Effective Reading and Writing
Instruction: A Focus on Modeling
"Effective Reading and Writing Instruction: A Focus on Modeling" by Kelley Regan and Sheri Berkeley
This article has to do with modeling inside of a classroom and the most effective way to do so. Regan and Berkeley highlight and emphasize using specific, explicit, and flexible instructional modeling. The article uses two specific strategies the think-aloud, and STOP. The authors present two real life teachers using their concept of modeling. Mrs. Jones with the think-aloud and Mr. Mosby with STOP. The article promotes asking three questions of the teachers about the modeling process. Were you specific, elicit, and flexible while modeling the strategy? Regan and Berkeley really engage the reader with these real life implications for excellent modeling. Regan and Berkeley offer a step by step process for every teacher to use in their future classrooms.
Not This.
This isn't the modeling they speak of. So no America's Next Top Model please.
This is more like it.
Using Modeling by reading.
It Takes a Little Strategy!
Regan and Berkeley really emphasize using the strategies in the right way and being specific, explicit, and flexible when modeling. Teaching students when it's appropriate to use strategies and when it's not.
A Reaction by Me, Myself, and I:
Whilst reading this article I found my questions of what is modeling and what makes it an effective practice, being answered. The article actively engaged me as the reader and showed me examples of real life implications to effectively modeling in the classroom. Before this I always imagined that modeling was something that if done right you didn’t have to come out and say it. I suppose you could say I thought of modeling as monkey see, monkey do rather than an actual teaching strategy. Now after reading this article I have actual guidelines and a plan of attack to be the best modeler I can be. I have found ever since I started drawing cartoons that using guidelines get the best results. Having a plan makes it easier to do anything and setting up a solid foundation is the key to success in any situation. I plan to use Regan and Berkeley’s concept of specific, explicit, and flexible instructional modeling everyday in my classroom. I plan on asking those three questions of myself and reflect and improve because in the end an unexamined self is an unhappy self (said by someone of importance, at some significant date).
Questions: Thought Provokingly So.
What does Modeling mean to you?
How can you be specific when modeling?
How can you be elicit when modeling?
How can you be flexible when modeling?