This week I discovered many different instructional strategies that integrate technology that I can use in my classroom. As I read through many of them, I realized that I have used many of the strategies in my classroom but not with technology involved. One of the strategies that my students tend to struggle with is summarizing. Summarizing tends to be very difficult for students to understand. To help students in understanding summarizing techniques, it was suggested that Microsoft Word be used. In this program, teachers are able to use a feature that takes a text and provides a summary of it. This is beneficial to the students because they are able to visually see a summary written from a specific piece of text. This correlates with dual coding in the Cognitive Learning Theory. Through this process, students are able to learn the information and began to store it into the long term memory sector.
Another strategy presented in the reading was cues, questions, and advance organizers. I will admit that I have never used an advanced organizer in my classroom partly due to the fact that I have never heard of it until recently. But I have used cues and questions as an instructional strategy just not in the format explained in the reading. When talking and discussing with my students during a particular lesson, I normally have a focus question. As I am teaching the lesson, I am mindful of what questions I should pose to the students based upon the focus question. Although I tend to use questioning a lot in my classroom, I have never incorporated any form of technology with questioning. Through questioning, students are able to create a concept map in Inspiration. With the use of concept maps, students are able to retain information and store it into long term memory. Students begin to store information in their long term memory when, as mentioned earlier, dual coding is involved. This is where students are given a visual picture along with either text or audio. Concept mapping is great for enhancing the Cognitive Learning Theory. As the concept maps are discussed and created with students, it will help me to grasp a sense of those students who understood along with those who are still having difficulties understanding.
It is interesting to find that most of us already use a majority of these cognotive practices in the classroom. It is always a good thing when we are able to explain our classroom practices. It is exciting to put our actions into research based discussions.
ReplyDeleteI Kindergarten I teach my students beginning, middle, and end summarizing. They have become good at figuring out the most important parts of a story.
My county has mandated that every classroom use thinking maps/graphic organizers. I have seen first hand the impact they have on the students' learning and their ability to retrieve and apply old and new information because of these. I agree when you say that it allows the student to "visually see a summary written from a specific piece of text". I would also suggest to allow illustrations next to text to allow a visual to explain the text. If you are interested in learning more about the many different types of graphic organizers talk to your administration or see if your county offers professional development class on them. Only the best of luck!
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