Notes to the Facilitator
Internationally renowned speaker, trainer, and author Robert J. Marzano is the cofounder and chief academic officer of Marzano Resources in Denver, Colorado. In this workshop, Marzano synthesizes fifty years of experience in the fields of education and educational research into an integrated, instructional model for effective teaching but is quick to emphasize that “no single instructional strategy can guarantee student learning for a number of reasons” (Marzano, 2017, p. 1).
He continues:
Research and theory will never validate the notion that teaching is simply a set of preprogrammed moves manifested as strategies. Rather, instructional strategies are best likened to techniques an artist might develop and refine over years of practice. . . . The more skill the classroom teacher has with the instructional strategies that research and theory have uncovered over the decades, the better the teacher will be able to create lessons that optimize student learning. (Marzano, 2017, pp. 1–2)
The workshop features a video program (approximately seventy-two minutes in length) that highlights classroom teachers and school leaders from real high reliability schools as they model the highly effective, research-based instructional strategies in Marzano’s The New Art and Science of Teaching framework. A copy of his book The New Art and Science of Teaching (Marzano, 2017) is also included with the workshop package.
The workshop is divided into eight segments.
1. Welcome and Video Introduction: In the video’s opening segment, Marzano discusses how this new compilation of instructional strategies has expanded since he first published the framework years earlier. He also discusses the new and extensive research base that led to this current framework.
2. How Learning Takes Place: Based on a student-outcomes perspective, rather than a teacher-outcomes perspective, this segment includes—
• The teaching and learning progression
• The three domains—(1) feedback, (2) content, and (3) context—that teacher actions fall into
• The specific mental states and processes that must occur in students’ minds for teacher actions to matter
3. How to Plan Instructional Elements: This segment familiarizes participants with specific design questions that show teachers how to construct instructional elements (or strategies) for units and for lessons within units. This segment answers the question: “How do I know what strategy to use?”
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4. The New Art and Science of Teaching Framework: This segment presents, discusses, and evaluates the new framework, consisting of forty-three instructional elements.
5. Feedback: Elements With Exemplars: In this segment, participants will view, discuss, and evaluate lessons specific to the instructional feedback elements from The New Art and Science of Teaching framework.
6. Content: Elements With Exemplars: In this segment, participants will view, discuss, and evaluate lessons specific to the instructional content elements from The New Art and Science of Teaching framework.
7. Context: Elements With Exemplars: In this segment, participants will view, discuss, and evaluate lessons specific to instructional context elements from The New Art and Science of Teaching framework.
8. A Framework for Change: Finally, participants will explore recommendations for how they may initiate change not only within their own classrooms, but within school systems as well.
How to Conduct the Workshop
This workshop is designed to last approximately one full day (including a lunch break and two refreshment breaks) or two half-days. This package provides all the professional development materials you will need to conduct the workshop—facilitator’s guide with detailed teaching suggestions, participant reproducible handouts, and the video resource.
To conduct a successful learning event, please consider the following issues.
• Preparation: It is important that you view the entire video program, read all materials, and complete all activities yourself before leading the workshop.
• Location: The workshop should take place in an area that is large enough for individual, small-team, and whole-group work.
• Equipment: You will need a DVD player and may need multiple monitors. Ideally, you will have one video monitor for every ten to twelve participants.
• Handouts: This guide includes reproducible handouts for all participants (starting on page 13). You should duplicate these handouts before the workshop begins and distribute them to participants according to the workshop instructions.
• Additional equipment: In order to conduct the workshop, you will also need notepaper, index or note cards, flip charts, chalkboards, or whiteboards with appropriate writing materials.
• Refreshments: The agenda for the workshop should include one or more breaks at which you offer beverages. Snacks are optional, but water should be available throughout the workshop. You will also need to allow for a one-hour lunch period.
About the Video Program
The workshop incorporates a video program that is approximately seventy-two minutes in length. The video features discussion with internationally renowned educator Robert J. Marzano, the cofounder and chief academic officer of Marzano Resources, as well as documentary footage of teachers from Jacksboro Elementary School, Jacksboro Middle School, and Jacksboro High School, all in Jacksboro, Texas. These highly trained educators discuss and model eighteen of the forty-three instructional elements designed for optimal student learning and featured in The New Art and Science of Teaching. The footage captures the sights and sounds of effective teachers in action. There are no scripted scenes in this program . Participants learn from the real-life experiences of successful practitioners.
THE NEW ART AND SCIENCE OF TEACHING 2
Resources
Print
The New Art and Science of Teaching by Robert J. Marzano (2017)
The New Art and Science of Classroom Assessment by Robert J. Marzano, Jennifer S. Norford, and Mike Ruyle (2019)
The New Art and Science of Teaching Reading by Julia A. Simms and Robert J. Marzano (2019)
The New Art and Science of Teaching Writing by Kathy Tuchman Glass and Robert J. Marzano (2019)
Video
The Marzano Compendium of Instructional Strategies by Robert J. Marzano (2016)
Web
MarzanoResearch.com
3 Notes to the Facilitator
Workshop Teaching Suggestions
The purpose of this workshop is to provide a framework and road map for lesson and unit planning that not only point to a wide array of instructional strategies but also ensure a focus on student outcomes.
Learning Objectives
After viewing the video and participating in the activities for the workshop, participants will be able to:
• Understand the student-outcomes perspective, in contrast to the teacher-outcomes perspective as it pertains to constructing and utilizing instructional strategies and methods
• Implement the ten research-based questions linking teacher actions to students’ mental states and processes as expressed in the categories (domains) of: feedback, content, and context
• Apply The New Art and Science of Teaching framework for creating and organizing instructional strategies including forty-three elements within ten design areas
• Reflect on personal strengths and challenges for planning successful instructional strategies for both units and lessons
• Observe and evaluate successful instructional strategies or elements, which are based on student outcomes and modeled by highly effective teachers
• Explore eight recommended system-level changes that are logical consequences of The New Art and Sciences of Teaching framework
Program Overview
Using extensive research, including narrative and meta-analytic studies, teacher-designed studies, schoolwide studies, and teacher-evaluation studies, Robert J. Marzano (2017) creates a framework of instructional strategies based on student mental states and processes. Marzano refers to this as the teaching and learning progression.
In his book, The New Art and Science of Teaching, Marzano (2017) presents over three hundred strategies organized into forty-three elements (teacher actions), through ten instructional design areas within three broad categories (feedback, content, and context), in which students’ mental states and processes best facilitate learning.
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The purpose of this workshop is twofold.
1. To present and model the new framework, as well as eight system-level recommendations for change
2. To provide educators with the tools necessary for creating instructional strategies based on student outcomes, rather than on teacher outcomes—thus leading to enhanced student learning
Materials
• Video program: The New Art and Science of Teaching
• Reproducible handouts:
“Teacher Actions and Student Mental States and Processes”
“Design Questions”
“Elements Within the Ten Design Areas”
“Eight Recommendations for Change”
• Index or note cards, flip charts, and chalkboards or whiteboards with appropriate writing materials
Activities
You could show the video program without stopping (it is about seventy-two minutes in length) and then conduct the activities for each section of the guide. It is recommended, however, that you follow the activities in the workshop teaching suggestions outline and stop the video when the facilitator’s guide and video prompt you. The workshop suggestions in this guide support this second approach. After showing each video program segment, allow participants time to comment, express opinions, ask questions about the material, and complete the activities the guide suggests. If requested, you can replay portions of the program as participants consider the questions and activities.
Welcome and Video Introduction
1. Welcome participants to the workshop, and introduce yourself and anyone else serving as a workshop host, co-leader, or organizer. Briefly discuss the workshop’s title and purpose.
2. Even if participants are colleagues, conduct the following getting-to-know-you-better activity. Ask participants to form pairs and interview each other for a few minutes. Then, ask the pairs to introduce one another to the group, stating the person’s name, something interesting or different about the person, and what the person hopes to gain from the workshop. (If there are more than twenty people in the group, have each pair join another pair and only make introductions within each group of four.)
3. Distribute index or note cards to each participant. Ask participants to briefly summarize their two favorite teaching strategies—these should be their best never-fail-to-engage-students methods. Ask volunteers to share with the group.
4. Ask participants to put away note cards for later reference.
5. Play the first video segment.
6. Stop the video when “Pause for Discussion” appears and conduct the following initial activity to assess prior knowledge and perceptions participants have of instructional strategies.
7. Lead a group brainstorming discussion on the question, “What makes a successful instructional strategy?” Ask someone from the group to record the responses on the whiteboard or flip chart. Discussion starter questions could be: How do you know when a strategy has worked? or Is it important for the students to like it, or must you sometimes just drill down?
THE NEW ART AND SCIENCE OF TEACHING 8
How Learning Takes Place
1. Distribute the reproducible handout, “Teacher Actions and Student Mental States and Processes” (page 14).
2. Restart video and view “How Learning Takes Place.” Stop when “Pause for Discussion” appears.
3. Review the three domains of teacher actions.
a. Feedback: The information loop between teacher and student, which makes a student aware of what he or she should learn and how the student is progressing
b. Content: Lesson progression, which allows students to move from an initial understanding of content to application of content while continuously reviewing and upgrading their knowledge
c. Context: Student psychological needs of engagement, order, a sense of belonging, and high expectations
4. Divide participants into three subgroups (representing the three domains), and ask each subgroup to brainstorm and list examples of instructional strategies relating to the criteria in the handout “Teacher Actions and Student Mental States and Processes.” Have each subgroup appoint a recorder who will maintain a list of all contributions. Allow ten to fifteen minutes for this discussion.
How to Plan Instructional Elements
1. Restart the video and have participants view “How to Plan Instructional Elements.” Stop the video when “Pause for Discussion” appears.
2. Distribute the handout “Design Questions” (page 15).
3. Have participants return to their original groups and now, using the design questions for each design area (teacher action), review and refine their instructional strategies. Ask each subgroup to select a recorder and a spokesperson, then select an instructional strategy that best represents each design area.
4. Reconvene the total group, and have each spokesperson present the model strategy for each design area. During this part of the exercise, it can be helpful to project the reproducible handout “Design Questions” as you lead the group discussion.
5. Lead a discussion with all participants asking them if each strategy fulfills the relevant design question. Ask the group to suggest ways to improve or refine each strategy. Have a volunteer record and post the results on a flip chart or whiteboard.
The New Art and Science of Teaching Framework
1. Return to the video and play the segment “The New Art and Science of Teaching Framework.” Stop the video when “Pause for Discussion” appears.
2. Distribute the handout “Elements Within the Ten Design Areas” (page 16). It will be helpful to project the handout to ease discussion. Summarize the framework, pointing out the three domains, ten design areas, and forty-three specific elements. Note that as they watch the lesson exemplars, which will appear in the next video segments, each element can involve multiple strategies. For example, element 24 (increasing response rates), can include strategies such as random names, hand signals, response cards, choral response, and so on.
3. Divide the group into ten subgroups, assigning each to one of the ten design areas. Using the handout “Design Questions,” ask each group to choose an instructional element within its assigned design area and create a minilesson or action plan. Have groups select a leader and a recorder. Allow thirty minutes for this exercise.
4. Reconvene the group and ask for a volunteer leader or recorder to present a sample lesson plan to the group. Present as many sample lesson plans as time allows.
9 Workshop Teaching Suggestions
5. Break for lunch.
Feedback: Elements With Exemplars
1. After lunch, return to the video and play the segment “Feedback: Elements With Exemplars.” Remind participants that the lessons they are about to watch can contain many elements. Encourage them to refer to the handout “Elements Within the Ten Design Areas.” Stop the video when “Pause for Discussion” appears.
2. Referring to the framework (the handout and your projection), lead a group discussion about the elements you’ve just seen.
3. Ask members of the subgroup discussing feedback elements to compare and contrast their original elements with the ones the teachers at Jacksboro demonstrate.
4. Encourage all participants to evaluate and refine all elements you discuss. How could they make them better? In your discussion, be sure to refer back to the reproducible handout “Design Questions.” Did the elements modeled meet each question’s conditions?
5. Take a fifteen-minute break.
Content:
Elements With Exemplars
1. After the break, return to the video and play the segment “Content: Elements With Exemplars.” Stop the video when “Pause for Discussion” appears.
2. Divide participants into random groups of three to four. Each group should select a spokesperson who will report back to the total group.
3. Referring back to the handout “Elements Within the Ten Design Areas,” ask participants to discuss what they observe within the model content elements in the video. Discussion points should include: Were multiple strategies used? How would you rate the effectiveness of the key strategy? What did you see in the model that could work in your classroom? Did you see anything that would enhance strategies previously discussed?
4. Reconvene the total group for subgroup reports of observations from the spokesperson. Lead a group discussion of key points.
Context: Elements With Exemplars
1. Return to the video and play the segment “Context: Elements With Exemplars.” Stop the video when “Pause for Discussion” appears.
2. Divide participants into random groups of three to four. Each group should select a spokesperson who will report back to the total group.
3. Referring back to the handout “Elements Within the Ten Design Areas,” ask participants to discuss what they observed within the model context elements in the video. Discussion points should include: Were multiple strategies used? How would you rate the effectiveness of the key strategy? What did you see in the model that would work in your classroom? Did you see anything that would enhance strategies previously discussed?
4. Reconvene the total group for group reports of observations, and lead a group discussion of key points.
A Framework for Change
1. Return to the video, and play the segment “A Framework for Change.” Continue until video conclusion.
2. Distribute the handout “Eight Recommendations for Change” (page 17).
THE NEW ART AND SCIENCE OF TEACHING 10
3. Depending on the number in attendance, break the group into four or eight subgroups. Assign each subgroup one or two of the recommendations for implementing systemic change within your school. Have each group appoint a leader and a recorder who will report back to the total group—then answer the questions: “Could this work in our (or my) school?” “If so, how?” “If not, why not?”
4. Reconvene the total group, and ask each reporter to present the subgroup’s findings. Lead a discussion on the results of all reports.
5. Ask each participant to review the “favorite instructional strategies” he or she first recorded at the beginning of the workshop. How would the participant now refine those strategies after reflecting on what he or she learned in the workshop?
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Workshop Teaching Suggestions
Reproducible Handouts
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Teacher Actions and Student Mental States and Processes
Feedback
Providing and Communicating Clear Learning Goals
Using Assessments
Content Conducting Direct Instruction Lessons
Conducting Practicing and Deepening Lessons
Conducting Knowledge Application Lessons
Using Strategies That Appear in All Types of Lessons
1. Students understand the progression of knowledge they are expected to master and where they are along that progression.
2. Students understand how test scores and grades relate to their status on the progression of knowledge they are expected to master.
3. When content is new, students understand which parts are important and how the parts fit together.
4. After teachers present new content, students deepen their understanding and develop fluency in skills and processes.
5. After teachers present new content, students generate and defend claims through knowledge application tasks.
6. Students continually integrate new knowledge with old knowledge and revise their understanding accordingly. Context Using Engagement Strategies
7. Students are paying attention, energized, intrigued, and inspired. Implementing Rules and Procedures
8. Students understand and follow rules and procedures. Building Relationships
9. Students feel welcome, accepted, and valued. Communicating High Expectations
10. Typically reluctant students feel valued and do not hesitate to interact with the teacher or their peers.
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Teacher Actions Student Mental States and Processes
Design Questions
Design Areas
Feedback
1. Providing and Communicating Clear Learning Goals
2. Using Assessments
Design Questions
How will I communicate clear learning goals that help students understand the progression of knowledge they are expected to master and where they are along that progression?
How will I design and administer assessments that help students understand how their test scores and grades are related to their status on the progression of knowledge they are expected to master?
Content
3. Conducting Direct Instruction Lessons
Context
4. Conducting Practicing and Deepening Lessons
5. Conducting Knowledge Application Lessons
6. Using Strategies That Appear in All Types of Lessons
7. Using Engagement Strategies
8. Implementing Rules and Procedures
9. Building Relationships
10. Communicating High Expectations
When content is new, how will I design and deliver direct instruction lessons that help students understand which parts are important and how the parts fit together?
After presenting content, how will I design and deliver lessons that help students deepen their understanding and develop fluency in skills and processes?
After presenting content, how will I design and deliver lessons that help students generate and defend claims through knowledge application?
Throughout all types of lessons, what strategies will I use to help students continually integrate new knowledge with old knowledge and revise their understanding accordingly?
What engagement strategies will I use to help students pay attention, be energized, be intrigued, and be inspired?
What strategies will I use to help students understand and follow rules and procedures?
What strategies will I use to help students feel welcome, accepted, and valued?
What strategies will I use to help typically reluctant students feel valued and comfortable interacting with me and their peers?
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Elements Within the Ten Design Areas
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Feedback Content Context Providing and Communicating Clear Learning Goals 1 Providing scales and rubrics 2 Tracking student progress 3 Celebrating success Using Assessments 4 Using informal assessments of the whole class 5 Using formal assessments of individual students Conducting Direct Instruction Lessons 6 Chunking content 7 Processing content 8 Recording and representing content Conducting Practicing and Deepening Lessons 9 Using structured practice sessions 10 Examining similarities and differences 11 Examining errors in reasoning Conducting Knowledge Application Lessons 12 Engaging students in cognitively complex tasks 13 Providing resources and guidance 14 Generating and defending claims Using Strategies That Appear in All Types of Lessons 15 Previewing strategies 16 Highlighting critical information 17 Reviewing content 18 Revising knowledge 19 Reflecting on learning 20 Assigning purposeful homework 21 Elaborating on information 22 Organizing students to interact Using Engagement Strategies 23 Noticing and reacting when students are not engaged 24 Increasing response rates 25 Using physical movement 26 Maintaining a lively pace 27 Demonstrating intensity and enthusiasm 28 Presenting unusual information 29 Using friendly controversy 30 Using academic games 31 Providing opportunities for students to talk about themselves 32 Motivating and inspiring students Implementing Rules and Procedures 33 Establishing rules and procedures 34 Organizing the physical layout of the classroom 35 Demonstrating withitness 36 Acknowledging adherence to rules and procedures 37 Acknowledging lack of adherence to rules and procedures Building Relationships 38 Using verbal and nonverbal behaviors that indicate affection for students 39 Understanding students’ backgrounds and interests 40 Displaying objectivity and control Communicating High Expectations 41 Demonstrating value and respect for reluctant learners 42 Asking in-depth questions of reluctant learners 43 Probing incorrect answers with reluctant learners
Eight Recommendations for Change
The following are eight recommendations to invoke change
1 Create a system that ensures teacher development
2 Focus on unit planning as opposed to lesson planning
3 Use blended instruction
4 Ensure a guaranteed and viable curriculum involving cognitive and metacognitive skills
5 Rely on classroom measurement
6 Change report cards
7 Adjust scheduling to address the differential effectiveness of teachers
8 Gradually move to a competency-based system
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References and Resources
Marzano, R. J. (2017). The new art and science of teaching. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
Marzano, R. J., Norford, J. S., & Ruyle, M. (2019). The new art and science of classroom assessment. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
Simms, J. A., & Marzano, R. J. (2019). The new art and science of teaching reading. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
Glass, K. T., & Marzano, R. J. (2019). The new art and science of teaching writing. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
Marzano, R. J. (2016). The Marzano compendium of instructional strategies. Bloomington, IN: Marzano Resources.
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