Unit III

Chapter 3

Selection and Use of

Teaching Strategies
Guiding Principles in the Selection
and Use of Teaching Strategies :

1. Learning is an active process. Nobody can learn for

us, nor live for us, nor die for us. We eat for ourselves,
live our own life and die our own death.

2. The more senses that are involved in

learning, the more and better the learning.
What is seen and heard are learned more
than what are just seen or just heard.
3. Emotion has power to increase retention and
learning. We tend to remember and learn more
those that strike our hearts! In fact, the more
emotionally involved our students become in our
lesson, the greater the impact.

4. Learning is meaningful when it is connected

to students' everyday life. Abstract concepts are
made understandable when we give sufficient
examples relating to the students' experiences.
5. Good teaching goes beyond recall of information.
Good thinking concerns itself with higher-order-
thinking skills to develop creative and critical
thinking.

6. An integrated teaching approach is far more

effective than teaching isolated bits of information.
Corpuz and Salandanas (2003) claim that an
instructional approach is integrated when it
considers the multiple intelligence (MI) and varied
learning style (LS) of students.
An integrated approach incorporates successful,
research-based and brain-based instructional strategies.
The following are some research findings cited by
Patricia Wolfe in her book Brain matters: Translating
Research Into Action (2001).

Some research findings about the brain ( Wolfe, 2001):

1. Without rehearsal or constant attention, information

remains in working memory for only about 15 to 20
seconds. This implies the need for memory aids.
2. Learning is a process of building neural networks.
This network is formed through concrete experience,
representation or symbolic learning, and abstract
learning. The three levels of learning are concrete,
symbolic, and abstract.

3. Our brains have difficulty comprehending very large

numbers because we have nothing in our experience
to "hook" them to. As a mentioned in the preceding
paragraph, it is always best to engage our students in
the learning experience.
4. The eyes contain nearly 70% of the body's sensory
receptors and send millions of signals every second along
the optic nerves to the visual processing of the brain.

5. There is little doubt that when information is embedded

in music or rhyme, it's recall is easier than when it is in
prose.

Brain-Based Strategies:

1. Involving students in real-life or authentic problems

solving. Sometimes students ask us when and where they
need this and that that they are learning in school.
2. Using projects to increase meaning and motivation.
Projects may not necessarily be based on problems but
the example in item number 1 may be made a project.

3. Simulation and role plays as meaning makers. Not all

curriculum topics can be addressed through authentic
problem solving and projects.

4. Classroom strategies using visual processing ' a picture

is worth ten thousand words". Visuals are powerful aids
in retention as well as in understanding.
5. Songs, jingles, and raps. Content can be more easily
learned when we give it a tune or make it into rhyme
through their personally composed songs, jingles, and
raps.

6. Mnemonic strategies. These mnemonic strategies assist

students in recalling important information.

7. Writing strategies. Make students write their own word

problems and make them ask their classmates to solve
them. Or by the use of incomplete statements, ask the
students to write down what they are learning or what
they are confused about.
8. Active review. Instead of the teacher conducting
the review, students are given their turn. Review days
are planned and organized to give enough time for
students to prepare for the holding of a review. This
technique strengthens synapses.

9. Hands-on-activities. Concrete experience is one of

the best ways to make long-lasting neural connections.
Aristotle said " What we have to learn to do , we learn
by doing".
10. There is no such thing as best teaching method. The
best method is the one that works, the one that yields
results.