Give It a Go: Research Based Instructional Strategies

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When it comes to instructional strategies, the Aussie motto to 'give it a go' is fitting. One never knows the outcome of implementing new research based instructional strategies but if they can benefit even just one of our students the process is worthwhile. The purpose of this project was to implement 'new to us' instructional strategies into our classes and see if they could bring new life to the learning environment. I was fortunate enough to enlist the help of Adam Sillery's Health 9 class for this project and I worked at developing the lessons and assessments for him and he implemented them into his classroom. The views and experiences discussed here are a cumulation of both my feedback and his. I initially chose to implement a higher use of technology and inquiry based learning. After the virtual field trips provided by my cohort and our Professor Brent Galloway, I also decided to try to adapt the Remember the Titans film study worksheet into a tool that assessed learning using Multiple Intelligences. My purpose in choosing these different strategies came from Inspiring Education and was three fold: to build competencies, to use technology to support the creation and sharing of knowledge and to centre the instruction on the learner (Alberta, 2010). I aimed to infuse these three purposes into each of the strategies. 

Higher Use of Technology

The higher use of technology in the Health 9 classroom involved the use of a Google Form, Wordle, and shared project work (via Google Presentation to be discussed in the next strategy). I chose this strategy to challenge myself to work on integrating technology with purpose into the Health curriculum. The Google Form provided an opportunity for the whole class to contribute to compiling data on their Health and Wellness and it was well received by the students. In the future, I will need to fine tune my skill set with this technology as developing the pie charts for feedback based on their surveys was a bit time consuming. However, the pie charts (samples pictured below) were a great visual for the class and helped to engage them in classroom discussion more seamlessly. 

The use of the Wordle enabled students to see their opinions on the 'most important aspect of being healthy' in a user friendly and efficient manner. I would perhaps have them create their own visual in the future using this tool or another. 

All in all, it was my hope to harness the power of technology to support innovation and discovery in the classroom (Alberta, 2010). I found the ease of completing the survey and sharing results to allow for this to happen and was encouraged by the feedback on technology from the students (pictured below). Mr. Sillery also found that it was relatively easy to implement and he enjoyed that it provided a different way to guide and develop class discussions. 

Students enjoyed the technology and it was easy to monitor their progress. In the post lesson feedback, every student surveyed also noted that they would not make any changes to the use of technology. Based on the feedback and reflections of the students, the instructor and myself I feel that this strategy had a positive impact on learning and that it was successful in engaging the students. 

Inquiry Based Learning 

The use of Inquiry Based Learning in the Health 9 classroom was more intensive for all parties involved; the students, Mr. Sillery and myself. Many of the projects and tasks in our current Health 9 lessons are prescription based. Students are given a task with very specific parameters and a specific rubric and they complete the project. Making use of this strategy enabled the students to be involved in their learning by formulating questions, investigating and building new knowledge (Alberta Learning, 2004). I chose this type of learning it allows learners to become more positive, creative and independent (Alberta Learning, 2004). Thus, it also contributes to the development of students who are engaged thinkers and entrepreneurial spirits as outlined in the Ministerial Order (Alberta Government, 2013).

In order to implement this strategy, students were guided through questions to develop the parameters of an assignment based on the idea of dieting. Students then researched a diet of their choice, provided information they deemed pertinent and then delivered a verdict and statement about their knowledge of their chosen diet and the idea of dieting in a broader sense. On paper, this seemed brilliant! In execution it provided many learning opportunities for the instructor and myself. First, this project provided the basis for students to achieve highly but it also left some students feeling satisfied with less than mediocre efforts and work. In reflection and discussion, some students were redirected and became more empowered to improve and further their learning. Some still chose to submit work that did not meet the needs of the task. Arguably, the same can be said for many 'traditional' learning tasks. The rubric for this task was developed using Inquiry Based learning theory and buzz words (pictured below).

While many found it accessible, one student noted that she found it to be a bit unclear. I think this could be due to the fluid nature of the rubric and the need to further develop this skill set with the students. In the culture of 'what grade did I get?', students still want to know what they must do to get 100%. In the future, I would spend more time reviewing the rubric and demonstrating the requirements throughout the development phase of the project. Despite some of the bumps along the road, I would definitely use this strategy in the future (with a few revisions) as it engages the students and gives them value in their new role as pioneer of their knowledge (Guccione, 2013).

Multiple Intelligences

After the virtual field trips, I chose to bring Brent's idea of Multiple Intelligences back to the Health 9 classroom. In our wellness unit, we complete a traditional film study on Remember the Titans with a worksheet. As someone who has strength in linguistics, these worksheets are admittedly something I once created. However, my colleagues and research has opened my eyes to the simple fact that my preferred instructional strategies may not match up with the preferences of all of my students (Richard & Arker, 2010). So I took the worksheet and created tasks that I felt addressed a wider multitude of intelligences with a broad Inquiry Based learning rubric (pictured below).

After discussion with Mr. Sillery and viewing some of the tasks, I would say that this strategy impacted the student learning in that it made content more accessible and relevant to the students. This strategy allows for inclusive, equitable access and encourages innovation to promote and strive for excellence (Alberta, 2010). From the sample of work I viewed, I was inspired by the level of content and understanding students drew from the main themes of racism, friendship and determination in the film. I was impressed by the level of excellence of many of the pieces. This task helped recognize the importance of recognizing differences in personalities so that student learning can be enhanced (Richardson & Arker, 2010). However, one of the challenge noted is that some students still did minimal work producing work that may or may not be reflective of their level of knowledge and understanding.. In hindsight, this could possibly be addressed with self-assessment or peer editing of the tasks prior to teacher submission. Regardless, the variety in tasks aims to appeal to a wider audience of learners which is of great benefit to students. I am encouraged by the success of this strategy and hope to try it in other classes in the future. 

*Originally this film study was created just for Mr. Sillery's class but members of our department heard of my initiative and now four Health 9 classes are using this strategy to help address the needs of their learners.*

Compare and Contrast

These three instructional strategies compare and contrast in a number of ways. Each of these strategies meets the vision laid out by Inspiring Education by empowering the learner and revitalizing the learning environment. They also all meet my three fold purpose of building competencies, using technology to support the creation and sharing of knowledge and creating a learner centred environment. The higher use of technology strategy addressed the competencies of: innovate, manage information and identify and solve complex problems (Alberta Regional Consortia, 2014). Its use of technology created and shared student knowledge and opinion and it was learner centred. The use of inquiry based learning addressed the competencies of: think critically, demonstrate good communication skills and the ability to work with others, apply multiple literacies and know how to learn (Alberta Regional Consortia, 2014). It made use of technology through the creation of the diet project in Google Presentation; a medium that allowed for all group members to work on the project simultaneously. This strategy was learner centred as it asked the students to develop their learning task and then complete it. Finally, the use of the Multiple Intelligences addressed the competencies of: know how to learn, identify and apply career and life skills, create opportunities, and demonstrate global and cultural understanding (Alberta Regional Consortia, 2014). This project incorporated the use of technology through the various tasks and teacher submission. It was learner centred as students were able to take control of their learning and choose the task that best suited their learning style. As a bonus, unintentionally, these three strategies addressed all ten of the cross curricular competencies in some way. In meeting with my purposes, these strategies also all saw some level of success when implemented. 

In contrast, each of these strategies required a different amount of work for implementation. I found the higher use of technology to be the smoothest to implement as Mr. Sillery's Health 9 class is in a computer lab and the students were well versed in the technology I selected. The use of Multiple Intelligences required a bit of legwork on my behalf but it was also implemented without much difficulty. Finally, the implement ion of Inquiry Based learning was the most difficult as it required better familiarizing myself and Mr. Sillery with its foundation and key elements. It also asks the teacher to give up much of the control in the learning environment; this was something that all of us found to be difficult at time. Mr. Sillery and myself wanted to help but not direct the students and the students did struggle with the freedom of this strategy at first. That being said, this strategy provided for a great deal of reflection and meaningful dialogue with the students and Mr. Sillery about its potential to bring innovation and empowerment to the classroom. 

My Unique Role

My role in this environment was both unique and eye-opening. As I am not currently teaching, I was able to become an active observer in the classroom and see the dynamics of each instructional strategy as Mr. Sillery used them. When possible, I helped Mr. Sillery in the classroom but he remained the primary instructor in this environment. I learned much from my own instructional design by being able to observe one else using it. I was able to reflect on areas of improvement and strength in my plan and help Mr. Sillery work through the process with his class. Mr. Sillery was incredibly accommodating and provided me with meaningful, relevant feedback on things he enjoyed (the instantaneous feedback on Google Forms) and things he would change in the future (providing more support during the development of the diet project via videos or other media). As an active observer, I was able to assess the learning through candid conversations with the students and reviewing the work created. Students also completed Exit Slips at the conclusion of their diet projects which helped to assess their learning. In evaluating these Exit Slips, I learned that many students had focused only on their own diet instead of on the concept of dieting. This is an area that will require revision and refinement before future use. Finally, I made use of the two rubrics I developed to assess student learning. When evaluating the diet projects and the Remember the Titans assignments, Mr. Sillery and I were able to assess the learning and develop strategies to improve upon 'our' teaching for the future. 

Implications as an Instructional Leader

As an Instructional Leader, I will share these tools and strategies with my colleagues. The Health 9 team at our school is largely collaborative so it is my hope to share and improve these strategies. I am encouraged that my colleagues are already making use of the Remember the Titans Multiple Intelligences task I created. I have already asked for feedback and suggestions at the conclusion of their lessons. Mr. Sillery is also the department head of Physical Education at our school and his experience is something I hope for us to share at a future department meeting. To continue my growth in learning about instruction I will look to the virtual field trips provided by my cohort and work at implementing some of their strategies when I return to the classroom. I am particularly interested in Kimi's assigning roles in a group and Miguel's Scattergories with purpose. Furthermore, I am now reading other documents associated with Inspiring Education in order to further develop my understanding of where education is headed and the importance of using a variety of instructional strategies. These documents include: Inspiring Action on Education, Setting the Direction Framework and Learning Technology Policy Framework, all of which are available from the Government of Alberta.

Conclusion

It never ceases to amaze me the sheer amount of knowledge and experience I gain from being in a classroom. This project expanded my horizons and inspired me to spend more time critically evaluating my own instructional strategies. It is my hope that these strategies were as beneficial for Mr. Sillery and his students in their implementation. I am confident that the benefits of them were far worth any of the hiccups along the way. In my unique role, I enjoyed the position of an instructional leader and learned much from everyone involved. As I continue this journey, I hope to continue to push the envelope so that everyone in my classroom can reap the benefits of all the knowledge and experience that education can offer. 

References

Alberta Learning, Learning and Teaching Resources Branch. (2004). Focus on inquiry: a

         guide to the implementation of inquiry based learning. Edmonton, Alberta.

Alberta Regional Consortia. (2014). Cross Curricular Competencies. 

Government of Alberta Department of Education. (2013). Ministerial order on student

learning (001/2013). Edmonton, Alberta.

Guccione, L. M. (2011). Integrating Literacy and Inquiry for English Learners. Reading

    Teacher, 64(8), 567-577. doi:10.1598/RT.64.8.2

Richardson, R., & Arker, E. (2010). Personalities in the classroom: making the most of them. Kappa Delta Phi, Winter 2010, 76-81. 

The Steering Committee Report to the Honorable Dave Hancock, Minister of Education Government of Alberta. (2010). Inspiring education: a dialogue with albertans. Edmonton, Alberta.