Things to Consider in Planning Instruction PDF

Things to Consider in Planning Instruction Objectives: Learn about the following: Discuss the different things that should be considered in planning instruction and explain their importance. Differentiate declarative and procedural knowled...

Things to Consider in Planning Instruction Objectives: Learn about the following: Discuss the different things that should be considered in planning instruction and explain their importance. Differentiate declarative and procedural knowledge and give examples that are found in the elementary Social Studies curriculum. Write instructional objectives in elementary Social Studies that adhere to Bloom9s Taxonomy of the cognitive domain. Incorporate differentiation in planning a Social Studies activity. Reflect on one9s Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). Introduction There are many things that you have to consider in order to deliver a successful unit or lesson. Here, you will learn 6 of these things: content, objectives, classroom environment, materials, students, and teacher. all of these elements are crucial in planning for effective instruction. Instructional planning is not a task that can be done in one sitting, especially for beginning teachers. As informed decision-makers and reflective practitioners, teachers need to take into account a number of things in formulating a plan for learning. One approach or strategy may work on one class but not in another class. Therefore, it is important to look into these different factors that may affect learning. CONTENT Teachers need to know what they will teach in order to effectively prepare their lesson. It is important to distinguish between the two types of knowledge: declarative and procedural. Declarative knowledge entails knowing about something, and it is in the form of facts, concepts and generalizations. Examples: identifying the elements of a map, knowing the significant heroes and events in the Philippine Revolution. On the other hand, procedural knowledge is knowing how to do something, and it is in the form of skills. Example: determining the absolute location of the Philippines on the world map, critically analyzing primary sources from this period. In the Philippines, many educators believe that Social Studies is a content-heavy course; thus, the tendency to emphasize declarative knowledge and prioritize memorization of people, places, events and other details in instruction and assessment. Thus, it is important to develop these high levels of procedural knowledge in our students to ensure that we will produce learners equipped with 21st century skills.  25 OBJECTIVES An objective is a specific statement of a learning outcome. It describes what we want our students to do and how we will know if they are already here. Taking into account the objectives of the lesson is important because these statements are vital in assessing student learning and evaluating the effectiveness of instruction. In the K to 12 Curriculum Guide, statements of learning outcomes are expressed through standards and competencies. Standards are more general outcome statements that can be achieved in weeks, quarters, and year(s). On the other hand, competencies are more specific and can be achieved in a shorter period of time, probably in a day or a week. The learning competencies in a quarter are consistent with the content and performance standard. Teachers can directly lift these competencies as their unit or lesson objectives. In formulating instructional objectives, Benjamin Bloom9s Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain is a handy reference. It presents a hierarchical ordering of intellectual skills from the basic recall of facts to high-level processing of information. Looking at this figure, the 6 categories of objectives in elementary Social Studies are being shown. In planning Social Studies instruction, teachers should place importance in developing students9 higher order thinking skills, represented by the upper 3 categories in Bloom9s Taxonomy. One of the major criticisms of Social Studies education in the Philippines is its emphasis on factual recall and rote memorization, which are considered lower order thinking skills. To counter this, teachers should ensure that they incorporate analysis, evaluation, and creation objectives and activities in their instruction to produce critical and creative learners. CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT Students learn more when there is a positive classroom environment, the reason why teachers should also take this into account in instructional planning. They have to ensure that they have a welcoming and stimulating classroom, one where students feel regarded and represented and at the same time excited to learn new things. They should also foster a healthy and social environment where students interact with each other and no child is excluded. A positive emotional environment should also be promoted by instilling respect toward each other. Students should be taught to be sensitive to the needs of their classmates, and teachers should also model such behavior to their students. A positive classroom environment can be easily achieved through the establishment of classroom rules and routines at the start of the school year. Aside from promoting a healthy social and emotional environment, this also adds structure and organization to the instruction. Rules may be general such as Always do your best and Be kind or specific such as Submit your requirements on time and Raise your hand if you want to say something. Price and Nelson (2014) suggested the following guidelines. Develop and evaluate them with students. Keep rules few in number so everyone can remember them. Post them. Refer to them. Support students in following them. Teach the students what each rule means. Acknowledge students for allowing them. Enforce them consistently.  26 MATERIALS Schoenfeldt and Salsbury (2009) defined materials as any item, tool, or piece of equipment used to support the lesson before, during, or after instruction. This may come in the form of visual aids (maps, photos), media equipment (LCD projector, laptop), tools (compass, ruler), realia (artifacts, coins), print sources (song lyrics, documents), and manipulatives (puzzles, globe). In selecting instructional materials, Sousa (2001) recommends that teachers should use materials that appeal to the different senses. As much as possible, the senses of hearing, sight and touch should be tapped since these contribute the most to learning. Stimulating the different senses create meaningful learning experiences for the students which can lead to a possible long-term retention of information. Because the generation of students today are considered digital natives, infusing technology in instruction can also aid their teaching. Research proves the use of technology in the classroom is beneficial in increasing student motivation and achievement (Bain & Ross, 2000; Cradler & Cradler, 1999; Middleton & Murray, 1999; Underwood & Brown, 1997). Some of the practical considerations in the use of instructional materials are the following: Materials should be ready to use and located nearby before beginning the instruction. Every student should have an equal chance to see and/or access the materials. Teachers should preview the materials in order to explain difficult terms to students, anticipate misconceptions, answer queries, and make meaningful connections. Materials should be age-appropriate, culturally responsive and gender sensitive. STUDENTS The student is the heart of the learning process. They should be given utmost consideration in instructional planning. The following should be taken into account in the planning process: 1. Student Readiness. It is the ability level of a student in relation to a given topic and skill. This can be cause by differences in their learning rate and prior experiences. Some Grade 1 pupils may already know how to make a timeline while others may still be struggling in understanding chronology. 2. Student Interest. This is considered as a powerful motivator to engage students in the learning process. Some students may be interested in superheroes while others may be fascinated in cartoon characters. Capturing students9 interests is important for them to be academically engaged and to perform well in the subject. 3. Intelligence Preference or Learning Style. It refers to the different cognitive inclinations that a person has for learning. Some students study effectively when music is incorporated in the lesson, while others learn more when they are shown charts and diagrams. Among the different theories on intelligence, the most famous is Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences, which suggests that students have at least nine (9) intelligence preferences4 verbal/linguistic, logical/mathematical, musical/rhythmic, bodily/kinesthetic, visual/spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist, and existentialist. In planning instruction, teachers should vary their approaches and strategies to be able to tap the different intelligence preferences of the students. One effective way of facilitating learning in a diverse classroom is through the use of differentiation. Fautley (2013) defines differentiation as a deliberate pedagogical strategy by which teachers create conditions in which the curriculum is made accessible to individual students in ways which are appropriate to their needs and which allow them to function to their fullest potential. This is done by grouping students based on their readiness, interest, or intelligence preference. TEACHER It is important for teachers to take into account their own knowledge for instruction to become more effective. A teacher9s knowledge is comprised of three (3) components: content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and technological knowledge (Mishra & Koehler, 2006).  27 Content Knowledge Content Knowledge refers to the teacher9s knowledge about the subject matter that will be taught. This includes knowledge of concepts, theories, ideas, frameworks, and established practices and approaches om the development of such knowledge. Examples: knowledge of the concepts and frameworks in the social sciences such as anthropology, economics, sociology, and skills in geography and historical thinking. Pedagogical Knowledge Pedagogical Knowledge refers to the teacher9s knowledge about the process of teaching and learning. This includes the understanding of the principles of learning, classroom management, instructional approaches and strategies, and assessment practices. Some teachers may be experts in their discipline but may lack the knowledge and skills on how to successfully communicate the information to the students. Technological Knowledge Technological Knowledge refers to the teacher9s knowledge of and ability to use technological tools and associated resources. This includes knowing how to use technology such as information in the internet, being aware of how to process such information, and being able to adapt to new technologies. Given that the learners today are considered digital natives, it is important for teachers to possess a considerable degree of technological knowledge. The figure shows the intersection of these 3 knowledge components which produces an emergent component which is the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). This simply means the effective teaching of a given subject with the use of technology. Teachers with a high level of TPACK knows how and when technology can be used to assist instruction and when technology should not be used because it impedes learning. They acknowledge that concepts can be represented through technology and that pedagogical techniques also be communicated with the use of technology. In Social Studies, teachers can demonstrate TPACK through the use of Google Maps to teach location and direction or the employment of web games in presenting important events in Philippine history. Taking into account the teacher9s knowledge is important not only in assessing one9s state of current knowledge and skills but also in ensuring the effective delivery of instruction to students. Instructional Models for Social Studies Objectives: Learn about the following: Define an instructional model and explain its importance in instructional planning. Compare and contrast the different instructional models for Social Studies. Explain the procedures for each instructional model and apply it to the elementary Social Studies curriculum. Write a unit or lesson plan in elementary Social Studies that adheres to one instructional model.  Introduction In instructional planning, teachers also make decisions as to how best learning goals can be achieved. They have to take into account how they approach a given unit or lesson so that it will be easily understood by the students. They also need to come up with a set of activities that will ensure student motivation and participation. By doing these things, teachers subscribe to an instructional planning model in planning. Teachers adhere to an instructional model when they write their unit or lesson plans. An instructional model serves as a general framework for the process of learning. It is comprised of a variety of teaching strategies and a set of step-by-step procedures that should be done to achieve the instructional goals. An instructional model may be compatible with a particular goal or content but not in another. As such, teachers need to be familiar with the different instructional models that can be utilized in planning effective instruction for elementary Social Studies. Direct Instructional Model Direct Instructional Model is also called expository learning or explicit teaching. It is also defined as a highly-structured, teacher-centered strategy that capitalizes on such behavioral techniques as modeling, feedback, and reinforcement to promote basic skills acquisition= (Morrison, 2000). Direct instruction requires teachers to convey facts and details, demonstrate skills and learning, provide immediate feedback, and give guided and independent practices to test student learning. Some of its strategies are lectures, class discussions and demonstrations. This model is commonly used when teachers transmit content information about communities, history, government, culture, and other bodies of knowledge. Moreover, it can be used to impart skills such as how to read a map, or offer an explanation, such as why the country is divided into different regions. It also promotes master since students are given sufficient time to observe demonstrations and practice their skills through guided and independent practice. Its disadvantage is that too much reliance on direct instruction may also stifle the teacher9s creativity and may hamper the development of students9 higher order thinking skills. However, many educators acknowledge that direct instruction is also vital in presenting basic facts and information that will serve as a foundation for lessons that emphasize critical thinking and problem- solving. One example of direct instruction is Hunter’s Seven-Step Model which was developed by Madeline Hunter who believed that this model can be adopted by any grade level and subject. These are the steps: Anticipatory Set. The teacher motivates the students by directing their attention to the lesson like posing a question, showing a video or picture or telling a story. Objective and Purpose. The teacher states the purpose and objectives of the lesson so that students will know what they will learn and why it is useful. Input. The teacher presents the lesson content through lecture, discussion, reading, observing and other possible means.  31 Modeling. The teacher, an invited resource person, or a member of the class, demonstrates what all students should be able to do. Checking for Understanding. The teacher asks questions or requests demonstrations from students to ensure that they understood the lesson. Guided Practice. Students are asked to perform individual tasks while the teacher roams around the classroom to ensure that they are doing it correctly. Independent Practice. Once all students demonstrate their knowledge, the teacher gives them tasks which they should perform completely without the aid of the teacher. The table below illustrates an example under Hunter’s Seven-Step Model with the topic entitled: Ang Aking Kuwento. Process Application The teacher presents 5 pictures that show the different stages in the Anticipatory Set life of a pet. He asks the class to arrange them chronologically and provide captions that will describe each picture. The teacher states the objective of the lesson: to know what a timeline Objective and Purpose is and how it is used in presenting important events in one9s life. Input The teacher presents the lesson through discussion or storytelling. The teacher presents his own timeline which contains 5 important Modeling events in his life. The teacher asks the class: Checking for 1. What is a timeline? Understanding 2. What does it look like? 3. How can it be used to present one’s story? The teacher provides a worksheet with a timeline already drawn and Guided Practice students have to supply it with 5 events that happened to them in the past week or month. He roams around the classroom to check the students9 work and provide immediate feedback. The teacher gives an assignment instructing students to create their Independent Practice own timeline which features 8 important events in their life from birth to present. He may require them to be more creative in the construction of their timeline. Inquiry Model Inquiry is an investigative process based on the examination of evidence, often using questioning, hypothesis testing, and data gathering to arrive at an evidence-based conclusion (Ellis, 2010). John Dewey in the 1920s introduced this model which is one of the most common indirect approaches in Social Studies in the conduct of historical, anthropological, and sociological research. Using inquiry model in Social Studies has some benefits for it can increase student motivation and active participation especially if the questions posed by the teacher are interesting and challenging; promotes the development of research skills and the use of critical thinking. In addition, teachers should actively guide the students in their search for answers. Banks (1990) outline the following steps: 1. Pose a question for inquiry. Make sure that the question can be answered using data and evidence. 2. Encourage students to formulate hypotheses. Use observations, prior experiences, and logic to arrive at as many hypotheses as possible. 3. Gather and analyze data. Be involved in the data collection process to ensure that students will draw valid and reliable conclusions. 4. Determine whether to accept or reject the hypotheses based on the conclusion. Have students publicly present the inquiry process and their findings.  The table below illustrates an example under the step-by-step procedure using Bank9s Model with the topic entitled: