What is this asking....Discuss the instructional implications of teaching content?

Question

sorry, can't seem to get the words to make sense in my head!!!

Answer 1

My guess is that they are talking about teaching content (history, science, vocabulary,etc.) vs. teaching skills (reading, analysis, problem solving, etc.).  The two must be approached in different ways and with different methods.  

Lecture is by far the MOST effective way to teach content, as long as the information is reinforced by other activities.  After ten years of teaching history, I can tell you the information the students remember most is that which is covered in lecture.  If it was content they just read, watched in video form, or covered in a project or group activity, they don't remember nearly as well.  

My advice is to lecture first, then do discussions, group activities or projects where they process the information and excercise their critical thinking skills and creativity.  

For teaching skills, lecture is obviously not a good method...

Answer 2

I agree, it definitely could have been worded better ... but nonetheless, here's my interpretation.

It seems like the statement is about the "content" (material) used to engage learning.  For example, let's say that you are a teacher of History and the content for a particular lesson plan directs you to discuss the Battle of Valley Forge.

The "instructional" methods you have available to do that are i) lecture, ii) facilitation, iii) in-class, iv) online, v) hybird (combination of in-class and online), vi) etc.

The objective (according to that poorly worded statement of "discuss the instructional implications of teaching content") then becomes: What choices do you [as the teacher] make in order to BEST teach the content (History: the Battle of Valley Forge) to your students?

The traditional -and LEAST effective way- is simply to lecture the students.  It's been noted that nearly 70% of all instruction is still conveyed by "lecture" although we've known for decades that lecture is, generally, a poor method for transferring information between instructor/student.

The lecture method is also primarily "teacher-centered," that is, the focus is on the teacher's knowledge and expertise about the content, not on the students LEARNING about the content (I hope that makes some sense because that is truly what is at the basis of the debate).

However, if you, as a teacher, had some maverick role-models in your teacher education and they encouraged you to be learner-centered (i.e., students) and drop the emphasis on teacher-centered instruction, then what you would do to instruct the content (Again, History: Battle of Valley Forge) would be to first determine the learning levels of your audience (i.e., grade level of students), then do your best to know the different learning styles of your audience (are your students a mix of visual, auditory, kinestetic learners?)  

If so, as most groups of students are, then you need to blend your approach to conveying the content ... maybe some handouts; maybe some writing on the Whiteboard; maybe a video clip; maybe an interactive video -or in-class exercise; maybe a small panel discussion or small group student presentation ... even, if needed, a couple minutes of lecture. In other words, take the focus off of you as the extert (teacher) and allow each student an opportunity to use her/his frame-of-reference to begin constructing the meaning -from a Historical perspective- about the Battle of Valley Forge.

That is the way in which to fully engage learners (students) and simultaneously motivate them toward taking responsibility for their own learning.  As such, you become a "facilitator of learning" not a lecturer of content.

I hope my example is helpful.  Please feel comfortable in sending me an email if you'd like more info or to discuss some of the finer points.  Have fun ... this is great stuff!

Answer 3

What I think the question is asking is:

How does teaching a specific content affect your instruction (what you do in the classroom)?  Why does it affect your instruction that way?

It's hard to know exactly what's being asked because it's out of context with what you've been going over in your coursework.  (I assume this is for educational coursework.)

Hope this helps.