Using the Strategies Wisely

Debbie Cargill
Mar 09, 2009

One goal that I have for students is that they are able to organize learning for themselves. When they have the tools and strategies to do that, they become more responsible learners and, consequently, take control of and ownership of their learning.

Recently, a high school student reported that some strategies were actually "impeding a student's ability to truly learn." That comment made me stop to consider the 'whys' of teaching students the Learning-Focused strategies. The November 2008 issue of Educational Leadership focuses on creating a sense of learning for students. Most of the articles in that issue focus on teaching students to make responsible choices, maximizing student potential, and empowering students to choose more challenging tasks. When students reach that level, they are more engaged and more accountable.

I remind teachers frequently that they are the ones who know their content and their students. They are charged with choosing the appropriate strategies for their grade level and content. They must also make decisions about when and if students need organizational tools. It is not just about the strategies. It is about making the strategies work for students. What makes sense for this content, this student, this situation? Remember - adapt, don't adopt strategies!

Note: We do ask you to try to stick with a lesson framework (don't adapt too much) because it is found that schools with common lesson plans have a higher increase in achievement and because the Learning-Focused Strategies lesson framework connects exemplary practices creating a higher impact on student learning. 

Recently, a middle school principal reported that students love using graphic organizers. Sixth, seventh, and eighth graders would come up to her and say, "This makes it so much easier to understand!"  Another example is a fourth grade student who moved from a high implementation (Learning-Focused) school to another school in the district. On his first day in the new school, the teacher made an assignment. He asked, "Where's my graphic organizer?"

The point is that when students see the value and recognize the need, we know we are making good, sound instructional decisions, and students are more likely to transfer that skill to other areas.  We know that, with enough practice and modeling, students will begin to make the strategies their own. Throughout the year, we increase expectations as students increase their proficiency and begin to make responsible decisions about their learning. In other words, initially the teacher will teach students how to use the organizer or strategy with familiar content. As students become more proficient, they begin to make the decisions about when and how to choose and use the strategies.

The high school student who wrote us about the strategies impeding his ability to learn was told by the teacher that he has to do them because Learning-Focused says so (which is why he wrote us). We urge all teachers to use strategies that work in his/her classroom. If an activating strategy, graphic organizer, or summarizing strategy doesn't work, adapt it, pick a different strategy, or change how you had students use the strategy. But, you have to help students take ownership of them!

We had a teacher who told us a story about a high school student who thought that Student Learning Maps were a waste of time and thus impeding his ability to learn. Instead of blaming the use of the strategy on Learning-Focused (or her principal), the teacher quickly responded to the student that he could stop using Student Learning Maps to organize their units if he could tell her what he learned in their previous unit. The student was astonished and quickly started to tell her about what they studied. While he was talking, his hands kept pointing to a location on the wall and motioning the order in which different lessons occurred. He stopped midway and said "you got me, didn't you?" She responded, "yes, I believe I did." He turned around and returned to his seat. While the student was responding he was picturing the Student Learning Map on the wall and in his mind so that he could recall the information to communicate it to his teacher. It didn't take him long to recognize that was what he was doing and the value of the strategy. Smart student! Smart teacher!