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Foundations of Contextual Teaching
and Learning
Sharon L. Morris Dunleith Elementary
smorris@marietta-city.k12.ga.us
Introduction
Children relentlessly seek answers to pressing questions. It
is no wonder that young students should question the relevancy
of their classroom learning. According to Thomas Sargent, educators
are forced to look at teaching strategies to affirm that they
are “relevant and useful to today’s students”
(Dec. 2000). The relevancy of education is a concern that is
expressed by educators and students alike. Constructivist John
Dewey, the father of modern education, envisioned an education
system that encouraged student to interact with their learning.
Schools should manipulate the academic environment enabling students
to become “doers”. Under the same philosophy, Marie
Montessori discovered that children should be free to manipulate
their learning in an environment that allows them to take risks.
Contextual teaching and learning plays a key role in assuring
that students learn in a setting that presents real-life experiences.
For many school systems, educators should teach to cover the
material. The focus becomes “teaching to the test”.
When we do so we deprive students of the full academic experiences
that produces a love for learning. According to the Center for
Law and Education,” Teaching methods traditionally used in
vocational education -- active learning, students' demonstration
of skills through a project, and coaching relationships, for example
-- are at the heart of what we now know, from educational research,
is good academic instruction for students.” The goal of
contextual teaching and learning is to provide students with real-world
educational experiences that promote life-long learning. In Dale
Parnell’s book Contextual Teaching Works he states
that “[Contextual teaching] is simply teaching the way individuals
learn best…”. He helps us to discover that by helping
students make the connection between their classroom experiences
and their lives, educators help promote life-long learning and
help increase student achievement.
As the country’s population becomes more diverse we are
faced with the challenge of designing a curriculum that meets
the needs of all people. Education systems risk imposing educational
strategies that do not meet the individual needs of the students.
Such strategies as cooperative and collaborative learning, integrated
learning, problem-based learning, and work-based learning encourage
inquiry and stimulate higher-order thinking. Research has proven
that when students are allowed to manipulate their learning through
the use of such strategies, they become problem solvers and incorporate
problem-solving skills throughout their formal education experience
(Parnell). Thus, incorporating the principals of contextual
teaching helps to promote authentic learning and increases students’
success.
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References
Parnell, Dale (1999). Why do I have to learn this?. Teaching
the way people learn best.Texas:CORD Communications.
(1997). Performance Standards. Pittsburgh: Harcourt Brace
Educational Measurement.
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Project
Based Learning in a Fifth and Fourth Grade Elementary Gifted Education
Day 1
The students will practice the principles of Multiple Intelligence.
Class leads a discussion in students’ interests. Teacher
tells class that they are going to take an interest inventory
and are expected to respond honestly. The inventories are collected
and students are introduced to Howard Gardeners 8 Intelligences.
After students work collaboratively in a game of Question Quest
to define the terms students play a concentration game matching
terms with definitions. Inventories are redistributed and students
label their intelligence. Students showcase their intelligences
by creating a poster.
Day 2
The students will identify their giftedness.
In whole group setting, students brainstorm words for gifted
as teacher charts. Students choose five words that define them
individually. Students are divided into cooperative learning
groups and are grouped according to intelligence (heterogeneously).
Each group receives a copy of the definition of the gifted learner
(Congress, State of Georgia, Marietta City Schools, Theorist).
The students research unknown words and re-write the definitions
in their own words. Each group is given the MILE Individual Program
Description. Using highlighters, student highlight eight important
sentences that best define the MILE program. In collaborative
group settings, students work to create a mission statement for
MILE to be formed from the collective sentences. Work is saved
on group disc.
Day 3
The student will work collaboratively to teach the class.
The teacher divides the class into groups that contain no more
than five students. Each group is asked to teach the class how
to play a sport using non-verbal instructions (a game of charades).
Each group will designate one group member to draw a sport out
of the teacher’s basket. The groups are given 5 minutes
to plan their instruction and 3 minutes to teach their sport to
the class through charades. Each group member must participate.
The class will guess the sport that is being taught. The students
are asked to describe their group’s planning process for
instruction. Using short phrases, the teacher charts the information.
The students name ways that businesses work collaboratively.
The students are directed to write their individual definition
of working collaboratively.
Days 4 and 5
The student will research the gifted program in Marietta City
School System.
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The students are told that in the spring we will receive visitors
who will observe our gifted program. The visitors would like
to know more about us; therefore, we need to design creative brochures
that give an overview of MILE (Marietta Independent Learning Environment).
Each cooperative learning group member is given a specific task
(the experts). The experts will collect statistical data, conduct
research and interviews, proofread, and create charts, graphs,
or tables that depict the gifted population in the Marietta City
School System.
Days 6 and 7
The student will design an informational document that explains
the Marietta Independent Learning Environment.
Each cooperative group will design a tri-fold brochure for the
Marietta City Schools gifted program. The students are told that
the brochure will be used as source of information for the community
and visitors to our school system. The brochures will include
the definitions of the gifted learner, the number of gifted students
served in our school system, a brief description of the curriculum,
photographs of the schools and the gifted teachers, and the mission
statement. The students will present the brochures to the class.
The brochures will be sent to central office for final approval.
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Evaluation
The students will be evaluated using a variety
of formal and informal measures. Among them are questioning,
rubrics, and observation checklists.
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National Elementary School Standards
Problem Solving:
Develops ideas for the design of the product, service, or
system
Establishes criteria for judging the success of the design
Uses an appropriate format to represent the design
Plans and carries out the step needed to turn the design
into a reality
Evaluates the design in terms of the criteria established
for success
Organizes the presentation in a logical way appropriate for
its purpose
Speaks clearly and presents confidently
Responds to questions from the audience
Organizes the information into an appropriate form for use
in the publication
Checks the information for accuracy
Formats the publication so that it achieves its purpose
Examines models for the results of project work such as professionally
produced
publications and analyzes their questions
Uses what he or she learns from models to assist in planning
and conducting project
activities
Sets up a system for storing records of work activities
Understands and establishes criteria for judging the quality
of work processes and
products
Assesses his or her own work processes and product
Mathematics:
Adds, i.e., joins things together, increases
Uses knowledge about ones, tens, hundreds, and thousands
to figure out answers to
multiplication and division task
Finds simple parts to wholes
Recognizes fractions as instructions to divide
Uses beginning proportional reasoning and simple ratios
Recognizes relationships among simple fractions, decimals,
and percents
Connects ideas of quantities to the real world
Finds, identifies, and sorts numbers by their properties
Collects and organizes data to answer a question or test
a hypothesis by comparing
sets of data
Displays data in line plots, graphs, tables and charts
Compares data in order to make a true statement
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Makes connections among concepts in order to solve problems
Adds and subtract s numbers with several digits
Estimates numerically and spatially
Reads, creates, and represents data on line plots, charts
tables diagrams, bar graphs,
simple circle graphs, and coordinate graphs
Uses appropriate mathematical terms, vocabulary, and language,
based on prior
Conceptual work
Collects and records data, represents and displays data,
and compares results with
predictions
Writes a detailed plane and revises and improves the plan
in response to feedback from
peers and teachers
Carries out plan describes a question or concept to investigate
Science:
Uses evidence from reliable sources to construct explanations
Evaluates different points of view using relevant experiences,
observations, and
knowledge
Works individually and in teams to collect and share information
and ideas
Uses technology tools (such as rulers computers, balances,
thermometers, watches,
Magnifiers, and microscopes) to gather data and extend the
senses
Collects and analyzes data using concepts and techniques
in Mathematics Standard 4,
such as average, data displays, graphing, variability, and
sampling
Represents data and results in multiple ways, such as numbers,
tables, and graphs;
drawings, diagrams, and artwork; and technical and creative
writing instructions that
others can follow
Reading:
Restates or summarizes information
Relates new in formation to prior knowledge and experience
Extends ideas
Makes connection to related topics or information
Makes and supports warranted responsible assertions about
the texts
Supports assertions with elaborated and convincing evidence
Makes perceptive and well-developed connections
Writing:
Engages the reader by establishing a context, creating a
persona, and otherwise
developing reader interest
Creates and organizing structure appropriate to a specific
purpose, audience, and
context
Includes appropriate fact and details
Excludes extraneous and inappropriate information
Asks relevant questions
Confirms understanding by paraphrasing the adult’s directions
or suggestions
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Displays appropriate turn-taking behaviors
Actively solicits another person’s comment or opinion
Offers own opinion forcefully with dominating
Responds appropriately to comments and questions
Clarifies illustrates, or expands on a response when asked
to do so; asks classmates
for similar expansions
Demonstrates control of grammar, paragraph structure, punctuation,
sentence
construction, spelling, and usage
Adds or deletes details
Clarifies difficult passages
Rearranges words, sentences, and paragraphs to improve or
clarify meaning
Sharpens focus
Reconsiders the organizational structure
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