1. Isn't direct instruction essentially what every teacher should be doing all the time? It seems to explain nothing but the ideal teaching that all teachers strive for constantly.
2. The two methods that I'll talk about are the mastery and the cooperative method. The mastery learning method refers to the idea that every student can learn a certain objective if they are given enough time. This method relates to the behaviorism theory in that it requires an antecedent and a consequent. The antecedent is the learning objective of the teacher, and the consequent is the student's reaction to the teaching of the teacher (for example, if the student asks a question, completes a problem, or does a test).
The cooperative learning method entails students working together to achieve a goal that they share. This reflects the constructivist teaching methods. The way the two relate is that costructivist teaching revolves around the idea that real-life experiences and apprenticeships are the best way to learn. Group-work projects are good models of real-life situations, because in the real work-world, one cannot succeed without collaborating with others to complete a common goal.
I believe that the book is trying to emphasize the point that there are multiple teaching methods, and that each one has it's own place in a classroom. Some teachers may teach better using one method, and some students may retain information better when a teacher uses a different method. I think every teacher has a goal of maximizing learning in the classroom. The book mentions that direct instruction isn't beneficial for high achieving students or task oriented students. Furthermore, while it may sometimes benefit lower achieving students, it shouldn't be the only method for teaching those children. Perhaps direct instruction can be combined with other methods, as the book explains, to create a teaching method that is beneficial to the most students within the classroom. I'm not sure if there can be one method that a teacher uses all the time. Teachers need to be flexible and change their teaching methods to suit the learning styles of the classroom.
ReplyDeleteA lot of teachers may use direct instruction all of the time, but I think the book shows other options in hopes that as future teachers, we can incorporate these methods as well.
ReplyDeleteNot all teachers use direct instruction all the time because it involves teacher control, and some teachers let the students have control at different points in the class. This is in the next module that I've already read, but relates to this as well.
ReplyDelete