Summary of Work Environment

The present focuses on the work environment of a seven year high school for girls in the St. George East Education District of Trinidad and Tobago. The school is a 278 year old religiously based institution with a population of 693 students. It caters for the education of girls only from forms one to five and in sixth form this is expanded to include a total of ten young men. Further students range in age from eleven (11) to twenty (20) years old. The school prepares students for examinations offered by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) - for eighteen subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) level and seventeen subjects at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) level. Classes in the lower levels forms one to five- are made up of thirty five to thirty eight students per teacher and at the advanced level classes range in size from two to twenty two students per teacher. To be a teacher in this environment the government requires a Bachelors degree in the relevant subject area and in service training thereafter so that over time each individual would be in possession of a Post Graduate Diploma in Education as a professional qualification for this job. The school is academically driven and has a long standing reputation for success which both teachers and students are expected to maintain. This expectation is held by the schools

administration, the school board, the community in which it is embedded, the parents and the students (who are both extrinsically and intrinsically motivated). This being said the focus at this institution is meeting the criteria and (then some) laid out in the syllabus for each subject at the CSEC and CAPE levels. This material in the first instance is divided into manageable units to be covered over the period of five years with teachers being allotted a maximum of eight forty (40) minute periods over the course of a six day cycle in the lower school. It must here be highlighted

that from fourth form students select eight or nine subjects for which they will present themselves to be assessed at the end of eighteen months. At the advanced level the six day cycle is maintained but teachers are allotted eleven to twelve forty (40) minute periods to cover course content with students who are pursuing three subjects of choice along with two compulsory subjects- one per year. This institution is success driven and as such the Principal spares no resource on professional development for the staff and encourages innovation. Every teacher is also expected to submit on a weekly basis lesson plans and there are periodic clinical supervision sessions in every department of which there are five. These departments have the responsibility for organizing all instruction related to the content covered for the CXC examinations. Though each department is concerned with specific content areas there are structural elements in place to provide a common thread for all. Two of those elements are the structure of the lesson plan and the overall approach to teaching. There is also constant formative and summative assessment with reports being sent home to parents twice a term. The use of technology is also encouraged especially since students at this institution can be deemed digital citizens.

Guiding Instructional Models

At this institution structure is very important. The instructional models that guide teaching at this institution are the Blooms Taxonomy, Direct Instruction and Howard Gardners Multiple Intelligences Model. These approaches are expressly prioritised and all are aware that they must be used for planning and instruction. Added to this is the belief that there is a clear link between the use of this taxonomy and the development of critical thinking skills. Fisher (1995) proposed that Successful learners not only have a lot of knowledge, they have also learnt how to learn

(p.vii). A truly honest look at what takes place at this institution reveals that teachers are comfortable with the use of Blooms Taxonomy for planning instructional events because all share the desire to lead students to the development of critical thinking skills especially given the fact that these skills work across all content domains. The use of the Direct instruction model is unmistakable and unquestioned in the classroom as it, according to Huitt, Monetti and Hummel, highlights the fact that the primary purpose of providing quality instruction is for students to successfully complete both classroom academic tasks assigned by the teacher and external audits of classroom learning completed through standardized testing(p.78). The use of Multiple

Intelligences for the structuring of content as far as teacher delivery is concerned is not often used with teachers citing such issues as class size and time constraints.

Instructional Strategies Used

The strategies used for instruction at this school are as follows: Planning: The creation of a lesson plan is very important and demanded for proper execution in the classroom. It allows for ease of delivery and ease in redirecting the lesson when thongs do not go according to plan. The focus here is always on the objective s of the lesson and all concerned recognise that It is important, therefore, to specify desired instructional outcomes in terms of clear observable behaviour (Driscoll, p.58). Activation of prior knowledge: A lot of research has been done into the importance of activating prior knowledge through review where teachers and students go over previously learned knowledge or skills that are relevant or prerequisite to the new learning that is to take place (Huitt et al., p. 81).

Questioning: Used to stimulate thinking skills. Fisher (1995) also notes that The ways in which teachers [] use language and in particular questions can have immediate and long term effects on childrens learning (p.16). Guided and Independent practice: Practice is important to ensure that students are able to use the knowledge that they have gained during sessions. Students either work individually Independent

(depending on the size of the class) under teacher guidance or in small groups.

practice is for the most part covered through homework in light of the fact that the vast majority of research supports the positive effects of homework for middle grade and high school students (Huitt et al, p.84) Student presentations: Student presentations are used as a form of assessment and as a means of covering short topics in some content areas. To be noted here is the fact that innovative means must be implemented to ensure that those listening are paying attention. Additionally students are encouraged to do research which often turns out to be the presentation of unfiltered information that they would have found on the Internet. Feedback: Huitt et al indicate that corrective feedback is one of the most important instructional activities provided during instruction (p.87). It must also be noted that feedback loses its value when it is not done in a timely manner. It has been noted that in some cases students do not understand the feedback that they receive and in others they do not act on what teachers have pointed out. It is also emerging that students do not understand the feedback process (Spiller, p.04). Continuous assessment: Assessment and education are inseparable. Continuous assessment is used as a means to track student performance and also as a means of accountability to one of our

main stakeholders parents. The information collected over a specific period of time is sent home in the form of a midterm report every term. Summative assessment: This is used to cover the work done over a term in the first term of the academic year and in the third term it is used to assess the content covered over the course of the entire academic year. Rewards: Rewards are tied to the two forms of assessment listed prior. Testimonials are

awarded at the end of each midterm session to students who would have performed very well during this period. Honour Cards are presented as acknowledgement of overall outstanding performances based on the result of end of term or end of year examination. Students are recognised in presence of the entire school community. These rewards are meant to serve as motivation to continue doing well and also to improve. Integration of technology: There is no set policy in the school regarding the use of web 2.0 technologies. All teachers are encouraged to use technology in the classroom this therefore includes the use of power point presentations, blogs, wikis and email. A closer look at the use of technology reveals that it is often used as a means to provide students with extra reading material, handouts and assignments and a way to make up for lost class time. It is not used to engage students in any other way.

The Browne Weekes Instructional Model

The model proposed for this institution is called the Browne - Weekes Model. Wiley explains that Instructional design is the practice of making those choices best calculated to facilitate learning under whatever constraints the specific participant, physical, political, philosophical and

budgetary environment imposes (p. 361).

It is indeed in the aforementioned vein that the

present model has been conceptualized. Careful consideration was given to the constraints that exist in this institution and the perceived gap that obtains between the existing strategies used and the students of today. The Browne Weekes Model can be represented by the following graphic:

Select Path

Assess

Feedback

Select content objects

Review and Reflect

Examine Result

Sequence Content Objects

Interact online

Continue

Select Strategy

Interact on site

This model is designed to work on the premise that deliberate planning of instructional events accompanied by students being allowed to take ownership of their learning will contribute to sustained academic achievement and improvement in critical thinking skills. It seeks to better integrate the Blooms Taxonomy and Technology for the purpose of improved learning and motivation. It is developed along the lines of Direct Instruction in combination with elements of the Blooms Taxonomy. It hopes to present instruction as a cycle of interaction between teacher

and students. Instruction starts with the teacher who then turns learning over to students after which they come together for review and assessment. The model is given the form of a flow chart which starts on the top left of the diagramme and moves forward progressively. This model is designed for use in a secondary school and as such every lesson is based on one or two aspects of a particular topic or theme. The first three stages of this model form the planning stage. Step one of this model is Select Path: at this point the teacher or teachers involved determine the objective or objectives of the lesson to be covered. The term path is used because the objective of a lesson determines the direction or pathway that it will take. These objectives must reflect a statement of the specific knowledge or skills to be learned (Huitt et al, p.80). Step two is Select Content Objects: According to Wiley (2009) Content objects are generally self-contained chunks of information (p. 353). This information must be specific to the objectives to be covered. This stage is very important to ensure that learning is achieved. The teacher involved may have to tailor the content object so that it adequately matches the objectives. It may also require the creation of relevant material. Step three is Sequence Content Objects: This step requires that the content objects to be used be placed in a specific order or hierarchy. They must go from simple to complex to facilitate the acquisition of the relevant content knowledge and skill. Step four is Select Strategy: At this stage teachers select the best strategy to match the specified objectives and content. Strategies must also be sequenced for the same reason that content objects are sequenced. Step five is Implement on Site: This represents the actual implementation of the lesson planned in the four previous steps. It will involve expository teaching. It must also be explicitly said that

the teacher led classroom session will include the activation of prior knowledge followed by the implementation of the steps outlined above. The activation of prior knowledge is not new to this model or this institution and must continue. Strangman and Hall (2004) indicate that the

activation of prior knowledge on an issue has been demonstrated to be more effective than activating irrelevant background additionally this is one of the very important steps in the Direct Approach to instruction that characterizes teaching at this school. Step five is Interact on Site: This represents the point at which students begin to interact with the content objects presented. It also represents the beginning stages of students accepting

responsibility and accountability for their knowledge and skill acquisition. This step involves both guided and independent practice as featured in the Direct Approach to instruction as well as peer collaboration. Step six is Interact online: Students today live in a digital world and one must acknowledge that this is a very important element of their lives and that it is imperative that educators seek ways to integrate the use of technology in the exercise of their duties. This step extends learning beyond the classroom. It is proposed that as a general policy more meaningful use be made of

technology. Students will interact in pairs or in groups with material posted by their content area teacher where they will have to solve a problem based on what was done in class and post solutions with justifications, they may also be required to either critique or compare and contrast material presented in videos or text and post their views without repeating ideas contained in posts prior to theirs. This must be done within a particular time frame. Step seven is Review and Reflect: Teachers and students are back together for this step. Here they review the whole picture. This step involves a discussion of the relationship between what

took place on site and online. The reflect aspect of this stage requires students to consider and propose possible applications of what was covered and any relationship that may exist between what was covered and any other content area. This is also well supported by Merrill who put forward that An opportunity for meaningful reflection increases the probability that the skill will be retained and used in the everyday lives of the learners (p.53). Step seven is Assess: Instructional design models must be realistic to be successful. This model is designed for a school and for one that is academically driven. All stakeholders view

assessment as a necessary part of the learning process. At this stage focus is on assessment of learning and assessment for learning both of which guide planning and feedback. Step eight is Feedback: Feedback is very important in the process of instruction and learning and it also helps, when clear, to improve student performance and motivation. Information gained from the above must be used in a timely manner to support students learning and planning for further instruction. The final step is Examine Result: Information gained from the Assess step in this model will serve to determine two things as indicated on the diagramme. If the learning outcomes were satisfactorily achieved then the teacher will follow the Continue step and move forward with instruction. If, however, the outcomes were not achieved then the teacher returns to the Interact on Site step and continues from there.

Model and Environment

This model will support this present environment in two very important ways. It must be said initially that teachers at this institution have been indoctrinated into teaching for success and as

previously stated every effort is made to ensure teacher training that facilitates optimal achievement. The focus with this model is to improve higher order thinking skills and the

meaningful use of technology. Technology is very important to students and at present they use it for note taking and posting notes on the class Facebook page. It is hoped that they will now be able to use it to synthesise information and present it in such a way that they make it their own.

Strategies Associated with the Browne Weekes Model

This model is closely linked to the Direct Approach and as such the strategies used in this model are similar to those used for the aforementioned with some additions. They are as follows: Statement of objectives: objectives are unambiguous so that students know exactly what is expected of them. Expository teaching: used as a means to introduce the main concepts associated with the lesson to be taught. Guided practice: used here as a means to allow students to interact with course content and receive immediate feedback before moving forward. Collaboration: Collaboration will be used in the online aspect of this model to facilitate discussion and more comprehensive posts related to the electronic aspect of student learning. Student led discussions: this strategy allows students to feel a greater sense of ownership as they share and defend their reflections Feedback: For this model to work well feedback is given as a strategy because it helps to determine the way forward for the teacher and for the students.

Rewards: Used to encourage students to complete online tasks on time.

Differences between the current model and the Browne Weekes Model
There are two main differences between the institutions current model and the Brownestone Model. These differences are related to the use of technology and the Review and Reflect step. The use of technology Current Model As was previously stated the school has no other policy regarding technology other than it must be used in some form as part of the delivery of content. This means that a variety of means are used and solely for the purpose of providing handouts and extra notes. Brownestone Model This model requires a clear policy for the use of technology and suggests the use of a learning management system or a standard that requires the use by every teacher of a wiki or google site as an integral part of the classroom. Additionally it is made clear that it must be used purposefully. Students must be able to interact with each other and the material to add to what they have learnt in the classroom and provide information (as required by the teacher) to prove such.

Review and Reflect Current Model Review is a summary of what took place in the lesson. Reflection as outlined in this model does not feature here. Brownestone Review here takes into account what takes place in the classroom and online. Reflection is new- it requires further thought on the part of the student in terms of making links to other content areas and considering other applications for what was learnt.

It must also be noted that the differences highlighted here represent an attempt to move into the domain of higher order thinking skills outlined in the Blooms Taxonomy and to guide students toward presentations that merely feature unedited information gathered from the Internet.

Reflection
This assignment brings some clarity to the course. It is clear that those tasks related to stating the differences in meaning of instructional theory, instructional model and instructional strategy were to have a direct impact on this assignment. Further having to identify a model and explain its rationale was a necessary task to be undertaken prior to the framing of this assignment. The process of research for this assignment resulted in the conclusion that most models can be seen as a product of what came before either by way of extension or fusion. Important as well was the fact that every effort had to be made to ensure that the present attempt at creating a model was not an exact replica of anything encountered in readings and other research. This process also highlighted to me that though the theories that underlie learning have generally remained constant, the approach to education has changed and continues to change. The question therefore arises: Should schools evolve to match every major change that presents itself or should they maintain what has always proven to bring success? My institution has maintained at the heart what brings success and attempts to integrate the new. This assignment shed light on the fact that greater work must be done to meaningfully embed technology into our approach to education.

Sources Driscoll, M.(2005). Psychology of Learning for Instruction. Pearson Education Limited: Essex Fisher, Robert (1995). Teaching Children to Learn. Nelson Thornes: Cheltenham Huitt, W., Monetti, D. and Hummel, J. (2009) Direct Approach to Instruction in Instructional Design Theories and Models: Building A Common Knowledge Base Volume III. Routledge: New York and London Merril, D. (2009). First Principles of Instruction in Instructional Design Theories and Models: Building A Common Knowledge Base Volume III. Routledge: New York and London Spiller, D. (2009). Assessment: Feedback to promote student learning. The University of Waikato: Hamilton. Retrieved from: http://www.waikato.ac.nz/tdu/pdf/booklets/6_AssessmentFeedback.pdf Strangman, N., & Hall, T. (2004). Background knowledge. Wakefield, MA: National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum. Retrieved from http://www.aim.cast.org/learn/historyarchive/backgroundpapers/background_knowledge Wiley, D.(2009). Learning Objects and Instructional Theory in Instructional Design Theories and Models: Building A Common Knowledge Base Volume III. Routledge: New York and London