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| Photo by J. Schiemann on Unsplash |
It's been more than 10 years off and on of this Japanese language learning strategy. It is helping me understand more vocabulary in tennis and kinesiology, but it is also reinforcing what good, inclusive teaching looks like; albeit through non-examples.
Non-examples are examples that are shown for a clearer example, ie, it's not this, but this. The first time I saw it was in the Frayer Model and I think it fits in well with this tennis lesson since the lesson was not designed to be inclusive.
In this lesson:
Non Example 1 - Not using Visuals
The coach mostly spoke his directions and pointers. Occasionally he would draw on the sand to show positioning, but that was for whole-group instruction.
Non Example 2 - Not Modeling
Only occasionally would the coach actually do what the skill was we were practicing. Modeling how to move your body when you hit the ball, where on the racket to hit the ball, and where to position yourself on the court are all things that I think could have helped me understand.
Non Example 3 - Long Explanations
Sometimes the explanation went long. During these times I found myself thinking about other things -- important things I might add -- and suddenly, we were told to get into position. At these times, I was often lost. It made me think about how often I get mad at students who are not "paying attention" in class. However, since transitioning to a learning support role, I have noticed how long explanations have been in some classes. Teachers could be more effective if they limit their delivery.
Non Example 4 - High-Level Vocabulary
Along with long explanations, using high-level vocabulary is a way that can confuse learners. It has happened, that I will be in a lesson, and the coach will use a word I do not know. Sometimes when that happens, I try to understand the word I did not understand. This happens to some students as well.
Non Example 5 - Not giving us time to practice
Sometimes I will be corrected in how I hit the ball. (Actually, this happens often.) When this happens I need to practice what I had been shown to try to understand the coaching. It does not always happen and I am often left to try to remember what was said.
Non Example 6 - Low Volume
The tennis club I attend has three, indoor courts. With the fans, AC, and other lessons happening when the coach is speaking, I can sometimes miss what is said. Modeling and using other non-verbal methods of teaching could help with the low volume during the lesson.
What they do well -
The above aside, I have learned a lot from the way these lessons are run. The two best methods they use are station rotation and repetition.
Station Rotation Model
The tennis lesson is broken into 5 parts.
- Warm-up - stretching
- Warm-up - hitting
- Station Rotation - one of the stations is the "teaching point" for the day where the coach can "confer" with the participants.
- Rotation Game
- Game
The majority of the lesson uses a kind of station rotation model. This gives students a chance to practice many skills in a shorter amount of time. It also gives the coach a chance to confer with students and give them more individualized instruction.
Repetition
Each lesson follows the same structure - the station rotation model I outlined above. This helps me to predict what will happen in the lesson and decrease the cognitive load I need to understand the directions.
While I think that repetition is important, I also it is important for students to maintain their cognitive flexibility.
This post was meant to help me better think about UDL and how it could fit into my own experience.
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