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Plasmalink - Glossary of Instructional Strategies Category: Management > Instructional Strategies Date & country: 14/10/2008, USA Words: 676

Scaffolding
Providing temporary support until help is no longer needed. Can take many forms (examples, explanations, organizers, etc.) but needs to build on student's existing knowledge.

Scale Drawings
Architects in Action (lesson plan)

Scale Models
Architects in Action (lesson plan)

SCAMPER
Creativity technique by that uses the SCAMPER acronym to help students remember to try many variations on an idea. SCAMPER = Substitute, Combine, Adapt, (Modify, Magnify, Minify), Put to other use, Eliminate, (Reverse, Rearrange).

Scanning
Reading or looking at material quickly to gain an overview of the content.

Script
Student-generated scripts and screenplays.

Script Theory
A theory about the structure of knowledge by Roger Schank. The core idea is that knowledge is stored as a series of scripts that we have composed based on our prior experiences. When some new event occurs, we try to fit the new information into our existing scripts. This reliance on existing mental frameworks makes script theory very similar to con...

Scripted Cooperative Dyads
Pairs both read complex material, then alternate in roles of recaller (who summarizes and explains what was read) and listener (who listens, then corrects or adds to what was said by recaller).

Sculptures
A group problem-solving technique in which members add to three-dimensional models that depict either the problem itself or a potential solution to the problem. In the general sense, any three-dimensional figure or design.

SEARCH
A writing strategy by Edwin S. Ellis consisting of the following steps: Set goals. Examine your paper to see if it makes sense. Ask if you said what you wanted to say. Reveal picky errors. Copy over neatly. Have a last look for errors.

Self-Assessments
Students reflect on their performance and assess themselves.

Self-Correction
Students correct themselves during reading, speaking, or performing skills.

Self-Selected Reading
Students select the materials to read. Improves motivation because students can select materials of interest to them.

Semantic Associations
Making connections between words based on meaning and context.

Semantic Feature Analysis
Chart or grid where students explore their existing knowledge about relations between concepts.

Semantic Word Map
Semantic Word Map

Send-a-Problem
Send-A-Problem

Senses
Students can make more complete connections to concepts if all of their senses are stimulated.

Sequence Chains
Sequence Chain (graphic organizer)

Sequencing
Creating sequences from clues. Also a writing strategy and a team activity.

Service Learning
Learn & Serve America

Set
Any activity at the beginning of a lesson whose function is to motivate students to participate in the learning to come and redirect the students' attention to the general objectives to be learned.. An effective set may be as simple as asking a question, or as complicated as a ten minute hands-on activity.

Shadowing
The student follows a professional for several hours or a whole day to learn more about the work done by, and skills needed by that person. Often used in teacher education programs or apprenticeships.

Share-Pair Circles
Divide class into two equal groups and each group forms a circle. The inner circle faces outward and the outer circle faces inward, to form pairs of facing students. In response to teacher questions, each pair discusses their ideas, then one of the circles rotates to create new pairs. Repeat until the original pairs are again facing each other.

Shared Reading
A teaching strategy employing oversized picture books from which the teacher reads aloud to a group of children.

Shared Stories
Students and teachers share personal stories to explore their shared and divergent values, cultures, and backgrounds.

Similarities and Differences
A form of comparison in which students first list all the similarities they can find between the two objects or concepts being compared, then they list all the differences.

Simplex
The Basadur Simplex approach to problem-solving. Basically a formal approach in which problems are defined, ideas proposed and evaluated, actions initiated, then a return to the problem-finding stage to refine the solution.

Situated Learning
An educational theory by Jean Lave proposing that learning normally occurs in a specific context (i.e. with certain people or while performing certain tasks). Learning, then involves both social interactions and interactions with the real-life materials and places where the knowledge would be applied. Variations of situated learning would include a...

Six Thinking Hats
A metacognitive strategy that encourages people to look at concepts from different perspectives. Each hat represents a mode of thinking. The white hat = look at data, red = feelings, black = judgment, yellow = positive attitude, green = creativity, blue = overview.

Skill
The use or demonstration of skills by the student.

Skill Inventory
There are two basic formats for a skill inventory. Individuals may either generate their own list of skills, or individuals may 'check off' skills they possess from a list of skills. Used as a self-assessment in many fields but most often used as part of career exploration or professional development.

Skimming
Reading or looking at material quickly to gain an overview of the content.

SLANT
Teaching strategy to encourage students to participate in discussions. Sit up. Lean forward. Activate your thinking. Note important information. Track the talker.

Slide Show
A form of presentation by students. Slides can be a series of drawings, or can be generated and presented using software like PowerPoint.

Slip Writing
Individual brainstorming on paper followed by sharing of the written ideas in small groups.

Snowball
Any of several techniques that involve grouping ideas that are written on small slips of paper.

SOAPSS
A method to encourage consideration of the context in which a particular piece of writing was created: Subject, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Speaker, and Style.

Social Development Theory
Based on Lev Vygotsky's philosophy that learning occurs through social interactions. Emphasizes the importance of cooperative learning groups, motivation, observation of models, and student attitudes.

Social Learning Models
Albert Bandura's theory of learning through modeling observed behaviors.

Social Science Inquiry
Social Science Inquiry

Sociodrama
Portrayal of town meetings or sessions of congress (for example).

Somebody Wanted But So
After reading activity that uses a graphical organizer to help students evaluate character ('somebody'), motivation ('wanted'), conflict ('but'), and resolution ('so').

Songs
Using Songs in the Classroom

Sort Cards
Words and images associated with topic are put on individual cards. Groups sort cards into categories and label and discuss categories.

Spelling Notebook
A student-generated list of words maintained by the student to remind them of words they need more work on.

Spelling Pictures
Students copy their spelling words by writing them in a pattern that 'traces' a picture.

Spider Map
A form of graphic organizer to help students see the relationship between details and the main topic.

Spiral Sequencing
An instructional approach in which objectives are presented to learners beginning with simple concepts and then periodically revisiting the concepts and expanding on the concepts as is appropriate for the learner's cognitive level.. Compare to: Chronological, General-to-Specific, Known-to-Unknown, Part-to-Part-to-Part, Part-to-Whole, Part-to-Whole-...

Sports
Participation in, or analysis of sporting events.

Spotlight On
Similar to 'Student of the Week.' The work and background of a single student is showcased to the class.

Step-by-Step Sequencing
An instructional approach in which objectives are presented to learners as a series of steps. Often used to teach procedures. Compare to: Chronological, General-to-Specific, Known-to-Unknown, Part-to-Part-to-Part, Part-to-Whole, Part-to-Whole-to Part, Spiral, Topical, Unknown-to-Known, Whole-to-Part

Sticking Dots
A method that allows individuals or groups to vote for their favorites from a list by sticking colored dots next to their choices.

Stir the Teams
Students are assigned to teams and each student in the team has a number (typically 1 through 4). Teams discuss their group answer to the teacher's question, then when the team is done they give a signal. When all teams are done, the teacher calls a number (from 1 to 4) and the students with that number rotate to the next group to share their team'...

STOPS
Acronym is useful to help students remember which aspects of their writing they should check when editing.STOPS stands for: Sentence structure, Tenses, Organization, Punctuation, Spelling

Story Frame
A guided reading tool that gives prompts to elicit information about the sequence of events that occur during a story.

Story Impressions
The teacher presents ten to fifteen terms to students prior to reading. These terms appear in the same order that they appear in the reading. Students write a passage using the terms that they think predicts what will happen in the reading. Students share their predictions with others. Finally, students read, comparing their predictions (story impr...

Story Maps
Example Story Map

Story Method for Memorization
Each word to be memorized is included in a story made up by the student.

Story Related Reading
The exploration of texts related to the primary text. These activities, often cooperative, typically include reading related texts or stories, then making comparisons to the original story through writing or discussions.

Stump the Teacher
Game where students make up questions based on a reading assignment. The teacher gets a point if he or she can answer the question, and the students get a point if the teacher fails to answer the question.

Subsumption Theory
David Ausubel's subsumption theory describes the importance of relating new ideas to a students existing knowledge base BEFORE the new material is presented. This theory is applied in the 'advance organizer' strategy developed by Ausubel.

Success For All
Success for All Foundation

Suchman Inquiry
Like twenty questions. Teacher poses problem then helps students solve problem by answering 'yes' or 'no' to student questions.

Suggestion Box
Useful for collecting any form of anonymous feedback. Student opinions can be regularly collected as part of class activities, or the box could be used in the classroom as an informal method for students to make comments about activities in the classroom. Often most effective when paired with the Admit Slip/Exit Summative Assessment

Super Heroes
Problem-solving technique in which students take on the roles of their favorite super heroes, then answer questions from the point of view of that character. For instance, if the class was discussing the problem of how to deal with water pollution from pesticide run-off, a student from the 'Spiderman' perspective might propose that she could use he...

Synectics
Metaphors generated by the students are used to help them understand controversial issues or solve problems.

Syntax
The use of the structure of language, or knowledge about the structure of language to solve problems or understand text.

Teacher Errors
Establish reward system for finding and correcting errors made by the teacher.

Teacher Expectations
A clear, written explanation of the teacher's expectations. This should describe desirable behavior, rules, and the steps needed to get a good grade in a course. For older students, this is often included in a syllabus handed out the first day. For younger students, this is part of the packet of information sent home to be read by the parents. As t...

Teacher's Background
Teachers are real people with families, hobbies, and former occupations. By sharing information about themselves with students, teachers establish themselves as both accessible and credible as a teacher.

A-B-C Summarize
A form of review in which each student in a class is assigned a different letter of the alphabet and they must select a word starting with that letter that is related to the topic being studied.

C-4 Yourself
Collaborative project strategy with four components: challenge, choice, collaboration, and creation.

C-SOOPS
Acronym is useful to help students remember which aspects of their writing they should check when editing. C-SOOPS stands for: Capitalization, Sentence structure, Organization, Overall format, Punctuation

E-mail
A technique to connect students to people around the world to collaborate on projects or distance learning. E-mail can also be used to provide a direct communication link between the teacher and the students' parents.

I'm Watching Someone
Behavior management technique where the teacher tells students that two students have been selected to be carefully observed, and if they behave well, the entire class will receive a reward. If the behavior was positive and there is a reward, the students are told who was being watched.