Strategies and Models for Teachers: Teaching Content and Thinking Skills

Description

Each of these new features is designed to make this edition the most usable and practical one that we’ve ever prepared.We hope that after you’ve finished your formal study of this book, you will continue to use it as a resource as you continue in your quest for professional growth. As with previous editions, we continue to use cognitive learning and motivation theory, research on classroom instruction, and our own work in classrooms as the frameworks for our writing.Working with teachers and students in classrooms continues to provide us with some of our most rewarding professional experiences, and we hope these experiences are reflected in the practicality of the book. We realize that, although an understanding of theory and research is essential for expert instruction, teaching situations differ, and teachers continually make an enormous number of decisions to adapt to different learning contexts. Though guided by the structure of a model, teachers make myriad decisions about the best course of action in a particular situation. This is what makes teaching simultaneously rewarding and challenging. The book exists in two main parts. Chapters 1, 2, and 3 provide a foundation by outlining advances in our understanding of learning and motivation, as well as essential teaching strategies that support all instruction. Chapters 4 through 10 describe individual models, including suggestions for adapting each model to the different teaching contexts that you experience in your classroom. Our goal is to contribute to your professional growth by expanding your repertoire of approaches to instruction Chapter 1 Models of Teaching and Developing as a Teacher 1 Teachers make a difference 4 The need for instructional alternatives 5 Strategies and models for teachers 5 Cognitive learning goals 7 Learning and teaching in today’s world 9 Standards and the need for instructional alternatives 10 Professional organizations’ standards: Teacher knowledge and teacher abilities 13 The Common Core State Standards Initiative 16 Exploring diversity: Learner diversity in today’s schools 17 Technology and teaching: The influence of technology on teaching and learning 20 Decision making and reflective practice 23 Reflective practice and models of teaching 24 Chapter 2 Learning, Motivation, and Models of Teaching 28 The importance of classroom climate 31 Creating a positive classroom climate 32 Exploring diversity: Learner diversity and classroom climate 37 Cognitive learning theory 38 Principles of cognitive learning theory 39 Attention and perception 43 Student memory and classroom learning 45 Developmentally appropriate practice: Developmental differences in cognitive learning 47 Learner motivation 48 Motivation and learning 48 Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation 48 Motivation to learn 49 Promoting motivation to learn in your classroom 50 Technology and teaching: Using technology to increase learner motivation 55 Chapter 3 Essential Teaching Strategies and the Teaching of Thinking 61 Planning for instruction: An essential teaching strategy 63 What is important for my students to learn? 63 What do I want my students to know or be able to do? 64How will I help my students reach my learning objectives? 65 How will I know if my students have reached my learning objectives? 65 Are my learning activity and my assessments logically connected to my objectives? 65 Learning activities: Implementing essential teaching strategies 66 Teacher behaviors and beliefs 69 Organization 70 Communication 70 Focus 71 Feedback 71 Monitoring 73 Questioning 74 Review and closure 77 Exploring diversity: Essential teaching strategies with learners having diverse backgrounds 78 Essential teaching strategies and the teaching of thinking 79 The challenge of critical thinking 80 Promoting critical thinking in your classroom 81 Advanced levels of thinking 83 Teaching thinking: Increasing learner motivation 85 A climate for thinking 85 Thinking inclinations 85 Chapter 4 Student–Student Interaction Strategies: Groupwork, Cooperative Learning and Discussions 91 Features of effective groupwork and cooperative learning 93 Benefits of Student–student interaction 94 Groupwork strategies 94 Planning and implementing effective groupwork 95 Types of groupwork 97 Cooperative learning strategies 98 Jigsaw 99 Student teams achievement divisions (STAD) 104 Assessing learning when using groupwork and cooperative learning 110 Exploring diversity: Promoting interpersonal relationships with groupwork and cooperative learning 110 Critiquing groupwork and cooperative learning 112 Discussion strategies 112 Planning for discussions 114 Implementing discussions 116 Assessing learning when using discussion strategies 118 Cooperative learning and discussions in different learning environments 120 Technology and teaching: Developing social skills in technology-mediated communication 120 Developmentally appropriate practice: Cooperative learning and discussions with students of different ages 122 Increasing motivation with cooperative learning and discussions 123