MODEL: DIRECT INSTRUCTION

OBJECTIVE: Students quickly learn a specific skill or process in any content area. Direct Instruction works when there is one correct way to do a task, and it can be taught in a single lesson.
MATERIALS: The teacher and the students should have exactly the same materials: whatever it takes to practice the skill until it is mastered.
PLANNING:
1. First select a skill that can be learned in a single lesson. This might mean breaking down a larger skill into small sequential steps, such as the many steps of a research project.
2. DO THE TASK YOURSELF before you plan the lesson. As you do the task, write down the steps that you actually do to succeed. These steps seldom come to you just from memory. Be sure to write the internal steps, where you think and make decisions during the process.

For example, to write a want ad, what do you really do:
1. Think of what you want to sell and write that on the first line after the words "for sale."
2. Look at the sale object and describe it as briefly as you can on the next line.
3. Think of why someone would want it, and tell that in a short phrase after a "comma"
4. Decide what youíll sell it for and write that on the next line after the word "cost. "
5. Write your phone number.
6. Count the words and change them if needed, to get it under 25.
7. Rewrite the final draft so a buyer could easily read it.
3. Fill in the steps of a Direct Instruction lesson .

STEPS OF THE MODEL

SET Get studentsí interest, tell them the lesson objective and what they will have to do during the lesson to demonstrate their learning. Often, a good way to do this is to show a completed product.

LESSON
1. INPUT/ MODEL You may need to briefly provide students with INPUT such as pictures, media, experiences, or reading material; you may need to describe, define, or clarify vocabulary you will be using; you might present a challenge, or a paradox, etc. As soon as students have the necessary background to understand what you are going to do and why, you will actually MODEL doing the task or process, using whatever steps, or blueprint, that you developed when you tried it before the lesson (steps 1-6 above) These steps should be listed for students to follow if there are more than 4 or 5.

2. CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING It is usually a good idea to model a second time, but the second time ask for much student input and assistance: "So the next thing is to?. . . . . . " Another way to check understanding is to just ask for oral-together answers to questions about the process.

3. GUIDED PRACTICE Every single student practices the learning with room for mistakes and clear, swift feedback about success or quantity and quality of work. This could be: partner work, answers on board, raised hands for teacher to check and star partway through, etc. Students are not usually evaluated on this work, but it should be collected and given participation credit.

4. CLOSURE This is a final check to be sure that each student understood or could do the task. It can be a brief oral individual or written quiz, the studentís choice of his or her best sample, a completed project, and so on, You and the student must both know if the objective was met.

EVALUATION See closure. You will grade this work in line with your usual grading policy, perhaps for full credit or perhaps for a grade.

NOTE: Once a student has proven success, independent practice can be assigned for retention, or an extension can be given to use the skill in a new setting. If this was a useful skill, now use it.

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