2.2 Research-Based Learner-Centered Strategies
Candidates model and facilitate the use of research-based, learner-centered strategies addressing the diversity of all students. (PSC 2.2/ISTE 2b)
EDUC 8100: Research and Findings and Infographic
EDUC 8100 helped me to investigate research-based, learner-centered strategies, some of which challenged my usual way of presenting or sequencing information for learners. In this course, the main assignment was to assemble a table of findings of valuable research that impacts the way I teach and recommendations for how I might change my teaching to align with the proven techniques. The readings consisted of research from various disciplines and about topics like modeling and practice, memory constructs, and other ways of knowing and learning. The recommendations were sometimes processes which i researched to fit the readings, and sometimes the recommendations were my own, derived from an analysis of the current way I teach versus what research says is most effective. The table that I created included citations for research I can access later if necessary. But for the purposes of the assignment, I investigated high-impact pedagogical practices that seemed practical to implement in my classroom or which seemed to align with the types of practice my colleagues prefer. The intent was to “drill down” (to borrow a data analysis term) into the exact methods I used in the classroom and to see where the process deviated - if at all - from research based best practices. As a synthesis of the learning I completed in EDUC 8100, I created an infographic that is printable for the classroom. Further, it is ready for display on our teacher pages site where we build our lessons and collaborate. It includes research from readings from this semester.
Researching learner-centered strategies allowed me to find methods of delivery of content which honored the diversity of students in my classroom. Even though I have enjoyed success as a teacher for a number of years at my school, I recognize the need to address the learning issues associated with a growing ELL populations. Added to the 54% ELL population at our school is 74% FRL population. Research indicates that Lessening stress in the classroom environment can promote healthy learning because there is less challenge to the amygdala. To promote a low-stress classroom, make the classroom stress free, light; encourage participation, not perfection; practice active listening.Protocols in the classroom to promote active listening and respect for voice are especially helpful. ELL students are more comfortable using the same turn and talk partner throughout the year since their partners grow comfortable with any accent or may even be able to converse with them one-on-one in their native language. But for larger group work, assigning roles and a group of unfamiliar students can help shy students to feel safe and as if the environment is controlled for them. This aids in relaxing the amygdala(Bernard, 2010). Further, the teacher can use procedures like beginning class the same way each day and by circling the room to hear individual questions beneath the murmur of the classroom to help relax learners. Those students who arrive at school without their basic needs met are often too hungry or cold or isolated to learn well. With a high population of FRL (low-SES) students, it is important that we pay attention to the emotional states that arrive with them (Willis, 2013). As always, reducing the fear of failure through asking questions that motivate personal response is probably the single best idea.
When I finished a synthesis of researched-based strategies for classroom management, acquisition of knowledge, and use of learning techniques, I designed an infographic to use on our teacher training and lesson planning page. In this way, I modeled the importance of including high-impact, learner-based strategies in lesson planning. These strategies must be implemented intentionally, and not by accident. Since I am a team leader for two of our levels in the English department, I have an opportunity to facilitate the use of these strategies when we planned for this year. We included some of the strategies about how to give examples, how to model and what practice to give following an example that has been worked. Then, we also planning for conceptual learning, another research-based, learner-centered strategy. This direct influence coupled with the publicly visible infographic on our training page has encouraged teachers to plan for these strategies as they talk in their teams about the activities and examples their students will do.
What I learned from completing this artifact is that the strategies I’ve considered effective for years may be somewhat successful. But research indicates that a tweak to even some of my favorite processes would make them even more high-impact. Particular revealing was research that describes what the teacher does in a classroom when…. For instance, I had an instinct and personal way of teaching thesis statements, but when I read the research behind modeling and practicing worked examples, I saw that my own worked example needed to be shown, not just an example from the class. So, the processes that I have come to trust in the classroom may potentially be strengthened or reoriented to make them more effective. It’s important for teachers to be learners, and I feel that this exercise taught me how to adjust my processes in the classroom in completely practical ways.
The infographic I created was inspired by the research I collected while making the research and findings index. The research direction I took was directly informed by the common practices I see our teachers use in the classroom. My intent was to research the practices or topics that were of concern to our particular context and then to see if I could make recommendations to our adjust our practices so that they were more effective. For instance, an accepted practice is to give models of the best work in a classroom to show other students how to do it correctly or better. While a teacher rarely seeks to demotivate students with this practice, a teacher should be careful which example she gives and how she explains it. Anderman et al (2001) found that using a perfect example actually demotivates students from learning or trying their own hand at progressing using their own ideas. So, my recommendation to AP/IB teams was : Instead of using a perfect example of an essay, use samples from all students in smaller groups where the ability is mixed (Solomon and Anderman, p.273, in Mayer & Alexander). If I choose a particular skill to achieve in those heterogeneous groups, I can protect the motivation to achieve in low-performing students, in particular. The idea is to imply that autonomy and mastery is possible in these ability groupings. A well-defined rubric with specific descriptors will help all students in that group to understand the levels of performance better. With high school students, I may even be able to have them help me create the rubric as we go. We give students a blank rubric, and during the lesson and models, they fill it out as to what the levels of proficiency look like. This year, our team has implemented this practice, and the writing is taking off at all levels.
References
Alexander, P. & Mayer, R. Handbook of research on learning and instruction. Routledge, New York. 2011.
Bernard, Sarah. (2010) To enable learning, put (emotional) safety first.” Edutopia. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/neuroscience-brain-based-learning-emotional-safety.
Willis, Judy (2013). Strategies to prevent the neurotoxic impact of school stress. Edutopia. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/neurotoxic-impact-of-school-stress-judy-willis
EDUC 8100 helped me to investigate research-based, learner-centered strategies, some of which challenged my usual way of presenting or sequencing information for learners. In this course, the main assignment was to assemble a table of findings of valuable research that impacts the way I teach and recommendations for how I might change my teaching to align with the proven techniques. The readings consisted of research from various disciplines and about topics like modeling and practice, memory constructs, and other ways of knowing and learning. The recommendations were sometimes processes which i researched to fit the readings, and sometimes the recommendations were my own, derived from an analysis of the current way I teach versus what research says is most effective. The table that I created included citations for research I can access later if necessary. But for the purposes of the assignment, I investigated high-impact pedagogical practices that seemed practical to implement in my classroom or which seemed to align with the types of practice my colleagues prefer. The intent was to “drill down” (to borrow a data analysis term) into the exact methods I used in the classroom and to see where the process deviated - if at all - from research based best practices. As a synthesis of the learning I completed in EDUC 8100, I created an infographic that is printable for the classroom. Further, it is ready for display on our teacher pages site where we build our lessons and collaborate. It includes research from readings from this semester.
Researching learner-centered strategies allowed me to find methods of delivery of content which honored the diversity of students in my classroom. Even though I have enjoyed success as a teacher for a number of years at my school, I recognize the need to address the learning issues associated with a growing ELL populations. Added to the 54% ELL population at our school is 74% FRL population. Research indicates that Lessening stress in the classroom environment can promote healthy learning because there is less challenge to the amygdala. To promote a low-stress classroom, make the classroom stress free, light; encourage participation, not perfection; practice active listening.Protocols in the classroom to promote active listening and respect for voice are especially helpful. ELL students are more comfortable using the same turn and talk partner throughout the year since their partners grow comfortable with any accent or may even be able to converse with them one-on-one in their native language. But for larger group work, assigning roles and a group of unfamiliar students can help shy students to feel safe and as if the environment is controlled for them. This aids in relaxing the amygdala(Bernard, 2010). Further, the teacher can use procedures like beginning class the same way each day and by circling the room to hear individual questions beneath the murmur of the classroom to help relax learners. Those students who arrive at school without their basic needs met are often too hungry or cold or isolated to learn well. With a high population of FRL (low-SES) students, it is important that we pay attention to the emotional states that arrive with them (Willis, 2013). As always, reducing the fear of failure through asking questions that motivate personal response is probably the single best idea.
When I finished a synthesis of researched-based strategies for classroom management, acquisition of knowledge, and use of learning techniques, I designed an infographic to use on our teacher training and lesson planning page. In this way, I modeled the importance of including high-impact, learner-based strategies in lesson planning. These strategies must be implemented intentionally, and not by accident. Since I am a team leader for two of our levels in the English department, I have an opportunity to facilitate the use of these strategies when we planned for this year. We included some of the strategies about how to give examples, how to model and what practice to give following an example that has been worked. Then, we also planning for conceptual learning, another research-based, learner-centered strategy. This direct influence coupled with the publicly visible infographic on our training page has encouraged teachers to plan for these strategies as they talk in their teams about the activities and examples their students will do.
What I learned from completing this artifact is that the strategies I’ve considered effective for years may be somewhat successful. But research indicates that a tweak to even some of my favorite processes would make them even more high-impact. Particular revealing was research that describes what the teacher does in a classroom when…. For instance, I had an instinct and personal way of teaching thesis statements, but when I read the research behind modeling and practicing worked examples, I saw that my own worked example needed to be shown, not just an example from the class. So, the processes that I have come to trust in the classroom may potentially be strengthened or reoriented to make them more effective. It’s important for teachers to be learners, and I feel that this exercise taught me how to adjust my processes in the classroom in completely practical ways.
The infographic I created was inspired by the research I collected while making the research and findings index. The research direction I took was directly informed by the common practices I see our teachers use in the classroom. My intent was to research the practices or topics that were of concern to our particular context and then to see if I could make recommendations to our adjust our practices so that they were more effective. For instance, an accepted practice is to give models of the best work in a classroom to show other students how to do it correctly or better. While a teacher rarely seeks to demotivate students with this practice, a teacher should be careful which example she gives and how she explains it. Anderman et al (2001) found that using a perfect example actually demotivates students from learning or trying their own hand at progressing using their own ideas. So, my recommendation to AP/IB teams was : Instead of using a perfect example of an essay, use samples from all students in smaller groups where the ability is mixed (Solomon and Anderman, p.273, in Mayer & Alexander). If I choose a particular skill to achieve in those heterogeneous groups, I can protect the motivation to achieve in low-performing students, in particular. The idea is to imply that autonomy and mastery is possible in these ability groupings. A well-defined rubric with specific descriptors will help all students in that group to understand the levels of performance better. With high school students, I may even be able to have them help me create the rubric as we go. We give students a blank rubric, and during the lesson and models, they fill it out as to what the levels of proficiency look like. This year, our team has implemented this practice, and the writing is taking off at all levels.
References
Alexander, P. & Mayer, R. Handbook of research on learning and instruction. Routledge, New York. 2011.
Bernard, Sarah. (2010) To enable learning, put (emotional) safety first.” Edutopia. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/neuroscience-brain-based-learning-emotional-safety.
Willis, Judy (2013). Strategies to prevent the neurotoxic impact of school stress. Edutopia. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/neurotoxic-impact-of-school-stress-judy-willis