Imagine, Believe, Achieve

Lesson plans are the vital component of successful teaching. Essentially, lesson plans create order, allow for organization of time and materials, create order, and ensure students are receiving materials that match standard expectations. In order to provide accurate transfer of information, teachers use a variety of teaching techniques.  Direct, inquiry, and cooperative teaching are three different genres of lessons. All categories of lessons are meaningful in a desirable classroom environment. Our minds are just as unique as our bodies. No two are exceptionally identical. In order for teachers to meet our distinct learning process, instructors need to explore the differences in each learning technique.

Direct instruction is a form of explicit teaching that uses lectures or demonstrations to teach a skill based lesson. The nature of this lesson is to be structured, sequenced, and conducted by a teacher. When implemented properly, direct instruction has the ability to improve student performance as well as self-esteem. Direct instruction differs from other forms of explicit instruction due to it's intensive focus on curriculum design in conjunction with it's effective instructional delivery. This approach claims the teacher is responsible for the students learning. Guiding principles state that if the instructor is given effective programs and proper instructional delivery techniques, then all teacher should be successful. If the student does not learn, then the teacher has not taught. The goal of direct instruction is to do more, in less time. This goal is dependent upon the program design, organization of instruction, and most importantly, teacher student interactions.

 

 

Unlike direct instruction, inquiry allows students to actively participate in their learning. Student's understanding becomes the main focus in this lesson. Hands on minds on experiences take place as students explore, investigate, question, and learn through inquiry. During inquiry, students take control of their learning as teachers guide and facilitate their discoveries. The class becomes engaged in active problem solving in order to create meaning and construct new understanding. The goal of inquiry is to encourage students to think divergently and critically as if they were an expert in the field of study. Teachers guide the students by planning and designing a lesson that will lead the class to investigate and find deep understanding. Through questioning and observation, teachers are able to guide the students in the intended direction of thinking without being direct.