Improving Student Achievement: Instructional Strategies

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Welcome Back
Presenters Pam Lange Barb Rowenhorst Janet
Hensley April 3 2008
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Preparing All Students for Success Purposeful
instruction assessment and staff
development. Actively promote a climate of
achievement Incentives and celebrations. Structu
re strong school building leadership. Support
students in building knowledge and skills for
success today and tomorrow.
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Outcomes

• To understand the definition of a learning group.
  
• To learn about and create learning group
  activities to implement in the classroom.
• To extend knowledge of Marzano strategy
  implementation.

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Agenda

• Welcome
• Learning Groups
• Cubing/Think Dot (revisited)
• Lunch
• Choice Boards/Menu Boards
• Planning

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Janet
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Exit Card

• Easy strategy for
• assessing student learning
• Students respond to prompts or questions turn in
  cards as they leave
• Teacher uses card to help create groups monitor
  student progress revise lesson
• On Target Strategies to Help Struggling Readers
  page 27

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Our Exit Card

• List three things you learned today.

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Our Exit Card

• List two questions youd still like to explore.

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Our Exit Card

• List two questions youd still like to explore.

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Our Exit Card

• List one method of learning groups and/or choice
  that you might apply in your classroom.

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Outcomes

• To understand the definition of a learning group.
  
• To learn about and create learning group
  activities to implement in the classroom.
• To extend knowledge of Marzano strategy
  implementation.

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Pam
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Learning Groups

• Various names have been given to this form of
  teaching and there are some distinctions among
  these
• (adapted from Johnson Johnson and Smith 1991)

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Learning Groups

• Learning groups work together to accomplish a
  shared goal.
• It is the instructional use of small groups so
  that students work together to maximize their own
  and each others learning.

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Learning Groups

• On a note card jot down what you think the
  research will say about learning groups.

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Learning Groups - Research

• Students learn best when they are actively
  involved in the process.
• Researchers report that regardless of the
  subject matter students working in small groups
  tend to learn more of what is taught and retain
  it longer than when the same content is presented
  in other instructional formats.
• Students who work in learning groups also appear
  more satisfied with their classes.

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Learning Groups - Research

• When learning groups are compared with
  individual competition and individual student
  tasks the effect size is .78.

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Learning Groups - Research

• Organizing students in heterogeneous
  learning groups at least once a week has
  a significant effect on learning.
• (Marzano Pickering and Pollock 2001)

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T-Chart

• Quickly draw a T-chart on a blank sheet of
  paper.
• On one side of the chart list times you have
  used ability grouping in your classroom.
• On the other side of the chart list times you
  have used other forms of grouping.

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Learning Groups - Research

• Research shows that ability grouping as currently
  practiced
• Shows no consistent positive value for helping
  students generally.
• Produces a negative effect in lower ability
  groups that more than offsets slight gains in
  higher-grouped children.
• Produces an unfavorable effect on affective
  development.
• Relates more to socioeconomic and ethnic status
  than to performance ability.
• Cannot be shown to be responsible for positive
  scholastic effects due to the many variables
  inherent in curriculum and instructional design
  and delivery.
• Ubben Hughes Norris

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Learning Groups - Research

• Enhance student satisfaction with their learning
  experience.
• Develop students social skills.

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Learning Groups - Research

• Help students develop oral communication skills.
• Promote student self-esteem.

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Learning Groups - Research

• Increase student retention.

When you teach you learn twice.
Seneca Roman philosopher
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Learning Groups - Research

• Promote inclusion of special needs students.

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Learning Groups

• Based on the research what changes if
  any might you make with the grouping you
  are currently doing within your classroom.

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Forming Learning Groups

• Informal Groups
• Used for a few minutes or a class period
• Formal Groups
• Used for several days or even weeks
• Study Teams/Base Groups
• Long-term (semester or year)

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Sibling Line-up (Informal)

• Form a line using the criteria
• How many siblings are in your family
• Count all siblings.
• Full Half Step Other
• Starting at the end of the line create groups of
  four.
• Select a place to work with your group.

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Preparing for Learning Groups

• Student preparation
• Teacher preparation
• Classroom application
• Team information sharing
• Accountability

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Learning Groups

• Using the mat provided prepare a graphic
  organizer of what you like and dislike about
  working in learning groups
• OR
• What you like or dislike about using learning
  groups in your classroom
• You can use one of the graphic organizers
  provided on the mat or create one of your own.

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Designing Learning Groups

• Informal Groups
• Used for a few minutes or a class period
• Formal Groups
• Used for several days or even weeks
• Study Teams/Base Groups
• Long-term (semester or year)

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Teambuilding Learning Groups

• Team Identity
• Team motto
• Team cheer
• Team mascot
• Team song

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Designing Learning Groups

• Number in a Group
• Groups of 3-4 produce the largest percentile
  gain.
• Pairs indicate the next largest percentile gain.
• Groups of 5-7 indicate a negative
  result.
• Marzano Pickering Pollock Classroom
  Instruction That Works

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Planning for Learning Groups

• It is important to make sure you plan prior to
  using learning groups.
• Handout Planning for Learning Groups

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Planning for Learning Groups

• Form groups of two or three.
• Select one scenario.
• Discuss the guiding prompts on the Planning for
  Learning Groups handout.
• Create chart paper with main learning group ideas.

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Designing Learning Groups

• Informal Groups
• Used for a few minutes or a class period
• Formal Groups
• Used for several days or even weeks
• Study Teams/Base Groups
• Long-term (semester or year)

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barb
CUBING/THINK DOTS
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KNOW

• Participant will know the key principles of
  Cubing and ThinkDots and the application of them
  using a fairy tale.

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UNDERSTAND

• Participants will understand that Cubing and
  ThinkDots are related strategies that support
  differentiated processing.
• Participants will understand how to develop
  practical applications and skills of Cubing and
  ThinkDots.

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DO

• Effectively create and implement Cubing and/or
  ThinkDots strategies.

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Cubing
On Target Differentiated Instruction
Grades 4-12 pages 12-13
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CUBING Guide
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CUBING diagram
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Social Studies Level 1
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Social Studies Level 2
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Social Studies Level 3
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cUBING demonstration
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Cubing Practice

• Use the article and website on Earth Day and
  develop some questions to correspond with the 6
  sides of the cube. Post questions on chart paper.

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CUBING

• Use the first cube as your average cube create 2
  more one lower level and one higher level.
• ALL cubes need to cover the same type of
  questions just written to the readiness levels.
• Color-code or label your cubes so you know which
  level of readiness you are addressing.
• Always remember to have an easy problem on each
  cube and a hard one regardless of the levels.
• Decide on the rules. Will the students be asked
  to do all 6 sides Roll and do any 4 sides Do
  any two questions on each of the cubes
• Use old quizzes worksheets textbook-study
  problems student generated internet etc. to
  help with writing questions.

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ThinkDots
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ThinkDots Guide
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ThinkDots

• Variation of Cubing works well with older
  students
• Students have to do all the tasks they just do
  it in the order they roll.
• Strategy used to review demonstrate and extend
  thinking
• Can do a group of 6 people and each one does the
  task of what they rolled and then they have a
  group product at the end.

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ThinkDots Demonstration
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ThinkDots Demonstration
2. Goldilocks in 1 minute or less http//youtube.
com/watchv02cRfwmeCGY 3. Revolting Rhymes
Goldilocks Roald Dahl http//youtube.com/watchv
cstpvUODHYY 4. Goldilocks Song http//youtube.com
/watchvAvtkUOhL7yU 5. Rewrite the story of
Goldilocks using more difficult vocabulary
(example Little Red Riding Hood) 6. Goldilocks
on trial http//youtube.com/watchvIAnGP-VO2sw
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Think Dots Title Algebra level 1
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Think Dots Title Algebra
level 2
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Think Dots Title Algebra
level 3
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ThinkDots Practice

• Using the article and website on Earth Day
  develop ThinkDot activities to correspond with
  the 6 sides of the die.

Write on chart paper and post
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CUBING/THINK DOTS

• Suggestions
• Use colored paper to indicate different readiness
  levels interests or learning styles.
• Let students choose which activities- for
  example choose any three or have students choose
  just one to work on over a number of days.
• If students have worked on activities
  individually have them come together in groups
  by levels interest or learning style to
  synthesize.

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WHEN To USE

• After a unit has been presented and students are
  familiar with the elements of the unit and
  conceptual skills.
• To help students think about and make sense of
  the unit and concepts they are studying.

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Concerns
Cubing or ThinkDOTS can turn into glorified
worksheets but not if all activities are
purposeful and focused on getting students to
understand a concept in a multitude of ways.
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Brainstorm
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Integration Plan

• With your table group brainstorm the different
  ideas for using Cubing/ThinkDots.
• A recorder will write the top three responses on
  chart paper and post at the front of the room.
• Youll have 5 minutes to complete this task.

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Lesson Plan
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Lesson Plan

• Choose a unit from your content area or continue
  with the Earth Day theme.
• Choose either Cubing or ThinkDots.
• Follow the directions on the guide sheets and use
  the lesson plan guide to develop a lesson to use
  in your classroom in the next month.

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Team Planning Time
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lunch
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janet
Choice Boards(Tic-Tac-Toe) Menu Boards
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On target bookletStrategies That
Differentiate Instructiongrades 4-12
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Choice Boards (Think-Tic-Tac-Toe)

• Allows students choice
• Incorporates learning preferences
• Takes readiness into account (basic and advanced)
• Provides framework
• On Target Differentiated Instruction
  Grades 4-12 pages 14-15

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Choice Board/Tic-Tac-Toe
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Choice Boards/Tic-Tac-Toe

• Variations
• Easier choice board for struggling students and a
  more challenging choice board for proficient or
  advanced students.
• Could have 3 kinesthetic tasks 3 auditory tasks
  3 visual tasks.
• Can assign students or a student what you want
  them to do.

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Choice Boards/Tic-Tac-Toe

• Look at Gardners multiple intelligences p.14
• Look at 6th grade math and high school science
  examples on p.15
• Pick a topic and discuss how you could make a
  choice board (may have to divide into age level
  groups)
• CHART -- POST

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Menu Approach

• Main dish Everyone
• Side dish Pick and choose
• Dessert Optional but irresistible
• On Target Differentiated Instruction Grades
  4-12 pages 10-11

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Menu Approach

• Take same topic or choose a different topic
• Design a differentiated menu.
• CHART and POST

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Lets Try it
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Lesson Plan
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Marzano Putting it All Together
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Outcomes

• To understand the definition of a learning group.
  
• To learn about and create learning group
  activities to implement in the classroom.
• To extend knowledge of Marzano strategy
  implementation.

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Team Planning Time