Download 3 Easy Tactics to use in your classroom A book by: Dr. Win...
much less in a year or two. Imagine being an administrator, program director, instructor, or parent with the need to post-test or increase achievement for those you serve, at a higher level than they currently are, with greater understanding and retention, while giving yourself, as the instructor or presenter, a break. What are three simple things you could do to achieve this? Together, we’re going to explore the answer.
PhD in Education in 1972 Continued his research in intelligence, creativity, and teaching methods 1975 “How to Increase Your Intelligence” Has published over 55 books Co-author of the bestselling book, “The Einstein Factor” He is recognized around the world as a leader in both creative problem solving and accelerated learning and has taught workshops as far away as Japan and South Africa for many years.
Global Career Development Facilitator Taught for seven years at Goodwill of Southwestern PA ABE, GED, and GED Medical Pathway prep classes Other: home schooled, tutored, private music instruction Peer Mentor Coach for state of PA Degree in Music Education from Penn State Project Renaissance trainer (Dr. Wenger’s certification)
OUTCOME: Participants will gain practice using the 3 Techniques WHAT: Background of where 3 Tactics developed from WHY: Principles the 3 Tactics are based on Modern Socratic practice exercise HOW: 3 Tactics themselves Implementing the techniques in a lesson plan Bonus (if time): Lesson Planning using the sister book: Dynamic Teaching by Harman Benda and Win Wenger Follow up webinar
Be curious Be open-minded / suspend any preconceptions Participation encouraged ◦ Turn to the people around you and say: Name Where you are from Why you are in this session
St. Andrews school in Buffalo, NY introduced Dr. Wenger’s ideas from his book 3 Easy Tactics to the school staff 6 years ago. The scores on the standardized TerraNova (pub. McGraw-Hill) showed, on average, 4.4 years in grade level performance improvement.
Indiana
Georgia
More on the way…
(Now
pay attention, because we’ll be checking your understanding of all this shortly.)
First appeared in ancient Greece. “Sophists” or “teachers” gathered people
◦ “Sophists” would use people to further develop their own perceptions ◦ “Sophists” started to, in turn, develop the listeners’ perceptions (Socrates)
Used for 2200 years Lead most of its practitioners to believe that all knowledge and understanding are already within us. It simply needs to be “drawn out,” which is the meaning of the word “educare,” where the word “education” came from ◦ Aristotle, Plato & later DaVinci, Galileo(Renaissance period) What happened? Didactic!
The classical Socratic Method
◦ A few students at a time ◦ Very specific questions that led to a “learning.” deduction – taking generalization that lead to specifics
Modern day versions of the Socratic Method (maieutic Socratic Method) ◦ Many students ◦ Very specific questions that led to a “learning.” induction – taking specifics and then generalize it to the individual and their experiences
This leads to some basic principles that much of Dr. Wenger’s work is based on:
Law of effect (a.k.a. the first law of psychology) You get more of what you reinforce
Principle of Description
What you detail aloud to a meaningful listener, while you are examining what you are detailing, you discover more and more about it, while noticing how everything relates to everything else to a greater or lesser degree.
Principle of Growth and Development
Learning, physical growth and development of the brain, proceeds best as feedback on one’s own activities
Helps support the statement: “All learning is by association” (Remember “contextualized
instruction?”)
All learning is by associating it with previous experiences and concepts. Since everyone is different, it makes sense to help students make their own associations with the material.
“We are going to break into mini “buzz” sessions using the “dynamic format.” Pair up with someone, or maybe form a group of 3.
o Buzz sessions (a form of the Socratic Method) 2 (or so) minute speaker sessions – each on person has the floor for 2 (or so) minutes for them to fully express their answer and then switch. No interruptions. It is NOT a conversation. I’ll call out “switch” and if you haven’t switched speakers yet, please do so. Sometimes we when we are talking, we filter out other conversations that don’t have anything to do with what we are saying. Therefore,
o Dynamic format (water glass rules): 1 ding = 30 second warning, wrap up your last statements 3 dings = stop immediately – stop talking and wait for instructions (if 100+ people, can use the viral hand raising- like the Boy Scouts) (MODEL)
What, to you, was the most interesting or important point made so far? What makes that the most interesting or important point?”
Reminder: There are no right or wrong answers.
What, to you, was the most interesting or important point made so far? What makes that the most interesting or important point?”
Reminder: There are no right or wrong answers.
Decide who will go first and BEGIN.
The Planned Question
Analyze issues more in-depth.
Instant Replay
Used for reviews. Beginning of class to review previous material. End of class to review the day’s materials.
The Highlighter Question (we just did this)
A productive pause in the action.
From the book –
When to use: When your lesson is built around a key issue or point. Main Use: Climax of a lesson to make all of its contents memorable, meaningful, appreciated and motivating. Secondary Use: To develop the thinking, perceptual, reasoning, social, and language skills of your students. Third Use: To provide the teacher with a respite and chance to re-group.
It helps to develop a preliminary understanding into a question. Students then “buzz” on the question. Can be at the beginning of a lesson to introduce a topic or lead to the main issue. It can then lead into a more challenging question which can be or can lead into the main issue. More than doubles the long-term memory and value of the lesson Can use in conjunction with the other techniques, or by itself.
Buzz session – What could have been some planning questions I could I have used it this was solely a class lesson, instead of a presentation?
(optional) Buzz session – “What, for you, was the most important point of the planned question, and what made that the most important point for you?”
From the book –
When to use: Whenever the teacher likes, on the spur of the moment, to highlight any question or issue. Or use to gain respite and/or to regroup in mid-lesson. Main Use: To underscore any point that the teacher wants to make in the contents of the lesson, or to give the teacher room in which to breathe, regroup, or to observe his/her students in action. Secondary Uses: To develop the thinking, perceptual, reasoning, social and language skills of your students, and to give teachers a quick easy respite while continuing students’ learning-withunderstanding.
The question should focus attention on the key point that you want to emphasize. It should be a question which they can relate to fairly easily to their own experience or prior understandings. You can challenge them more as time goes on. It should be an open-ended question that a discussion may arise from. “Buzz” – this causes the students to apply their own experiences and perceptions to the lesson.
(From page 17 of 3 Easy Tactics): “What is one of the more important points you want to teach in your next class or next lesson? Please brainstorm a variety of question you could ask which your students can fairly well answer and get into discussion over with each other. Pick your one best “zinger”.” Share with a partner. Share with the group.
“What, in your experience, does the highlighter question somehow remind you of? Why does that point remind you of that experience?”
From the book –
When to use: For just a few minutes at the end of the lesson [or at the beginning to review a previous lesson]. Main Use: A method for reviewing lesson contents. Certainly everyone here appreciates the value of reviewing so the learner absorbs more for longer. What’s different is how much more [you retain] for this review method in contrast to other review methods, and how easy and enjoyable this particular tactic is for both the teacher and the students. Second Use: To develop the thinking, perceptual, social reasoning, and language skills of your students.
Have 10 or so minutes at the end of a lesson to use this technique. Ask whatever of these (or another question of your creation) is most appropriate: [see next slide] The last question may be the best, especially initially, because it encourages students to make connections with their own experiences, and there are no wrong answers. It is recommended that you write whatever question you choose on the board.
“What are some of the many ramifications of the main point in this lesson?” “What main point in this lesson do you think that you most need to give further attention to, and why?” “What are some of the many ways you think that the various points in this lesson relate to one another?” “What in your experience does the main point of this lesson somehow remind you of? And can you tell why that point somehow reminds you of that experience?”
Start with: “Tell the person next to you your answer to this question…” If students object to “buzzing” at first, you can start with having them write it out before verbally sharing it. Move among the students to make sure they are participating, on task, and listen for how they received the lesson and what you said. Using a chime or another signal, if needed, making sure they switch who is talking by saying, “Finish that thought (statement, sentence, etc.), but then switch roles so your partner can answer. Please continue now.”
Some students don’t like to speak “on the spot” with these questions. You can also have them write the answer first before they share with someone else. Please write the answer to the following question. Then we will share.
“What are some of the ways you can use instant replay in your job, in your position, whether you teach or not? How could that change your perception about things?”
Instant Replay question (with buzz session): “How can you use each of the 3 questions in your class or in some other area of your life?”
Lesson Planning / Incorporating 3 Easy Tactics
Standard Lesson Plan (see handout)
1.) Determine what the main point is. 2.) Turn that point into a question. 3.) Determine what the students will need to know to successfully answer the questions.
Example (geometry lesson): Planning Question: “How could understanding how to calculate how much “space” things take up be helpful? Why?”
Highlighter Question: “If you were painting a surface and there was some object, like a window, how would that effect your finding the surface area?” Instant Replay Question: [pick one of the five listed questions] Repeat for any other objectives. Tip: Start with questions that anyone is more than likely able to answer. They should be able to draw from their own personal experience.
3 Easy Tactics Lesson Plan (see handout)
“Buzz” on: “How, for you, did adding these techniques change the lesson (make it different)? ”
Group participant discussion: “How were they added?”
(follow example from presentation) -in small groups -“Think of a lesson you’ve taught or could teach, and think of one of each of the questions you could include as part of the lesson.” -share with class (one representative or group presentation)
show pages from book
Thoughts / Comments “Buzz”: “What, for you, was the most important point of this presentation, and what made that the most important point for you?” o -share with group
The most important point to me.
In addition to emailing anything in particular you would like me to go over in the webinar, let me know at least one way your used one of the tactics.
According to researchers, 90% of what you “learn” in a lecture, class, or presentation is forgotten, most within the first couple of hours. Certain learning methodologies, including 3 Easy Tactics and the Socratic Method, change that.
Challenge: Use at least one tactic with something from this conference, AND take these learnings with you.
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