Baggio The Visual Connection: Best practices for teachers, trainers, and SMEs
Key Ideas |
Nearly everyone is a visual learner
Significance: It's nearly impossible to overstate the importance of using visuals in the classroom. And when it comes to visuals, "Simple visuals are certainly the most effective" (p. 43). This speaks to the necessity of graphic organizers when reading complext texts, as my students did during my action research; this understanding makes me want to "push" for more effective organizers, rather than the first organizer available. It also explains behaviors in my beginning-of-class routine: I usually have a Do Now posted on my projector, and the more complicated I make it, the more work it is for me to re-explain it to my students. Simpler is better. Also, I attended a training earlier this year that modeled a simplified diagram for rigorous PBL, one that made objectives and goals extremely clear. I've since thought that posting the simple image modeled at the training, for each of my projects, on a wall in my classroom, might help students understand which gaps they still need to bridge in their learning.
Prior knowledge + Context + Expectations= pattern for learning
Significance: This creates some cognitive dissonance when imagining the PBL model. It reminds me of a more Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI)- model of teaching, generally frowned upon in PBL methodology. Activate prior knowledge, state objectives, instruct... that's a very standard (and successful!) way to teach. It's not that this is impossible to do in ways that extend beyond the EDI format, but it takes some stretching. Perhaps this speaks to those moments within a PBL unit in which there are small lessons of EDI. To put them in a more 21st Century context, maybe it looks like a flipped model of EDI for note-taking; the couple of times I used my colleagues very traditional EDI slideshow with my students, but put it in the form of a Voice Thread they could "drive" themselves, it was very successful.
Use technology to design for the way people think, "or they won't 'get it'" (p. 31)
Significance: This echoes much of what I learned in EDUC 701 last semester: technology needs to be carefully chosen and used effectively, for students' learning rather than for more bells and whistles. When thinking about my driving question, I wonder if in my capstone I should include a list of tools that work especially well when aligning PBL to Common Core. The tools I used in my action research weren't especially fancy (Google Docs, projector, speaker) but they were effective. Again, this also makes the importance of effective graphic organizers paramount. The ones I used in my action research weren't very effective because they weren't designed for the way my students think.
Implications to my driving question |
Carefully choose/design graphic organizers that will maximize CCSS reading comprehension and writing
Consider using the "Rigorous PBL" graphic I saw in my January training, to clearly and simply show objectives and expectations to students
Clark Developing Technical Training: A Structural Approach for the development of Classroom and Computer-Based Instructional Methods
Key Ideas |
It is not enough to be an expert; you must be able to teach... so use the Instructional Systems Design proven by science!
Significance: I enjoyed reading Clark's words on page 9, stating that if an expert can teach their expertise, she/he will quadruple their value (wait... should teachers be making more money?). A friend of mine worked for years at an art institute in San Francisco, trying to teach artists how to be teachers- she was often apalled at how talented some of the new professors could be at culinary or visual arts, yet clueless as to how to teach others their skill. As teachers, we already know the importance of transmitting expertise, rather than just being experts at English/Math/etc. The Instructional Systems Design described in pages 10-15 lays out the foundation for what instruction development (read: lesson plan) should look like. In one way, it reminded me of the PBL Anatomy of a Project from New Tech- but I doubt that's how the design is intended to be used. Rather, it looks more applicable to a more straightforward teaching technique. You could insert inquiry into this model, but it does seem to fit best into a more traditional teaching methodology.
There are Four Ingredients of Instruction: Information, Performance Outcome, Instructional Methods, and Instructional Media
Significance: The two "ingredients" with the most relevance to my driving question are performance outcome and instructional methods. Performance outcome sounds very similar to the lesson planning (and PBL planning) concept, "begin with the end in mind". So, if the goal is to conduct PBL that is aligned with CCSS, one must begin with those common core-aligned"performance outcomes" when designing the unit. Also, the instructional methods discussed in this piece described giving a definition, example, and non-example. A very skilled teacher I know (before PBL) gave all her vocabulary instruction this way. I haven't seen before, however, the scientific support of this method. It is especially suitable for teaching concepts like theme and central idea. In the same way that I fit close reads into the PBL unit in my action research, maybe there is a way to fit in this very straightforward teaching technique in a PBL unit. Perhaps the broader implication is that these basic, scientifically supported teaching methods should not go away with PBL- but maybe their delivery could be updated.
Use a Structured Writing Method for information and notes
Clark's Structured Writing Method, for delivering information and for note-taking, really stood out to me. The example memo she provides on page 35 stands in stark (and dismal) contrast to its more structured version on page 36. The structured memo is so much easier to read! This was my favorite part of the Clark reading, and it supported Baggio's text as well: if you don't present information in a way that "works" for the receiver, you're not being effective. It also made me frustrated with the writing prompts my students are given in their CAASPP tests- they are so complicated, with few visual cues: students are supposed be be assessed on their writing, but it is also a test of their abilities deconstruct prompts.
Addressing my driving question |
Structure project-on-a-page following Clark's Structured Writing Method, so it's clear for students. (The project-on-a-two-sided-thin-margin-page I used in my action research could be refined.)
Many "traditional" approaches to teaching are supported by science, and are not mutually exclusive with inquiry- find ways to build them into the PBL unit.
Dervin From the Mind's Eye of the User
Key Ideas |
The actor's eyes are more important than the observer's (p. 64)
Significance: This could easily be reworded to say, teach what will make sense to the student, not what will make sense to the teacher. This speaks to the necessity of being flexible in the classroom: listen and observe how students are understanding material, and where they're confused. Rather than being prescriptive, "They didn't learn it but I spelled it out right there..." this suggests a response that asks, "Why didn't they understand this? What would work instead?" This ties in to Dervin's later explanation that information use is process rather than static (p. 65); teachers must be adjusting methods as students "flesh out" their understanding.
Order is not in the individual, but in the gap (p. 66)
Significance: Because so many factors influence an individual's perspective (p. 67), they aren't good predictors of behavior. Instead, what an individual wants to know, and how they know it, is more important to observe. In the classroom, this could be applied by avoiding assumptions about SPED students, boys vs. girls, or diverse backgrounds, but instead look at where students are lacking knowledge and how best to fill that gap.
People ask predictable questions in certain situations
Significance: Dervin explains that sense-making examines the types of questions people ask, and how they bridge the gaps in their understanding. Blood donors, for example, ask, "Will I faint?" (p. 75) Similarly, most of my students ask, "What do I have to do for an A?" When trying to marry PBL with CCSS, I just want to know, "How do I do something that works?" Not to mention, "How do I do this with the resources I already have?" and, "How do I do this within my working hours?" Understanding the importance of the questions teachers and students are asking when considering a PBL unit, and CCSS, could be key to finding effective answers.
Addressing my driving question |
Consider the types of questions teachers might ask as I develop my capstone.
Be dynamic! Teach in the way that works for students, not in the way that a formula prescribes. This supports the use of action research in the development of my driving question.