A FOCUS ON LEARNING:

DEEPENING OUR IMPACT AS

INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERS
Reference: Instructional leadership – Peter M. Dewitt
 Instructional Leadership: 6 Areas of Impact

A Instructional
Focus
Student
Collectiveon
Implementation
Evidence Learning
Engagement
Efficacy
Strategies

TYPES OF LEARNING:
Knowledge vs.
Skills
TYPES OF LEARNING:
Knowledge vs.
Skills
Our students need a balance between
Knowledge is about knowledge and skills. Knowledge is
understanding facts important but being able to process
and concepts. information or complicated learning
situations both academically and
social-emotionally requires skills as
well.

Facts are important, but it is equally as important that our students

understand how learning can become inter-related and dependent
on itself. This knowledge aligns with conceptual understanding.
TYPES OF LEARNING:
Knowledge vs.
Skills
What strategies can we give our students

Knowledge Process in order to cope, and what skills do

students need to understand how to
achieve their own learning?

Leaders need to understand which classrooms

Factual focus on one area of learning, such as factual
Strategies knowledge, more than on another, such as
Knowledge
conceptual knowledge.

Identifying the type of learning that is occurring

in each classroom allows leaders to have more
Conceptual of a keen eye in those informal and formal
Skills
Understanding observation situations, and it also allows them
to have more robust conversations with
teachers, students, and families.
Adapted from Erickson, H.L (2008) Knowledge vs. Process
 Transfer Deep Surface

LEVELS OF LEARNING:
Surface, Deep, and Transfer
LEVELS OF LEARNING:
Surface, Deep, and Transfer

Surface-level understanding comes when

Understanding and identifying
learning is brand-new for students.
the levels of learning that are
happening in the classroom is
For example, when we’re teaching teenagers to a very important aspect of
drive a car, we keep our instructions and lessons instructional leadership.
very simple so as not to overwhelm the new driver.

We first have to teach the students some

mechanical basics, like where the brake and gas
pedals are, and where the fuel goes. We can then
slowly connect the actual in-car experience to
each student’s prior knowledge.
LEVELS OF LEARNING:
Surface, Deep, and Transfer

Deep-level learning comes after students have

had some experience with the content being
learned. They need to activate that prior
knowledge to get to a deeper level.

That’s where we move from the slow drive

around the parking lot to taking the car on some of
the main roads in town. We begin to ask our new
drivers “What if” questions like “What if we hear an
ambulance coming up quickly behind us when we
are driving? What should we do?”

It’s when teachers should be using

organizational strategies or concept mapping with
students, so that those students can begin to
mind-map the challenges that accompany the new
learning.
LEVELS OF LEARNING:
Surface, Deep, and Transfer

Transfer-level learning builds on the surface and deep learning

that came prior. We all need to find effective methods of helping
students get to the deep and transfer levels of learning, because we
often spend too much time on surface level. Transfer level is when
students can “hit the highway” with all of that prior knowledge and put
it to use by beginning to drive in complicated areas on their own.

It is about understanding multiple directions at the same time the

learning gets a bit more complicated, and applying that learning in
other parts of their lives.
LEVELS OF LEARNING:
Surface, Deep, and Transfer

Example:

• Surface – Teachers read an article focusing on student

engagement techniques.

• Deep – Teachers bring evidence of a student engagement strategy

they use in the classroom and share their best practice.

• Transfer – Teachers take one peer-share idea and try the technique
in the classroom, where leaders may see it in action during
walkthroughs. Teachers can bring evidence of how it worked to the
next schedule faculty meeting.
LEVELS OF LEARNING:
Surface, Deep, and Transfer

Surface-to-Deep-Learning Strategies

Acquiring
Consolidating Acquiring Consolidating Transfer
Surface
Surface Level Deep Level Deep Level Learning
Level

self-questioning,
organization,
self monitoring,
highlighting, teaching test strategy
self explanation,
note taking, taking, monitoring,
self-verbalizing, similarities and
mnemonics, rehearsal, and concept
peer tutoring, differences
underlining, learning how to mapping, and
collaboration and
and imagery receive feedback metacognitive
critical thinking
strategies
techniques
Hattie and Donoghue (2016)
LEVELS OF LEARNING:
Surface, Deep, and Transfer (Australian Society for Evidence Based Teaching)

• Linking To Prior Knowledge (use progressive mind-maps,

cumulative concept maps and KLR charts – what do I already
know, what have I learned, how does this relate to what I
know)

• Hierarchal Classification (use mind-maps, t-charts, e-charts,

fishbone charts and tree diagrams)

• Cause-Effect (use cause-effect chains, trees and webs)

• Comparison (use Venn diagrams, tables, continuums)

LEVELS OF LEARNING:
Surface, Deep, and Transfer (Australian Society for Evidence Based Teaching)

• Sequence (use timelines, sequence charts and cycle diagrams)

• Drawing Conclusions (use LUC charts and multi-flow maps)

LEVELS OF LEARNING:
Surface, Deep, and Transfer

8 Tips for Deep Learning

(Australian Society for Evidence Based Teaching)

1. Explicitly teach students the knowledge that they need to think about
topics more deeply.

2. Once students have sufficient knowledge, set lesson goals focused on

deep learning.

3. Model and let students practice deep-learning strategies before asking

them to do so independently.
LEVELS OF LEARNING:
Surface, Deep, and Transfer

4. Teach students how to use graphic organizers to show relationships and

to nurture deeper thinking.

5. Have students apply thinking strategies to content they have learned.

6. Assess students’ thinking.

7. Give students feedback about misconceptions they hold (faulty thinking)

and about the depth of thought that their work reflects.

8. Incidentally use deep learning strategies yourself throughout the day,

and use think-alouds to model this practice for you students.
KNOWLEDGE DIMENSIONS
(Anderson & Krathwohl 2001b, Stern, Lauriault, & Ferraro, 2018)
 Conceptu
Factual al

Procedur Metacog
al nitive
The Four Knowledge Dimensions
The Four Knowledge Dimension

Factual Factual knowledge includes isolated bits of

information, such as vocabulary definitions
and knowledge about specific details.

Conceptual Conceptual knowledge consists of systems

of information, such as classifications and
categories.
Procedural Procedural knowledge involves knowledge
of skills, such as how to carry out a task.

Metacognitive Metacognitive knowledge refers to

knowledge of thinking processes and
information about how to manipulate these
processes effectively.
Adapted from Anderson & Krathwohl (2001a, b) and Stern et al. (2018)
The Four Knowledge Dimension

Factual When was JFK assassinated?

What are some of the reasons that contributed to the
Vietnam War?
What does a .40 effect size mean in Hattie’s research?
Conceptual What is the relationship between Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K Rowling and The Hobbit? by J.R.R
Tolkien?
What is the relationship between the research around
school leadership and what you experience in your
school?
Procedural What is the order of operations?
How would you go about sounding out that first word in
the sentence?
Metacognitive What did you learn today that challenged your thinking?
 Instructional leadership
is about working with
teachers to combine our
thinking and talk about
the necessary elements
of challenge for
students.

 Instructional leaders
need to understand
focus on learning more
than they need to have
content expertise.
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT:
FROM ALIENATION TO
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL
LEARNING
Reference: Instructional leadership – Peter M. Dewitt
 A Collective
Evidence
Efficacy
Strategies
Implementation
Instructional
Focus on Learning
Student Engagement

Student Engagement
Student Engagement

Trowler (2010) defines student engagement as “the

interaction between the time, effort and other relevant
resources invested by both students and their institutions
intended to optimize the student experience and enhance
the learning outcomes and development of students and
the performance, and reputation of the institution.
Student Engagement
Trowler further defines the different components of
student engagement, which got its start in the term
“student involvement” back in the ‘80s. However
Trowler suggests that the use of term “student
engagement” is primarily still confined to the United
States, Canada, and Australia, whereas educators in the
United Kingdom are more likely to use the terms
“student feedback, student representation, student
approaches to learning, institutional organization,
learning spaces, architectural design, and learning
development”.
Student Engagement

Fredricks, Blumenfeld, and Paris (2004), with the aid of

research by Bloom (1959), have divided student
engagement into three dimensions: behavioral
engagement, emotional engagement, and cognitive
engagement.

Coates (2009) measured student engagement along six

scales. Those six scales are “academic challenge, active
learning, student and staff interactions, enriching
educational experiences, supportive learning,
environment, and work integrated learning”.
 Fredricks et al,
Trowler Bloom Coates U.K

the interaction between Academic Student feedback

Behavioral
the time, effort and other engagement challenge
relevant resources
invested by both Student
students and their Active representation
institutions intended to Emotional learning
optimize the student engagement
Student
experience and enhance approaches to
the learning outcomes Student and learning
and development of staff
students and the Cognitive interactions
engagement Institutional
performance, and organization
reputation of the Enriching
institution educational
experiences
Learning Spaces

Supportive
learning Architectural
environment design

Work-
integrated Learning
learning development
Student Engagement

Academic
Social-emotional Learning
Learning

Whole-child approach – fostering academic and social-

emotional growth in our students.
Student Engagement:
Social-emotional Learning
Fostering a Whole-Child Approach to Learning

Student
Engagement

Social Emotional Academic

Learning Learning

Enabling
Conditions, Self- Knowledge,
Awareness, Coping Skills, etc.
Skills, Empathy

Whole Child
Development
Student Engagement

ALIENATION

Odetola, Erickson, Bryan, and Walker (1972) found that there

are two types of alienation that students feel within our schools,
which the authors categorized as identification and
powerlessness.
Student Engagement

Identification – “the student’s Powerlessness – “students’

sense of belonging to his feeling incapacity to affect the
school” direction of his learning”

Odetola, Erickson, Bryan, and Walker (1972) found that there

are two types of alienation that students feel within our schools,
which the authors categorized as identification and
powerlessness.
Student Engagement

Social – Emotional Learning

According to a 2018 study by the National Association of Elementary

School Principals (Fuller, Young, Richardson, Pendola, & Winn, 2018, p.
33), over 80% of principals reported seeing an increase in the
percentage of student mental health issues.
Social-emotional Learning

According to a report by the National Center for Children in Poverty in the

United States (Bartlett, Smith, & Bringewatt, 2017), almost 35 million
children in the United States (approximately 48%) have been exposed to one
or more types of trauma, and young children are at disproportionate risk
compared to older children (p. 4). In the United Kingdom, a report from
King’s College London found that one in four young people exposed to trauma
met the criteria for PTSD, symptoms of which may include re-living traumatic
events through distressing memories or nightmares; avoidance of anything
reminding them of their trauma; feelings of guilt, isolation or detachment; and
irritability, impulsivity or difficulty concentrating.
Social-emotional Learning

Research in psychology and education suggests that trauma is

associated with poorer education outcomes, and that traumatized
children use more school and system-level academic supports, have
lower academic achievement, and have higher rates of grade
repetition and school drop-out.
Social-emotional Learning

Five Easy Steps to Social-Emotional Learning

1. Greet students at the entrance—every single day.

2. Use a high-quality social-emotional-learning curriculum.
3. Hire more counselors and nurses.
4. Offer training for teachers.
5. Improve the way you interact with students.
In the End
We are all at risk of burnout and stress, which negatively impacts our
mental health. Our students need brain breaks and recess in order to
ensure that they feel less stress, as Hynes so keenly pointed out, but
adults need brain breaks as well, and sometimes it’s as easy as waking
up in the morning and making breathing a part of our morning routine.
Mindfulness, meditation and breathing may not solve all of our issues,
but through the experience of focused breathing, we will become less
stressed, sleep better, and take more time to make better decisions
which could have positive effects on our mental health. No, this is not
rocket science, but sometimes it’s the simplest of ideas that have the
greatest benefits.