Every day, more and more light is being shed on the subject of the classroom and its changing role. The definition of good teaching standards augments over time, mostly in association with the different technologies that are being invented. We are at yet another cusp of change, where the old system of teaching is found to be increasingly more ineffective. It is obvious that a more, efficient system is in order, and many think that the Individualizing Student Instruction is the answer (Connor, Morrison and Fishman).
A group of doctoral students and professors from a myriad of universities came together to conduct a study on the current classroom: What are effective teaching roles, what causes variation in the classroom and what qualities are consistent in classrooms and teacher that work at “A” schools. In an incredibly simplified explanation, they observed different classrooms and created a system to convert the behavior of the children into codes to be able to use in comparisons. Using these codes, the team came to the conclusion that there are three characteristics of an effective classroom. They are language, literacy and self regulation (Connor, Morrison and Fishman).
To elaborate, the schools that excelled in the study all had similar traits. They all utilized teachers or instructors who spent large amounts of time working with small groups of students individually, rather than the entire class at the same time (Tinkley). This also helped the students acquire a sense of their own ability to focus on schoolwork without being monitored, also known as self regulation (Connor, Morrison and Fishman). The teachers also focused largely on appealing to the individual skill level that each student was currently at, allowing the course material to grow with them. These schools, directly affected by the small differences in teaching styles, had higher literacy rates than the ones that did not. Inspired by these characteristic and deliberately enhancing them, the group came up with the concept of the ISI classroom, which is meant to create a more tailored, individualized way of teaching and learning.
While all of these characteristics seem to be inherent in the teacher and his/her style of teaching, it becomes very apparent that technologies used inside the class room facilitates the growth and the understanding of the children themselves, without the help of the teacher. For one, when computers are used, the instructor no longer becomes the center of attention (unknown). Now students can investigate topics themselves and let their own desire to learn fuel their research, rather than a “keeper of all knowledge”. This leads me to the fact that with the availability of the internet, 10 out of 17 classrooms noticed a larger level of cited sources, indicating more outside reading. Learning beyond the classroom, knowing where to find information and taking the initiative to read all are signs of a higher level of literacy. With the use of new technologies, students are noticeably better at working together, and even show an elevated frequency of students helping each other in individual tasks (unknown). The use of computers can also assess and create curriculum that match their skill level, which is congruent with the ideals of the ISI classroom.
It is being recognized that the teaching styles of today need to diverge from those of the past, and it is up to you to decide whether the fact that the recent prevalence of technology, and how the new format of teaching seems to encompass it, is mere coincidence or cause-and-effect.
To learn more about this study, click here.
To learn more about how technology effects the classroom, click here or here.
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