10 Best Teaching Practices

Based on the book by

Donna Walker Tileston.
10 Best Teaching Practices. (2000)
Corwin Press, Inc. Thousand Oaks,
CA.
ISBN:07619-7585-3
 1.Threats that impact learning

 Stress
 Embarrassment
 Deadlines
 Different learning styles
 Classroom culture
 B. Encouragement

 Active learning
 Creativity

 Connections

 Learning is respected
 C. Enriched Environment

 Dendrites are an indicator of increased brain

processing
 Long term dendritic connections = long term
memory and more connections of materials
 More dendrites – more learning
 Experiment:
 Young rats with toys - higher number of dendrites
 Young rats + old rats- young rats not allowed to play -
lower number of dendrites
 D. Sense of belonging

 High level of support

 Sense of empowerment
 15 minutes activity period for
students that students misused
 E. On ramps

 create lots of them to keep students on

track
 Keep students engaged
 Provide choices
 Be aware of multiple intelligences
 2.Teaching strategies to help
student learning
 Three types
 Visual – information stored in the occipital lobe
of brain
 Kinesthetic – information stored in the motor
cortex and cerebellum
 Auditory – information stored in the temporal
lobe
 3. Making connections

 Effect of old and new learning

 Looking for connections in new material - frustrating
without guidance
 Giving ownership
 ‘last week we talked about’
 ‘have you ever seen….’
 ‘what do you know about’
 ‘what do you want to know’
 ‘what have you learned’
 ‘this is similar to’
 “The brain processes meaning not random information”
(Eric Jenson [1998])
 4. Teaching for long term
memory
 cram – ace test – forget quickly
 30 second telephone number – brain tosses
information into memory or out in 30 sec.

 Working memory – information processed
 Pre-schoolers – 2-3 chunks at a time
 Pre-adolescents – 3 – 7
 Through adulthood – 7 – 9
 Long term memory – info must be processed within
20 min.
 Teaching for long term memory cont

 Try to ensure students are putting info in long term

memory by providing tools to facilitate the process
 Interesting information
 Emotional connections
 Relevant
 Applicable
 Demonstrate a love for learning
 5. Higher order thinking skills
needed/wanted
 Reward and encourage
 critical thinking
 creative thinking
 problem solving
 Higher order thinking skills needed/wanted
cont.

 Develop assessment methods that include

analysis and above
 Cause and effect
 Making inferences
 Deductive thinking opportunities
 Raise the bar, the students will follow
 Practice in the class then follow up on exams
 6. Collaborative learning

 Be the coach, leader, guide

 Types of communication
 a. between teacher and student
 b. student – student
 c. communication with others
 d. communication among teachers
 Collaborative learning cont

 Create an environment where communication is the

driving force.
 Act as a catalyst not a textbook
 Allow students to work together, form groups,
listen to each others ideas, develop concepts
 This develops mutual respect
 Social skills are developed
 Collaborative learning cont

 Use indicators of higher order thinking such

as making distinctions, applying ideas,
forming generalizations, raising questions,
not just reporting facts, definitions, or
procedures.
 Students should be actively engaged not
passive receivers.
 7. Consider ALL learners (but we
will never get 100 % success)

 All students are not equal: –

 In preparation for college
 In their interest level
 In the motivation to learn
 In their priorities
 They have different cultural needs and incentives
 Make the class supportive.
 Create relationships.
 Do not have hidden agendas.
 8. Authentic Assessment –
achievement that is significant and
meaningful
Needs to reflect what you want the student to be able
to do at the end of the course
 what should be measured?
 Process?
 Product?
 Both?
 Do your assessment methods truly reflect student
learning or just memorization?
 Authentic Assessment –cont.

 Assessment should:
 a. be continuous and part of the instruction
 b. connect directly to learning
 c. do more than require simple memorization
(require students to develop math formulae, write
essays, create sculpture, etc).
 d. Be driven in part by student questions
 Authentic Assessment –cont.

 Authentic achievement allows

 1. students to construct meaning and produce
knowledge
 2. use disciplines inquiry to construct meaning
 3. movement toward production of discourse,
products or performances that have value and
meaning beyond success in school
 Authentic Assessment –cont.

 Quote from Ron Bryant 1993

“ as long as you are determined to cover everything
you actually insure that most students are not going
to understand. You’ve got to take enough time to
get students deeply involved in something so that
they can think about it in lots of different ways and
apply it ----- not just at college but at home and on
the street and so on.”
 Authentic Assessment –cont.

 We can’t teach students everything

 We must give them the tools to be successful
 Problems solving skills
 Research retrieval skills
 Then we must assess if they have learned these
skills
 Set high expectations but give guidance and support
 Guidance allows the student to ‘get it right the first
time and every time’
 Authentic Assessment –cont.

 Help students demonstrate understanding but

using learning in different contexts
 Allow them to make meaningful products
 Help them develop inquiry skills
 Tie assessment to rubrics or guidelines for
success
 9. Real world applications
 Relevance
 Use authentic situations
 Tie information to what students already know – create
connections
 Allow time (or situation) for
 emotional attachment

 to reflect on learning

 What, So what, and Now what – use to facilitate

reflection
 What (have you learned)?
 So what (difference does it make)?

 Now what (can I do with it)?

 Increased depth of understanding and application results

 10. Use of technology

 Good or bad?
 When and where?
 Assessment
 Communication
 Research rich environments
 Use of the web
 The world becomes the classroom