Saturday, July 26, 2008

Effective Instructional Strategies and Methods

"Do not train children to learning by force and harshness, but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each." --Plato
Successful teachers know exactly what Plato meant with this comment. Teachers who are able to capitalize on the interests of their students and heighten their curiosity about a subject generally result in motivation and success in the learning process. These teachers can accomplish positive results with a long list of instructional strategies that incorporate the use of the computer and associated technology in the classroom.
Welcome to my blog! I will be using this blogging activity as a method of communication with my faculty this school year. I hope you will remember to check this blog site from time to time. Please feel free to comment on the site and to contact me about any of the strategies listed. This first blog will present a list of the strategies categorized, first of all, by the types of effective teaching strategies for supporting students while working with the computers. Future updates of this blog will focus on four specific strategies: questioning - open and closed, jigsaw, scaffolding technique with the aid of graphic organizers, and concept mapping with Inspiration software.
Educators have classified four or five specific types of instruction used in the typical classroom: (http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/instr/categ.html)
  • Direct
  • Interactive
  • Indirect
  • Independent Study
  • Experimental Learning

Direct Instruction: includes, but is not limited to, the following examples:

  1. Lecture
  2. Drill and Practice
  3. Compare and Contrast
  4. Demonstrations
  5. Guided and Shared - reading, listening, viewing, and thinking
  6. Questioning - closed and open

Interactive Instruction: includes, but is not limited to, the following strategies and methods:

  1. Debates
  2. Role playing
  3. Discussion
  4. Laboratory groups
  5. Jigsaw
  6. Discussion boards
  7. Learning logs
  8. Scaffolding techniques - with the aid of graphic organizers
  9. Cooperative learning groups
  10. Problem solving
  11. Interviewing
  12. Tutorial groups
  13. Think, Pair, Share
  14. Peer Partner Learning

Indirect Instruction: includes, but is not limited to, the following examples of strategies and methods:

  1. Case studies
  2. Inquiry
  3. Writing to inform
  4. Concept Mapping - with Inspiration software
  5. Reading for meaning
  6. Reflective writing

Independent Study: This type of instruction can be incorporated with the following strategies:

  1. Essays - produced as word processing documents
  2. Computer Assisted Instruction
  3. Journals
  4. Reports
  5. Learning Activity Packages such as WEBQUEST
  6. Research Projects
  7. Learning Centers
  8. Homework
  9. Assigned Questions

Experimental Learning: Some of these strategies and methods are especially useful for kindergarten students.

  1. Games
  2. Storytelling
  3. Role-playing
  4. Model Building
  5. Field Trips
  6. Simulations
  7. Conducting Experiments

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About Me

I am an administrator and teacher at The Carolina Academy in Lake City, South Carolina. I have recently completed a Master's degree in Technology in Education through Lesley University. I have been at the academy for 20+ years.