Classroom Instruction That Works

Barb Rowenhorst

ESA 7

browenhorst@tie.net

Agenda

Theme of his work:

translating research and theory into practical programs and tools for K-12 teachers and administrators

Dr. Robert MarzanoDr. Robert Marzano

Marzano Research

Improving Student Achievement: Instructional Strategies

Cues, Questions and Advance Organizers

Presented by:

Barb Rowenhorst, ESA 7

Research literature supports one compelling fact:

What students already know about the content is one of the strongest indicators of how well they will

learn new information.

Student background knowledge is critical to success in school.

If teachers front-load a lesson, research shows a 28%-ile gain in student achievement.

Background Knowledge and Vocabulary Knowledge have a strong relationship.

Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers

Purpose• Cues are reminders or “hints” about what

students are about to experience. They trigger student’s memories so they can connect new information to what they already know.

• Questions function the same as cues, in that they elicit what students already know about a topic prior to instruction in a questioning format.

– Higher order questions ask students to restructure, analyze information, or apply what they know.

• Advance organizers focus on essential information and are used to help students get ready to use the information they are going to learn.

• They are organizational frameworks teachers use PRIOR TO teaching new content to prepare students for what they are about to learn.

Purpose

Category Percentile Gain

Identifying Similarities and Differences 45

Summarizing and Note taking 34

Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition 29

Homework and Practice 28

Nonlinguistic Representations 27

Cooperative Learning 27

Setting Objectives & Providing Feedback 23

Generating & Testing Hypotheses 23

Cues, Questions, & Advance Organizers 22

Questioning Research

Abraham Lincoln

Advance Organizer

After the lesson, add new words in RED.

Advance Organizer

Skimming Graphic Organizer

Handbook for Classroom Instruction That Works (Pages 265 - 287)

Graphic Organizer (Web Activity Sheet)

Marzano

Cues

Questioning

Advance Organizer

Advance Organizers

Skimming Graphic Organizer

After reading… How was using a graphic organizer beneficial

to you while skimming?

4 Types of Advance Organizers

• Skimming – Teach students proper way to skim information

• Graphic Organizers – Visually represent information

• Expository – Straightforward descriptions of new content

• Narrative – Stories (personal or real-world connections)

Advance Organizers Narrative

Other Advance Organizers

• Timelines

• Anticipation Guide

• Teacher Prepared Notes

• Skeleton Notes

• Other

Questioning Techniques

Questioning Practices

1. In general, avoid “Yes/No” or short answer questions.

2. Have students explain all responses.

3. Question each and every student every day.

4. If a student responds with “I don’t know,” follow-up with 1-2 additional questions.(Hannel, 2003)

Purpose of Questioning

Build knowledge rather than mere chronological facts.

Maintain student engagement.

Take students to the next level of learning.

Bloom’s Taxonomy Handout

Bloom’s Taxonomy Research

The verbs in each category indicate a kind of thinking skill needed to complete an assignment.

As you move up the scale, the level of thinking increases.

Bloom’s Taxonomy Research

• Higher order questions produce more learning, but most of the questions teachers ask are lower order in nature. (Davis, O.L., & Tinsley, 1967; Fillippone, 1998; Guszak, 1967; Mueller, 1973)

• Teachers tend to ask questions in the “knowledge” level of Bloom’s Taxonomy _________ of the time.80-90%

Questioning Why question?

What is it used for?

Does it make a difference?

When should we concentrate on questioning?

Thinking Verbs Handout

Thinking Verbs Handout

Verbs to Create Questions

As a group of 4

Determine a topic to practice writing questions.

Roll the dice -- if you get a number one, you need to ask a question about the topic that fits the 1st level of Blooms, a 3 the 3rd level of Blooms (application), etc.

Verbs to Create Questions

What questions were the easiest to write?

What questions were more difficult to write?

Creating Questions

Why might it be important to compose questions prior to teaching a lesson?

Questioning Practice

Using your Bloom’s questions,

re-write some at the

Knowledge/Comprehension Levels (#1-2 on dice)

to one at the higher level of Bloom’s (#5-6 on dice)

Formative Assessment

• Discuss how you can use questioning as a formative assessment.

Funny QuestionsIf corn oil comes from corn, where does baby oil come

from?

Why do kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

When you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? 

Do Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and the ABC Song have the same tune?

Why did you start singing the two songs above?

Questioning Practices1. In general, avoid “Yes/No” or short answer questions.

2. Have students explain all responses.

3. Question each and every student every day.

4. Give wait time before asking a question, and following a student response.

5. If a student responds with “I don’t know,” follow-up with 1-2 additional questions without giving hints.

(Hannel, 2003)

Classroom Ideas

Expository – ABC Chart

Narrative – Civil War Bayonet Story

Skimming – Web

Graphic Organizer – Web

Higher Level Questioning – Bloom’s Taxonomy

Cues, Questions,Advance Organizers

Classroom Transfer

Cues, Questions, Advanced Organizers

Classroom Transfer

Head, Heart, Feet• Head- Write down one “thought” you have that

relates to what you learned today.

• Heart- How do you “feel” about that new learning?

• Feet- What are your next “steps?” What might you do differently because of what you learned?

Lesson Planning Cues, Questions, Advance Organizers

• Lesson Plan– Sped/Title/Paras: pick a grade level, a group

of students you work with, or 1 student

•