When speaking on
teaching strategies, the word modelling gets tossed around a lot. The type of
modelling that is often spoken on though is probably not the most correct way
of modelling. Chapter 8 of William Strong’s Coaching
Writing in Content Areas discusses modelling writing as showing students a
few examples of work, looking at the errors and showing students what type of
work would get which type of grade. This is not necessarily the only way to
model writing because it still keeps writing a little mystified.
Truth is, good writing
doesn’t just happen. It is something that needs to be developed and edited.
Students will see finished work and think “I can never write that good, why
should I even try”. I think the real way modelling should be used is to demystify
good writing. In order to do this, a teacher should write with students, and in
front of students, illustrating the thought process and how to work through
errors. If a teacher’s first draft is sloppy, students will know that they can
have sloppy drafts too, allowing them to take risks, and we all know learning happens
when risks are taken.
Now modelling like
this, or rather modelling “thought” isn’t just a technique that could be useful
for writing. In one of my classes last week we did an exercise where we wrote
about our thought process while reading through a poem as a class 3 times. The
change of focus from one reading to another showed our techniques of decoding
poems to ourselves. Showing this side to students is definitely a way of
modelling. Most students don’t “get” poetry, but they probably only will read
the poem once, I don’t get poems after the first read, so why would they, and
why should I act like I can? Modelling thought process could also be used for
math problems, or maybe working your way through a primary document. Modelling
should be used as a technique to show that no one is perfect, and everything
takes work.
Of the modeling strategies listed on the page your provided, I see student-centered modeling being extremely beneficial. If we're thinking about how we can challenge students who have mastered the content, having them model it for their peers seems like it can be very successful, not only for the student who now has to apply his or her knowledge of the content to a different situation (teaching it to his peers) but now it creates a "student-centered" environment, which may motivate other students who see their peers directing the class and may want experience.
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