Category: Post 2

Response to Alecia’s Post #2

Hi Alecia,

I, like you, didn’t realize that the direct instruction teaching method contained so many layers. I always just head ‘direct instruction’ and thought that I would never teach that way (I thought it was the teacher at the front transferring information to students in a passive way).

However, your inquiry has proved that there is much more to the direct instruction teaching method. Giving examples and demonstrations is, in my opinion, a great way to learn! I know that as a learner I do well with observing others, so without this aspect of direct instruction, I would be uncomfortable in many learning areas.

One area of direct instruction that you mentioned that I dislike is that direct instruction is involves the teacher communicating information in a “clear and faultless” (Boxer, 2019) way. I think this puts a lot of pressure on teachers, and when teachers are always trying to be perfect, I think it is a missed opportunity to show students that teachers are not the all-knowing knowledge keepers. When teacher’s make mistakes and learn from them, it shows students that it’s okay if they make mistakes too. In the end, we’re all just human, and I personally want to create a classroom environment where my students and I are more equal and learning together, than just them learning from me.

References:

Boxer, A. (Ed.). (2019). The researched guide to explicit and direct instruction: An evidence-informed guide for teachers. John Catt Educational, Limited.

Post #2

Blog Post #2: Project-Based Instructional Approach Inquiry

Project-based learning is an instructional style that values deep learning (L. Harvey, personal communication, July2022). The Buck Institute for Education states that in a project-based teaching approach, students are at the center of learning. The learning is shaped around a goal, a project, and the students learn as they are reaching this goal or finishing this project (n.d.).

Boss and Larmer state that in a project-based teaching approach, the teacher is the facilitator, but they step back and let students do the work of learning. Compared to a traditional teaching approach, project-based learning teachers must let go of control. Teachers must not tell students what and how to learn, the students need to come to their own conclusions (2018a).

Project-based teaching and learning is effective because the projects that teachers help facilitate, or the projects that students decide to do on their own, relate to real-life and so are meaningful to the students. Additionally, compared to a traditional teaching approach, project-based learning leans into these projects, sometimes taking weeks or even the whole year to complete (Buck institute, n.d.). In a traditional teaching approach, the goal is to learn as much as possible in a short amount of time (wide learning), but the effect of this is often that students forget the information they are learning.

Boss and Larmer also say that to have a successful project-based classroom, it is important that the teacher does not overstep on students learning, however teachers are responsible for scaffolding student learning so that they do not get overwhelmed by just being thrown into a project. Once students are ready to learn through a student-led project, teachers should continue to have conferences with students to ensure they are comfortable (2018b).

A project-based instructional approach could align with our chosen topic, however the way my group is teaching our topic is not a project-based approach. I think that in the beginning of the year, especially since our topic is covered in Grade 2, it would be too early to facilitate the students to create their own edpuzzle for learning about the water cycle. So, for our topic and Interactive Learning Design, we are not using a project-based instructional approach. However, if a teacher scaffolded their students properly, they could adapt our topic and learning blueprint to be more student-centered, and have the students create their own edpuzzle.

References

Buck institute for education. (n.d.). What is PBL? PBL works. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://www.pblworks.org/what-is-pbl

Boss, S., & Larmer, J. (2018a). Scaffold student learning. In, Project based teaching: How to create rigorous and engaging learning experiences (pp. 127-156). Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.

Boss, S., & Larmer, J. (2018b). Engage and coach. In, Project based teaching: How to create rigorous and engaging learning experiences (pp. 157-175). Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.