Read All About It.....

This past month has been one of most in depth learning experiences thus far in my education courses. I have enjoyed learning about models, strategies, approaches, but perhaps the most exciting is learning about all the different types of instruction. I compare Direct Instruction to building a house (of knowledge). The activities of getting to know each other and collaborating within our groups have been contributing to the base of a strong foundation among my peers and instructor. Each week, we build on that foundation with the framework of Methods. I have learned a great deal about Direct Instruction through the explaining, modeling and demonstrating which is done in class. The videos by Dr. Ybarra were all very informative, but I think the 24 questions per 50 minute class really surprised me. It makes sense to do this to check for understanding and to not use it for anything else but as an end toward automaticity (not discipline.) I also loved Zig Engelmann's approach to Direct Instruction. He says, "If they're learning, that's all that really counts." If students don't struggle that doesn't mean that they are not learning, they are being taught in a way that they can exceed the teacher's challenges. A child's behavior will change when you have made a difference. Their self-esteem, confidence and how they approach learning new skills will be positively affected. Teaching in small steps and cyclically checking for understanding, ensures that your students will learn.