Nonlinguistic learning

Since many of my students claim to be kinesthetic learners, then they seem to need to learn by doing something with the new material. Marzano explicitly states that students learn by doing things like creating graphic organizers. I typically encourage my students to organize their notes in this way since just drawing the graphic organizer and then filling it in also helps the visual learners. I am not sure how to use physical movement in a foreign language class, but I have used sign language when teaching some of the new vocabulary and the students can then associate the sign with the Spanish word. I think that some of the author's techniques are better suited for a science class but understand that with various learners, the imagination may play a significant role in assisting them to remember new learning.

The Value of Homework

I was delighted when I read that Marzano's opinion of homework is that it is necessary to develop skills through practice.  I have long been an advocate of homework, particularly on the high school level, much to the dismay of my own students.  The fact that Marzano places importance on homework just helps me with my long-standing argument with parents, i.e. homework is an essential part of the learning process.  In the foreign language classroom, students who do not practice at home are often lost in class the next day.  As I tell parents, the homework is practice for the tests and quizzes and helps the students to know what they still need to ask.  Those who do not do homework regularly have a lower grade and little chance of passing a class in which practice is not a suggestion, but a requirement.  According to Marzano, a good"rule of thumb" for homework is ten minutes per grade level.  The homework for my class should typically take about 15-20 minutes, so I do not feel that is burdensome for high school students.  How much homework is too much?  Is there such a thing as too much homework?  Is the student capable of determining when he/she has achieved mastery and should then be able to quit practicing?   One difficulty that I have seen on the high school level is the number of students who copy their homework from their peers, thus learning nothing from the practice, and earning low scores on quizzes and tests as a result.  I do wish there were a way to limit this common practice! 

Rewarding Mediocrity

Dr. Marzano makes the point on page 59 of his book that students can learn a valuable lesson from the reinforcements that teachers give, i.e. "the harder you try, the more successful you are."  This seems to be in direct opposition to the current trend for standardized tests that have lowered the reasons for trying hard for the most talented students.  Those who work hard get the same kind of score (Advanced Pass or Pass) and don't really receive a lot of recognition for learning more than the most basic information.  What is the motivation for students to strive for higher success in an educational system that rewards mediocrity?   I am at a loss to find such motivation in the schools today and hope that a fellow educator can come up with an answer.  Are we truly training our students to work hard, or are we settling for allowing them to think that they have succeeded when they pass a minimum competency test? 

Abstract Rewards

For many years, I have used "stickers" as a reward for my students.  They earn stickers by participating in class.  I put the stickers on index cards, one per student, and they earn the card after it has five stickers on it.  The card may then be used as a homework pass, or the students may save the card for points on the exam.  I have found that the students will compete for these stickers, even though they are a tangible reward.  I think that they are also a form of recognition and praise, in addition to being tangible rewards.
 
Dr. Marzano is a proponent of giving rewards in the form of recognition and praise instead of tangible rewards like candy or prizes.  Which kind of rewards, if any, do you use and find most effective? 

Effort and Achievement Tracking

Dr. Marzano suggests that you ask students to keep track of their effort and achievment.  Have you ever used this technique?  If so, how did you introduce it to the students and carry it out?  Did you consider this method worthwhile?

Effort and Achievement

Do you believe that teachers must teach students today the connection between effort and achievement? I think that the standardized testing has made students lazy and they exert little effort for the rewards of A's on exams or other extrinsic rewards. What is your philosophy on teaching this connection and on extrinsic rewards?

Taking notes

Dr. Marzano makes a strong case that teachers should teach students how to take notes and uses visuals such as Venn diagrams and informal outlines. I have noticed that many teachers in my high school provide handouts of the notes for the students, and I think that this is detrimental to their education, in that it does not prepare them for the rigorous expectations of college. Do you think that teachers should be providing these handouts, or do you think that the students should be trained how to take notes? If you believe the latter is the better choice, how do you train students to take notes?
I put notes on the overhead and have students copy them, particularly for grammar topics. When I am giving culture notes, I put important names or dates on the board. Later, when I check the notes, I am finding that the only thing that the students write is exactly what I wrote on the board. This leads me to believe that Marzano is correct in that students do not know how to summarize information, selectively choosing the salient details and recording them. I plan to work on helping my students to develop this skill.
What are your plans in your classroom?

Marzano's book "Classroom Instruction that Works" states on page 10 that effective teaching includes the instructional strategies employed by the teacher, classroom management strategies and a curriculum design. Of these three elements, which do you feel contributes most to your success in the classroom and why? And are there any strategies that you can share with others that would help us to be more effective in the classroom?

Plan for this site

If anyone has read books by Marzano and Professional Learning Communities, please share on this site. I am reading about Classroom Instruction that Works and would like to get the opinion of other teachers who have read or are reading this book. What has worked for you in your classroom? What sounds good in theory, but it doesn't really work in practice?