Up until this point in the semester, we have been focusing a lot on learning styles, theories, different lesson plans, specific models, methods and strategies, use of technology in the classroom and classroom management. These are all vital elements in teaching. However, it is also important to think about how all of these this new information and knowledge is affecting student learning and motivation. In others words, how is all this new fantastic information I have learned about impacted students, cooperating teachers and my peers. Buckle up we are about to take a trip down Meta-cognition lane....introspection is a requirement!
Learning about direct instruction and creating a direct instruction lesson, I learned that this type of lesson is very bare basics and scripted. Students are presented with material by the teacher and are asked to discover and inquire about information on their own. Direction instruction lessons are necessary when you are introducing a new concept that students are not familiar with. DI lessons give students the foundational knowledge necessary to succeed at higher more innovative levels in future lessons in the unit. When teaching my DI lesson on the solar system, I was merely introducing the students to the 8 planets of the solar system. I was reading facts about each planet off a power point. The students were taking notes and listening to the lecture. However, the DI lesson structure that allowed for little student engagement and interaction. I did however check for understanding often, but the level of student creativity was limited, as I was provided them with all the information.
I know that when I create and implement my IMP and SIM lessons, I will see a huge difference in the way the students process and engagement. Direction Instruction lessons are definitely necessary to build a foundation, but they are not my favorite type of lesson to teach. I believe students should be active learners and explorers of information, which is why I am excited to create and teach IMP and SIM lessons.
After teaching this DI lesson, I was truly about to see how the framework of a lesson effects the metacognition of both the students and the teacher. The students are being feed information in a DI lesson and the teacher is reading off facts about a topic. This highly limits student and teacher creativity. I was left with the final thought that no model, method or strategy can be used in isolation or should be considered the best. All should be used together and at different points in the unit, as they tap into different types of thinking.
In closing, BE COGNITIVE ABOUT YOUR COGNITION!
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