Kitchen Pedagogy: Modelling

Summary

This video focuses on the importance of effective modeling in teaching, highlighting common challenges and strategies to improve student learning. The speaker emphasizes breaking down tasks into manageable steps, ensuring students understand the reasoning behind each action, and actively engaging them through the 'we do' phase of instruction. They discuss the importance of metacognitive narration, checking for understanding, and offering targeted practice. By using analogies like learning a dance, the speaker underscores the necessity of scaffolding and gradual independence, offering tips for teachers to enhance the transfer of knowledge and skills.

Takeaways

• 😀 Modeling is essential in teaching but must be done thoughtfully to be effective.
• 😀 Writing down what’s modeled can distract students from understanding the deeper thinking behind the task.
• 😀 It’s often more effective to have students listen to the modeling process rather than write it down during the demonstration.
• 😀 Checking for understanding should go beyond asking, 'Does everyone understand?' by prompting students to explain the reasoning behind each step.
• 😀 Ask specific questions to check understanding, like 'Why did I choose this word?' or 'What does this step accomplish?'
• 😀 Breaking down tasks into smaller, manageable steps increases student success in transferring the skill.
• 😀 Comparing modeling to learning a dance: students need to practice each step before moving on to the next.
• 😀 It's beneficial to model parts of a task that are often overlooked, such as the conclusion or middle sections.
• 😀 The 'We do' stage is the heart of modeling—don’t rush it. Working together builds better understanding.
• 😀 Don’t always start from the beginning when modeling; sometimes start with the more complex parts to help students better understand the entire task.
• 😀 Effective modeling requires both demonstration and guided practice, ensuring students can perform each step independently before progressing.

Q & A

Why is it sometimes difficult for teachers to effectively model tasks to their students?

Teachers may struggle with modeling because they believe that showing students a good example will automatically lead to learning. However, the challenge lies in ensuring that students understand the reasoning behind each step, which is often overlooked during the modeling process.

What is one major pitfall teachers face when modeling and asking students to write things down?

A common pitfall is the assumption that writing down what the teacher models helps students think critically. In reality, students often focus more on getting the words down neatly, rather than understanding the teacher’s thought process or reasoning behind each step.

What is the benefit of having students put their pens down during modeling?

Having students put their pens down and just listen allows them to focus fully on understanding the teacher’s reasoning. This eliminates distractions and helps them process the information better before they start writing.

What should teachers focus on when checking for student understanding during modeling?

Teachers should ask students to articulate their understanding by explaining the reasoning behind the teacher's actions. Rather than asking if everyone understands, teachers should prompt specific students to explain their thoughts, ensuring a deeper level of comprehension.

How does the analogy of learning a dance relate to modeling in education?

Just like learning a dance, where students start by mastering small steps and gradually build up to the full sequence, modeling in education should break down tasks into small, manageable steps. This allows students to practice each step before moving on to the next, ensuring mastery at each stage.

Why is the 'we do' phase crucial in the 'I do, we do, you do' modeling approach?

The 'we do' phase is the heart of modeling because it involves active collaboration between the teacher and students. It’s where the teacher helps students practice a task together, providing guidance and feedback, and ensuring they are ready for independent work.

What is the role of the teacher when moving from 'we do' to 'you do'?

The teacher’s role is to ensure that students have mastered the steps during the 'we do' phase. Only when the teacher feels that students are ready can they transition to the 'you do' phase, where students complete the task independently with minimal support.

How can teachers ensure that students don't miss important steps when learning complex tasks?

Teachers can ensure that students don’t miss steps by breaking down tasks into smaller, manageable components and frequently checking for understanding. This might involve asking students to practice each step before moving on to the next, or modeling from the middle, focusing on complex parts like the conclusion.

What are some ways teachers can improve the transfer of learning after modeling a task?

Teachers can improve the transfer of learning by breaking tasks into smaller steps, checking students' understanding after each step, and giving students time to practice and discuss what they’ve learned. Additionally, teachers can model more complex tasks like conclusions to ensure all aspects of a task are practiced.

What does the metaphor of passing a baton represent in the context of modeling?

The metaphor of passing a baton represents the gradual transfer of responsibility from the teacher to the student. It emphasizes that learning is a collaborative process, where both the teacher and student share the task until the student is fully capable of handling it independently.