What is the relationship between instructional steps and reflective questioning when it comes to instructional decision making?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Ans: Answers to the question will vary but should include elements of the following: (a) the five instructional steps—advance organizer, presentation of subject matter, guided practice, independent practice (homework), and closure; (b) definition of the instructional steps along with examples of what that that step would look like in the classroom; (c) indication of what questions should be asked and reflected on for each instructional step; and (d) indication of how the reflective question and the instructional step are related with regard to instructional decision making. Example response: Presentation of subject matter is one of the instructional steps to appropriate instructional decision making. During the presentation stage, teachers TEACH and present the content that is related to the instructional objective. When presenting material, teachers have to be aware of the type of material they are sharing and what the overall objective is. For example, if presenting facts and rules, the teacher can use a “think aloud” so that students can think aloud with their peers. Students can then create a response using the verbal responses that were heard during the “think aloud.” During the presentation stage, teaches can promote discussions and work to engage students in their learning. Teachers need to be aware of “wait time” when presenting so that students have enough time to take in the information and process. Teachers can use systems to call on students to both ensure there is not bias when calling on students and making sure that all students are listening and actively attentive, as they are unaware of who might be called on next. When teachers are in the presenting stage, they need to focus on pacing of the lesson. Appropriate pacing means that students are not frustrated, they enough time to complete the project, and that the content being presented is not too overwhelming. When presenting, teachers can use the strategy of “chunking” to help struggling learners. For example, teacher can take all the words that end in –an and focus on them at the same time. The reflective questions that should be asked during the presentation stage can include “Are students comprehending?” “Is modeling effective?” “Do I need to provide more examples?” The reflective questions are asking the teacher to self-reflect on the overall success of the lesson by observing the students work and overall level of engagement. The use of formative assessments during this time is crucial as check lists, observations, and exit tickets can supply the answers to the reflective questions and determine if the presentation of subject matter is on task for overall success.