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Provide study group or inquiry group opportunities for staff to explore and discuss the implications of federal, state, and local competencies for the "21st Century Workplace." Using the SCANS (Secretary's Commission on Acquiring Necessary Skills) Report and other available documents, discuss what the world of the next Millennium will be like for students and the extent to which schools are preparing them for these competencies. Staff members need to understand the differences between traditional behaviorist theory (which serves as the basis for much of our current thinking about lesson and instructional design) and the new trends in learning theory: i.e., cognitive theory, brain-compatible learning and teaching, constructivism, and multiple intelligences. Compare and contrast different current theorists and their ideas about the learning process. Have different expert groups provide summaries of key ideas and their implications for school reform. Have groups learn about and train fellow staff members in the eight intelligences identified by Howard Gardner. How might instruction in your school be modified to include the kinds of instructional modifications suggested by Gardner's theories? Compare and contrast the traditional and experiential classroom environments. Have staff self-assess the extent to which they design their instruction according to one or more of the principles articulated for each. Evaluate the benefits of one model or paradigm over the other. Use this investigation for inclusion in the identification and implementation of school improvement planning strategies. Investigate the implications of brain-based teaching and learning. How does our instruction align with or violate the principles associated with research findings? Review what the national curriculum reports recommend for instruction that results in improved student performance. Emphasize the implications of these ideas for an education grounded in the principles of quality and equity.
Explore the Brandt and Costa "Teaching FOR, OF, and ABOUT Thinking" model. How do we at the school create learning environments that encourage active learning and promote higher-order thinking? How do we directly teach key thinking skills and processes? To what extent do we promote metacognitive reflection and self-evaluation?
Breathtaking breakthroughs extending from brain research and cognitive learning theory are providing us with new and effective ways to improve the academic achievement of special populations, including students diagnosed as Special Education, ESOL, TAG, and/or ADHD. Create a professional development program designed to update staff on differentiated instruction for special populations.
