unit, but I don’t often use it for day-to-day learning. I am thinking primarily of math. Every time we begin a new unit, we do a chart. Each lesson of the unit has a different focus and I don’t always give them that prompt up front. It is such a quick and easy tool to begin a lesson too. Thanks for the great idea!
~Kristy Baker