EDUCATION STRATEGY

Retelling is a comprehension strategy by which a student describes the events of a story. Primary students often struggle with the concept of retelling, choosing instead to repeat what they most recently read, rather than expressing a linear sequence of events. If your emergent reader struggles with this concept, try a tested strategy. Model, Model, Model First, and most importantly, model what you want to hear from your student. After reading together, retell the main events in the story to your child. Hearing how a retelling should sound is the first step in creating a reader who can apply what she has heard. The 5 W's Focus on the who, what, when, where and why of the story. For early readers, assign each of their fingers one of the 5 W’s and have them tick down a finger as they talk about that aspect of the story. When all five fingers are down, their retelling should be complete. First, Next, Then, Last Encourage the student to use the key words first, next, then a...

The trend of incorporating students receiving special education services more into the general education classroom brings with it a challenge of providing these students with additional learning support. Mnemonic strategies can be used to enhance the learning experience for both special education and general education students. Mnemonic strategies are tools that use visual and verbal clues to help students retain important information, and they can be used in any subject area. The three main types of mnemonic strategies are: letter strategies, keywords and pegwords. Letter Strategy The sentence “Please excuse my dear Aunt Sally” is often used to teach Order of Operations, or the order in which mathematical operations should be performed when evaluating expressions or equations. The first letter of each word of the sentence forms the word PEMDAS. This stands for Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction. PEMDAS is an example of a mnemonic letter strat...

The corners of teaching strategy can be easily adapted to any grade level and subject. It takes little teacher preparation yet results in motivated, engaged students. The strategy involves students moving to one of the four classroom corners to convey their feelings about a topic. It can be designed to take only several minutes of class or up to an entire session. Memorable and valuable class discussions are often the result of the four corners strategy. Visible Opinion Sharing The corners is a teaching strategy that works well to engage all students in conversations about controversial topics. For example, in a reading class you can ask questions about a character’s actions in a novel. Math students can debate if students should be able to use calculators. Science students can discuss the use of alternative forms of energy. While in social studies, students can debate the various forms of government. To prepare, write statements in a definitive manner. For example, nuclear energ...

To local school officials, taxpayers in a community share much in common with stakeholders in a publicly traded company. The proof is that superintendents and boards of education spend months and even years designing strategic plans for education that serve almost the same functions as a company's annual financial reports. These educational road maps portray officials' vision for the schools' future while presenting strategies to improve results, objectives to realize goals and key indicators to measure performance. Methods Brainstorm a list of goals for improving student achievement. Arrange goals in order of importance to the district at large. For example, the first goal might be to boost the high school graduation rate. The last goal might be to revamp language arts instruction at one of the elementary schools. Write an introduction summarizing those goals and expressing the district's educational vision. Refer to successes and shortcomings of prior strategic p...

According to Paulson, Paulson and Meyer, (1991, p. 63): "Portfolios offer a way of assessing student learning that is different than traditional methods. Portfolio assessment provides the teacher and students an opportunity to observe students in a broader context: taking risks, developing creative solutions, and learning to make judgments about their own performances." In order for thoughtful evaluation to take place, teachers must have multiple scoring strategies to evaluate students' progress. Criteria for a finished portfolio might include several of the following: Thoughtfulness (including evidence of students' monitoring of their own comprehension, meta-cognitive reflection, and productive habits of mind). Growth and development in relationship to key curriculum expectancies and indicators. Understanding and application of key processes. Completeness, correctness, and appropriateness of products and processes presented in the portfolio. Diversity of entr...

Portfolio assessment is a multi-faceted process characterized by the following recurrent qualities: It is continuous and ongoing, providing both formative (i.e., ongoing) and summative (i.e., culminating) opportunities for monitoring students' progress toward achieving essential outcomes. It is multidimensional, i.e., reflecting a wide variety of artifacts and processes reflecting various aspects of students' learning process(es). It provides for collaborative reflection, including ways for students to reflect about their own thinking processes and meta-cognitive introspection as they monitor their own comprehension, reflect upon their approaches to problem-solving and decision-making, and observe their emerging understanding of subjects and skills. Although approaches to portfolio development may vary, all of the major research and literature on portfolios reinforce the following characteristics: They clearly reflect stated learner outcomes identified in the core or es...

There are many different types of portfolios, each of which can serve one or more specific purposes as part of an overall school or classroom assessment program. The following is a list of the types most often cited in the literature: Documentation Portfolio : This type is also known as the "working" portfolio. Specifically, this approach involves a collection of work over time showing growth and improvement reflecting students' learning of identified outcomes. The documentation portfolio can include everything from brainstorming activities to drafts to finished products. The collection becomes meaningful when specific items are selected out to focus on particular educational experiences or goals. It can include the bet and weakest of student work.   Process Portfolio : This approach documents all facets or phases of the learning process. They are particularly useful in documenting students' overall learning process. It can show how students integrate specific know...

The process of facilitating successful student portfolios can be broken into four steps: Collection Selection Reflection Connection Collection Although the first step, collection, is straight-forward, it is not always an easy step to facilitate successfully. It simply requires students to collect and store all of their work. Three challenges at this step are common. One, most students and many teachers are not accustomed to documenting and saving all class work. Two, there is seldom an obvious place to put the work as it is collected, particularly when artwork or lab work is involved. And three, it is not always obvious how to generate artifacts from things like field trips, community service projects, jobs, and sports. The key skill in this step is to get students accustomed to collecting and documenting whenever possible.. Selection How one facilitates the second step, selection, depends on the kind of portfolio (process or product oriented) and to what degree a teacher stipul...

The four corners teaching strategy can be easily adapted to any grade level and subject. It takes little teacher preparation yet results in motivated, engaged students. The strategy can be designed to take only several minutes of class up to almost an entire session. Memorable and valuable class discussions are often the result of the four corners strategy. Controversial Topics Four corners is a teaching strategy that works well to engage all students in conversations about controversial topics. For example, in a reading class you can ask questions about a character’s actions in a novel. Math students can debate if students should be able to use calculators. For science, students can discuss the use of alternative forms of energy. While in social studies, students can debate the various forms of government. To prepare, write statements in a definitive manner. For example, nuclear energy is a good source of energy. Before class, record the statements on an interactive white board ...

Using a variety of methods to evaluate your teaching strategies will give you better feedback about how to improve your teaching and the course. In addition, students will appreciate the effort you take to include their ideas in the teaching process and to individualize your classroom approach to a particular group of students. Instructions Preparing and Teaching Evaluate the goals you want to impart and the skills you want students to take away from a particular class session as you are developing your lesson plan. Write the goals for the class period on the board at the start of class. This will help you and the students know what to expect and may help you keep the timing of events under control. Check in with yourself every now and then during the class to see if a particular mode of imparting information is working. If it isn't, make a mental note. If you feel comfortable switching gears, try that. If not, make sure to write down your evaluation of the session after c...

Writing is a main component of daily instruction in the primary grades, third through sixth. Teachers should focus on teaching children to write for a specific purpose according to a structured outline. Students will benefit from interactive instruction in which they see the teacher model the correct writing procedures, then guide them in frequent opportunities to practice the concepts they are learning. This method will enable them to become successful, independent writers. Type of Instruction Students in primary grades need to learn the basics of writing. These include structure, style and content. Teachers should emphasize various types of writing such as narrative, descriptive, informative and comparison composition. These formats can be taught in other subject areas. For example, a teacher can demonstrate the method for informative and comparison writing as part of social studies and science classes because of their factual nature. Narrative and descriptive writing can be taug...

Solving problems in school can be difficult for children of any age, especially in the areas of math and science. Teaching your child or student some simple problem solving strategies that use logical reasoning techniques can help them learn how to think things through and come up with a plan that will best address the problem. Things You'll Need Paper Pencil Computer Instructions Tell your student or child to try and simplify the problem by stating it in a simplified manner using their own words. Ask the student or your child to tell you what they already know about the problem and what they need to know in order to answer the question. Have them think about and consider what there options are for solving the problem; what do they think is the best option for solving the problem and why? Ask them what materials and tools, if any, they will need to illustrate the results or steps for that solve the problem (protractors, rulers, weights and measures, blocks). Have your...

Goal setting provides a path or set of steps on how to accomplish a specific skill, task or dream. Teachers should employ goal setting within the classroom. Setting goals not only helps students, but helps teachers monitor progress and accomplish skills and tasks with students. Teaching goal-setting strategies helps children become more confident, more willing to take responsibility for their actions and better leaders. Identify Goals A goal is the end result or the accomplishment of a specific effort. Teach children the meaning of a goal through examples. True stories depicting people throughout history defeating overwhelming odds to accomplish their goals are good examples to inspire students. Stories about Harriet Tubman, Mother Theresa or Thomas Edison give choice examples of working achieving something despite great odds. Teachers and parents are excellent examples of great role models as well, according the to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Choose ...

Intervention strategies are employed when a student is falling behind academically or has behavioral issues in class. Teachers employ intervention strategies during the course of the school day to either help redirect behavior, focus attention or to help with school work. Intervention strategies comes in many different forms. Teachers should keep track of the issues facing a student, use appropriate strategies and monitor the outcome of the strategies used. Intervention for Hyperactive Students Some students may have issues with being able to quiet at appropriate times or even staying in their chairs during lesson times. Simple interventions that can be employed for these students are creating cards. Give the student five laminated cards. Each time the student speaks out of turn or gets out of their seat a card must be given to the teacher. Positive feedback must be given when the student keeps all of his or her cards for the day. If the student loses all his or her cards there sho...

New teachers need feedback from their supervisors to learn better teaching strategies. A new teacher, often in the form of a student teacher, does not yet have the experience to determine when a student is struggling, when her teaching is too abstract for the students or when she is teaching the wrong information. While some problems may quickly become obvious to a new teacher, such as stage fright, she may need feedback to identify others and receive necessary help. Peer Feedback New teachers often become nervous when a supervisor sits in the classroom because they know that the supervisor is watching for mistakes and problems. A peer, however, is not in the same category as a supervisor. This strategy involves asking a teacher's peers, or other new teachers who are also undergoing supervision, to watch him work and offer advice or tips. Student Feedback Students are the focus of a teacher's efforts and when students are struggling, it is a sign that the teacher needs ...

Inclusive education initiatives remove developmentally or physically disabled children from special education classrooms and place them in traditional classes with non-disabled kids. Integrating classrooms diminishes the stigma of disabilities and allows all children to learn together. Simply integrating classrooms to include children with and without disabilities does not necessarily change academic outcomes. Rather, educators and parents must be proactive about planning classes and utilizing inclusive education strategies. Classroom Style Rather than having a teacher as leader and children working individually to learn, inclusive education emphasizes the value of the classroom as an integrated unit. If children with disabilities need additional help, a peer or teacher's aide may provide assistance. Technology and educational materials designed for disabled children should be incorporated into the classroom without excluding the disabled child from common activities. Prepara...

Inclusive education refers to integrating children with disabilities into a standard classroom setting with their peers. This model allows children with disabilities to be in the same setting with other children in their age group. Since children with disabilities often have different educational goals, teachers may find it difficult to organize their classrooms to give each child the opportunity to reach her full potential. Professional development that provides teaching strategies can alleviate many of the concerns of teachers new to inclusion. Explaining the benefits of inclusion also can motivate teachers to put in the extra effort. Understanding Inclusion Provide teachers with a thorough understanding of the inclusion model. In an integrated classroom, children with special needs might not be working on the same materials or at the same pace as the other students, but they are given access to the standard curriculum and are full members of the class. Students with disabilities...

Samuel Odom, a prominent special education researcher says, "The special education community has yet to identify systematic guidelines for specifying the types and levels of evidence needed to identify a practice as evidenced-based and effective." Educational researchers Sean Bulger, Derek Mohr and Richard Walls reviewed studies on effective educational practices and identified four key strategies that met effective practice standards for all students. These are teaching based on outcomes, clear directions, engaging students during lessons and exuding enthusiasm during teaching. Outcomes Special education has always required that instruction be based on outcomes, or goals, so this effective practice has been embedded in special education practice for over 35 years. Setting goals for instruction is like making an itinerary for a trip--they show you where you want to be at the end of the journey. Goals lead teachers toward the result of their instructional journey--positive...

By the time teenagers enter higher education, they are expected to be experts on basic school-taught subjects, and show commitment as to what they want to study. Nevertheless, there is still the challenge for the educator, to make students interpret the more complex issues discussed in higher institutes' classes. Whatever the subject, there are basic strategies to help you make the lesson more compelling and its contents easier to understand. Ask Questions of Students Make students part of the lesson by asking them questions about the subject. Don't just ask if they didn't understand a part of the lesson; instead, ask them to give you examples and how theory can be put into practice. It will open a dialog among all the students who might have an opinion on the matter, which will get their attention. On social studies for example, apart from presenting the structural model of bureaucracy by German political economist Max Weber, ask students to give you an example on how ...

A school's strategic plan is the school's road map for the next several years. The school board, superintendent and school administrators spend months or even longer on a strategic plan. The document goes through several writing, approval and revision cycles. The strategic plan includes objectives and the planned means to both meet those objectives and measure success. The goals are usually academic performance goals, financial goals and plans for school grounds and buildings. The strategic plan usually covers several years. Instructions Write down goals for the school in a brainstorming session. Number the goals from the most important to the least pressing or important. For example, if the high school is overcrowded, building a new high school might be the highest goal while something like raising language arts grades might be last. Write an introduction discussing these goals. Specify how your school will achieve them. point out any needed changes, like cutting the budg...