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How can I direct and facilitate a variety of learning experiences for all students?
Each student is unique and has a different learning style, so providing a range of learning
Mathematics is commonly taught using a direct approach, lecturing and modeling a skill, guiding
students through practice problems, and then providing independent practice. When presenting
new skills, this approach is effective and concise, but I worry that the monotony of this type of
learning method day after day is not effective for engagement or retention. Bandura discusses the
effectiveness of modeling by stating that, "because people can learn from example what to do, at
least in approximate form, before performing any behavior, they are spared needless errors"
(Bandura, 1977, p. 22). In Math, students tend to get overwhelmed and discouraged when they
make a mistake, so I can use direct instruction to minimize those mistakes through modeling.
Not all students will excel with this type of instruction; therefore, many students will lose
interest. When students are not interested in the topic that they are learning, they are much less
Inductive methods provide the students with the opportunity to discover what they are
learning through questioning, hypothesizing, analyzing, and hands-on activities. Students learn to
work with their peers by engaging in critical thinking in order to solve problems. Whenever
possible, I think that Math teachers should utilize this type of learning method. Inductive
methods introduce students to group work and also begin to nurture the social skills required for
students to become autonomous learners. TPE 2.1 states that educators should, "promote
interventions and supports, restorative justice, and conflict resolution practices to foster a caring
community where each student is treated fairly and respectfully by adults and peers" (California
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Commission on Teaching Credentialing [CTC], 2016, p. 13). These social skills need to be
Cooperative learning takes the structure of direct instruction and the social aspect of
inductive methods and allows students to master specific roles within the group dynamic.
Cooperative learning is structured and explicit, but it allows for more autonomy for the students.
They learn how to work together in different roles in order to accomplish a common goal. There
are, "five elements of cooperative learning that distinguish it from other forms of group work: 1.
accountability; 4. interpersonal and small group skills; 5. group processing" (Pitler & Stone,
2012, p. 161). These social skills are essential for the success of cooperative learning, and they
need to be explicitly taught before students can be expected to perform them. As the students
master these social skills they grow closer and closer to autonomy, which prepares them for
collaborative learning. Collaborative learning is similar to cooperative learning, but the most
essential difference is that students are responsible for their own learning. "Students organize and
negotiate efforts themselves... they decide when the work is complete" (Dr. Kane, 2017). In order
for collaborative learning to occur, the teacher must prepare the students to take on the
Responsibility Model. The crucial teaching aspect is preparing the students for each step,
socially, emotionally, and cognitively. Teachers should encourage students to become more
socio-emotional maturity. TPE 4.7 states that teachers should, "plan instruction that promotes a
range of communication strategies and activity modes between teacher and student and among
Credentialing [CTC], 2016, p. 16). Teaching students using a variety of learning experiences
allows them to acquire necessary academic and social skills to become life-long learners. They
will become more confident, independent, and competent, attributes that transfer to any activity
or situation.
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References
Bandura, A. (1977). Origins of Behavior. In Social Learning Theory (p. 16-55). Englewood
Burden, P.R., & Byrd, D.M. (2016). Methods for effective teaching: Meeting the needs of all
Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2008). Better learning through structured teaching: A framework for the
Pitler, H., & Stone, B. J. (2012). A handbook for classroom instruction that works (2nd ed.).