Instructional Practices

Not a bad site, worth a look. Again this sort of thing is all about thinking and actually applying theory. Too often we read the theory, write the essays but fall short when it comes to implicitly using our theoretical knowledge in the field. It would be much easier if teachers had a ready to go set of lessons that demonstrate a theoretical position. This would enable teachers to use an already formed approach, watch it in action and modify it to their needs.

"Rogoff, Matusov, and White (1996) argue that ‘coherent patterns of instructional practices are based on instructional models, and instructional models are based on theoretical perspectives on learning'. Recent research indicates that teachers usually hold implicit theories about teaching and learning that inform their planning and day-to-day decision making. Yet these theories are typically underarticulated, unrecognised, underspecified, and quite often inconsistent if not schizophrenic in their application. It is our contention that clearly stating and coming to understand one's theory (or theories) about teaching and learning can help us to develop a coherent instructional model and then to scrutinise, converse about, and adapt our teaching in ways that hold powerful benefits for teachers and students."

[ source http://www.myread.org/scaffolding.htm ]