Teaching Strategies and Learning Innovations That Spell Education Success

ST. LOUIS, Nov. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- A top-performing elementary school in Tennessee attributes its success to teaching strategies that implement interactive learning, such as acting out historical skits. Students set their own goals, and teachers work to make learning meaningful. "We're implementing our standards through projects, activities and big-picture learning to cater to all types of learners. Teaching to the test doesn't work, but integrated learning does," fourth-grade teacher Paige Francescon said.

"One important aspect of integrated learning is the combination of theoretical and practical  knowledge," says Cathy Viney, Teaching Strategies Expert and Executive Director of the nonprofit Applied Scholastics International at www.appliedscholastics.org. One should always balance any data and information with the actions and activities of the subject being taught and how it can be applied to the student's life. Learning cannot be reduced to the one directional influx of information by the student without the result being failure."

According to American author and educator, L. Ron Hubbard, "If one wishes a subject to be taught with maximal effectiveness, he should present it in its most interesting form. Demonstrate its general use in life. Demonstrate its specific use to the student in life."

"This goes to the very heart of quality teaching", says Ms. Viney. "A good teacher is a 'creative teacher' and a 'passionate teacher', who knows how to present a subject in its most interesting form and connect it to real life and then specifically relate it to the student's life. This is precisely why integrated learning and/or integrated studies and project based learning works."

Dr. Susan Neimand, Director of the School of Education at Miami Dade College adds, "Having a high GPA is not indicative of ability as a teacher, two different skill sets. In fact, many who have high GPAs would not make good teachers as they are not patient with learners who don't master concepts as quickly as they do. Further, gifted students or those who learn easily and naturally are not able to break down information to component parts to share it with others. Teacher candidates need a balance between content knowledge and pedagogy, and need passion for the profession and for learners; those candidates, irrespective of their GPAs, make the best teachers."

Project based learning aligns perfectly with what Mr. Hubbard wrote about back in the 1960s. "Insist only upon definite knowledge of axioms and theories. Coax into action the student's mind to derive and establish all data which can be derived or established from the axioms or theories. Apply the derivations as action insofar as the class facilities permit, coordinating data with reality."

"One of the major advantages of project work [project based learning]" says Veronica Boix Mansilla, principal investigator at the Interdisciplinary Studies Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Project Zero, "is that it makes school more like real life. In real life, we don't spend several hours at a time listening to authorities who know more than we do and who tell us exactly what to do and how to do it. We need to be able to ask questions of a person we're learning from. We need to be able to link what the person is telling us with what we already know. And we need to be able to bring what we already know and experiences we've had that are relevant to the topic to the front of our minds and say something about them."

A Free Guide to the benefits of Applied Scholastics teaching strategies that incorporate integrated learning and project based learning is available at www.appliedscholastics.org or call Toll free: 877-75-LEARN.

About Applied Scholastics International

Since 1972, the nonprofit Applied Scholastics International has been a trusted authority on the subject of teaching strategies and proficiency based learning. The Applied Scholastics Achievement Programä (ASAP) provides a proven system that helps teachers and schools improve the lives of ALL students of all ages including those negatively affected by learning difficulties and the social, economic and emotional issues associated with these difficulties. For more information, go to www.appliedscholastics.org.

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SOURCE Applied Scholastics International