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Seesaw - The Learning Journal Overview. Get Started in 60 Seconds!

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ClassDojo helps teachers, parents, and students build amazing classroom communities.

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Educating Yorkshire - Musharaf overcomes his stammer

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British School Boy Musharaf has had a stammer from a very young age. With the help of his teachers, he is eventually able to over come it in time for an English speaking exam. Copyright: Channel 4's "Educating Yorkshire." This video is not monetized.

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Amaze your students with smarter worksheets. Wizer.me is a platform where teachers build beautiful, engaging online worksheets!

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This clip will show you a simple TEKS Breakdown from 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. Also, we compare the standard to the released test item.

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Understood | For Learning and Attention Issues

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Help your child thrive. Chat with experts, connect with parents and get tips on parenting kids with reading, writing, math, organization, attention issues and more.

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Talking Button

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1c

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2023 think! conference
learn more! field guides learn more! free webinars

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The workload of the special education teacher assigned to the resource program is massive. Due to the multiple range of students' needs that this specialist must manipulate, it's the intent of this guidance to provide assistance in multiple ways by outlining a framework to support designing and delivering intensive and effective direct, indirect, and supplemental instruction and services.

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I don't know about you, but if there's a scarier concept in education than differentiation, it's scaffolding. Layering in the level of difficulty at just the right time and in just the right way to make sure all students progress beautifully to mastery sounds just about impossible. So my take was to put some fail-safe pieces in place that were good for all kids to help make sure everyone was supported and set up for success along the way.

Preteach Vocabulary - If you don't teach ELA, keep reading! A huge number of the difficulties our struggling students encounter in the classroom can be traced back to language or reading issues. And vocabulary is often at the heart of those issues. No matter what content you teach, if you teach students the crucial vocabulary for a unit or concept before you teach the rest of the content, you'll be scaffolding for your ELL's as well as any other students who might be intimidated by those new words or concepts. When you do this you'll find that those new words no longer stump students mid-lesson since they're already familiar with them. Going through the process of pulling out vocabulary words also helps you anticipate what might be difficult for the students and appreciate how the rigor of the language relates to the rigor of a concept or content so that you're better able to understand where students might need extra support.

Colored Popsicle Sticks - One of our 6 th grade ELA teachers taught me this strategy. She uses popsicle sticks to cold-call students already and so she decided to use colored popsicle sticks to help her scaffold her questions. Depending on a students' reading level, their name is written on a certain colored popsicle stick. This way when she cold-calls, she can better match students with appropriate questions. This is not to say that lower-level readers only get easy questions, but rather that they might get a basic question before they're asked a higher-level question to build up to that harder question. She also uses them as a check on herself to make sure she's thinking about the level of difficulty of her questions versus just asking questions randomly or jumping to high-level questions without any scaffolding. They're a nice visual reminder of the need to scaffold up to higher-level material.

Tiered Assignments - Yes, this strategy is coming up again! Click here to read the post about what these are and how to use them, if you missed it. If you're regularly tiering assignments, then you're building in scaffolding on the front end so students are working up through each level of difficulty as needed.

Stop & Jot - It can be easy for students that don't understand to fall through the cracks during a class period if they don't raise their hand or manage not to get called on. One way to make sure everyone is processing during class is to build in times for them to 'stop & jot' their ideas or answers. To remind yourself, try inserting a powerpoint slide specifically for this that has a question and a time allotted for it where everyone in class stops and writes out the answer to a question in complete sentences. Writing equals thinking, so if you can see that everyone in class is writing out an answer, you know they're processing the information and so are more likely to be comprehending, as well. And for students who may not need the extra processing time, they're able to solidify their mastery of the concept while others are able to catch up.

Think-pair-share - This is probably my favorite teaching strategy of all time. It's very straight forward, but we often feel too pressed for time to use it often or completely. When you ask a question, give students time to think and write their answers in complete sentences for at least 30 seconds, then pair up at their tables to talk about their answers, then you cold-call someone to share out. All too often we jump straight to the share and don't give students time to process. Making sure to include the pair talking time can be critical because, in addition to having verbal processing time, it gives students a chance to try out their ideas on a neighbor before sharing with the whole class so they're not as nervous about sharing in front of everyone. And if some students are totally lost, they're able to hear their peers explain it in a new way and so hopefully will get up-to-speed before we move on to the next piece of content.

Pre-teaching - This was covered in our most recent post on grouping strategies, but bears repeating. If you regularly pull the students who typically struggle in your class and pre-teach upcoming skills to them, you're preventing many of the gaps that might typically occur by scaffolding beforehand. They also get a great confidence boost and spend a lot less time in class feeling confused and discouraged.

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Un-Scary Differentiation #4 - Simple Scaffolding

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I don't know about you, but if there's a scarier concept in education than differentiation, it's scaffolding. Layering in the level of difficulty at just the right time and in just the right way to make sure all students progress beautifully to mastery sounds just about impossible.

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dataworks video goals

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SWABT

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Discussion and Supporting Materials

Thought starters

1. Why is it important to make learning objectives explicit?

2. How do students participate in SWBAT?

3. Objectives are specific and measurable, while learning goals may be more broad. How could you use both in your practice?

School Details

Think College Now School
2825 International Boulevard
Oakland CA 94601

Data Provided By:

Teachers

English Language Arts Math Social Studies / 5 / Teacher

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Madeline begins by introducing the SWBAT strategy. SWBAT stands for "Students will be able to." The learning objectives in Madeline's class always start with "SWBAT." Madeline explains how she writes the objectives on the board and how students repeat back the objectives in a rhythmic way.

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Anita Archer explains the use of instructional routines in the classroom.

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Not direct instruction

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Resources that help teachers teach: guides for objectives and assessments, lesson plan templates, whiteboards, vocab lists, checklists, posters, and more.

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HQ | Deniece Williams - Let's Hear It for the Boy [Footloose 1984]

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http://inside.collaborativeclassroom.org SIPPS Beginning The SIPPS (Systematic Instruction in Phoneme Awareness, Phonics, and Sight Words) program, 2nd edition, is a solution for struggling readers, is a decoding curriculum that teaches the prerequisites for developing reading fluency and comprehension. Visit http://www.devstu.org/sipps to learn more about SIPPS.

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Gildo Rey Elementary achieves high test scores despite high poverty rates

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In most cases, when a school's poverty rate rises, student test scores sink. But at Gildo Rey Elementary in Auburn, test scores have been on the rise for ten years, even as poverty rates climbed, too.

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ELA.SL.7.1c

Common core State Standards

ELA: English Language Arts

SL: Speaking and Listening Standards 6-12

7: 7th Grade

1c:
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative
discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled)
with diverse partners on grade 7 topics,
texts, and issues, building on othersâ\x80\x99 ideas and
expressing their own clearly.

a. Come to discussions prepared, having read
or researched material under study; explicitly
draw on that preparation by referring to
evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe
and reflect on ideas under discussion.

b. Follow rules for collegial discussions, track
progress toward specific goals and deadlines,
and define individual roles as needed.

c. Pose questions that elicit elaboration and
respond to others' questions and comments
with relevant observations and ideas that bring
the discussion back on topic as needed.

d. Acknowledge new information expressed by
others and, when warranted, modify their own
views.

Download Common Core State Standards (PDF 1.2 MB)

|

ELA.SL.8.1c

Common core State Standards

ELA: English Language Arts

SL: Speaking and Listening Standards 6-12

8: 8th Grade

1c:
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative
discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled)
with diverse partners on grade 8 topics,
texts, and issues, building on othersâ\x80\x99 ideas and
expressing their own clearly.

a. Come to discussions prepared, having read
or researched material under study; explicitly
draw on that preparation by referring to
evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe
and reflect on ideas under discussion.

b. Follow rules for collegial discussions and
decision-making, track progress toward
specific goals and deadlines, and define
individual roles as needed.

c. Pose questions that connect the ideas of
several speakers and respond to others'
questions and comments with relevant
evidence, observations, and ideas.

d. Acknowledge new information expressed
by others, and, when warranted, qualify or
justify their own views in light of the evidence
presented.

Download Common Core State Standards (PDF 1.2 MB)

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Discussion and Supporting Materials

Thought starters

1. This lesson asks students to utilize various forms of "communicative functions" through the three-step interview. Why is this important for ELLs?

2. How does the structure of this task ensure that all students are engaged in the work?

3. How did Ms. Park-Friend activate her students' prior knowledge?

School Details

Bruce Randolph School
3955 Steele Street
Denver CO 80205

Data Provided By:

Teachers

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Preparing Learners: Activating Prior Knowledge

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ELA.SL.7.1c Common core State Standards ELA: English Language Arts SL: Speaking and Listening Standards 6-12 7: 7th Grade 1c: Engage effectively in a range of collaborativediscussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled)with diverse partners on grade 7 topics,texts, and issues, building on othersâ\x80\x99 ideas andexpressing their own clearly. a.

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Active Participation Instruction _ 2ndGrade

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Traffic Cups

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New in version 1.11:
* Sync across all iOS devices via our new "Stick Pick Cloud" now with reliable Amazon Web Services on the back end - for free!
* Sign in with either your Facebook or Google account
* New Facebook and Google icons in App Settings
* Various bug fixes

Join over 65,000 teachers, like EdTechChic, who says: "Say goodbye to your coffee can with popsicle sticks and say hello to Stick Pick!"

Pick a student at random with just a tap, swipe, or a shake -- but that's just the beginning. Stick Pick suggests question starters for learners at different levels and also records how well students respond during classroom discussions. If a student is consistently scoring near the top or bottom, simply change the level so students aren't bored or frustrated. Depending on students' levels of English proficiency, they might be asked simple yes-or-no questions or to elaborate in longer sentences.
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DIFFERENTIATE INSTRUCTION
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Stick Pick is the first app of its kind to uniquely link question stems to the cognitive or linguistic needs of each individual learner. Teachers can have multiple soup cans (classes) filled with sticks (students). During setup, teachers choose a category of question stems they wish to focus on for each learner. Questions can be based on Bloom's Taxonomy, English as a second language (ESL) skills, and degree of difficulty can be chosen for each learner.
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TRACK FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT DATA
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Formative assessment data is easy to track because teachers can tap a corresponding correct, incorrect, or opinion button based on the student's answer. Teachers can also rate each student's answer by selecting 0-5 on a critical thinking rubric (Bloom's) or an elaboration rubric (ESL).
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EQUITY FOR ALL!
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Stick Pick is a handy tool for any teacher device and can guide classroom discussion in really helpful ways. Teachers can mark sticks so they aren't constantly calling on the same students or asking students the same questions over and over again. Students in small groups can use Stick Pick, too. During small group work, students can take turns asking one another questions based on Bloom's Taxonomy, making group work more productive and on-task.
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IMPROVE PARENT-SCHOOL COMMUNICATION
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Student progress is recorded and averaged automatically within the app and can be shared in lots of convenient ways.
-----------------------------------------------
MANY SMART FEATURES
-----------------------------------------------
Finally -- no more sticks cluttering your desk! Now you can keep all your students' sticks in one convenient place: on your mobile device!
* Create as many classes as you need
* Over 140 question stems categorized into three modes: Bloom's; Bloom's Revised; and ESL (English as a Second Language)
* Copy an entire class, with or without scores
* "Swipe up," "tap," or "shake" to call on a student
* Level-appropriate question stems appear right on the screen
* Option to operate in Stick Only mode
* Sticks can be reset (put back in with the rest) or marked "used" in a special "used can"
* Toggle between used and unused sticks with a single tap
* Option to "peek" into each can to deliberately pick a particular student
* Operates in Left or Right Hand mode
* Collect formative assessment data using "Correct," "Incorrect," and "Opinion" buttons
* Rate each learner's response on a 0-5 point rubric: use the Critical Thinking Rubric (for Bloom's & Bloom's Revised mode); or Degree of Elaboration Rubric (for ESL mode)
* Share student data

It does still work if you delete and reload app😀

I also have loved this app for years and was planning on using it in a presentation for my school about apps ever teacher should have. I was disappointed as well when the app didn't seem to be working after the update, but I deleted and reloaded it as another reviewer suggested and it works great.
This app is awesome especially when you need a quick assessment. I do wish I could plug in the activity name I was using Stick Pick for each time so I could add that to the data to save.

Great app and great support

My app was doing the same thing as other people's...not loading classes, etc. I emailed Buzz for help before I read the reviews. (If I would have read here first I could have just uninstalled and reinstalled it without having to ask for help.) But he got back to me very quickly and told me know what I needed to do. It was a super easy fix. I've used this app for at least two years and this was the first time I have ever had trouble with it. I love the app because it makes my job easier...and who doesn't want that?! :)

Just delete and re-download!

I have used Stick Pick the last 3 years in my grade 1 class. I have also shared it with many colleagues. When I went to add this year's students and kept having problems, I freaked but remembered that I could email the developer. Buzz got back to me right away and told me because of an issue with Dropbox, all I needed to do was delete the app and re-download it. Problem solved, and I am back tons using this fabulous app. Don't listen to the naysayers. I use this app everyday!!

Information

Compatibility

Requires iOS 9.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Copyright

© 2011, Buzz Garwood

Family Sharing

With Family Sharing set up, up to six family members can use this app.

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‎New in version 1.11: * Sync across all iOS devices via our new "Stick Pick Cloud" now with reliable Amazon Web Services on the back end - for free! * Sign in with either your Facebook or Google account * New Facebook and Google icons in App Settings * Various bug fixes Join over 65,000 teachers, l...

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equity sticks

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Equity Sticks | UDL Strategies - Goalbook Toolkit

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Goalbook develops resources for teachers to differentiate instruction aligned to Common Core using UDL. Our toolkit contains Common Core IEP goals in Reading, Writing, and Math, as well as non-academic goals in Behavior and Autism.

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Fists of Five

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Getting instant student feedback on a lesson can help you quickly adjust future lessons. Find out how one teacher gets instant feedback after each lesson to make sure students are getting the most out of what she is teaching.

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Paula Kluth is dedicated to promoting inclusive schooling and exploring positive ways of supporting students with autism and other disabilities. Most of my work involves collaborating with schools to create environments, lessons, and experiences that are inclusive, respectful, and accessible for all learners.

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Think about how you remember something:

When you want to remember a phone number, do you repeat it to yourself several times until you get the whole number dialed?

When you get to the grocery story and want to remember four items, do you hold up four fingers to cue yourself to remember?

When someone asks you about a wedding you went to a few years ago, how do you call up the memory? Some people may first think of the food. Others may recall the bride's dress. Still others may recall the décor. Once you have a hook into the memory, each recall seems to trigger additional aspects of the event.

What do you do to remember an important phone call you must make as you're driving home? You know that when you enter the house the dog will be barking and your children will each have something urgent to tell you. You don't have any paper to write a note. Some people may sing a little song or chant: "call so-and-so, call so-and-so." Others may visualize an association so that when they walk into the den to put down their package, that action will trigger a reminder to make the call.

We all use strategies throughout our day to remember the variety of facts and ideas we need to retain. Strategy use forms a critical part of our learning experience. Strategies help us organize information into patterns and encourage purposeful learning. Our brains are selective. Brains tend to remember information that forms a memorable pattern.

It is valuable for us, as teachers, therapists, and parents, to have a basic understanding of how we remember information so we better appreciate the need for strategies. As we understand the purpose, we become better equipped to help our students understand and use strategies.

The memory process

Memory is a highly complex process involving multiple components working simultaneously. Our description of isolated components is only a representation because in reality our brains process information in an integrated fashion.

Everything begins as sensory input from our environment. Using our sensory systems, we see, taste, hear, or feel a sensation or stimuli. We have a mechanism to filter out and discard irrelevant or unnecessary data, such as the feel of the carpet as we walk or the sound of the air conditioner. This same filtering mechanism organizes relevant data into meaningful patterns. In figure 1, the funnel and the filter represent these processes: sensory input and sensory memory.

Figure 1 Memory process schema

The diagram in figure 1 is a representation of the memory system: Information moves from Sensory Input through Sensory Memory and Short-Term Memory and eventually into Long-Term Memory (Richards, 2003, p. 17).

Information "grabbed," or made meaningful, moves on to short-term memory. Our brains are programmed to pay attention to the unusual - something different. Incorporating novelty such as humor, movement, or music, into strategies helps the information attract our attention.

The use of strategies plays a very critical role in structuring input to help it move into long-term memory in a meaningful and memorable format. To establish a more durable memory, we need to prevent incoming information from being "dumped." We accomplish this by associating it meaningfully with knowledge that already exists.

If the information is important and is rehearsed, it moves to another part of the brain to be coded and then is eventually stored in long-term memory. In figure 1, a file cabinet represents long-term memory. The entire memory is not filed intact in a location, rather, the specific components of the experience are each stored as individual files.

In thinking about how memory works, it is critical to realize that each individual has a different way of processing and remembering. There is more than one way to store a given memory, just as there are often multiple routes to drive to a destination. One person may choose to go to the grocery store by route A whereas another person may prefer route B. Either is appropriate. Similarly with memory: One person may prefer to remember a list by singing it whereas another person may prefer to visualize an association. There is no one correct way.

This article presents a variety of strategy suggestions. We need to pay attention to our student's reactions to the strategies and help each child select and use strategies that are comfortable and most closely match his or her preferred learning style.

The RIP toolbox for memory

This toolbox contains the three key strategies to help memory: repetition, imagery, and patterns (RIP). Many students believe that just reading something is enough. Often, that is not sufficient. We remember something best when it is organized and rehearsed.

Imagine if we as teachers, therapists, and parents reinforced students for their use of concrete strategies in organizing their information. Pediatrician, Dr. Mel Levine suggests: I thought that before a test, kids ought to be asked to hand in a memory plan. The same way a pilot would hand in a flight plan. In other words, how are you going to go about getting stuff into and out of your memory? And students ought to be graded on the plan as much as they are on their test (Levine and Meltzer, 1998).

The following two strategies are general reminders to encourage students to use a process when working to remember information. Each strategy is represented by a word or phrase wherein each letter represents one of the steps.

Select the strategy you feel is appropriate for your students. Teach each step, one at a time. Be sure they understand each step and its meaning before moving on to the next. Then show the steps in sequence and explain how to use the mnemonic or keyword to help recall the steps.

An important criterion to keep in mind is, "don't pack and stack." This means to progress slowly and not stack too many new things on top of each other. Provide each student with time to process and consolidate one thing before moving on.

Several years ago, a FarSide cartoon was published showing a classroom situation. The student raised his hand and asked to be excused because his "brain was full." This highlights an important caution to remember in using strategies: go slowly. Too many strategies at once may confuse the student rather than help.

Repetition: The R in RIP

Fig. 2 - Novelty and multi-sensory learning

In figure 2, a child is jumping on a small trampoline, reviewing associations. He is also tossing the ball with each item.

Repetition and rehearsal of information enhance a process called consolidation, the process by which memories are moved from temporary storage in the hippocampus (a small structure within the brain) to more permanent storage in the cortex (the outer layer of the brain) (Richards, 2003, p. 24).

Multiple repetitions of the information provides rehearsal, but doing so may bore students. When bored, the brain can go into a pattern similar to the "screen saver" mode on your computer monitor. The student may not pay attention to what he is repeating. Therefore, using strategies with humor, movement, songs, and other forms of novelty are critical in enhancing the value of the repetition.

As an example, consider the task of learning five state capitals. Following are several different activities to use in memorizing the associations. (Richards, 2003, p. 191).

Practice saying the capital and the state together, as in "Sacramento, California; Columbus, Ohio" etc. This helps create the association between the two words.

Develop silly mnemonics to help remember which capital goes with the state. For Ohio, sketch a picture of a person saying, "oh, hi, oh Columbus." This associates the word "Columbus" with the word "Ohio."

Practice matching flash cards of capitals to state names, and states to capitals.

Perform a motor activity such as jumping on a small trampoline or playing catch while saying the city in response to hearing the state, or vice versa (see figure 2).

Create a rap or jingle that repeats each state and its capital.

Back to top
Imagery: The I in RIP

There are many kinds of imagery, and all forms are valuable to the memory process. When thinking about imagery, most people think of the visual image. However, images can also be a motor image, sometimes called "muscle memory," or an auditory image.

Visual images

A visual picture can cue a strategy or represent a concept. For example, suppose your student needs to remember that our First Amendment rights are free speech, religion, the press, and the right of assembly. Since it is the First Amendment and one rhymes with sun, use a sun as a visual cue. Draw a happy sun with legs and arms, singing. Place the word RAPS in a talk bubble, as shown in figure 3. RAPS is a mnemonic to remember the freedoms of Religion, Assembly, Press, and S peech. (Richards, 2003, p. 198).

Fig. 3 - A mnemonic for the 4 freedoms granted by the First Amendment

Because brains remember information that forms a memorable pattern, visual organizers are extremely useful. There are many different types of visual organizers. Some are descriptive: the main idea of a chapter section is placed in the center. Lines extend, with each representing a major concept. The representations may use pictures, icons, or keywords. The example organizer below was developed in preplanning a paragraph on dogs (Richards, 2001, p. 34).

Fig. 4 - Visual organizer to identify some characteristics of "dog"

There are many uses for visual organizers. They can emphasize cause-and-effect, the sequence of an event or episode, or create a summary of what was read. Visual organizers are also useful in planning for a paragraph or report and in studying for a test.

Categorization is a critical skill for students because it forms the basis for critical thinking and inferential comprehension when reading. A Venn diagram is a valuable organizer that visually emphasizes comparisons and contrasts. A Venn diagram comparing characteristics of mammals and reptiles was presented in the article The Writing Road.

Other uses for Venn diagrams include comparing two characters in a story or two different events in history. Two overlapping circles are drawn and characteristics of one item or event are listed in the left side of the circle if they differ from the other item. The characteristics of the second item are listed in the right side of the circle if they differ from the first item. Characteristics that are common to both items are placed in the middle. Figure five shows an example of a Venn diagram that comparing and contrasting volcanoes to revolutions. This information was assembled by having students brainstorm what they knew about each item.

Initially, it may appear that the concepts of a volcano and a revolution are different. Actually, there are many similarities. Suppose your student has studied volcanoes and understands the characteristics. She may then compare this knowledge to characteristics of a revolution. Doing so forms a pattern comparing new ideas to ideas already learned. Thus, your student elaborates her understanding of each concept as she connects knowledge about volcanoes to another eruption, a revolution (Richards, 2003, p. 50).

Fig. 5 - Venn diagram of volcanoes and revolutions

Motor images

Neurons that fire together, wire together.

To understand a motor image, think about struggling to remember a phone number. You may move your fingers in the pattern of the phone number as if dialing it and find that this helps you recall the number.

Repetition and practice trigger neurons (brain cells). When a set of neurons fire together, they develop a "habit" of firing together again. Habits as well as academic learning occur this way. Use multisensory strategies so your child simultaneously sees, hears, and touches or moves with the information.

Did you ride a bicycle when younger? Did you learn to ride your bicycle by reading a book about it? No, you needed to actually practice riding. With enough repetition, you retained a motor image of the procedure. Would you be able to now get on a bicycle and ride with relative ease? Most people will answer yes to this question. Why is that? Our muscles remember information or procedures that were practiced many times. Muscle memory is a powerful learning tool!

As an example, students may use motor images of the direction of the letters b and d by using a hand pattern or "Fonzie fists" (named after the character Fonzie in "Happy Days"). Have your child hold his hands facing his body and make a fist with each thumb sticking straight up (figure 6). The left-hand is similar to a b and the right hand is similar to d. Your child can recall the sequence by saying the alphabet " a, b, c, d" (Richards, 2001, p. 86).

Fig. 6 - Hands forming the shape of the letters b and d - a motor image

Practicing letter form or spelling words is enhanced by using air writing, another technique to create a motor image for the student (Richards, 1999, p. 163). Air writing (figure 7) involves writing the letters in the air (creating a motor image) while also imagining seeing the letters (creating a visual image). The student should simultaneously say the letter as she writes it in the air (creating an auditory image).

Fig. 7 - Student writing letter o in air while visualizing the shape of the letter and saying the name of the letter*

Other motor image examples for spelling words are also easy to incorporate into a homework session: fist tapping and arm tapping. In fisting, the student taps each syllable of the word to be spelled using the side of her fists. She then spells the word syllable by syllable, this time tapping their fist to each sound within the syllable as she spells it. In arm tapping, the student follows the same procedure of first identifying each syllable and then identifying every sound within each syllable. This time the student uses two fingers of one hand to tap on the forearm of the other hand. These simple strategies involve muscle memory while also helping the student proceed systematically. These two aspects create a very powerful memory enhancer.

Many math strategies for finger calculation, especially multiplication, take advantage of motor images or muscle memory. Examples are found in other publications such as LEARN: Playful Strategies for All Students (Richards, 2001, pp. 93-97) and The Source for Learning & Memory Strategies (Richards, 2003, pp. 161-164).

Patterns: The P in RIP

The brain seeks meaning through patterns. As we receive information from our senses, we need prior knowledge and a system for organizing the information so we may assign meaning to it. When information comes in, our brain searches around for existing knowledge. If the new information is something that activates a previously used neural network, then there's a match. This is referred to as pattern recognition and is of tremendous value in enhancing memory.

Since our "thinking cap" is strongly influenced by patterns, not facts, remembering information is maximized when it is provided in contextual, event-oriented situations which include motor learning, location changes, music, rhythm, and novelty.... We do poorly when we "piecemeal" learning into linear, sequential facts and other out-of-context information lists".

Eric Jensen, Super Teaching, p. 26

The strategies discussed above all help create patterns. Additionally, the use of music and rhyming creates a pattern or organization for the information. Using music to review concepts can be very powerful. Music also supports relaxation, creativity, and motivation. Students can create their own songs or raps, or they may use existing songs to review concepts and facts. Some songs that relate to specific time periods in history are "The Ballad of David Crockett," lyrics by Tom Blackburn; "The Battle Of New Orleans," lyrics by Johnny Horton; or "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again," lyrics by Patrick S. Gilmore.

It is also fun to change the words to a common song. In the example below, the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" is used to sing about the importance of paying attention to a period at the end of a sentence (Richards, 2003, p. 186).

Stop, stop, stop the words
With a little dot.
Use a period at the end,
So they'll know to stop.

Songs that reinforce academic concepts are also available commercially, such as Best of Schoolhouse Rock.

Humor and silliness are valuable to use along with other strategies because our brains prefer to remember unusual information. A short sentence or a sequence of letters can be used to aid in the memory, with or without pictures or actual items. Remember, it is critical that your student understands and knows the information prior to using these mnemonics, the purpose of which is to serve as a trigger to bring up information. Following are examples of useful mnemonics.

Demystification

Henry Winkler has written several books describing his experiences as a student. This series of children's novels are called Hank Zipzer: The Mostly True Confessions of the World's Best Underachiever. The books are available on audio tape, and students who struggle gain much by listening to the tapes. Hearing someone else, especially a famous person, describe frustrations with learning helps to validate students' own experiences. The books also describe lead character Hank Zipzer's many strengths and gifts. Students who struggle with reading benefit much more from listening to books such as this than from reading them.

In the Hank Zipzer story, Niagara Falls, Or Does It? Hank is in the process of trying to write an essay for class. He complains,

I'll never get out of my room. I hate my room. I hate my assignment. I hate my brain. Why couldn't I think or write or spell or add or divide? Forget about multiplying.

It's not like I don't try. I do. I go over and over and over my times tables and my vocabulary lists. My sister tests me, and I know everything. But then comes the test, and I can't remember them. It's like my mind is a chalkboard and the words just slide off it in the time it takes to walk from my apartment building to school, which is a block and a half away. It makes me so mad that sometimes I hit my head with my fist, hoping I'll start everything working again.

Hank doesn't need to hit his head. He needs someone to explain to him how memory works and why he is struggling. He needs demystification. For example, someone might say to him, "Your memory is like a closet with a sticking door. It's hard for you to remember things in school because the door keeps getting stuck. We have to figure out how to make the door open more easily!"

The way to help Hank, and other students facing a similar challenge, open the door to his closet is by using the tools in the RIP Toolbox.

Another book for students that describes learning challenges and the confusing mix of gifts and struggles is Eli, The Boy Who Hated to Write: Understanding Dysgraphia. In the conclusion, Eli ponders,

Maybe I'm not so different after all. I realize that everyone was different in his or her own way. I finally understand what it meant when people tell me, 'We have all kinds of minds.' We're not all the same.
I begin to agree. Yep, it is good to have all kinds of minds - because we really are all different. It keeps life interesting.

In summary

There are many ways to praise a child. Here are some examples.

You've discovered the secret

Way to go

I'm proud of you

Fantastic

You're on top of it

Now you've got it

Incredible

You're on your way

Good for you

Remarkable job

Beautiful work

Magnificent

Phenomenal

Creative job

What an imagination

You make me laugh

You brighten my day

You mean the world to me

Awesome

Hurray for you

A hug - a kiss - a smile

*Special thanks to Matthew Acosta for his drawing of air writing.

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Making It Stick: Memorable Strategies to Enhance Learning

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Think about how you remember something: When you want to remember a phone number, do you repeat it to yourself several times until you get the whole number dialed? When you get to the grocery story and want to remember four items, do you hold up four fingers to cue yourself to remember?

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Anchor Charts

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I do We do You do

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I do We do You do

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The Australian Society for Evidence Based Teaching

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When Robert Marzano reviewed the research on the effectiveness of different teaching strategies, explicit teaching came out on top. The I Do We Do You Do model is a simple and catchy way to convey the essence of explicit instruction.

I Do

In a nutshell, the I Do phase of a lesson involves you telling students what they need to know and showing them how to do the things that they need to be able to do. Research confirms that this is a powerful part of an effective and efficient learning process.

In more specific terms, it involves teaching strategies such as informing, explaining, modelling and providing examples.

We Do

WE Do is the second phase of the I Do WE Do YOU Do model. It involves doing tasks together.

By working together, you can help students use the steps they need to follow to complete particular tasks such as adding common fractions, writing the letter m, or simplifying an equation.

You can also help students to remember facts and understand broader concepts. For example, you can collectively create some class notes or fill in a graphic organiser as a class.

You Do

The You Do phase of a lesson involves students practicing what you have already taught them by themselves.

Such practice helps students to retain what they have learnt and to become fluent with what they must be able to do. It also helps you to check their level of understanding and mastery.

While students do the work themselves, it is important that you monitor their efforts and offer feedback along the way.

The I Do WE Do YOU Do model helps us to understand the importance of explicitly teaching and supporting students before expecting them to complete a task on their own. It was popularised by educators such as Anita Archer, John Hollingsworth and John Fleming.

In some cases, you may move through the I Do WE Do YOU Do phases within a single lesson. However, there will also be tasks that may span several lessons.

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When Robert Marzano reviewed the research on the effectiveness of different teaching strategies, explicit teaching came out on top. The I Do We Do You Do model is a simple and catchy way to convey the essence of explicit instruction.

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Story Telling/Role Play

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Most teachers I know care deeply about helping their students succeed at school, and if you are reading this article, you are undoubtedly one of them. Yet, research has revealed some teaching strategies have far more impact than others. These are evidence-based teaching strategies. Busy teachers have so many demands on their time that it is hard to keep abreast of what the research really says - especially amidst the noise of trendy fads.

That's where I can help. I am a passionate teacher who recently had both my legs amputated. This gives me time to read the research and share my findings with teachers like you.

If you want to make a larger difference in how well your students do, then learn about these 10 evidence-based teaching strategies. Some of them may surprise you!

Evidence-Based Teaching Strategy 1: A Clear Focus

A clear focus enables you to focus everything you do and everything you get your students to do on achieving this intended learning. In turn, this has a sizeable impact ( d = 0.75) ¹ on your students' learning.

Note, the impact of a clear focus relies on you adjusting your teaching and learning activities in line with that focus. It doesn't come from fancy names such as learning intentions or learning targets. You can call them goals, intentions, objectives or anything else - it doesn't matter.

Teaching Strategy 2: Pretesting

The term 'testing' tends to get a bad rap in teaching circles. Yet, when viewed more broadly, it actually a potent teaching strategy that underpins x strategies in this list. Pretesting is the first of these.

Teaching Strategy 3: Show & Tell

I call the second evidence-based teaching strategy show and tell, although the research refers to be various other names. It is grounded in the idea that novice learners learn best with explicit instruction ² and represents the I Do phase of the I Do - We Do - You Do model. instruction should make use of:

The nature of show and tell varies slightly between procedural and conceptual knowledge.

Procedural Show & Tell

With procedural learning, show and tell involves:

Modelling often involves working an example, which has a moderate-to-large impact on students learning ⁴.

When worked examples are coupled with verbal explanations of the steps or actions needed, they have even more impact ⁵.

Conceptual Show & Tell

With conceptual learning, show and tell involves:

Visuals may include text, but they are not text-based. Research on the modality and multimedia effects 3 show that combining meaningful visuals with verbal explanations enhances learning.

However, visuals must be used carefully. See The Use of Visuals article.

Checking for Understanding

Models of explicit instruction, such as the I Do - We Do - You Do framework, advise that you should check for understanding before moving on from this stage.

Strategy 4: Integrate Prior Understandings

Pretesting is a powerful way to activate prior understandings. Yet, activating prior understandings is only the first step. You also need to prompt your students to integrate the new information with what they already understood, with questions such as, how does/is this new information:

Relationships could be sequential, hierarchical, cause-effect or comparative. You can ask your students to show these relationships using some form of a graphic organiser:

And, the impact is even larger in mathematics when integrating prior understandings is coupled with worked examples.

Strategy 5: Retrieval Practice

Research shows that retrieving information from memory is a powerful way to learn. In psychology, we refer to this as the testing effect.

In fact, students who practise retrieving information from memory do far better than students who spend an equivalent amount of time restudying.

You can also ask students to practise using a mixture of the above methods.

Strategy 6: Feedback

Feedback is the breakfast of champions, and it is the breakfast served by extraordinary teachers around the world.

Giving feedback involves telling a student:

Feedback is different to praise. Praise focuses on the student, while feedback focuses on what your student did. It provides your students with a tangible understanding of:

In John Hattie's view, any teachers who seriously want to boost their children's results should start by giving them dollops and dollops of feedback.

If you want to learn more about giving feedback, subscribe to our email list. You will then receive a free copy of our eBook How to Give Feedback to Students: The Advanced Guide. You should also check out our student feedback infographic.

Teaching Strategy 7: Spaced Practice

We know that retrieval practice works well, that it works better than restudying material, and that it gas even more impact when accompanied by feedback.

Yet, research shows that students learn more when they practice the same thing repeatedly with spaces in between than they do when they study the same thing intensely for a block of time.

For more details see Distributed vs Massed Practice.

Teaching Strategy 8: Productive Group Work

Group work can have a potent and positive impact on your students' learning.

Yet, group work done at the wrong time or in the wrong way can backfire. Kids can muck around and leave one or 2 group members to do the work. So, follow these tips:

1. Don't use group work as teaching strategy until your class is routinely behaving well as a whole class

2. When you first use group work, make the task easy enough that students won't need help. Then spend your time watching all the groups, offering praise and positive correction when appropriate.

3. Only use group work once all indivdual students have a basic mastery of the task

4. Choose tasks that have a small number of discrete steps

5. Make group sizes equivalent to the number of steps in the class

6. Have each student complete one step, then rotate roles with repeat tasks

7. Hold groups accountable for their behaviour, effort and results

SHAUN KILLIAN
(MEd., MLead.)

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10 Evidence-Based Teaching Strategies for 2023

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Some teaching strategies have more impact on your students' results than others. Discover this core list of 10 evidence-based teaching strat ..

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The Australian Society for Evidence Based Teaching

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Direct Instruction (DI) has been in the press a lot lately.

Aboriginal leader, Noel Pearson has been campaigning for schools to adopt DI, and the federal government is throwing millions of dollars behind the idea.

Yet, teachers' unions and some academics are urging caution, leaving many to ask:

Why is Direct Instruction so controversial?

Is it a good idea or not?

Before seeking an answer to these questions, it is essential that you understand what Direct Instruction actually is.

What Is Direct Instruction?

Direct Instruction emerged from Siegfried Engelmann's Theory of Instruction.

Direct Instruction involves:

A carefully sequenced curriculum of knowledge and skills

The explicit teaching of that curriculum

Flexible ability grouping, with children placed where they are at, within this curriculum sequence

Mastery learning, where children progress to the next level only when they have mastered the level they are at (just like in martial arts and swimming classes)

There are specific Direct Instruction programs for different aspects of literacy and numeracy. One such program that is available in Australia is Spelling Mastery (available through the Australian Council of Educational Research).

Why Doesn't Everyone Embrace It?

Many people resist Direct Instruction for personal, philosophical and political reasons.

At a personal level, some teachers feel the prescriptive curriculum and scripted lessons take away their professional right to choose what, when and how they should teach their students.

At a philosophical level, many teachers are concerned that Direct Instruction:

Produces short-term, surface learning rather than promoting a deep understanding of the material being taught

Flies in the face of progressive educational theories, such as constructivism and student-centred learning.

Uses ability grouping to organise classes.

At a political level, Tony Abbott and Christopher Pyne have endorsed Direct Instruction, automatically making it a target of derision by unions and the political left that dominates education in Australia.

Why Do Some People Support It?

If Direct Instruction is so controversial and out-of-touch with progressive views of education, you may wonder why anyone supports it.

The answer is simple - it works, and it works far better than many other approaches (see for example Direct Instruction vs. Whole Language)

John Hattie reviewed over 300 research studies exploring the impact that Direct Instruction has on student results. He found that Direct Instruction brought about above-average gains:

In both surface and deep learning

For kids of all ages and all abilities

Other research has shown that the benefits of Direct Instruction are long lasting, with students in DI schools:

Still achieving higher than students of similar ability several years later

More likely to graduate and gain entrance into university

However, it is true to say that most approaches to teaching work - at least to some degree.

What is important about Direct Instruction is that it works far better than many other approaches. John Hattie's review shows us that DI has twice the effect size of inquiry-based teaching, four times the effect size as problem-based learning and ten times the effect size of whole language.

5 Myths About Direct Instruction

Direct Instruction is by no means the only effective approach to teaching, but it is effective.

Fuelled by personal, philosophical and political motives, some people perpetuate a number of myths of Direct Instruction.
Myth 1: Direct Instruction Is Another Name for Drill & Kill
Some teachers believe that Direct Instruction is all about rote learning - it's not.

I've personally used Direct Instruction programs, and know them well.

Direct Instruction does involve practice, but that is not a bad thing. Spaced practice (whether within DI or not) has a powerful impact on student learning.

While DI programs recognise the importance of teaching foundational knowledge and basic skills, students are also taught about higher-level concepts and how to apply their learning to unfamiliar situations. Furthermore, children learn how to generalise - a key aspect of deep learning.

This is why research shows that Direct Instruction improves both basic and higher-order understanding.
Myth 2: Direct Instruction Is Teacher-Centred
Allan Luke raises the point that Direct Instruction gives teachers control over what is taught and when. Technically, the carefully sequenced curriculum does this - not the teachers, but I don't think that is Allan's real point.

Rather, it is the fact that Direct Instruction is not student-centred that seems to be his concern. It's true; DI does not allow students to have input into what and when they learn. Nor does it allow teachers to change the content to reflect student interests, or their perception of what is suitable for different cultural groups to learn.

The myth is that student-centred learning is a good thing. As the graphic above clearly shows - it isn't.
Myth 3: Direct Instruction Fails to Take Account of Individual Differences
Allan was also concerned that Direct Instruction fails to take into account individual differences because it offers a standardised sequence of lessons for all students.

Yet, DI addresses the most glaring difference between students through its use of flexible, ability grouping. Students are placed at a spot in the instructional sequence that suits where they are currently at. They do work that isn't too easy and isn't too hard. Rather it is just right for them. Then, they progress onto harder levels when they are ready.

I'm not sure what other differences Allan may be talking about, but research has shown that there is no benefit in trying to cater for things such as learning styles, or for differentiating the way you teach boys vs girls.

It is true that Direct Instruction doesn't contextualise learning (e.g. ensuring there is an Aboriginal person in the story), but people such as Noel Pearson are sick of such token gestures while so many Aboriginal kids can't read and write.
Myth 4: The Way DI Uses Ability Grouping Disadvantages Some Students
Many people have concerns about ability grouping, and there is some merit in this concern.

John Hattie's review of research showed that there was no academic advantage gained by streaming kids according to their ability.

Hattie also shared some well-founded concerns about students on low track pathways. These students were permanently placed with other "low-achievers", they were never expected to achieve, and they are given worthless, time-filling work to do. It is therefore not surprising that they don't do so well.

Direct Instruction doesn't use ability grouping this way. All students are challenged to learn and to progress onto the next level. Progress is based on mastery of the material at their current level - not ages, or grades. And, careful timetabling can allow students to progress as soon as they are ready.

It has more in common with levelled dancing classes, than it does with traditional tracking.

This is why, despite the research questioning ability grouping in general, research shows that Direct Instruction:

Works for struggling, average and high-achieving kids

Builds and strengthens students' self-concept and self-esteem

Myth 5: DI is Boring - Kids & Teachers Don't Like It
There is a common belief that teacher's need to entertain kids in order to motivate them.

The reality is that doing well at school (just like doing well at anything) takes hard work and persistence over time.

Enjoyment for kids doesn't need to come from 'being entertained'. Research shows that students in DI classrooms are more likely to have positive attitudes to learning. Why? Because their hard work is leading to real improvements - they know it, and they are proud of it. I've seen this first hand, with struggling and reluctant learners viewing their DI lessons as their favourite part of the day.

It is true that many teachers don't like Direct Instruction, but it is largely the ones who have never actually used it. Research shows that the vast majority (96%) of teachers who use DI love it, partly because it provided a clear sequence of progressive skills (from one year to the next) that is lacking in many schools, but mostly because they see how much it helps their students. After all, that is the reason most of us became teachers in the first place.

An Opportunity Missed

Despite the wealth of evidence supporting Direct Instruction, research does not suggest that it is the only form of effective teaching.

However, it one very effective approach.

We should be looking at why it works to discern the underlying principles that we could then apply in a range of ways.

We should also look at legitimate concerns that people may have - but rather than inflating them and using them to perpetuate an us-vs-them battle, we should explore how they can be overcome.

Sadly, the philosophical and political reaction we are witnessing shows that this is not happening. People are taking one side or the other based on their existing philosophical or political viewpoints, and trying to come up with any argument they can to back up their views.

When I first read about Direct Instruction, my initial reaction was that it sounded too simple and too prescriptive to be any good. However, my passion for evidence based education led me to:

Explore what the research says - without trying to selectively find data that suited a particular position

Try Direct Instruction myself using the Spelling Mastery program

Since then most of my concerns have been allayed, and I can't argue with the results it achieves.

References & Research

Bessellieu, F., Kozloff, M., & Rice, J. (2001). Teachers' Perceptions of Direct Instruction Teaching. University of North Carolina.

Hattie, J. (2009). Visible Learning: A Synthesis of 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement. Routledge.

Liem, G., & Martin, A. (2013). Direct Instruction. In J. Hattie, & E. Anderman (Eds.), International Guide to Student Achievement (pp. 354-356). Routledge.

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Direct Instruction - The Facts and Myths

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Direct Instruction (DI) has been in the press a lot lately. Aboriginal leader, Noel Pearson has been campaigning for schools to adopt DI, and the federal government is throwing millions of dollars behind the idea. Yet, teachers' unions and some academics are urging caution, leaving many to ask: Why is Direct Instruction so controversial?

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Marzano

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Created by Robert J. Marzano over a decade ago, the research department began by working in the field with state and local education organizations and practitioners to understand the challenges educators face. In doing so, we discovered that K-12 educators wanted thought partners-people able to work with them to define the questions, conduct the research, and identify the best practices important to improving their students' achievement.

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Hattie

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Hattie effect size list - 256 Influences Related To Achievement

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Hattie’s updated effect size list of 256 influences across all areas related to student achievement.

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Impact Chart

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Brain Breaks

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Brain Breaks are simple 1-2 minute mind and body challenges. They are excellent for regaining focus in a meeting or a class. Your students will love you for them.

This one you will take these steps

2. Take a pen and flip it ONE REVOLUTION. (Imagine a piece of tape on one end of the pen, then throw the pen from the tape side. Have the pen go one full turn around to get to the tape side again)

3. Now do the same thing with your other hand.

4. Now get a pen for both hands and try to do both pens at the same time.

5. If you really are good at that, then try to throw the pens up into the air and catch them in opposite hands. This is tough.

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Brain Breaks are simple 1-2 minute mind and body challenges. They are excellent for regaining focus in a meeting or a class. Your students will love you for them. This one you will take these steps 2. Take a pen and flip it ONE REVOLUTION.

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We're The Superhumans | Rio Paralympics 2016 Trailer