Tim Brown

InTASC 8
Instructional Strategies

Jigsaw: This activity is used best in a close reading exercise that has multiple texts. The jigsaw

aspect allows them to not only work collaboratively to achieve their goal, but also, limits the

amount of information intake to ensure better understanding. In my classroom, this was used

most commonly in conjunction with primary source analysis activities. Students would be

divided into the appropriate number of groups for the number of reading documents. Generally,

students had their group chosen for them to ensure they were on task and getting the necessary

information. Each group would then analyze the source for fifteen minutes and understand every

detail about it so they could teach it to other members of the class. This greatly benefitted the

students because it lessened the amount of information they were responsible for but still ensures

that they receive the information.

Gallery Walk: If the instructor ever has a plethora of information that students need in a given

class period, this strategy is most effective. In my classroom for example, if there was a day

when the students had to take notes on a graphic organizer or note sheet, I would post the

information around the room and make them responsible for gathering it. The students would

then silently, like an art gallery, walk around the room and gather the information they needed.

This was also helpful to the folks that wrote slowly or struggled to keep up with the usual pace of

a class period. I thought this was effective for student achievement because it put the

responsibility firmly on the student alone. The information is present, but it was their

responsibility to copy it down at their own discretion so it not only adds responsibility, but

accountability.
Kahoot: This activity has a myriad of effective uses. For example, it can be used as a summative

or even formative assessment that adds stakes and therefore motivation. Students generally want

to win and be recognized as the victor so this strategy is one that they almost always take

seriously. Not only can it be used as an assessment, but also a note taking strategy. During my

high school rotation, students would be given a note sheet that has fill-in-the-blank questions on

it. The corresponding Kahoot would then pose the prompts you had to fill in as multiple choice

word problems that would go in order according to the questions. This was a positive influence

on student achievement because it takes what would typically be a teacher led activity in note-

taking, to a student oriented, fun way of absorbing the same information.