Generating and testing a hypothesis is one of Robert Marzano’s ten teaching strategies. For those of you non-teachers out there, these are strategies that a teacher should be using in order to differentiate instruction. Oh wait, that’s another teaching buzzword many do not know. Let me try again…
Teachers in the 21st century face a problem every single day. It is extremely difficult to meet the needs of every student in the classroom. It is no longer possible to have every student read the exact same book, or for the teacher to stand up in front of a class and lecture while the students take notes on their own. Every child learns differently and as a teacher, we need to utilize a variety of strategies for our students to achieve.
Currently, I have 21 students in my homeroom for math and language arts, and two classes of 22 or so for social studies. For the last five years, I had only ever taught language arts and social studies. These subjects are two of the most difficult content areas to teach. #1, Kids in sixth grade are often at the point in their education where reading and writing are not cool. #2, they constantly ask why they need to learn about the past and that it should not matter to them if they know about it because it does not relate to them. Now I have to teach math, a subject that most children loathe because it has always been to hard for them? How on earth am I supposed to reach these kids?
I have to admit; I am guilty of direct instruction, probably more than I should be using it. However, as I teach, I look out at my students and see some with their heads on desks, some whispering, or drawing pictures in their notebooks, and realize I am talking to a brick wall. These kids are bored out of their minds. These kids are so used to having technology in their faces, but in school they are expected to focus and listen to a teacher babble about a place called Mesopotamia. BORING! Honestly, I would probably have fallen asleep too. I really need to start thinking about different teaching strategies and learning theories.
Problem, project, or inquiry based learning are three exceptional examples of constructivism or constuctionism. With these theories, students can develop a project based on their curriculum or participate in some sort of experiment. While students are actively involved in their learning, they tend to have more fun, and will learn more in the end (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). A wonderful example of this is Robert Marzano’s teaching strategy, generating and testing a hypothesis.
Until this week, I had never really thought about generating and testing a hypothesis as more than a science experiment for a science class. In reality, we can hypothesize in any subject and work towards figuring it out. Yes, it is much more simple to use this strategy in math or science, but what about language arts or social studies? With technology, anything can be possible. If a student starts out with a question about a topic, instead of giving them the answer, have them research it on their own through a web quest, or create a project on power point, or a movie on primaryaccess.org. As long as our students are questioning, there can be active learning.
One goal I would like to set for myself this year is for each ancient civilization we learn, have my students develop one to three questions they would like answered about a certain topic, have them figure out the answers on their own, and develop a project to share their knowledge with everyone else. A webquest would be a great way to begin. By supplying this to my students in the beginning, I can offer them some background knowledge on the topic and from there, they can create their questions about what they would like to learn more about (Glazer, 2001). One site that I found that offered many wonderful webquests for numerous content areas is http://bestwebquests.com/default.asp. This site actually rates the quests with stars. Another possibility is to have my students develop their own web quest for future students based on questions they come up with. In the end, I hope that they will take more out of what they wanted to learn and did learn, than what I would have them read, take notes, and a test on.
References:
Glazer, E. (2001). Problem Based Instruction. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Unfortunately for many teachers, everything you said is correct. It is easy to stand in front of class and lecture, but creating engaging and interesting lessons (especially with some content) is very tough.
ReplyDeleteGiving students the option to answer 3 of their own questions is a great idea. I have given my students a few questions (essential questions) at the beginning of a unit and just asked them to answer them. It was a great opportunity for students to find the answers themselves, but also checks for prior knowledge. Some students can answer the questions before entering your classroom.
I also like the idea of your students creating a webquest for others. It may help you in the future, but also engages students on a new level. They are no longer just answering a question, but asking and answering questions. Knowing that other students will be using their webquest is added motivation for hard work.
- Curt G.
I know your frustration well. During my first year of teaching I had four classes with four preps and we were on block schedule so each class was an hour and a half long. I taught SDC English, Math, Life Skills, and Freshman Foundations. Plus, I had a caseload of 28 students for IEP meetings. I thought I was going to die.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best things I did was get our of Special Education and into an environment that was more suitable for my ability. Second, I brought to school a course that be something I would enjoy and that was student-centered.
In your current situation, I would agree with you and say that getting your student involved with Webquests is a great start in the right direction. The students will feel empowered and by letting go of the reigns a little, you may end up feeling less stressed.
I know it is harder to do with the younger grades...good luck!
Fred
It is wonderful to hear that I am not alone in my situation. I really need to make it a point to fit student centered activities more in to my lessons. I know how important they are in keeping the students engaged in a lesson. Fred, you are correct that the students really will feel empowered. They love to feel like they accomplished something and if I continually stand up and lecture to them, they will not be successful.
ReplyDeleteYou are right, hypothesizing can occur in any subject. I think this will encourage critical thinking and our students will learn to think on deeper levels. If we are always giving answers, they will never learn to think deeper about things. Learning how to tap into critical thinking at a young age will help them later in life. Most adults don't even think on this level. As teachers, we are learning new ways to enhance learning. If we can help our students achieve this goal, they will be a step ahead of a lot of others.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of using questions that the students are responsible for on their own time. I try to integrate computer time into my class once a week but it is difficult to get kids to find information without making some sort of scavenger hunt for them to track down answers.
ReplyDeleteStacy,
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic blog, one that I agree with whole-heartedly. I look out at my 2nd graders and see a lot of those same bored faces. It is true, that happens most often during math. I appreciate your honesty in the reality that we are probably doing more direct instruction than we should. With all the advances in technology we can integrate these theories and strategies like Generating and Testing a Hypothesis into all content areas, even math.
I have come home frustrated, convinced that if I were a video game or other interactive gaming device my students would be so much more motivated to listen and learn. So, the big question I have to ask myself is, if I know students are motivated by technology why am I using direct instruction? I am excited to continue to learn and gather ideas for integrating these strategies and specifically Dr. Marzano's ten teaching strategies across my curriculum.
Koreen Humphries