Classroom Instruction part of the Education Reform Network

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Best practice

The processes, practices, or systems identified in public and private organizations that performed exceptionally well and are widely recognized as improving an organization's performance and efficiency in specific areas.

• 10 Critical Qualities of Student Work
  Phil Schlechty, in his book "Inventing Better Schools: An Action Plan for Educational Reform", described 10 qualities or attributes that can be used as a framework for developing student work that is more engaging. This web page contains an excerpt from the book discussing these critical qualities.
• 13 Ways of Thinking to Develop in Activities and Assignments
  In schools, teachers can check frequently to make sure learners are getting a fairly balanced opportunity to do different types of intellectual work in homework assignments or classroom activities.
• A Best Practices Bibliography
  A Bibliography of resources for locating best practices in classroom instruction.
• Advance Organizers
  Teachers who introduce new materials to students through the use of advance organizers promote learning. Advance organizers help students to organmize, integrate, and retain information to be learned.
• Cognitive Strategies: Advance Organizers
  Defines, give an example of, and provides links to additional web sites on using advance orghanizers.
• Conducting a Literature Circle
  Tips for organizing and pacing small group discussions of text.
• Creating Metaphors
  "Creating Metaphors" by Paul B. Janeczko first appeared in INSTRUCTOR magazine in 1990.
• Developing Grading and Reporting Systems
  Resource review of book by Tom Guskey and Jane Bailey.
• Discussing Big Ideas
  Substantive writing or discussion demands something important to write or talk about. This document explores the use of big ideas or essential questions to ground classroom discussions in ideas that matter.
• Displaying Student Work: An Opportunity for Student-Teacher Collaboration
  Marlynn K. Clayton offers advice on displaying student work, including creating criteria for choosing work to display, providing practice time for students, and teaching students how to create effective displays.
• Five Main Types of Graphic Organizers
  The five main types of graphic organizers illustrated on this web site are Star/Web, Chart/Matrix,Tree/Mao, Chain, and Sketch.
• Graphic Organizers
  An introduction to graphic organizers-what they are, how they are used, when to use them - with selected web sites featuring graphic organizers in different subject matter areas.
• Guidelines for Effective Feedback
  Advice from the Cornell Youth and Work Program (2002).
• Homework (Close-Up # 1, SIRS)
  Close-Up # 1 in the School Improvement Research Series published by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. Authored by Jocelyn A.
• How Better Questioning Leads to Improved Learning
  A brief summary of the research on effective questioning techniques in the classroom.
• Idea Maps
  Idea Maps are used to represent a document's progression of ideas. Idea Maps can be used to identify main ideas and related terms, show how two related concepts are alike or different, display the logical progression of ideas in a text, or show possible solutions or causes of problems.
• Illustrating Inquiry Learning
  An overview of various ways in which students can engage in inquiry experiences, with links to web sites with specific examples of inquiry in practice.
• Illustrating Inquiry Learning
  Descriptions of different forms of classroom inquiry, with links to sites with specific examples of practice.
• Instructional Reinforcement
  Close-Up #3 in the School Imporovement Research Series (SIRS) published by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. Authored by Kathleen Cotton.
• Managing Learning in Small Groups
  Advice on thinking through the purpose, structure, and performance of sttudent-led or teacher-guided small group learning.
• Note Making Layouts
  This note-making reference (February, 2000)illustrates five different types of note-making: * linear notes *key word trees *mind maps * networks * herringbone technique.
• Paired Discussion
  Ideas for using students to work in groups of two to exchange ideas, opinions, and problem-solving strategies.
• Planning Meaningful Tasks
  What the research says about planning meaningful tasks and the implications for the classroom.
• Praise in the Classroom
  This ERIC Digest gives insights into ways that praise can be more effective and consistent in early childhood settings. The Digest examines the effects of praise on self-esteem and autonomy, praise as a motivator, praise as a classroom management tool, and the distinction between praise and encouragement.
• Providing Feedback on ESL Students' Written Assignments
  Author: Jason Gordon Williams The Internet TESL Journal Volume IX, No. 10.
• Reciprocal Teaching
  Reciprocal Teaching takes place in the form of a dialogue between teachers and students or students and students regarding segments of a text. The dialogue is structured by the use of four strategies: summarizing, question generating, clarifying, and predicting.
• Reciprocal Teaching: A Reading Strategy
  Questions and Answers about reciprocal teaching as a strategy to improve reading comprehension.
• Research Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement
  A PowerPoint presentation based on Classroom Instruction That Works by R. Marzano, D.
• Role Playing/Simulation
  Role playing, gaming, or simulation encourages student thinking and creative expression. This paper by Patricia K.
• Student Successes with Thinking Maps
  A resource review of David Hyerle's new book describing successful uses of thinking maps in classrooms.
• Summarizing
  In Classroom Instruction that Works Robert Marzano, Debra Pickering, and Jane Pollock present nine research based strategies that increase student achievement. Second on their list for having the greatest effect on student achievement is the skill of summarizing.
• Summarizing Strategies
  Summarizing strategies promote student retention of knowledge. Summarizers are designed to rehearse or proctice skills in order to move knowledge into long-term memory.
• Summary Frames
  Outlines Narrative, Definition, Argumentation, and Problem Solution frames for preparing written responses.
• The Chaucer Pedagogy Page
  Assignment ideas organized into seven areas: 1. Essays, research papers, and tests 2.
• The Goal Getters--Enhancing Goal Setting
  Goal setting encourages the development of intrinsic motivation. It affects personal development by making the learner more independent, develops greater tolerance for taking risks, builds pride and self-confidence, and increases depth of knowledge and experience with a topic of interest.
• Using Analogies
  Research on the classroom use of analogies to develop understanding.
• Using Graphic Organizers
  This resource suggests how the skill of using graphic organizers can be taught to students. The document contains links to web sites with relevant information.
• Using Small Groups to Promote Learning
  Using Small Groups to Promote Learning Marilla D. Svinicki Center for Teaching Effectiveness University of Texas at Austin This web site analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of small group learning with tips for building team effectiveness, attitudes, performance, and member roles.