Instructional Style and Strategies
Personal Style
Every teacher has an instructional style that is unique to them. I have taught in both artistic and academic classrooms and I found that teaching in the two different atmospheres really made me who I am as a teacher. As a both a drama and non drama teacher I find that I like to get students up on their feet and get them actively involved in their learning more so than just reading or doing notes. Engaging all students is tough which is why when doing lectures or assignments I attempt to hit on multiple learning styles and create activities that almost force the student to be involved and be accountable for their own learning. For example:
This is an example of KSA's #5, 9, 16.
Every teacher has an instructional style that is unique to them. I have taught in both artistic and academic classrooms and I found that teaching in the two different atmospheres really made me who I am as a teacher. As a both a drama and non drama teacher I find that I like to get students up on their feet and get them actively involved in their learning more so than just reading or doing notes. Engaging all students is tough which is why when doing lectures or assignments I attempt to hit on multiple learning styles and create activities that almost force the student to be involved and be accountable for their own learning. For example:
- Direct Instruction: Though I do not use it often, when I do I provide a third learning style to the written skills and verbal skills by adding images or a physical activity to accompany the learning.
- Discussion/Note Balls: While doing notes or discussion passing balls to give answers gives students an incentive to be involved and forces them to be prepared with an answer when they receive it.
- Skits or Physical Example: Performing or creating a physical example of something gives students a memory that notes does not. So when teaching a subject like Feudalism or Trade by saying "What does this look like?" or "Get in a group and create an example" gives the students the opportunity to transfer knowledge from words to action.
- Group Notes/Teach: Having students review the subject matter and then teach it to their peers is a great way to get them involved and accountable. Have one group assigned to a specific theme/idea/term, and have them teach it to the class.
This is an example of KSA's #5, 9, 16.
Technology
It is safe to say that incorporating technology into the classroom is the future. But it is more than just videos and power-points, it is about getting the students using new tools, programs, and how to work on them collaboratively and responsibly. Plus technology is something that the students know and are familiar with so allowing them to have a tech-on class can help them build new knowledge by using something familiar. The technological resources we bring into the classroom needs to be different depending on the grade, subject and even the individual classes. I often will use videos in one class but not in another strictly because that class has a different skill set than the others.
Here are some examples of how I use technology in the classroom:
This shows how I make use of technology in the classroom to teach new skills and knowledge. This is an example of KSA #6, 9, 10, 13.
It is safe to say that incorporating technology into the classroom is the future. But it is more than just videos and power-points, it is about getting the students using new tools, programs, and how to work on them collaboratively and responsibly. Plus technology is something that the students know and are familiar with so allowing them to have a tech-on class can help them build new knowledge by using something familiar. The technological resources we bring into the classroom needs to be different depending on the grade, subject and even the individual classes. I often will use videos in one class but not in another strictly because that class has a different skill set than the others.
Here are some examples of how I use technology in the classroom:
- 1 minute research projects: Students use their phones to research an answer for the class or for their notes
- Smartboard Review Games: Creating games using the smartboard allows students to work as a team and interact with technology to show they know their stuff. Here is a smartboard review game I created - Renaissance Review Game
- Collaborative Map Building: Using a google doc and a smartboard map students are able to work collaboratively researching providing info while others are adding the info to the map.
- Photo Notes: For students who struggle with writing allowing them to take pictures of their notes and add them to a note file or print them off for later reading allows them to still contain the knowledge but without the stress of writing.
- Video reviews: For drama having students use a video of their own performance is a great way to have them analyze their own work and build on their critiquing skills.
- Youtube: For showing informational videos or for broadcasting student created work.
This shows how I make use of technology in the classroom to teach new skills and knowledge. This is an example of KSA #6, 9, 10, 13.
Differentiation
Differentiation is one of the most vital teacher tools to ensure that all students, no matter their skill level, have the ability to achieve in school. It can be complicated when in classes with a large number of students especially when each student has a different set of needs. To help myself meet and understand the needs of students I do the following three things:
Assessing Needs:
The photo is an example of how I track and group together student needs. By talking with teachers, looking at the list of student needs, and evaluating skills at the beginning of the year, I make a chart to track students needs. I also create different levels of accommodations this lists the accommodations students may need for my class specifically, how I modify assignments for them and creates a group of similar skill levels to use while doing collaborative work. These accommodation levels grow and change through out the year as students become more or less dependent on help in the classroom. Having my students needs grouped and tracked this way allows me to see the varying needs in the classroom, track student growth and create modified assignments to best suit their needs.
Modified Assignments:
Modifying assignments allows students to still be assessed on the outcome but at their own skill level. With the levels of accommodation I create it allows me to modify assignments for my students at different level depending on the skills needed for the assignment, and by having them in groups it gives them a fellow student to fall back on for assistance with the assignment. I have found that modifications for assignments can have extreme ranges. Because of the ranges of skills in my classroom I often found myself creating resources or modifying the ones that I found to fit my students needs. Below is an example of a modified assignment. This was a small research assignment that focused on finding good and bad points about a particular country and writing why I should or shouldn't move there.
Assessing Needs:
The photo is an example of how I track and group together student needs. By talking with teachers, looking at the list of student needs, and evaluating skills at the beginning of the year, I make a chart to track students needs. I also create different levels of accommodations this lists the accommodations students may need for my class specifically, how I modify assignments for them and creates a group of similar skill levels to use while doing collaborative work. These accommodation levels grow and change through out the year as students become more or less dependent on help in the classroom. Having my students needs grouped and tracked this way allows me to see the varying needs in the classroom, track student growth and create modified assignments to best suit their needs.
Modified Assignments:
Modifying assignments allows students to still be assessed on the outcome but at their own skill level. With the levels of accommodation I create it allows me to modify assignments for my students at different level depending on the skills needed for the assignment, and by having them in groups it gives them a fellow student to fall back on for assistance with the assignment. I have found that modifications for assignments can have extreme ranges. Because of the ranges of skills in my classroom I often found myself creating resources or modifying the ones that I found to fit my students needs. Below is an example of a modified assignment. This was a small research assignment that focused on finding good and bad points about a particular country and writing why I should or shouldn't move there.
Non-Modified: This version has students providing point form research and then transforming that research into a written report on the city. This project can be basic for those students at grade level and it can also be challenging for students above grade level and can push them to really convince me to why I should or shouldn't move to that city.
This assignment was originally from Learn Alberta but I modified it to fit the needs of my classroom.
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Modified: Many students doing this project struggled with reading, writing or needing time. To accommodate those needs this version takes away the stress of writing a report and allows them to just focus on the research and finding strong important points. With this version I also allowed certain students to work together so they did not feel so left out from doing a different assignment than others. This assignment was originally from Learn Alberta but I modified it to fit the needs of my classroom.
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This shows my ability to understand student skills and use that understanding to find, create or plan accordingly.
This is an example of KSA's # 5, 6, 11, 13
This is an example of KSA's # 5, 6, 11, 13