Education Week: Boosting the Impact of Your Teaching

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Boosting the Impact of Your Teaching

Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012, 4 to 5 p.m. ET
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Boosting the Impact of Your Teaching

(12/19/2012)

11:08

Bryan Toporek:

Good morning and welcome to today's free live chat, "Boosting the Impact of Your Teaching." We've just opened the chat for questions, so please start submitting yours down below.

We'll be back at 4 p.m. ET today with author and educator Jim Knight -- hope to see you then!

Wednesday December 19, 2012 11:08 Bryan Toporek

3:53

Jim Knight:

Hi

Wednesday December 19, 2012 3:53 Jim Knight

3:55

Bryan Toporek:

Glad to see you here, Jim! Folks, we'll be getting underway in just a few minutes. In the meantime, keep submitting your questions down below.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 3:55 Bryan Toporek

3:57

Jim Knight:

They are great questions

Wednesday December 19, 2012 3:57 Jim Knight

4:01

Bryan Toporek:

OK, I'm passing off control of today's chat to our moderator, Liana Heitin, associate editor of Education Week Teacher.

Take it away, Liana!

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:01 Bryan Toporek

4:01

Liana Heitin:

Hi everyone and welcome to our discussion on Boosting the Impact of Your Teaching. Thanks so much for joining us.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:01 Liana Heitin

4:01

Liana Heitin:

Our guest today is Jim Knight, author of the new book High-Impact Instruction: A Framework for Great Teaching. Jim, would you go ahead and introduce yourself?

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:01 Liana Heitin

4:03

Jim Knight:

I’ve been studying instructional coaching, system change, and high-impact instruction since 1992, and I taught English before that. I do my research at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning, and my company the Instructional Coaching Group works with people around the world.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:03 Jim Knight

4:04

Jim Knight:

I'm to see some of my friends online here today.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:04 Jim Knight

4:04

Jim Knight:

And people who I hope will be new friends

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:04 Jim Knight

4:04

Liana Heitin:

Yes, we've got some excellent questions coming in so let's get started right away.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:04 Liana Heitin

4:04

Jim Knight:

Good

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:04 Jim Knight

4:04

[Comment From GuestGuest: ]

What strategies have you found best for creating community in high school classrooms that just aren't gelling?

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:04 Guest

4:05

Jim Knight:

Thanks to the guest for the question. In new book, we identify six strategies.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:05 Jim Knight

4:05

Jim Knight:

One is creating a learner-friendly community

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:05 Jim Knight

4:06

Jim Knight:

Two is building control around relationships (power with rather than power over)

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:06 Jim Knight

4:06

Jim Knight:

Three is freedom within form, creating structures for activities that respect student autonomy

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:06 Jim Knight

4:07

Jim Knight:

The other three are about teaching expectations, reinforcing students with positive attention. And correcting fluently when necessary

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:07 Jim Knight

4:08

Jim Knight:

You can download a survey for assessing the learner friendliness of your classroom here: http://www.corwin.com/highimpactinstruction/chapters/Learner-Friendly_Environment_Survey.pdf

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:08 Jim Knight

4:08

Liana Heitin:

Great start! Here's a question that I know nearly all teachers are asking these days.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:08 Liana Heitin

4:08

[Comment From Veronica CruiseVeronica Cruise: ]

How would you define successful teaching? With so many competing responsibilities, I often find myself split between objectives.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:08 Veronica Cruise

4:09

Jim Knight:

Thanks Veronica. My definition might not be yours--and I might change mine. But my goal is maximum learning per second. That's not the most stuff, that's the most learning.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:09 Jim Knight

4:10

Liana Heitin:

I like how concise that answer is. Easy to keep in mind. Here's a question on discipline.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:10 Liana Heitin

4:10

[Comment From Victor BenchVictor Bench: ]

What role do discipline strategies in effective classroom instruction?

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:10 Victor Bench

4:12

Jim Knight:

Hi Victor, I guess it depends on how you define discipline. I believe the MET project study of effective teaching has defined control and caring as extremely important characteristics of effective instruction. One without the other isn't enough. Caring without control is a bad situation. Control without caring is oppressive.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:12 Jim Knight

4:13

Jim Knight:

However you maintain control and and communicate authentic caring that would be great. >

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:13 Jim Knight

4:13

Liana Heitin:

This question is about storytelling.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:13 Liana Heitin

4:14

[Comment From AmyAmy: ]

I'm interested in the storytelling elements you describe in your book--what makes stories so effective in the classroom, in your opinion? Do you consider storytelling to be a good way to learn, as well as to teach? [As an aside, Philip Pullman (who writes children's books, more or less), just published a new, trimmed down translation of Grimms' Fairy Tales, and you and he appear to agree 100% on what makes a good story.]

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:14 Amy

4:15

Jim Knight:

Hi Amy, I've found that stories are an essential part of learning. We remember stories long after a class. In the book High-Impact Instruction I describe how teachers can develop hundreds of stories to use in their classes.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:15 Jim Knight

4:15

Jim Knight:

In this video I talk with a kindergarten teacher about using stories: http://www.corwin.com/highimpactinstruction/videos/v7.3.htm

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:15 Jim Knight

4:16

Jim Knight:

we are story telling beings, so I think it only makes sense to tell stories >

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:16 Jim Knight

4:16

Liana Heitin:

Terrific. And one from Eli:

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:16 Liana Heitin

4:16

[Comment From Eli LovingtonEli Lovington: ]

Are there some underlying assumptions that teachers make about teaching that need to be updated? Do you find consistent misconceptions?

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:16 Eli Lovington

4:18

Jim Knight:

Thanks Eli. I was just thinking about this today. I think we need checklists for practices, but we also need to explore fundamental principles that shape all our actions--like "I respect students," or "I believe in the growth mindset"

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:18 Jim Knight

4:18

Jim Knight:

I think we all need to be thinking deeply about our assumptions.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:18 Jim Knight

4:18

Jim Knight:

Some no doubt need to be refined>

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:18 Jim Knight

4:19

Liana Heitin:

This next question is quite timely, considering recent tragic events.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:19 Liana Heitin

4:19

[Comment From Russell C. WilsonRussell C. Wilson: ]

How should I react when a student wants to discuss a topic that isn't on the day's agenda? Sometimes we veer wildly off course (especially when there are major world events that students want to discuss), but I have so much to teach and not much time in which to teach it.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:19 Russell C. Wilson

4:19

Jim Knight:

In High-Impact Instruction, I talk about deliberate and emergent planning. You need to make plans (be deliberate) but you need to respond when opportunities or challenges arise.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:19 Jim Knight

4:20

Jim Knight:

Too much attention to a plan won't work if we don't take the time to address what needs to be addressed. >

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:20 Jim Knight

4:20

Liana Heitin:

I'm getting lots of questions on instructional coaching. Can you talk a bit about how that plays into effective instruction?

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:20 Liana Heitin

4:21

Jim Knight:

Sure. My book instructional coaching sort of maps out our work on that. I think an instructional coach partners with teachers to help them implement proven practices, like the ones in High-Impact Instruction.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:21 Jim Knight

4:21

Jim Knight:

An instructional coach is a second set of eyes, a second set of hands helping us do what we need to do in the classroom.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:21 Jim Knight

4:22

Jim Knight:

I think coaching is effective when coaches help teachers achieve measurable goals.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:22 Jim Knight

4:22

Jim Knight:

Those goals, we've found, are best if they are student goals--usually achievement, behavior, or attitude goals.>

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:22 Jim Knight

4:22

Liana Heitin:

There are also lots of questions on technology. Here's one:

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:22 Liana Heitin

4:23

[Comment From Steve RoganSteve Rogan: ]

The use of technology in the classroom in many instances enhances/complements a lesson.. but technology alone cannot take the place of a well taught dynamic classroom environment. How do we keep the web/texting/tablet/ generation highly engaged for each lesson?

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:23 Steve Rogan

4:23

Jim Knight:

Great question Steve. And I agree. Technology in and of itself is not the secret.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:23 Jim Knight

4:24

Jim Knight:

In the book, I talk about the strategies that keep students engaged.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:24 Jim Knight

4:24

Jim Knight:

Clear goals and feedback.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:24 Jim Knight

4:24

Jim Knight:

Work that is relevant and interesting and optimally challenging

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:24 Jim Knight

4:25

Jim Knight:

Optimal challenge is just a little more difficult than our skill level

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:25 Jim Knight

4:25

Jim Knight:

Thinking prompts, collaborative learning

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:25 Jim Knight

4:25

Jim Knight:

These all can increase engagement

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:25 Jim Knight

4:26

Jim Knight:

An not much is happening if students aren't engaged.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:26 Jim Knight

4:26

Jim Knight:

I think if students are interested, or hooked by the content, engagement will happen >

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:26 Jim Knight

4:26

Liana Heitin:

This question is a throwback to one you answered earlier.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:26 Liana Heitin

4:26

[Comment From Steve RoganSteve Rogan: ]

How do you measure "learning per second'?

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:26 Steve Rogan

4:26

Jim Knight:

There are no simple answers, I’m afraid. All four of the big four areas content, assessment, instruction, and community building could impact students. >

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:26 Jim Knight

4:27

Jim Knight:

Well I believe in Formative assessment as a measure of student achievement.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:27 Jim Knight

4:27

Jim Knight:

I also talk about engagement... building on Schletchy's work distinguishing between authentic engagement, strategic compliance, and off task

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:27 Jim Knight

4:27

Jim Knight:

and we also look at transition time versus learning time

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:27 Jim Knight

4:28

Jim Knight:

so a simple way would be to combine time on task and instructional time

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:28 Jim Knight

4:28

Jim Knight:

but there's no simple formula>

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:28 Jim Knight

4:28

Liana Heitin:

And a question that sort of follows up on that one:

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:28 Liana Heitin

4:28

[Comment From R.G. TresseR.G. Tresse: ]

While there are a variety of external measures of teaching success -- evaluations, test scores, student outcomes, etc. -- is there a good way for me as a teacher to self-evaluate?

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:28 R.G. Tresse

4:29

Jim Knight:

R.G thanks. For me--and this might not work for you--but for me, the simplest thing is to use formative assessment--something like an exit ticket, to see if students learned what I had expected them to learn.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:29 Jim Knight

4:30

Jim Knight:

Formative assessment is very powerful

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:30 Jim Knight

4:30

Jim Knight:

I've got a video talking about formative assessment here: http://www.corwin.com/highimpactinstruction/videos/v3.1.htm

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:30 Jim Knight

4:30

Jim Knight:

that is where I would start>

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:30 Jim Knight

4:31

Liana Heitin:

Gwen and a few others are wondering:

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:31 Liana Heitin

4:31

[Comment From GwenGwen: ]

What are the key strategies for designing a learner friendly learning environment ?

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:31 Gwen

4:31

Jim Knight:

Hi Gwen, Edgar Schein, who wrote about culture in a seminal book sees culture manifested in three areas

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:31 Jim Knight

4:32

Jim Knight:

What we we sense (see, hear, smell etc)

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:32 Jim Knight

4:32

Jim Knight:

WHat we say (norms, expectations, etc)

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:32 Jim Knight

4:32

Jim Knight:

And what we do, correcting students and walking the talk

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:32 Jim Knight

4:33

Jim Knight:

In this video Sandi Silbernagel talks about how she creates her learning environment >

http://www.corwin.com/highimpactinstruction/videos/v10.1.htm

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:33 Jim Knight

4:33

Jim Knight:

I wish I was a faster typer >

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:33 Jim Knight

4:34

Liana Heitin:

Thanks for including these videos, Jim! This is great. And one from Thomas:

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:34 Liana Heitin

4:34

[Comment From Thomas E. P. BradyThomas E. P. Brady: ]

Have you ever seen any students that just can't be engaged, for whatever reason? What do we do?

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:34 Thomas E. P. Brady

4:34

Jim Knight:

Thanks Thomas. I think that because we work with human beings anything is possible.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:34 Jim Knight

4:35

Jim Knight:

I often say that to teach is to feel guilty. We want every student to master everything. But inevitably we don't get everyone.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:35 Jim Knight

4:35

Jim Knight:

But that doesn't mean we should let go of the goal. >

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:35 Jim Knight

4:35

Liana Heitin:

And onto questioning:

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:35 Liana Heitin

4:35

[Comment From GuestGuest: ]

Is there a resource you recommend for developing effective questions? Sometimes difficult to devise higher-order questions on the fly.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:35 Guest

4:36

Jim Knight:

Questioning is a part of the new book. You can see a trailer for High-Impact Instruction here:
http://www.corwin.com/vimeo/51484320

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:36 Jim Knight

4:37

Liana Heitin:

(A note to the audience: This chat will be archived so you can watch the videos later!)

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:37 Liana Heitin

4:38

Jim Knight:

Or you can save your money and download a manual here:

http://thebigfour.ning.com

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:38 Jim Knight

4:38

Jim Knight:

and you're free to copy and share that manual and the other resources I share here>

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:38 Jim Knight

4:38

Liana Heitin:

Here's a great question.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:38 Liana Heitin

4:38

[Comment From Mark BenchMark Bench: ]

I find it challenging to reconcile my own teaching practices with vastly different practices being implemented by my peers next door. Should administrators endorse one method for an entire school?

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:38 Mark Bench

4:39

Jim Knight:

Mark. I'm not sure about this. I really believe in the autonomy of teachers.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:39 Jim Knight

4:40

Jim Knight:

In Unmistakable Impact I talk about how a whole school can come together to address a goal--such as increase time on task to 90%

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:40 Jim Knight

4:40

Jim Knight:

But my research leads me to say how teachers do it is up to them. >

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:40 Jim Knight

4:40

Liana Heitin:

And from Marie:

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:40 Liana Heitin

4:40

[Comment From MarieMarie: ]

What is the single most important thing a teacher can do immediately to boost the impact of his/her teaching?

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:40 Marie

4:41

Jim Knight:

Marie. Darn. That's a tough question.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:41 Jim Knight

4:41

Jim Knight:

My quick response is to commit to continuous improvement.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:41 Jim Knight

4:41

Jim Knight:

To be passionate about getting better.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:41 Jim Knight

4:41

Jim Knight:

I think we can be happy unless we strive to be achieving personal bests, but it's not easy.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:41 Jim Knight

4:42

Jim Knight:

It takes courage. We have to be clear on our goals and clear on what really is happening.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:42 Jim Knight

4:42

Jim Knight:

This often means watching our teaching on video, working with a coach.>

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:42 Jim Knight

4:42

Liana Heitin:

And one for high school teachers:

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:42 Liana Heitin

4:42

[Comment From KellyKelly: ]

At the high school level, it often seems that content delivery trumps good pedagogy. How would you convince a teacher with standardized testing to deal with to flip this paradigm?

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:42 Kelly

4:43

Jim Knight:

Thanks Kelly. Like you, I think, content and pedagogy are most important.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:43 Jim Knight

4:43

Jim Knight:

THe single more powerful tool for opening others to the need to change, I think, is watching video of yourself teaching >

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:43 Jim Knight

4:44

[Comment From Frank RushFrank Rush: ]

My school encourages me to use my PD funds at my discretion. What types of learning opportunities do you recommend? What types have you found most effective to improve teaching practices?

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:44 Frank Rush

4:45

Jim Knight:

if people don't want to watch video, that probably means there's a trust issue >

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:45 Jim Knight

4:45

Liana Heitin:

Good point, Jim.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:45 Liana Heitin

4:45

Jim Knight:

Hi Frank. I don't mean to talk in generalities.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:45 Jim Knight

4:46

Jim Knight:

But, I think the foundational idea should be we won't spend money on anything that doesn't lead to improvements that help kids.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:46 Jim Knight

4:46

Jim Knight:

So we won't do a one-size fits all workshop that nobody wants to go to

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:46 Jim Knight

4:47

Jim Knight:

At this point in my career, I'd say the best PD helps teachers achieve measurable improvements in student learning

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:47 Jim Knight

4:47

Jim Knight:

One of those things is coaching done well.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:47 Jim Knight

4:47

Jim Knight:

Atul Gawande, in his article on coaching says something like, "coaching done well is the most powerful way to improve human performance"

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:47 Jim Knight

4:47

Jim Knight:

But that "done well" is very important

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:47 Jim Knight

4:48

Jim Knight:

Coaching done poorly is a bad use of resources...>

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:48 Jim Knight

4:48

Liana Heitin:

Much of what Gawande writes is applicable to teachers!

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:48 Liana Heitin

4:48

Liana Heitin:

And on the Common Core:

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:48 Liana Heitin

4:48

[Comment From GuestGuest: ]

I'm curious what the biggest differences are that you've seen in instruction methods since the creation of the common core standards.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:48 Guest

4:48

Jim Knight:

You can read Gawande's article here:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/10/03/111003fa_fact_gawande

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:48 Jim Knight

4:49

Jim Knight:

Right now what I'm seeing with common core is that districts are spending a lot of time on curriculum planning.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:49 Jim Knight

4:49

Jim Knight:

My hope is that they involve teachers in that planning or else I don't think the plans will be embraced.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:49 Jim Knight

4:50

Jim Knight:

I have a process for this in Chapter six of Unmistakable Impact

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:50 Jim Knight

4:50

Jim Knight:

It's kind of like using the PBIS process for content planning done course by course by the teachers who teach it. >

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:50 Jim Knight

4:50

Liana Heitin:

Alright folks, just a few minutes left to get questions in. Here's a question about rewards.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:50 Liana Heitin

4:50

[Comment From RuthRuth: ]

What's your take on rewarding students for good work or good behavior? Do you have a specific reward system you like?

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:50 Ruth

4:51

Jim Knight:

Thanks Ruth. I agree with Carol Dweck that we should be careful about encouraging fixed mindset with our praise and focus on growth mindset.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:51 Jim Knight

4:52

Jim Knight:

Thus, rather than saying you're so smart, we might say, "you clearly worked very hard"

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:52 Jim Knight

4:52

Jim Knight:

I also believe that we need to keep asking ourselves, is this work intrinsically motivating?

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:52 Jim Knight

4:52

Jim Knight:

Is it relevant, interesting, and challenging?

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:52 Jim Knight

4:53

Jim Knight:

Not every assignment can be... >

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:53 Jim Knight

4:53

Liana Heitin:

And a question for new teachers:

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:53 Liana Heitin

4:53

[Comment From Angela DesBarresAngela DesBarres: ]

In regards to beginning teaching, what would be the instructional strategy that you would recommend be the first one a new teacher would work on getting under his or her belt?

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:53 Angela DesBarres

4:54

Jim Knight:

Thanks Angela. I'm not sure if I said this before, but there are no simple answers, I’m afraid. All four of the big four areas content, assessment, instruction, and community building could impact students.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:54 Jim Knight

4:54

Jim Knight:

and as Eric Lui says, in education, "its never one size fits all, it's one size fits one"

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:54 Jim Knight

4:55

Jim Knight:

each teacher can start in a different place--the place that's best for them

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:55 Jim Knight

4:55

Jim Knight:

in High-IMpact Instruction I identify 16 teaching practices.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:55 Jim Knight

4:55

Jim Knight:

You can see a trailer for High-Impact Instruction here:
http://www.corwin.com/vimeo/51484320

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:55 Jim Knight

4:56

Jim Knight:

but there are many, many free resources online that you can use whether or not you get the book >

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:56 Jim Knight

4:56

Liana Heitin:

And for those who are interested, we did a webinar with Carol Dweck, in which she explains how to encourage a "growth mindset" in your classroom. http://bit.ly/ChangingMindsetsWebinar

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:56 Liana Heitin

4:56

Liana Heitin:

Ok, we've got time for about one more.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:56 Liana Heitin

4:56

Jim Knight:

very cool>

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:56 Jim Knight

4:56

[Comment From H. RoseH. Rose: ]

Are there any tried and true strategies, such as team teaching, small class sizes, specific training methods, etc. that you have found produce the most effective teaching?

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:56 H. Rose

4:57

Jim Knight:

Here is where many of the free resources are btw:

http://www.corwin.com/highimpactinstruction/

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:57 Jim Knight

4:57

Jim Knight:

Thanks. I think, yes there are built around four areas--content planning, formative assessment, instruction, and community building

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:57 Jim Knight

4:58

Jim Knight:

some of them include getting extremely clear on what students need to learn and then getting a very clear picture on how students are learning

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:58 Jim Knight

4:58

Jim Knight:

using learning maps

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:58 Jim Knight

4:58

Jim Knight:

telling stories, using cooperative learning, authentic learning, and effective questions.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:58 Jim Knight

4:59

Jim Knight:

and the community building strategies I described above

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:59 Jim Knight

4:59

Jim Knight:

you can see video, download free examples and checklists and free manuals at the links I've mentioned today >

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:59 Jim Knight

4:59

Liana Heitin:

Unfortunately, it looks like we're out of time. A great big thanks to Jim for leading this conversation. And thanks as well to all of you for participating.

Wednesday December 19, 2012 4:59 Liana Heitin

5:00

Jim Knight:

My pleasure>

Wednesday December 19, 2012 5:00 Jim Knight

5:00

Liana Heitin:

Make sure to check out the videos and resources Jim posted. And for more on Jim's new book, head to the publisher's website. http://www.corwin.com/books/Book234377

Wednesday December 19, 2012 5:00 Liana Heitin

5:00

Liana Heitin:

Thanks again everyone and have a great day!

Wednesday December 19, 2012 5:00 Liana Heitin

5:00

Bryan Toporek:

Thanks, Liana and Jim! Thats' a great place to end.

Our thanks to all of you who took the time out to join us today. Special thanks to our featured guest, Jim Knight, and our excellent moderator, Liana!

We'll have the transcript of today's chat up on this same page within the hour. Have a great rest of the day!

Wednesday December 19, 2012 5:00 Bryan Toporek

5:00

Jim Knight:

thanks>

Wednesday December 19, 2012 5:00 Jim Knight

5:01

Boosting the Impact of Your Teaching

Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012, 4 to 5 p.m. ET

Teachers are in an ongoing race against the clock, trying to cover as much material as possible before their students move on to the next class or grade level. For that reason, it's critical that every moment of instruction is intentionally impactful, says Jim Knight, author of High-Impact Instruction: A Framework for Great Teaching.

In this live chat, Knight discussed the teaching practices that, after 10 years of working with instructional coaches, he's found make the greatest difference in student learning. He took your questions on what works in the classroom, exploring the connection between engagement and learning and offered concrete teaching strategies that can be adapted to any teacher's approach, such as the use of thinking prompts, effective questions, and storytelling.

Guest:
Jim Knight, research associate at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning and president of the Instructional Coaching Group, has spent nearly two decades studying professional learning and instructional coaching. He has a Ph.D. in education from the University of Kansas and has won several university teaching, innovation, and service awards. He has written several books on coaching, including Instructional Coaching and Unmistakable Impact. His latest book is High-Impact Instruction: A Framework for Great Teaching. Knight also hosts Talking About Teaching on the Teaching Channel and writes the radicallearners.com blog. Find him on Twitter @JimKnight99

Liana Heitin, associate editor, Education Week Teacher, moderated this chat.

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