Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Classroom Instruction That Works by: Robert Marzano, Debra Pickering and Jane Pollock

Marzano’s book combines the theory that all teachers need to understand with the practice that they all need to apply. He has researched the best practices of teachers and then incorporated them into a highly functional handbook.

Throughout the book, we find nine basic instructional strategies that are intended to improve student achievement across all content areas and across all grade levels. Each strategy is explained and then followed by a variety of applications that are both pertinent and functional.

These areas include:
1. Identifying Similarities and Differences. This is the ability to break a concept into its similar and dissimilar characteristics that allow students to understand complex problems. Application: Venn diagrams
2. Summarizing and Note Taking. These skills promote greater comprehension by asking students to analyze a subject. Application: simple study skills that can aid all students
3. Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition. Teachers are encouraged to show the connection between effort and achievement for students to realize their abilities. Application: awards for effort
4. Homework and Practice. Both used to provide students with the opportunity to hone their skills while learning outside of the classroom. Application: establishing a homework policy with advise for proper setting, schedule and time-limits
5. Nonlinguistic Representations. Here knowledge is stored in two forms-linguistic and imagery. Application: incorporating words and images and by using symbols to represent relationships
6. Cooperative Learning. This allows students to work in groups and has been shown to be a positive advantage for the students. Application: groups should be small and should be designed with a variety of criteria
7. Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback. These facets can provide students with a direction for their learning. Application: keep feedback timely and specific
8. Generating and testing hypothesis. Research shows that a deductive approach to this strategy is best for the students as they learn hypothesis. Application: science is not the only subject where hypothesis can be used
9. Cues, Questions and Organizers. These help students use what they already know about a topic to enhance further learning. Application: pause after asking questions to allow students to formulate in depth answers.

In short, this text provides parameters and guidelines essential to establishing viable classroom construction founded in theory but re-enforced by solid practices. It focuses the learner toward an environment more conducive to the variety of levels and learning prevalent in most classrooms.

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