Chapter+5

__ Visible Learning for Teachers: Maximizing Impact on Learning __ John Hattie Published by Routledge, 2012

**Chapter 5 -** **Starting the Lesson**
Chapter 5 highlighted two things that are taking place at Rountree that might not be the best ed processes. These include: --Using a provocation at the beginning of a unit (p. 88) --The value (or lack thereof) of learning styles- Our first grade has a 4 week Unit of Inquiry all about helping students identify their preferred learning style.

It also reminded me of an axiom that all educators need to keep in mind- "more often than not, when students do nto learn, they do not need 'more'; rather, they need 'different'." (p. 83) I think this is especially important for sped and extended learning teachers to keep in mind.

"If you want to increase student academic achievement, give each student a friend." (p. 79) Cost of this intervention- $0.00. Effect on child's life- priceless.

Hattie must have an anticipated the way my mind works when he wrote on page 84, "various successful methods of teaching were identified in __Visible Learning__, but the book also identified the importance of not rushing to implement only the top strategies. . ." Even back in the spring when we received the bookmarks, I immediately started scanning the top of the list to see what could be introduced at Rountree.

Suggestions on how Exercise 2 on page 89 could become part of our CWT form?

// **Chapter 5 Homework Question**- To what degree do teachers prepare for impact before lessons? // David wrote- In my experience, this varies greatly as to the individual teacher. There are those teachers who are open TM and follow it to the letter. Then other teachers use the TM as a resource with supplemental materials, both brimming with post-it notes. The paradigm shift I see after reading chapter 5 is for teachers to spend time thinking about how individual lessons will impact learning. All too often lessons are seen as a tool to prepare students for the test or unit project, but not as individual teaching/learning sessions that can and should be evaluated. (Not individual in that they are not related to the unit objective, but in that they have stand-alone importance.) Page 77 discusses an area which I feel might be a deficit area for many teachers- finding the balance between "surface, deep and conceptual understanding in lesson intentions." A caution for PYP schools is to guard against "having too many open-ended activities. . .(which) can make it difficult to direct students' attention to that which matters. . ." (p. 88)

One final thought on teacher prep from page 88- "Thus teachers must develop a scoring rubric for any assignment before they complete the question or prompts, and show the rubric to the students. . ." "ANY" assignment?!?! Hmmm. ..