Examining Similarites & Differences: Classroom Techniques to Help Students Deepen Their Understanding

Brief Description: Do your students know how to make meaningful comparisons? Academic standards call for increased rigor, but simply raising complexity is not enough. Students must also be able to examine similarities and differences within the critical content they are learning. They need to know how to use comparisons, classifications, metaphors, and analogies to generalize, draw conclusions, and refine schema, ultimately deepening their understanding of the content. Examining Similarities & Differences: Classroom Techniques to Help Students Deepen Their Understanding explores explicit techniques for mastering a crucial strategy of instructional practice: teaching students to examine similarities and differences. It includes: Explicit steps for implementation Recommendations for monitoring if students are able to autonomously examine similarities and differences Adaptations for students who struggle, have special needs, or excel in learning Examples and nonexamples from classroom practice Common mistakes and ways to avoid them The Essentials for Achieving Rigor series of instructional guides helps educators become highly skilled at implementing, monitoring, and adapting instruction. Put it to practical use immediately, adopting day-to-day examples as models for application in your own classroom. Publisher Marketing: Academic standards call for increased rigor, but simply raising complexity is not enough. Students must also be able to examine similarities and differences within the critical content they are learning. They need to know how to use comparisons, classifications, metaphors, and analogies to generalize, draw conclusions, and refine schema, ultimately deepening their understanding of the content. Based on the earlier work of Dr. Robert J. Marzano, Examining Similarities & Differences: Classroom Strategies to Help Students Deepen Their Understanding explores explicit techniques for mastering a crucial strategy of instructional practice: teaching students to examine similarities and differences. It includes: Explicit steps for implementation Recommendations for monitoring if students are able to autonomously examine similarities and differences Adaptations for students who struggle, have special needs, or excel in learning Examples and non-examples from classroom practice Common mistakes and ways to avoid them The Essentials for Achieving Rigor series of instructional guides helps educators become highly skilled at implementing, monitoring, and adapting instruction. Put it to practical use immediately, adopting day-to-day examples as models for application in your own classroom.

Contributor Bio:  Marzano, Robert J Robert J. Marzano is senior scholar at Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) in Aurora, Colorado, associate professor at Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and president of Marzano & Associates in Centennial, Colorado. He is the author of 25 books, 150 articles and chapters in books, and 100 sets of curriculum materials for teachers and students in Grades K 12. His works include What Works in Schools: Translating Research Into Action, School Leadership That Works, Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement, Classroom Management That Works, Classroom Instruction That Works, Classroom Assessment and Grading That Work, and A Different Kind of Classroom: Teaching With Dimensions of Learning. During his 35 years in public education, Marzano has worked in every state multiple times as well as in a host of countries in Europe and Asia. The central theme in his work has been translating research and theory into practical programs and tools for K 12 teachers and administrators. Contributor Bio:  West, Connie Connie West joined Learning Sciences International as an independent staff developer in 2012. Prior to that, she spent her career in K-12 education as a classroom teacher and administrator in Cincinnati, Ohio. Connie brings expertise to her work from years of experience in a broad spectrum of leadership roles, including gifted education, mentoring, instructional coaching, school improvement, curriculum, professional development and teacher evaluation. She has presented at numerous conferences on topics in literacy, mathematics, coaching, and curriculum and instruction. Connie earned bachelor's and master's degrees in education from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Contributor Bio:  Marx, Kathy Kathleen Marx, MSEd (Educational Leadership), MSEd (School Counseling), is a leading expert in personal development across industries. She has successfully assisted many districts nationally to implement deep school improvement changes through her work with Learning Sciences International. Her background of classroom teaching, gifted education consulting, school counseling, and building administration gives her unique insight into leading-edge strategies in implementing research-based instructional and evaluation models. She is a graduate of Miami University (Ohio) and the University of Dayton. Contributor Bio:  Sell, Penny Penny Sell's career in public education has spanned more than 30 years including roles as teacher, administrator, trainer and consultant. Since 2001 her work has focused on coaching and training school leaders, providing expertise to facilitate school progress in the areas of student achievement and teacher proficiency. She earned her B. S. in Exceptional Education from Central Michigan University and her M. S. in Educational Leadership from the University of Central Florida.