High Quality Instruction and
What Really Matters
Ingham ISD Principal’s Academy
October, 2012
Outcomes
• Brief review of the key distinctions between
elementary and secondary MTSS model
• Brief review components of guided and
unguided instruction
• Deepen knowledge about the importance of
focusing efforts: Visible Learning
Agenda
1.0 Review from previous session
2.0 Focusing on what really matters
1.0 Review from Last Session
Elementary vs. Secondary MTSS
Models
• RtI research is more prevalent at the early
elementary level
• Attempts have been made to superimpose an
early elementary RtI model on middle and
high school buildings
• There were unintended consequences as a
result…
Elementary vs. Secondary MTSS
Models (cont.)
• Unintended consequences centered around
the key distinctions between elementary and
secondary settings
• Key distinctions:
– Number of teachers who interact with students
– Scheduling
– Core instruction
– Assessments
– Focus
High quality instruction is one of
the common threads between
elementary and secondary MTSS
models.
We have extra
copies of this
article for people
who were unable
to attend the
previous
session.
Key Points
• Guided vs. unguided instruction
– Components of each
– When and who to use
• Other names for unguided instruction
(discovery learning, inquiry learning,
constructivism)
Key Points
• Anatomy of the brain
– Limitations of working memory (space)
– Importance of long term memory
– Building background knowledge is essential for
moving information to long term memory
When Does Instruction Need to be
Guided (Explicit)?
Guided (Explicit)
Very low
background
knowledge
Unguided (Implicit)
Very high
background
knowledge
Experienced failure
in the past
Previous success
Remember Our Anticipatory Guide
Anticipatory Guide
Name
Topic “Putting Students on the Path to Learning: The Case for Fully Guided
Instruction”
Directions: Read the statements below. In the column labeled, “Before Reading,”
place an “A” or “D” next to each statement indicating whether you agree or disagree
with the statement. When you have finished reading, re-read the statements again and
place an “A” or “D” after each statement in the “After Reading” column.
Before
Reading
Statement
Agree/Disagree
After
Reading
Agree/Disagree
1. There are decades of research that clearly and consistently
demonstrate that for novices, direct, explicit instruction is more
effective an more efficient than instruction that is partial guidance.
2. Small group and independent problems and projects can be effective
approaches to making discoveries as part of the learning process.
3. Fully guided instruction is limited to having teachers explain the
concepts and skills that students are required to learn and cannot be
provided through a variety of media (e.g., lectures, modeling, videos,
computer-based presentations, and realistic demonstrations).
4. The ultimate goal for all instruction is to add knowledge and skills to
long-term memory. If nothing has been added to long-term memory,
nothing has been learned.
5. When a student is processing novel information, the working memory
is very limited in duration (about 30 seconds if not rehearsed) and
capacity (usually estimated to be 7 elements but may be as low as
four, plus or minus one).
6. The limitations of working memory apply to new, to-be-learned
information (e.g., information that has not yet been stored in longterm memory). When dealing with previously learned, organized
information stored in long-term memory, these limitations disappear.
7. For novices, searching for a solution overburdens limited working
memory and diverts working-memory resources away from storing
information in long-term memory. As a consequence, novices can
engage in problem-solving activities for extended periods and learn
almost nothing.
A
D
D
A
A
A
A
Anticipatory Guide Tips
• Great to use before reading and after reading
to increase comprehension
• An extension activity could include having
students correct the statements that were
“disagree” statements
Activity
• Independently review the corrected
anticipatory guide to refresh your
memory about what you read from the
last session.
2.0 Knowing What Really Works
Today’s Focus
• We will be delving into the book Visible
Learning via a podcast with the author, John
Hattie
• Throughout the podcast, I will ask you to
engage in conversation around what was
heard and how what you heard either
validates or challenges your paradigm of
professional practice
Capturing Your Thoughts
• Please be sure to take notes on what
confirmed what you know; things you want to
know more about; and/or things that
challenged your existing paradigm of what
constitutes effective practice
Outcomes
• As a result of this session you will have a
better understanding of the following:
– What teachers do matters
– Some things matter more than others
– Some things are more harmful than others
– It is imperative that both teaching and learning be
visible
– Visible teaching and learning combines teachercentered teaching and student-centered learning
rather than over-emphasizes “facilitative” teaching
Agreements
• Suspend judgment
• Do further reading in “Visible Learning” to deepen your
knowledge about things you want to learn more about
and/or to clarify information that conflicts with preexisting beliefs
• Focus on evidence and/or finding research to
substantiate your belief(s) if some of Hattie’s findings
are misaligned with your existing paradigm
• Accept that anything can happen by chance (variance
in studies) but relying on chances can be detrimental
to the lives of our students
JOHN HATTIE
VISIBLE LEARNING
Part I:
John Hattie setting the stage…
“We need a barometer of what
works best, and such a barometer
can also establish guidelines as to
what is excellent…excellence is
attainable: there are many
instances of excellence, some of it
fleeting, some of it aplenty…”
Activity
• Using “Hattie’s Intervention List,”
circle the items your district has spent
time on over the past few years.
• Put an asterisk by those where
significant training or implementation
time was spent.
Setting the Stage
• Effect sizes allow an appropriate scale to be
developed that show many outcomes obtained from
thousands of studies that are converted to a single
scale (seen below).
-1.0
1.0
Decrease
Zero
Enhance
• An effect size allows the reader to see the “magnitude
of study outcomes for many types of outcome
variables, such as school achievement” (p.7)
Visible Learning Basics
• The average effect size for all interventions
attempted in education = 0.4
– Coincidentally looks like the bell shaped curve
(half of the things teachers are doing are above .4
and half that are below 0.4)
• An effect size of 0.5 = one grade level gain
on evaluation
• What teachers DO matters
Part II
John Hattie setting the stage…
Activity
• Draw a line just above the items that
have an effect size of 0.40. Assess
how much time, energy, and
resources have been spent on things
above the line versus those below the
line. Share you findings.
The “disasters” and those things
not worth it yet….
Activity
• Take 10 minutes to discuss what you just
watched.
– What information confirmed your thoughts?
– What do you want to know more about?
– What information challenged your existing
paradigm for what constitutes effective
practice?
Typical average teacher territory
and closer to average...onto
exciting
Activity
• Take 10 minutes to discuss what you just
watched and in particular the information
about the impact of principals on student
outcomes.
– What information confirmed your thoughts?
– What do you want to know more about?
– What information challenged your existing
paradigm for what constitutes effective
practice?
Among the winners and
the top 10…
Activity
• Take 10 minutes to discuss what you just
watched.
– What information confirmed your thoughts?
– What do you want to know more about?
– What information challenged your existing
paradigm for what constitutes effective
practice?
Teacher as “activator” vs. teacher
as “facilitator” and the power of
feedback…
Activity
• Take 10 minutes to discuss what you just
watched.
– What information confirmed your thoughts?
– What do you want to know more about?
– What information challenged your existing
paradigm for what constitutes effective
practice?
Thank You!
Kim St. Martin
kimstmartin@me.com