Week 6 Discussion- Integrating Instructional Strategies

Week 6 Discussion- Integrating Instructional Strategies

According to Dr. Debra Pickering (Laureate, 2000), there are 9 research based instructional strategies; when students get good at using these, there is vast improvement in learning. Upon reflection, I use all of these strategies in my room throughout the year but I do not give explicit instruction in why we are using these tools or how to use them properly. I assume the students intuitively know how to use them, and some more academically skilled do, but for those who struggle, it is because they do not know what to do to improve. It is like me going out and playing golf. I have never had a lesson yet I am a skilled athlete, a hard work ethic, but by the end of the day I am frustrated with my lack of progress as I continually make the same unknown mistakes over and over. I know I am not improving and I also know if I keep doing the same thing I will not improve unless I seek help from a professional. No wonder some students become frustrated. How do we help these students with their learning? By teaching them a few skills to work on through out their game.

Two ideas I would suggest to my students to improve their learning, would be to try implementing “…graphic organizers to represent knowledge…” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn and Malenoski, 2007, p.87). Two Internet graphic organizing tools I have tried successfully are bubbl.us.com and spinscape.com. I teach animal taxonomy in grade 6 science. The students used the tools to collaborate; another instructional strategy suggested by Dr. Debra Pickering (Laureate, 2000). While the student’s graphically listed their different types of Animals on their mind map, I also had them complete online Venn diagrams comparing the similarities and differences; yet another instructional strategy suggested by Dr. Debra Pickering (Laureate, 2000). The hands on construction, the artifact of the mind map and the team collaboration needed to provide this task would fit nicely with social constructivism learning theorists.


Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2000). Bridging Learning theory, Instruction and Technology. Baltimore: Author.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.