Revisiting the Introductory Challenge

Back to: Module: Helping with Instruction

The Introductory Challenge presented a course assignment. It was part of a course on instructional strategies that two parapros were taking. The assignment involved matching learning needs with instructional strategies on a crosswalk with rows and columns.

It’s time to look at the crosswalk again. This time, though, it’s filled out based on one person’s (the author’s) hunches about the needs that the various strategies address. The hunches are not carved in stone; they are just one version. Carefully thinking about the decisions one person made in filling out the crosswalk is the point of this final activity in the module.

Here’s the activity: When you look at the choices, consider two sets of questions:

  1. Do you agree with the author’s choices? Why or why not?
  2. What ideas do you have for using each strategy to meet a particular learning need? How might the strategy help a student that you are working with now? How might it help students you work with in the future?

Needs/Strategies

Orienting to a lesson

Seeing a visual representation of a concept

Understanding cause and effect

Structuring study time

Performing well on tests

Identifying the features of a story

Writing about a process
Learning targets

X
Advance organizers

X

X
Concept maps

X

X

X
Story maps

X

X
Fishbone charts

X

X

X
Venn diagrams

X

X
Crosswalks

X

X
T charts

X

X

X
Study skills

X

X

X
Metacognitive strategies

X

X

X
Infographics

X

X
Test-taking skills

X