A group of adult education practitioners in New York State recently concluded a LINCS course called Explicit Instruction for Adult Learners. We focused on the principles below:
Principles of Explicit Instruction:
- Learning is focused on meaningful and critical content.
- What students are learning is precisely defined.
- Skills are sequenced logically.
- Students know what they will be learning and why.
- Teacher provides organized and structured instruction using the following techniques: review, explanation, demonstration/modeling, examples/nonexamples, and scaffolded practice.
We had a rich discussion around the following:
Reflection Question: Considering the principles of Explicit Instruction (below), which one of these principles are you most interested in applying to your instruction? Why?
What do you think? Is there one principle that stands out from the rest for you?
Would love to hear your thinking!
Comments
Modeling!!!!! How can we expect anyone, including our students, to do anything new to them when they haven’t seen it done before. Not only modeling, but having them look at and talk about models of the thing done well. The example I like to use is bowling. You can tell me how to bowl – take 3 steps and throw the ball. I then demonstrate by taking 3 normal steps, planting my feet hip width apart, bending over holding the imaginary bowling ball with both hands between my feet, and lobbing it down the imaginary lane. Or, you can show me how to throw the ball correctly and have me watch some videos of pro bowlers while you point out what they are doing before I even pick up the bowling ball to try it myself. Yes, modeling really stand out for me.