instructional methods
Many teachers ask for ideas to help guide and differentiate their instruction so they can meet the needs of twice exceptional students. Below is a table that lists various instructional methods and models that have proven to work well with these students.
Instructional Method |
Description |
Benefits |
Limitations |
Concept Development |
One of Hilda Taba’s teaching strategies, this model begins with student-derived list of items related to a subject. Students categorize the items, explaining reasons for their choices. Groups are labeled and then students subsume grouped data. Once all relationships have been explored, students synthesize the information by summarizing the data and forming generalizations. The purpose is to derive abstract principles from concrete facts. |
• Prepares students for more advanced work by engaging them in the development of generalizations related to key concepts. • Uses inductive and deductive reasoning. • Promotes higher-order thinking. • Responsibility of learning on the student. |
• Questions need to be well thought out and planned. Inappropriate questioning could hamper discussion. |
Simulations |
Students are placed in instructional scenarios (game, role-playing) defined by the teacher. The scenario represents a reality within which students interact. The teacher controls the parameters of this "world" and uses it to achieve the desired instructional results. Students experience the reality of the scenario and gather meaning from it. Simulations promote concept attainment through experiential practice. |
• Provide authentic yet controlled learning experience. • Use of critical and creative thinking skills. • Students can gain empathy for real life situations. • Students are highly motivated to take a more active role in learning. |
• Demand time to be implemented effectively • May require additional materials. • Can be highly complex requiring a lot of preparation. |
Visual Thinking Strategies |
Students have teacher-facilitated discussions about art images. Teacher uses open-ended questions: • What’s going on in this picture? • What do you see that makes you say that? • What else can you find? Teacher then paraphrases each comment, accepting whatever is said neutrally. Answers are linked and discussion is summarized. Students create meaning from their observations of the visual evidence in the artwork. |
• Students use existing visual and cognitive skills to develop confidence and experience. • Students learn to use what they already know to figure out what they don’t know. • Group problem-solving process cultivates students’ willingness to present their own ideas while respecting peers’ views. •Develops thinking and communication skills. • Strengthens oral and written language literacy. |
• Access to artwork relating to focused concepts. |
Service Learning |
Method of learning that engages students in solving a community problem. Students investigate the needs of the community and research solutions. They design a plan and implement it. Outcomes are shared with the community and celebrated. Reflection during each step is essential to the learning process. |
• Fosters civic responsibility. • Provides opportunity for critical reflection. • Active learning that enables students to make connections between what they are studying and its applications. • Students gain a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them. |
• Commonly confused with community service. • Can be difficult to find an authentic community problem for students to solve. |
Bruner’s Structure of the Discipline |
Jerome Bruner stressed the importance of understanding the organization of a subject area. Students participate in the processes, practices, and fundamental concepts of a discipline. Lesson sequencing includes: · Familiarity with the discipline · Practicing the discipline · Reflecting on the discipline · Continued practice and reflection. When planning, ask: “In what ways can students act as real inquirers?” |
• Model offers abstract and complex content. • Nurtures discovery with depth, challenge and flexibility. • Active learning through the process of discovery. • Guided inquiry in open-ended context. |
• Takes extensive planning. • To be meaningful, students must show an interest in subject. |