Module 20 Blog 2

I’ve found information processing theory to be the most intuitive. Information can be presented in many different ways, and as a teacher I have to control how it is presented. But if I understand how information is processed as well, I can find better ways to present information and better ways to reinforce what has previously been learned. The systematic approach of moving information from sensory to working to long-term memory really helps me understand this process.

I would choose direct instruction as my primary teaching method, mostly due to my content area. I want to generate a response from my students, and that is getting them to perform a certain way, like singing louder, singing softer, etc. In order for this to work, I believe there has to be a strictly defined hierarchy in the classroom, which leads me to direct instruction. This is important in the music classroom because part of the purpose is to get an end result out of the ensemble, which means that I have to work towards that end goal. I don’t mean to say that I want to be an authoritarian teacher and never use other methods of teaching, but I believe I will rely on direct instruction for much of what I hope to accomplish.

My two answers do not match up. I believe this is because of two reasons. One is that teachers are not restricted to one teaching method, and even though I believe direct instruction will be most useful, I will certainly use many aspects of every method listed in module twenty. The other is how I viewed the question. I think learning theory has much more to do with how students process the information that is presented, whereas a teaching method defines how the teacher presents the information in the first place.

The situation I am imagining using direct instruction will be first learning a new piece of music. The first day we start the piece, we will begin by running through it, giving the students a chance to show me that they can simply read the notes from the page. After the initial introduction, I will go back to places where sections missed notes, or entire lines and correct them. I think direct instruction will be most useful, because I am the ultimate authority in the room, and I can easily tell if the section is singing the correct notes. While many aspects of music are left more to interpretation, and can be used for students’ self-discovery, some more black-and-white aspects need a much more direct approach.