Cause and Effect

The cause and effect model is a great way to show students why things happen the way they do. It helps to engage them into thinking how one event (the cause) effects another (the effect). You can use this model for anything, for example teaching students that if water washes against rocks, erosion happens. It's important to have a hook in the lesson and make sure it applies to the students, or they won't be as invested in what's going on in the classroom. This reminds me a lot of the video with the kindergartners learning about volcanoes on their trays. If they were just told about how volcanoes worked, they might not be interested. But since the teacher showed them the before and after with them experimenting for themselves, they were able to see the true cause and effect of volcanic activity. I can see this model working the best in science, but this can easily be incorporated into any part of the curriculum.

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Multiple Intelligences and Direct Instruction

Growing up, I always heard about the idea of "learning styles." I always thought of myself as a visual learner-I always loved seeing everything in front of me and getting a better understanding of the whole picture. However, after reading and studying this multiple intelligences article, I realize that the idea of learning styles is a myth. I've been able to learn in multiple ways: writing, drawing pictures, listening to music, etc. Creating several lesson plans for different students daily is impossible, and no research has been proven saying that teaching to learning styles helps at all. Exposing students to different types of learning can make them more well-rounded and developed for the future.

A teaching style that I favor heavily is Direct Instruction. I loved the gradual release of information from teacher to student, that's probably because I remember it being used a lot when I was a child. For "I Do", students get an idea of what they're learning; "We Do" makes them more comfortable exploring the material without being too overwhelmed or put on the spot; and "You Do" gives them an opportunity to explore the material and express their creativity on their own terms. I'm excited to try this strategy with my own future students.