Powerful Elements in Social Studies

Week 3 - Statistics and Information

In class today, we were asked to predict the retention rate of students based on different teaching styles. My guesses are are follows:

Reading - 25%

Hearing - 20%

Seeing - 30%

Seeing and hearing - 35%

Discussing - 50%

Doing things - 75%

Teaching others - 85%

After going around the room and sharing our guesses, we were shown the actual results.

The Learning Pyramid
The actual average retention rates are as follows:

Lecture - 5%

Reading - 10%

Audiovisual - 20%

Demonstration - 30%

Discussion Group - 50%

Practice by doing - 75%

Teaching Others - 90%

I am kind of shocked at how low some of the retention rates actually are. I would never have guessed that students only retain about 10% of what they read. Looking at these rates, I think that teachers should try to use "practice by doing" and "teaching others" as often as they can in their classrooms. By having students actively learning in these ways, they will have the highest retention rates and will learn much more than by simply reading their textbooks.

I wonder if these facts are based on a certain age level and if they can be applied to college students as well. In most college classes, students are expected to learn through reading of their textbooks and by attending lectures. By looking at the model, these methods of learning are the lowest two. Only 5%-10% of information is retained using these methods. Though college students do have a more developed brain than those of an elementary student, I think that the retention rates would be similar. College professors should take this into account when they are developing their lessons. 

Structure of Knowledge 

 Jerome Bruner

- Learning outcomes/Re-Construction

- Key ideas

- Common Core concepts and understandings


- Content to be taught







I really like this interpretation of knowledge. It is hard to place a definition as to what knowledge actually is. Breaking it up into the four segments of facts, concepts, generalizations, and meta-cognition, one can begin to understand what knowledge actually is and what goes into teaching students to gain understanding and knowledge. I like how Mr. Bruner placed these segments into a pyramid. The basis of knowledge is facts, or the content to be taught. Once the facts are established, then the concepts are formed from the Common Core Standards and understandings. Further up the pyramid, you have generalizations. Generalizations are the key ideas of what you are learning or teaching. At the top of the pyramid, you have meta-cognition. Meta-cognition is the learning outcomes, what you want the student to walk away with from the lesson. Meta-cognition is also thinking about thinking, a reflective process of learning. 

There are different educational philosophies that correlate with these structures of knowledge. Meta-cognition goes with re-construction, generalizations refers to existentialism, concepts goes with progressivism, and facts correspond with perennialism/essentialism. 

Medena - Brain Rules

Models, Strategies, and Methods  = Teaching approaches

Today's lesson reminded me of psych classes that I have taken. For example, Psych of the Exceptional Learner frequently featured various pyramid diagrams in relation to RTI and Bloom's Taxonomy. These diagrams provide a visual to the given information, helping a learner see what steps are involved in reaching the top, "most important," or highest level of the pyramid. 

The main part of today's class was reviewing the unit plan:  what makes up a unit plan and the content to be taught. This information will help us create a well structured unit. The unit plan is something that we will be partially implementing during firldwork. 

Each group will teach 3 mini lessons that take up approximately 25 minutes each. The class will be split in two and each section will be taught the two lessons. Teaching in this way will keep us "on our toes" and will make us be creative in finding ways to teach effectively in a short amount of time. 

Unit Plan Design

1. Direct Instruction - Behavioral Model = used for developing basic skills and knowledge (explain/lecture) Audio-visual students

2. Inquiry - they have basic knowledge and skills, let them apply it. Give them resources and have them research, explore, draw conclusions. Focus on their meta-cognitive skills. What is your evidence? How did you come to this conclusion? etc. 
-Indirect (cognitive/inquiry)

3. Work in groups, focus more on socialization 
-indirect (social/CL)

4. Indirect - individual project to show knowledge
-personal project

Group 1's theme for the unit plan = New York and the New Nation

At first I was not very excited about this topic because we don't really get to talk about the revolution as much as the other groups. Looking into the elementary textbook we'll be working out of, I began to get excited. The section that we will be covering is mainly about colonial life in New York. I think that my group will be able to make this topic into some interactive, fun, and educational lessons. I have high hopes for my group and I know we will make our lessons the best they can be.  

Exploratory Introduction - (Sunal = textbook) 

"The historian interprets the evidence, deciding on the degree of its importance and accuracy. This is done by applying logic and 'best guesses' to knowledge about the people and their times."

• Students have to learn how to formulate questions and answer with the support/evidence they have gathered/discovered

We were able to become history detectives in class today by examining artifact bags. These bags contained clues about our professor's, Dr. Smirnova, life. Our bag contained 3 different artifacts:  a Russian fabric doll, an old black and white picture, and a passport looking item. Together we tried to decipher what these items were. One thing that we fixated on was the Russia writing on the back of the picture. Using google translate, we tried to translate the writing. 

(On a side note, google has a very useful translating device. Not only can you simply type the words in, you can also write out the words using your mouse, or you can scan something and it will translate. This is a very good option for handwriting that you can not really make out on your own.)

Picture - This picture is of Dr. Smirnova at a "camp" similar to scouting in the U.S. In particular, the picture is of a marching competition being judged. Dr. Smirnova was in charge of many groups at the camp. The camp was a mandatory part of her schooling.


Doll - This Russian doll is handmade, it is a noble woman. 



Teaching Certificate - an award that Dr. Smirnova received in 2009. 


While investigating our artifacts, we were supposed to answer questions about the items. Who were the items from/about? Where did the items come from? When were the items from? How did the items fit together/how did they come to be? Why are these items in the bag/why are the items what they are? Lastly, we had to state a conclusion about the items in general.

Each group was assigned a different bag to present to the class. Going around the room, we talked about how we found out what the items were and how the connected to Russian culture and Dr. Smirnova's life. Our group made the conclusion that Dr. Smirnova is very dedicated to her education and loves her culture. 

This week was one that provided numerous amounts of information. We leaned about our unit plans, were given amazing statistics, and even got to become historians and investigate artifact bags. All in all, this week was very informative and made me a little more comfortable with what we're going to be doing in fieldwork