Five Strategies to Help Students Using Perspective and Empathy

Purpose & objective

The purpose of this session is to actively engage our teachers on strategies and tools to help students in rich learning experiences that foster perspective and empathy. The models employed are based in the instructional and educational research of Jay McTighe and Harvey F. Silver collective work Teaching for Deeper Learning.

Participants will be able to learn and then apply five instructional strategies and tools to use in their classrooms to elicit student understanding and humanistic views of others.

Participants will be able to connect the strength in teaching combining technology, pedagogy, and content to make rich learning experiences for students.

Participants will see how students can see content through the varying viewpoints of stakeholders and develop new insights through looking at content from a new and unusual perspectives.

Outline

30 Minute Snapshot Session

5 minutes - Introduction and the need for Perspective and Empathy learning opportunities for students. This will be the laying the pedagogical and educational research context for educators and addressing the "why?" for instructional focus.

20 minutes - I will provide instructional strategies and the digital tools that combine technology, pedagogy, and content

1. Questioning Prompts with digital tools
2. Put the "You" in the Content with digital tools
3. Perspective Chart with digital tools
4. Meeting of the Minds/Mock Trial with digital tools
5. A Day in the Life with digital tools

5 minutes - Conclusion and time permitting questions
How these elements engage students into more meaningful learning encounters to understand with their minds and hearts.

Supporting research

• McTighe, J. & Silver, H. (2020). Teaching for deeper learning: Tools to Engage Students in Meaning Making. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

• McTighe, J. & Silver, H. "Instructional Shifts to Support Deep Learning" in Educational Leadership. September 2020, Volume 78, Number 1.

• McTighe, J., & Wiggins, G. (2013). Essential questions: Opening doors to student understanding. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

• National Research Council. (2012). Education for life and work. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. p 6.

• Silver, H.F., Abla, C., Boutz, A. L., & Perini, M. J. (2018). Tools for classroom instruction that works: Ready-to-use techniques for increasing student achievement. Franklin Lakes, NJ: Silver Strong & Associates/Thoughtful Education Press and McREL International.

• Taba, H., Durkin, M. C., Fraenkel, J. R., & McNaughton, A. H. (1971). A teacher's handbook to elementary social studies: An inductive approach (2nd ed). Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.