Better Learning Through Structured Teaching Douglas Fisher

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Better Learning Through Structured Teaching
Douglas Fisher
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TEACHER RESPONSIBILITY
I do it
Focus Lesson
Guided Instruction
We do it
You do it together
Collaborative
You do it alone
Independent
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY
A Structure for Instruction that Works
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In some classrooms
TEACHER RESPONSIBILITY
I do it
Focus Lesson
You do it alone
Independent
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY
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In some classrooms
TEACHER RESPONSIBILITY
You do it alone
Independent
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY
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And in some classrooms
TEACHER RESPONSIBILITY
I do it
Focus Lesson
Guided Instruction
We do it
You do it alone
Independent
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY
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TEACHER RESPONSIBILITY
I do it
Focus Lesson
Guided Instruction
We do it
You do it together
Collaborative
You do it alone
Independent
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY
A Structure for Instruction that Works
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Modeling

• Why?
• Humans mimic or imitate
• Students need examples of the type of thinking
  required
• Facilitates the use of academic language

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Modeling Comprehension

• Inference
• Summarize
• Predict
• Clarify
• Question

• Visualize
• Monitor
• Synthesize
• Evaluate
• Connect

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Word Solving

• Context clues
• Word parts (prefix, suffix, root, base, cognates)
• Resources (others, Internet, dictionary)

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Using Text Structure

• Informational Texts
• Problem/Solution, Compare/Contrast, Sequence,
  Cause/Effect, Description
• Narrative Texts
• Story grammar (plot, setting, character)
• Dialogue
• Literary devices

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Using Text Features

• Headings
• Captions
• Illustrations
• Charts
• Graphs
• Bold words

• Table of contents
• Glossary
• Index
• Tables
• Margin notes
• Italicized words

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One last thing
Ill go back to school and learn more about the
brain!
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400 Page text
Somites are blocks of dorsal mesodermal cells
adjacent to the notochord during vertebrate
organogensis. Improved vascular definition in
radiographs of the arterial phase or of the
venous phase can be procured by a process of
subtraction whereby positive and negative images
of the overlying skull are superimposed on one
another.
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Skills Versus Strategies?
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I dont know how youre going to learn this, but
its on the test.
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Quick, Build Background!
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Expand Understanding Through Reading
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Reading Increasingly Difficult Texts
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Read Non-Traditional Texts

• To date, over 100 YouTube videos!
• PBS (The Secret Life of the Brain)
• Internet quiz sites about neuroanatomy
• Talking with peers and others interested in the
  brain

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But, the midterm comes
17 pages, single spaced
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Besides Some Neuroanatomy, What Have I Learned?

• You cant learn from books you cant read (but
  you can learn)
• Reading widely builds background and vocabulary
• Interacting with others keeps me motivated and
  clarifies information and extends
• I have choices and rely on strategies

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Engage and Interact
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What do these words mean?
en _______________________________
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What do these words mean?
inter _____________________________
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Whats the difference?

• Engagement vs. Interaction

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Engagement

• to engage to attract, hold fast, occupy
  attention of another or oneself
• en to cause a person to be in(a state,
  condition, place)
• gage (archaic) a pledge, a challenge, deposit
• Spanish translation ocupar
• Synonyms captivate, charm, employ, enthrall,
  involve, join, practice

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Interact

• interact to act one upon another, to have some
  effect on each other
• inter among, between, mutually, reciprocally
• act to do something, exert energy or force,
  produce an effect
• Spanish translation relacionarse (interaction
  acción recíproca)
• Synonyms communicate, collaborate, cooperate,
  combine, connect

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Engagement or Interaction?

• Which tasks are designed to promote student
  engagement?
• Which tasks are designed to promote
  student-to-student interaction?
• Create your own engaging task along with a
  variation that promotes student-to-student
  interacton.

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What does it take?

• What does it take to make a task engaging and
  interactive?

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What does it take to make a task engaging and
interactive?

• Enough background knowledge to have something to
  say.
• Language support to know how to say it.
• Topic of interest.
• An authentic reason to interact.
• Expectation of, and accountability for,
  interaction.
• Established community of learners that encourage
  and support each other.
• Understanding of the task.
• Knowledge of the norms of interaction.
• Understanding of the benefits of collaborative
  work.
• Feedback from teacher and peers.
• Metacognitive awareness and self-reflection.

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Better Learning Through Structured
TeachingDouglas Fisherwww.fisherandfrey.com