Describe the importance of the using a variety of instructional strategies and the value they add to education of students in the 21st century. Evaluate the role technology plays in the implementation of various instructional strategies. How will this impact your teaching of students?
This is the question posed this week in my master’s degree program class….
In our educational society today, using a variety of instructional strategies is invaluable to our students ability to learn. Every student learns in a slightly different way and, in the past, education has done a great job of trying to create a box to fit all students. Finally, we, as educators, are beginning to realize that learning isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ box, but rather many, many boxes, exactly one box for every student! Because of this, in every classroom, there are many different types of learners and we must find the best way to teach each student.
Reaching students using a variety of teaching strategies is smart, not only for the student, but for the teacher. Reteaching an entire unit is time-consuming and since most of the students may have grasped the concept the first time, can be boring for an entire class. Using several educational teaching strategies within one or two teaching periods to teach small sections of material or chunking knowledge, often leads to greater and deeper understanding of the topic. Mixing up teaching strategies keeps learning fresh and keeps students from getting bored on the topic. Once specific students have been identified as needing more direction to learn the topic, tutorials using computer games and software can be used in small groups or on an individual basis.
Marzano, R. (2009). Helping Students Process Information. Educational Leadership,67, 86-87. Retrieved April 4, 2012, from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/oct09/vol67/num02/Helping-Students-Process-Information.aspx
No comments:
Post a Comment