Model Learning

• #UKEdChat session 551
• Feedback from the learner to the teacher is vital for modelling
• Monitoring how well the modelled learning point and offering support and correction where necessary is important.
• Click here to view the tweet archive.

Monkey see, monkey do…

If only teaching was that simple! But the teacher doing the required action, skill or behaviour, and often explaining has he or she does so, is a powerful way to teach which draws upon many different elements. It allows learners to see, step by step, how something is successfully achieved, and learners can interact to clarify at various points along the way. Another useful strategy is to model how not to do it (that’s my excuse anyway) and highlight the many pitfalls that learners may encounter.

But like many things in the classroom, it isn’t as simple as just doing the required thing in front of the pupils and assume they’ve got it. Feedback from the learners to the teacher is essential, so developing a classroom culture where this is encouraged is a first step. The pace of modelling is also important, as too fast will mean some learners will not take in all of the steps, and too slow will mean that some will switch off and the wider pace of the lesson may be lost.

The teacher isn’t the only, nor necessarily the best source of modelling. Learners can also model for each other, but this opens the possibility of passing on incorrect versions of the action, skill or behaviour. Whatever the source of modelling, teachers must monitor the level of acquisition and offer support and correction where necessary.

In this #UKEdChat session, which took place on Thursday 6th May 2021 at 8pm(UK) we discussed the preparation needed to model an action, skill or behaviour correctly, what is the role of other learners, and how to monitor the how effective the newly acquired learning point.

We hope to hold our first-ever audio discussion using Twitter Spaces on this topic during the usual Twitter discussion. Look out for a tweet from @UKEdChat around 8pm(UK) inviting you to listen. If you are interested in taking one of the limited speaking spots, please get in touch with @ICTmagic via Twitter direct message.

Questions

1. What does modelling in the classroom mean to you?
2. How do you use modelling in your own teaching?
3. What is the role of learners in the modelling process?
4. Is there one particular or preferred way to model?
5. What kind of preparation is needed before modelling something?
6. Is there value in modelling something the wrong way to show potential pitfalls?
7. How can modelling be developed and deployed to make CPD more effective?
8. What do you wish was modelled for you when you were at school?

Chat Participants:
@gemlcampbell
@ICTmagic
@teacherchalky1
@EmilyCAtkinson1
@ludi_jones
@SusanSEnglish
@mrstinac
@ladeidiomas
@RollingTeacher
@teachinginge

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