Micro-Teaching: Using Technology to Innovate Instruction

Check out this article by Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey on Micro-Teaching. Coaching and innovating instruction goes to all new levels when video recording of student learning takes place. Have you ever done this? Share your experiences! If you want to do this or learn more about the process- Leverage Learning Group is here to help! #ALLmeansALL

Show & Tell: A Video Column / The Micro-Teaching Advantage

Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey

Videotaping a teacher's practice makes for a better debrief, more learning.

Technology has transformed the ways teachers and leaders conduct much of their work. Classrooms are filled with smartboards, audience-response systems, and tablets. We take attendance electronically, autodial parents with students' absences, and spend hours each week on email. But one area hasn't reflected this change: the process of observation, coaching, and feedback. By and large, peers, coaches, and administrators still visit classrooms, observe a colleague teaching, and schedule a time to debrief with that teacher.

The Trouble with Tradition

There are at least two problems with this. The first centers on the fact that the observation focuses more on the teaching and less on the learning. Too often, the observer attends to what the teacher is doing, documenting what the teacher says during the entire observation. The debrief conversation focuses on the teacher's instructional moves; little attention is paid to whether students learned anything.

Admittedly, it's hard to focus on everything happening in the classroom when you observe. We often have to remind ourselves to "look down as often as we look up." By that, we mean that we should pay attention to the students, the tasks they're completing, and whether there is evidence of learning, rather than just looking up to see what the teacher is doing.

The second problem is that the debrief tends to focus on what the observer perceived—which can be disputed by the person teaching. We've heard of administrators telling teachers things like, "You only called on students in the front of the classroom," "Several students weren't engaged," or "I liked the way you used gestures to make your point." When feedback is relayed in this way, a teacher may or may not remember the situation well enough to be able to reflect on her or his practice. Or the teacher may remember it differently or have an alternative perspective.

This can devolve into a he said/she said situation in which the observer loses any ability to encourage growth. In fact, some teachers are impervious to the feedback they receive from classroom observations because they have a pre-existing "confirmation bias" about their teaching and only accept examples that confirm what they already believe. In addition, some teachers suffer from a "halo effect": They use the experiences of a few students to generalize about what's happening with all students' learning. When concrete evidence isn't part of the discussion, teaching—and learning—might not change. Worse, a teacher may think that the "expert" (the person coming to observe) knows it all—and that he or she just needs to be told how to teach. That's not an effective way to create change.

Enter Micro-Teaching

One way to get past these limitations is to video-record a short segment of a teacher's practice. Not too many years ago, it would have required a Herculean effort to video-capture what goes on in a classroom. Few people had portable video equipment with high-quality sound capabilities. But now we all do! Mobile phones and tablets are excellent devices for capturing real-time learning environments.

We recognize that many educators are wary of being recorded; they fear the "evidence" could be used against them. Thus, as coaches and leaders embrace the use of technology for observation and feedback, they should consult with teachers in advance and clearly outline the appropriate and inappropriate uses of such recordings. For example, in some schools, the digital files are deleted after the discussion. In others, the observer uses the teacher's technology to record so that the file is never in the observer's hands. It can also help to start by recording only teachers who volunteer and allowing others to join in over time.

We call using a video clip (of a teacher giving a lesson or leading an activity) to spark discussion about that teacher's practice micro-teaching.1  We believe the day is coming when micro-teaching will be commonplace.

There is strong evidence that micro-teaching works. In his 2012 research review, John Hattie collected a large number of meta-analyses, or statistical compilations of many studies on the same topic.2  His findings suggest that the average impact on learning of any instructional practice is .40 (this effect size represents a magnitude, or how strong the impact could be). Micro-teaching has an effect size of .88, more than double the average impact.

Watching It Work

Simply video-recording classrooms won't result in the impact noted in Hattie's review. Each video clip must serve as fodder for the discussion a teacher has with a colleague about what that clip reveals. Rather than an observer telling a teacher what he or she saw, the video can be used to encourage the teacher to notice particular moves he or she is making, and the impact those moves have on students' learning.

You can see such a discussion in the video accompanying this column. Two math teachers at Health Sciences High and Middle College in San Diego—Heidi Allen and Joseph Assof—watch a video of Heidi teaching and discuss what they notice. Joseph is Heidi's peer coach, and vice versa. They work together to improve outcomes for both their students; sometimes Heidi observes and records Joseph and other times he records her.

Note that during their discussion, Joseph uses skills in cognitive coaching and reflective teaching to ensure that he doesn't tell Heidi what he thinks about the lesson, but rather thinks with her about what they observe. Both teachers ask reflective questions as they watch the clip. They ponder the impact of specific moves and note things Heidi could have done that might have led to increased learning. Consistent with a micro-teaching approach, they focus on short segments of the video, dissecting instructional moves and students' responses to those moves. In other words, they don't limit their conversation to teaching; learning is also important.

Consequential Conversations

The quest for better learning need not be limited to developing instructional strategies and tools. We can also use micro-teaching to foster honest, reflective conversations about what is being taught andlearned in a classroom. Many of these evidence-based conversations won't be easy. But they will be consequential, impacting both a teacher's teaching and a students' learning.

Educational Leadership, February 2019

Part 4: Supporting Reading Comprehension With Strategies That WORK!

Here we go again!  We are continuing our blog conversation on strategies to support reading comprehension instruction.  Previously we have talked big picture research and introduced FIVE strategies: Monitoring, Metacognition, Graphic Organizers, Question-Answer-Relationship, and Generating Questions.  Today we conclude our discussion with a few more instructional innovations Classroom Discussions and Annotating Text.

• Monitoring
• Metacognition
• Graphic Organizers
• Question-Answer-Relationship
• Generating Questions
• Classroom Discussion
• Annotating Text

Classroom Discussion

When students have the ability to engage in sustained classrooms discussions about texts, they think and talk about a text beyond its literal meaning. When asked questions that evoke discussion, ones that don't have a simple one answer, it encourages students to delve deeper into the text and listen to and respond to other students and their understanding. 

Classroom discussion is comprehension strategy that involves the entire class in a discussion. The teacher poses quality questions and students get together as a class to discuss possible responses. Classroom discussion allows students to improve communication skills by voicing their opinions and thoughts. Teachers also benefit from classroom discussion as it allows them to see if students comprehend the concepts presented in the text. Moreover, a classroom discussion creates an environment where everyone learns from each other.

Classroom Discussion strategies that have proven to be effective for reading comprehension are:

·     ACE the Question:  During classroom discussion, students are required to Answer the question, Cite evidence for their answer, and Expand their thinking to demonstrate their understanding. 

·     Expand (E4):  During the discussion, students are encouraged to build upon the responses of other students.  They are asked to Explain their thinking further, to Elaborate on their response, to provide an Example to support their thinking, or to ask a follow up question to Elicit more information. 

·     Point-Counterpoint: Teacher and/or students make a specific point about the text that could have potential perspectives.  Asking for a counterpoint that acknowledges the ideas of the original, but gives insight into another response is a great tool to liven classroom discussions. 

Annotating Text

Annotating is any action that deliberately interacts with a text to enhance the reader's understanding of, recall of, and reaction to the text. Annotating usually involves highlighting or underlining key pieces of text and making notes in the margins of the text.

By annotating a text, students understand what is happening in a text as they read it. As they annotate, the should note the author's main points, shifts in the message or perspective of the text, key areas of focus, and their own thoughts as they read. Annotating isn't just for students who feel challenged when reading academic texts. If students are competent readers, annotating will help them summarize a text, highlight important pieces of information, and ultimately prepare them for discussion and future writing prompts. 

Annotation strategies that have proven to be effective for reading comprehension are:

READ with a PEN: Students can annotate by hand or by using document software. Students can also annotate on post-its if there is a text that cannot be marked up. 

• Use a key or legend that indicates what each marking is for, and use a different marking for each type of information. Example: Underline for key ideas, highlight for vocabulary, and circle for clarification.
• If using highlighters, consider using different colors for different types of reactions to the text. Example: Yellow for definitions, orange for questions, and blue for disagreement/confusion.
• Dedicate different tasks to each margin: Use one margin to make an outline of the text (thesis statement, description, definition #1, counter-argument, etc.) and summarize main ideas, and use the other margin to note your thoughts, questions, and reactions to the text.

Part 3: Even More Ways to Teach Reading Comprehension!

As promised, we are continuing our blog conversation on strategies to support reading comprehension instruction.  Previously we have talked big picture research and introduced three strategies: Monitoring, Metacognition, and Graphic Organizers.  Today we will proceed with our discussion with a few more instructional innovations, Question-Answer Relationships and Generating Questions!

• Monitoring
• Metacognition
• Graphic Organizers
• Question-Answer-Relationship
• Generating Questions
• Classroom Discussion
• Annotating Text

Question-Answer Relationship

The Question-Answer Relationship strategy encourages students to learn how to answer questions better by understanding what the question is asking and how to locate the information needed to answer it effectively. Students are asked to indicate whether the information they used to answer questions about the text was textually explicit information (information that was directly stated in the text), textually implicit information (information that was implied in the text), or information entirely from the student's own background knowledge. While implicit and explicit questioning aids in direct comprehension of text, questions pertaining to the reader’s experience can aid in reading enjoyment. 

When asking a question, the teacher can clarify what type of question is being asked prior to the question, or a teacher could ask the students to determine what type of question is being asked before they answer. 

Question-Answer Strategies that have proven to be effective for reading comprehension are found in asking and answering four types of questions:

·     “On-the-Surface”Questions:  Questions found right in the text that ask students to find the answer located in one place as a word or a sentence in the text.

·     “Under-the-Surface”Questions: Questions that require students to use the text to determine a response.  The text should be used to determine the response, but there may be more than one possible answer with evidence. 

·     “Author and You”Questions: Questions require students to use what they already know, with what they have learned from reading the text. Student's must understand the text and relate it to their prior knowledge before answering the question.

·     “On Your Own”Questions: Questions are answered based on prior knowledge and experiences. Reading the text may not be helpful to them when answering this type of question.

Generating Questions

By generating questions, students become aware of whether they can answer the questions and if they understand what they are reading. Students learn to ask themselves questions that require them to combine information from different segments of text. 

Generating questions helps to improve critical and creative thinking skills as students learn to ask questions about an assigned text. This technique encourages students to develop life-long learning skills. Generating questions is flexible and may be tailored to fit various types of information, and different skill-levels. Students may use this strategy with the help of a facilitator or they may generate questions on their own.

Before reading, during reading, and after reading teachers can model and students can generate different question types.  When students can ask On-the-Surface, Under-the-Surface, Author and You, and On Your Own questions, they understand all aspects of the text.  It is the combination of answering and generating questions that help a reader think like a competent and confident reader. 

Generating Questions strategies that have proven to be effective for reading comprehension are:

·     Anchor Posters for question types

·     Note-taking templates for answering questions

·     Note-taking templates for generating questions

·     Stump Your Buddy

Part 2: More Ways to Address Teaching Reading Comprehension!

As promised, we are continuing our blog conversation on strategies to support reading comprehension instruction.  Previously we have talked big picture research and introduced one strategy, Monitoring.  Today we will proceed with our discussion with a few more instructional innovations, Metacognition and Graphic Organizers!

• Monitoring
• Metacognition
• Graphic Organizers
• Question-Answer-Relationship
• Generating Questions
• Classroom Discussion
• Annotating Text

Metacognition

Metacognition can be defined as "thinking about thinking." Good readers use metacognitive strategies to think about and have control over their reading. Teachers can help students understand how to use metacognition by talking about what good readers during reading. Research notes that effective readers use at least two metacognitive strategies when reading all types of text. 

·     Before reading, they might clarify their purpose for reading and preview the text. 

·     During reading, they might monitor their understanding, adjusting their reading speed to fit the difficulty of the text and "fixing" any comprehension problems they have. 

·     After reading, they check their understanding of what they read.

Metacognition strategies that have proven to be effective for reading comprehension are:

·     Ask and answer where the challenges occur in the text.

·     Ask and answer the specific difficulty in what the text says.

·     Restate a difficult piece of text in their own words.

·     Look back through the text to find content that supports overall comprehension.

·     Look forward in the text to identify text that might help them solve their problem. 

·     Reciprocal Teaching: questioning, summarizing, clarifying, and predicting.

Graphic Organizers

Graphic organizers illustrate concepts and relationships between concepts in a text. Graphic organizers are known by different names, such as maps, webs, graphs, charts, frames, or clusters.  Graphic organizers can help readers focus on concepts and how they are related to other concepts. Graphic organizers help students read and understand both informational and literature text.

Graphic organizers can:

• Help students focus on text structure 
• Provide students with tools they can use to examine and show relationships in a text
• Help students prepare well-organized narrative, informational/explanatory, or argumentative writing. 

A common misuse of graphic organizers is that they become the end product- that because one completes an organizer, they then comprehend the text.  Research is very clear that the graphic organizer is the means to the end, not the end itself.  Teachers can help students use the completed organizer to then complete a more challenging task that forces the learner to use the organizer to demonstrate understanding. 

Graphic Organizer strategies that have proven to be effective for reading comprehension are:

·     Compare and Contrast

·     Storyboard

·     Chain of Events

·     Sequencing

·     Story Structure

·     Cause and Effect

·     Problem and Solution

·     Text to Self

·     Character Map

·     Close Reading

·     Word/Concept Map

·     Cornell Notes

·     Progress Map

 Want to learn more?  Reach out to us to talk Reading Comprehension!  We love it! Stay tuned for more information and great ideas in the week ahead! 

Addressing Challenges with Teaching Reading Comprehension

This time of year when we are all analyzing summative achievement data, it brings attention to the ongoing challenges our students have with Reading Comprehension. We have been working with a variety of school districts to address these challenges and to help teachers become innovative in reading instruction. It's not just enough to read and ask a few comprehension questions.  To truly comprehend at an analytical level, we need to be intentional and strategic. 

Over the next week, we will be posting about some research-based Reading Comprehension strategies that have proven to work with all types of learners! Here is our first take!

Comprehension strategies are conscious plans — sets of steps that good readers use to make sense of a text. Comprehension strategy instruction helps students become purposeful, active readers who are in control of their own reading comprehension. 

Research shows that explicit teaching techniques are particularly effective for comprehension strategy instruction. In explicit comprehension instruction, teachers tell readers why and when they should use strategies, what strategies to use, and how to apply them. 

The steps of explicit comprehension instruction typically include direct explanation, teacher modeling, guided practice, and application.

·      Direct explanation: The teacher explains to students why the strategy helps comprehension and when to apply the strategy.

·      Modeling:  The teacher models, or demonstrates, how to apply the strategy, usually by "thinking aloud" while reading the text that the students are using.

·      Guided practice:  The teacher guides and assists students as they learn how and when to apply the strategy.

·      Application:  The teacher helps students practice the strategy until they can apply it independently.

Effective comprehension strategy instruction can be accomplished through cooperative learning, which involves students working together as partners or in small groups on clearly defined tasks. Cooperative learning instruction has been used successfully to teach comprehension strategies. Students work together to understand texts, helping each other learn and apply comprehension strategies. Teachers help students learn to work in groups. Teachers also provide modeling of the comprehension strategies.

While there are a plethora of names and strategies associated with reading comprehension, research for the last fifty years can be synthesized into the following strategies:

• Monitoring
• Metacognition
• Graphic Organizers
• Question-Answer-Relationship
• Generating Questions
• Classroom Discussion
• Annotating Text

Today we will discuss the first strategy, Monitoring.  Stay tuned for more information and great ideas in the week ahead! 

Monitoring

Students who are good at monitoring their comprehension know when they understand what they read and when they do not. They have strategies to "fix" problems in their understanding as the problems arise. Research shows that teaching monitoring skills can help students become better at monitoring their comprehension.

Comprehension monitoring instruction teaches students to:

• Be aware of what they do understand
• Identify what they do not understand
• Use appropriate strategies to resolve problems in comprehension

Monitoring strategies that have proven to be effective for reading comprehension are:

·     Story Maps: A story map is a strategy that uses a visual organizer created by the reader during the reading to help students learn the elements of literature. By identifying the characters, plot, setting, problem and solution, students read carefully to learn the details. There are many different types of story map visual organizers. The most basic focus on the beginning, middle, and end of the story. More advanced organizers focus more on plot or character traits.

·     Concept Maps: A visual organizer that can enrich students' understanding of informational text. Using this type of organizer, students think about the information in several ways. Most concept map organizers engage students in answering questions such as, “who, what, when, where, why, how, examples, etc.”.

·     Verbal Summarizing: Summarizing teaches students how to discern the most important ideas in a text, how to ignore irrelevant information, and how to integrate the central ideas in a meaningful way. While we often ask students to write a summary, we often do not take enough time to provide opportunities for students to verbally summarize what they have understood during and after the reading. Teaching students to verbally summarize improves their memory for what was read. Summarization strategies can be used in every content area.

·     Think-Alouds: Think-alouds have been described as "eavesdropping on someone's thinking." With this strategy, teachers verbalize aloud while reading a selection orally. Their verbalizations include describing things they're doing as they read to monitor their comprehension. The purpose of the think-aloud strategy is to model for students how skilled readers construct meaning from a text. Students implement think-alouds after the teacher has effectively modeled them.

How Can You Boost Your Educator Credibility?

As we begin this new school year, I am reminded of the importance of what our students think of us as educators. It is not a new realization that teacher credibility has a significant impact on student learning and success.  In John Hattie's research, teacher credibility has a strong effect size of .90 which is far above the average effect size of .40.  Teacher credibility is students' belief that they can learn from a particular teacher because this adult is believable, convincing, and capable of persuading students that they can be successful.

In a recent article in Educational Leadership, Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey discuss that teacher credibility has four components: trust, competence, dynamism, and immediacy.

TRUST
Students need to know that their teachers care about them as individuals and that they have their best interest at heart.
How to build TRUST:

• Keep your promises.
• Tell them the truth about their performance.
• Don't spend too much time finding what is wrong.
• Focus on strengths.
• Take a close look at negative feelings you have about students.

COMPETENCE

Students need to know that their teachers know their content and how to best teach it. They expect expertise in terms of delivery and accuracy of content. 

How to build COMPETENCE:

• Know the content and don't be afraid to ask for help. 
• Deliver content cohesively and coherently.
• Be mindful of your non-verbal communication- does it show competence? 

DYNAMISM

Students need to know that teachers have enthusiasm for the content and for their students'. Lessons need to capture student interest and the delivery must show it. 

How to build DYNAMISM:

• Find the passion you once had for the content.
• Consider the relevance of your lesson for students. 
• Seek feedback from other educators on your delivery of content. 

IMMEDIACY

Students need to know that their teacher is accessible and relatable. The classroom should be a place where all can learn from one another. There should not be a "line" or a "wall" between teacher and learners.

How to build IMMEDIACY:

• Get to know your students- names and interests.
• Attend student events outside the classroom.
• Teach with a sense of urgency so that students know their time is not being wasted. 

What can you do today to boost your educator credibility?