Hi Chloe! I really liked the way you introduced direct instruction by connecting it to past school experiences. Having experienced this type of approach to a learning environment, it is interesting to now learn about it from more of a teacher’s perspective then as a learner. A part of your blog that really stuck with me was when you discussed the principles that direct instruction is based off of, and the techniques teachers can use to help them teach. “All students can learn when taught correctly, and that all teachers can be successful with the right resources and techniques.” I believe that this is a very important piece of information because it helps me understand that I can be a good teacher and help my students learn no matter what. There will be struggles and problems I need to solve, but I will have the resources and supports to help me do this, and therefore help my students successfully learn in a way that works best for them. Also, having the six steps that a lesson could be divided into is very helpful for future lesson planning! I wish that it was easier to find videos to explain this and that direct instruction was not pushed as the only teaching approach. Students benefit from a variety of teaching approaches, so I do not think that schools should only use one. For example, using cooperative learning sometimes can be very beneficial. I really enjoyed reading your post! Good job!

https://mickybecks.opened.ca/category/edci335/

Hi Mickayla! I did not know very much about experiential learning before, so I learned a lot from your post. I like that you connected it to constructivism because that helped me understand it more, as we have previously learned about it. Having students be actively involved in their learning, while elaborating and interpreting the information, is crucial to their learning process. I really like the video you attached. I think it explains experiential learning very well and provides great examples to help explain. This type of learning allows us to grow by making connections with what went wrong, so we can change what we need to for the next time we try something. This video made me think of “practice makes perfect”, which is something I heard often as a child. The more you work on something, the better you will become at it. When you reflect on something after you try it, you figure out what you must change for later, and you continue to improve each time you work. I believe experiential learning is very beneficial for students! Great work!