What will I do to help students effectively interact with new knowledge?
~Danielson framework: questioning and discussion techniques
~CLASS-S survey: analysis & problem solving, quality of feedback, and student
engagement
~The Art and Science of Teaching by Robert Marzano
Teaching in Small Steps
January 16, 2013
I.
In a learning episode, we tend to remember best that which comes first and second
best that which comes last. We tend to remember least that which comes just past the
middle of the episode.
a. How does this impact teaching and learning?
II.
Chunking – 2 ways of taking small steps with our kids
a. Chunking the 90-min class period
b. Taking into consideration the amount of information our kids can handle at a time
III.
Memory – it’s not just a matter of in our memory or not
a. There is a route that information has to travel to make it to long-term storage
(memory)
b. Working memory – the place where we process information – is fairly small
c. By the time kids reach adolescence, the working memory can handle five to nine
pieces of new information at a time with an average of seven which is the amount
that carries into adulthood.
d. If we want our students to retain what we are teaching – not just hear and forget –
we have to break it into manageable chunks – teaching in small steps.
IV.
A Learning Episode defined as when the learner focuses on the teacher with intent to
learn
a. Prime time 1 – new material is taught during this time because it is most likely to be
remembered. Avoid managerial/paperwork/announcement and present only correct
information. Use various questioning and discussion techniques interacting
with/chewing on the information.
b. Down time – retention can take place during this time but it is most difficulty
during this time. This is a great time to ask students to practice the knowledge
while teacher takes care of managerial tasks, etc. “The one doing the talking is the
one doing the learning.” (Marzano) Once you train students, they can engage with a
partner or small group to talk about their learning.
c. Prime time 2 – Closure of the learning episode should take place here – time for
students to make sense of the learning/summarize. This isn’t closure for the class
period. As a learning episode concludes, times in working memory are sorted or
chunked to allow for additional processing of the arriving final times, which are
likely held in working memory and will decay unless further rehearsed.
V.
Making the most of your class
Prime-Times
Episode time
Down-Time
Total number of
Percentage of
Number of
Percentage of
minutes
total time
minutes
total time
20 min
18
90%
2
10%
30 min
24
80 %
6
20%
40 min
30
75%
10
25%
80 min
50
62%
30
38%
EHS 90-minute class period
PT1
15
DT
5
PT2
8
Break
3
PT1
15
DT
5
PT2
8
Break
3
PT1
15
DT
5
PT2
8
~Resources:
Coaching Classroom Instruction by Robert Marzano
How the Brain Learns by David Sousa
The Art and Science of Teaching by Robert Marzano
The Highly-Engaged Classroom by Robert Marzano with Tammy Helflebower and Debra Pickering