Hi Joshua,

I really enjoyed reading your post about direct instruction (DI) this week. While I wrote a blog post on the same topic, it was great reading about the teaching approach from a different perspective. When I think about DI, I often picture a lecture hall with students seated at desks, and a professor speaking at the front of the class; therefore, I agree with your definition of DI as a teacher-centred pedagogy, with an “I talk, you listen” approach. Additionally, I like that you mentioned DI should not be strictly implemented as the sole teaching approach, but rather paired with pedagogies which support student-centred learning. Like you, I also do not find strictly teacher-directed lessons to be the most effective. As a result, for my learning pod’s Interactive Learning Resource, I suggested we use other teaching approaches in addition to DI. Seeing that you mentioned brain breaks should be implemented with DI, I believe combining the approach with other activities will be beneficial for student learning.

Overall, really great post!

Xinh

Hi Mia,

Your blog post this week was a great read. I had not previously heard of the Cooperative Learning approach, and you explained it in a manner which was clear and easy to understand. My blog post this week focused on a teacher-centred approach to learning; therefore, I appreciated reading your post which focused on a student-centred approach. In particular, I like how you emphasized students can learn through communicating information in social environments with this approach. I personally have friends who find it effective to test each other with questions in study groups, and I would consider Cooperative Learning as the foundation to this style of learning. As you mentioned in your blog post, this is because in such settings, a form of social interdependence manifests as students work together to achieve a common goal. Considering the effectiveness of this teaching approach in promoting learning, I believe it is a great idea to use Cooperative Learning in your Interactive Learning Resource.

Awesome post!

Xinh