ISD Model

I feel that the ISD model can be a very effective way to design and reflect on your instruction. I think it is a very complete model that outlines the steps someone should go through when planning instruction.

People often leave out the “Analysis” phase of their planning. This is unfortunate because it is important to think about why you are planning the things you are, and to really look at who you are planning them for. If you follow the ISD model you are forced to look at the learners’ needs, content you are basing the instruction on, the task the learners will be performing, and the resources available for these task. All of which are very important.

I think the “Instructional Methods” section of the ISD model can be a good way to expand your instruction and keep it interesting. This section of the ISD model gives a number of methods of instruction like: demonstration, discussion, instructional games, and discovery learning. I feel it is important to engage learners in a number of ways- and this model allows for that.

I also like the “Formative Evaluation” section of the ISD model. As discussed in many of the Discussion Board threads, most of us do this unconsciously. Sometimes it may be so unconscious, that we really aren’t thinking about it enough. I think it is essential that one reflects on their instruction and looks for ways to improve learning. This portion of the ISD model encourages you to do that.

In my own teaching, I feel I do need to be more conscious of my formative evaluation and focusing on my objective. It is important to think about what your learning goal is and to ask yourself if the task you are engaging the learners in really accomplishes that goal. I need to ask myself that question more often. I believe I do utilize other aspects of the Analysis phase on a regular basis. For example, my team does pretest on each math objective we are preparing to teach, and we adjust our teaching based on the pre-test results.

For the Design Phase, I base my lessons on the NCSCOS and try to incorporate a variety of methods of instruction. How I plan instruction using a variety of instructional methods can be seen in a science lesson I recently did on Simple Machines. For this lesson we read about the six simple machines, discussed them, went on a scavenger hunt around the school looking for examples of simple machines, participated in an online game where students found simple machines in different rooms and learned how they worked, and played a matching game on the Smartboard. I could see the concepts “clicking” for different students in the different activities. By using a variety of methods for teaching about simple machines, I was able to help more learners understand the concept.

In the same science lesson, I used formative evaluation last year to improve my lesson this year. I found that the scavenger hunt was a little chaotic and unfocused when the whole class went on the hunt together. This year, I asked my assistant to help with the lesson and she took half of the class while I took the other. I found that separating the class allowed the students to focus more on the task of finding simple machines in real life. Last year, I also had the students play the simple machines online game together on a Smartboard. I found that not many of the students were engaged in the lesson (typically only the few getting to touch the Smartboad at any given moment were engaged). So this year, I checked out the laptop cart, and students were allowed to navigate through the game at their own pace. By walking around and watching them, I could check for each student’s understanding of simple machines.

As a teacher in a public school, summative evaluation is always present. I find that it is a great way to see changes that may need to be made in instruction. If I find all students are missing questions on a test on the same topic, I know I need to improve my instruction of that topic.

Overall, I find the ISD model to be a wonderful reference for someone wanting to get the most out of their instructional design. It is a great way to organize and reflect on what you are doing.

How do people learn?

From my experience as a teacher, I find it extremely difficult to narrow down the ways people learn to one method or theory. Even as we are creating our lesson in the Discussion Board I find myself thinking “How can I alter this activity to meet the needs of all of my students?” (differentiation). I think there is something useful in most of the theories, but ultimately feel you need a combination of more than one theory to really meet the needs of all learners. I also feel that the theories are more interconnected than they may appear.

From my introduction, it seems I support aspects of Behaviorism (like the later years which proposed the idea that lessons should not be planned for “whole class” instruction); however my view would also be tied to Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences since I feel people learn in different ways.

I also agree with Cognitivism in the sense that interaction between the learner and the environment are important to learning. I use this concept a lot in Science. I try not to just tell students the information I want them to know-but have them interact with the concepts as well. In my Force and Motion unit, we discuss gravity, velocity, friction, etc. As part of the unit, I have the students create a “roller coaster” –we use pipe insulation and marbles-They have to find a way to use what they have learned to find a way to make the marble stay on the track but still have a “fun factor” in their coaster design. Some students seem to learn more from my direct instruction of the concepts, others seem to learn more from “getting their hands dirty” and testing the concepts on their own. This also goes right along with the Dual Coding Theory of Cognitivism that states, “Students learn more effectively with more than one source of information.” (Dr. Sugar’s lesson on Behavior Theories). I think one could argue this is also an example of Constructivism since it is basing some learning on the students’ experiences.

Ultimately, I feel people learn differently, and as the instructor, it is your job to do all that you can to meet the needs of all learners. In my room, I try to differentiate instruction as much as possible. I always present information verbally and visually. I try to relate concepts to real life as often as possible, and have the kids get involved with learning as much as I can. In Math, for example, I have the students do some work with paper and pencil. I also try to have an activity that has them use the information in a different way (like a game or problem solving activity), and we always talk about how the concept would be used in real life. Often we make up a silly song or rap to help the students remember a concept (again, Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences). I can see/hear some of my students mouthing the songs to themselves on assignments and assessments. I also try to provide time to share answers, and am very open to new ways of doing things. In conclusion, I don’t rely solely on one theory of learning and think it would be hard to do so and still meet the needs of all learners.