E-Reflection of PETA (#3)

How Should We Teach?

Learning about models of instruction is very interesting. I felt it in the latest PETA course. Based on Mrs. Ine’s explanation it is very important for teachers and teacher candidates like us to know those things. Why? Absolutely it is because knowing the models of instruction will make help for doing teaching activities in the classroom?

Now, I have known basically there are four kinds of instruction. Teachers usually use one or some of those models of instruction. They are direct instruction, guided discovery, lecture-discussion and group interaction.
Direct Instruction

Based on what I’ve understood, direct instruction is used to teach the concept and procedural skills. Teachers hold the control of the class in this model. The teachers use much of their time to give guidance. During that time, usually the teachers explain and give examples to make the students understand the materials. While students just answer the questions if the teacher ask them. They also do an assignment or task if the teachers provide it.

Guided Discovery

In guided discovery model, the teachers cooperate with the students to create an active learning. The teachers are as facilitators. The students are given more time to construct their understanding by themselves. To help students construct a new knowledge, the teachers guides them by questions along the learning process. In the end of the class the teacher will check students’ understanding toward the lesson. The teacher usually creates a new case related to the materials to stimulate students’ creativity.

Lecture-Discussion

Actually this model wants to balance between lecture and discussion. It is different with direct instruction which guide the students directly. In lecture-discussion model students are given a chance to conclude the knowledge based on their understanding.

At the first, the teachers give a brief lecturing to the students. Then, the students will be asked some questions related to the materials that they have heard from lecturing. It is done to measure students’ understanding. It is called comprehension monitoring. After that, teachers usually give additional questions to help students integrate their new knowledge with their prior knowledge. That is why this method relatively effective to teach a new concept that students have not learned before.

Group Interaction

In this model, the students are asked to work in a group discussion. It is because the theory that established this model believes that the students can be engaged to learn rather than they learn alone. Therefore, students will have same opportunity to express and share each others.

Those are four models of instruction that I learned in PETA subject. I and my friends agreed that there is the best method among the others. Therefore, we have to understand all of the models of instruction. By knowing that, hopefully we can choose the suitable model(s) based on our learning objectives.