di: Robert Pondiscio on why teachers shouldn't DIY their lessons citing S.E. Engelmann

[Kurt Engelmann]

DI Listmates:



https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/robert-pondiscio-why-teachers-shouldnt-diy-lessons-kurt-engelmann-huiwc

*Robert Pondiscio on why teachers shouldn't DIY their lessons*



A few important and timely articles and podcasts on Direct Instruction (DI)
have come out recently.  One of the best is from Robert Pondiscio’s
substack series, *The Next 30 Years: The Future of Education Reform*:

https://thenext30years.substack.com/p/three-good-reasons-teachers-shouldnt



In it, Robert Pondiscio argues that teachers shouldn’t be asked to create
their own lessons due to the complexity of creating lessons, the lack of
training teachers receive in program design, and the lack of time they have
to devote to creating lessons that are effective with all students.  He
describes the care with which Siegfried “Zig” Engelmann (my father --
https://www.nifdi.org/home/siegfried-engelmann-1931-2019.html) and
colleagues created cohesive, highly effective programs that incorporate
“faultless communication,” which provides for a single interpretation by
learners of the intended skill or concept being taught.



Indeed, the process of designing instructional programs that are effective
with the full range of students is highly demanding.  Here’s an excerpt
from *Direct Instruction: A Practitioner’s Handbook* (2024),
https://tinyurl.com/direct-instruction-handbook on *field testing and
revising the DI programs* (p. 71):

Field tryouts involve different sites that test lessons at different stages
of revision.  If a draft version of Lesson 50 of a program, for instance,
is tested with an initial group of students, the DI authors will make the
changes indicated by the field test and have the revised version ready for
the next instructional group when they reach Lesson 50.  In the meantime,
the first instructional group will have continued through the program.  They
might be on Lesson 75, for example, when the second group reaches Lesson 50.
If the tryout of the revised version of Lesson 50 with the second group
indicates the need for more revisions, the authors will revise the lesson
yet again in time for a third group to test the lesson.  This process
continues until the lesson meets the high standards for DI programs.



Teachers just don’t have the training and resources to conduct field
tryouts of draft lessons and then revise them based on the performance of
students on the lessons.



It is helpful, though, for teachers to learn some essential fundamentals of
instructional design for several reasons (from pp. 206-7 of *Direct
Instruction: A Practitioner’s Handbook*):

First, they gain better insight into the construction of the DI programs.  By
creating their own lessons, teachers can better appreciate the incremental
design, the selection of examples and wording, the progression of the
instructional tracks from basic to more advanced concepts, the synthesis of
the tracks into more complex applications, the use of scaffolds, and many
other design elements that have been seamlessly incorporated into the DI
programs.  Constructing their own lessons will reinforce how each component
of the scripts plays an important role, and how the lessons must be
delivered with fidelity so students can master the content in preparation
for the next day’s lesson.



Teachers should also learn to create their own lessons because during the
course of the year, they will need to teach topics that are not addressed
in the published DI programs.  Local history or culture, current events,
recent scientific discoveries and innovations, and local flora and fauna
are all important topics that may not be covered in the DI programs.  To
make sure that students understand these topics, teachers should apply the
design elements that are described in these resources and tie the material
into knowledge that the students have already mastered.  By establishing
explicit connections between what students have already learned in the DI
programs and new material, teachers can effectively teach other topics not
covered in the DI programs.



Given the great demands placed on teachers to deliver instruction
effectively to all their students, teachers may find that the best
instruction they can provide will follow this rule of thumb: *if there is a
published DI program that addresses the content your students need, use
that program.  If there isn’t a published program for the content needed by
your students, apply effective instructional principles to design and
deliver instruction that addresses your students’ needs.*



We at the National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI) have found that
many teachers who have taught a DI program for several years understand
some of the most prominent design elements that make the programs so
effective, but many teachers do not.  Informational sessions on
instructional design can increase teachers’ appreciation of the
construction of effective programs, which will help them teach essential
skills and content to all students consistently.



One option for learning about the design of DI is to attend a one-day
session, *Theory of Direct Instruction– Deconstructing DI*, part of the
annual National Direct Instruction Conference.  The conference, which will
take place in Eugene, Oregon on July 21-25, offers program training
sessions, week-long institutes for coaches, leaders, and trainers, and
informational sessions.  For more information about the conference, see
www.nifdi.org/events.



If you can’t make this session, the teacher’s guide for each program level
contains very helpful information on how the content is introduced in
tracks and then developed over time as students master essential skills and
concepts.  Access info on specific DI programs through “The Programs” tab
of www.nifdi.org.



Kurt

Kurt E. Engelmann, Ph.D., President
The National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI)

*
<https://www.nifdi.org/training-events/events-calendar/training-event/ca1-2023.html>
*

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Get the most comprehensive guide to implementing DI available –

*Direct Instruction: A Practitioner’s Handbook* (2024),

published by John Catt/Hodder Education

https://tinyurl.com/direct-instruction-handbook

*
<https://www.nifdi.org/training-events/events-calendar/training-event/ca1-2023.html>
*

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