Integrating Technology into the Classroom using
Classroom Instruction that Works:
Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement
by Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering, Jane E. Pollock

The authors have examined decades of research to determine what teaching strategies have positive effects on student learning. These strategies are not new, but when teachers use these strategies effectively with their students, the outcome is a measurable difference in student achievement. Each of these strategies can be used by any teacher at any time, using either traditional teaching tools or using technology. This site provides ideas for using technology.

Identifying Similarities and Differences Homework and Practice Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback
Summarizing and Note Taking Nonlinguistic Representations Generating and Testing Hypotheses
Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition Cooperative Learning Cues, Questions, and Advanced Organizers

Note: Templates are in Microsoft Word. They can be downloaded as Word documents or can be downloaded as a PDF to print.
PDF of Additional Classroom Applications for Using Excel (these are definitely for the upper grades) by Victoria Rasmussen at UEN

Identifying Similarities and Differences
  1. Presenting students with explicit guidance in identifying similarities and differences
  2. Asking students to independently identify similarities and differences.
  3. Representing similarities and differences in graphic or symbolic form enhances students’ understanding of and ability to use knowledge.

Technology Applications

  • Inspiration and Kidspiration.
    Templates can be found here:
  • Word processing program "call-out" shapes such as Microsoft Word's "speak shape" or "thought shape."
  • Powerpoint to fade back and forth (teacher presentation).
  • Students graph numerical data with spreadsheet or graphing calculator emulator. The Graph Club, or World Book's graph tool
  • Core curriculum—compare animal similarities.
  • Use Excel to create graphs to demonstrate comparisons.
  • Fingerprint graph—how many have swirls, etc.
  • Table creation in Microsoft Word for comparison.
  • Telecollaborative projects.
  • Identifying Similarities and Differences
    • use Kid Pix to make slide shows (for BTS Night perhaps. topic All About Me)
    • use Excel to make graphs, charts to show results of a class poll
    • use Venn diagrams for comparison tasks
    • Fred Gwynn book "A Little Pigeon Toad" for similies/metaphors lesson, electronic book

To the Top^
Summarizing and Note Taking
  • Summarizing and Note Taking
    • Students must delete some information, substitute some information, and keep some information.
    • To effectively to this, students must analyze the information at a fairly deep level.
    • Knowledge of the form or structure a piece of information will take is an aid, i.e., typical science chapter organization.
  • Note Taking

  1. Technology Applications

    • Webbing.
    • Graphic organizers.
    • Inspiration—brainstorming, then use Outline option.
    • Kidspiration—brainstorming, then use Outline option.
    • Outlining in Microsoft Word, AppleWorks, or Corel WordPerfect
    • Handheld computers (Palm.).
    • World Book (online)—notepad
    • Put PowerPoints online for student access.
    • Use Excel to take and organize notes, create outlines of chapter headings and study quides.
      • Templates
        • Student Notes: Combination Technique (p.48) Word Doc | PDF
    • Verbatim note taking is the least effective way to take notes.
    • Notes should be considered a work in progress.
    • Notes should be used as study guides for tests.
    • The more notes that are taken, the better.
  • Use Kidspiration/Inspiration for note taking
    • graphic organizers for note taking.

To the Top^
Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition
  • Effort—Keep track of effort and achievement.
  • Recognition
  • Personalize recognition.
  • Pause, prompt, and praise.
  • Concrete symbolic recognition.
  • Rubric for every assignment
  • make own rubrics
  • share with the whole class: PowerPoint
  • Newsletter

Technology Applications

    • Visit the Academy of Achievement to explore how effort can effect achievement. Students can read biographies and listen to interviews. (Start with the "Gallery of Achievement" and have students visit the "Steps to Success" to specifically see how character traits such as perseverance and preparation are related to achievement.)
    • Certificate templates using word processors.
    • Create rubrics.
    • Tracking charts using Tables in word processor or spreadsheet.
    • Create a book.
    • Web page sharing student work.
    • Online portfolios.
    • Burn CD of portfolio.
    • Email to student.
    • Email to student’s home.
    • Multimedia presentation.
    • SIS
    • Desktop wallpaper—insert pictures for birthdays.
    • Use iMovie to create student presentation for recognition.
    • Create a student-produced newscast of notable events.
    • Use Excel to create tracking charts.
      • Templates

To the Top^
Homework and Practice
  • Establish and communicate a homework policy.
  • Design homework assignments that clearly articulate the purpose and outcome.
  • Vary the approaches to providing feedback.
  • Classroom website
  • Post Homework explanation websites for help
  • Extra homework pages

  1. Technology Applications

    • Teacher webpages.
    • Multimedia presentations.
    • Rubrics.
    • Email completed assignments to teachers.
    • TIPS.
    • Use UEN Lesson Plan Tool to give or upload homework files.
    • Games—PowerPoint Jeopardy.
    • Use My Edesk and speed dial folders with hotlinks and file.
    • SIS.
    • Use Excel to create templates to enter data so that results can be seen instantly when one variable is changed.
      • Template:

To the Top^
Nonlinguistic Representations

The "dual-coding" theory of information storage postulates that knowledge is stored in two forms—linguistic (words) and imagery (mental pictures).

  1. Create graphic organizers
    1. Descriptive Patterns
    2. Time-Sequence Patterns
    3. Process/Cause-Effect Patterns
    4. Episode Patterns
    5. Generalization/Principle Patterns
    6. Concept Patterns
  2. Using other nonlinguistic representations
    1. Making physical models
    2. Generating mental pictures
    3. Drawing pictures and pictographs
    4. Engaging in kinesthetic activity

    Technology Applications for graphic organizers

Technology Applications for other nonlinguistic representations

    • Simulation software models—CAD, bridge building
    • Flash
    • Any paint program.
    • Graphing calculator.
    • KidPix.
    • Digital cameras/video.
    • Inspiration/Kidspiration

To the Top^
Cooperative Learning
  1. Five defining elements
    1. Positive interdependence
    2. Face-to-face interaction
    3. Individual and group accountability
    4. Interpersonal and small group skills
    5. Group processing
  2. Generalizations
    1. Use a variety of criteria for grouping students.
    2. Use a variety of grouping patterns
      1. Informal or ad hoc (last from a few minutes to a class period)
      2. Formal (long enough to complete an academic project—several days to several weeks)
      3. Long term (semester or year—provide students with long-term support)
    3. Keep groups small
  3. Group project that could last for a day, week, month etc.
    1. Present their project to the rest of the class via power point.
      Hyper Studio books.
    2. Structure groups to have one tech savvy student in each group.
    3. Have a rubric that distributes work load (one types, editors)
    4. Have groups email you summary of the story.

Technology Applications

  • George Lucas Foundation Instructional Module
    http://www.glef.org/PBL/index.html
  • Tom Snyder software.
  • Trackstar, WebQuests
  • Project-Based Learning.
  • Interactive software.
  • Arcview (GIS)
  • Adaptations – KidPix.
  • Group multimedia projects.
  • E-Pals.
  • ThinkQuest.
  • Progressive stories with word processors.
  • Peer editing using Tracking function with Microsoft Word.
  • Use Excel to collect data for group projects and to make predictions.

To the Top^
Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback 
  1. Goal setting
    1. Be specific but flexible.
    2. Contracts.
  2. Feedback
    1. Corrective—provide a correct answer or an explanation of what is accurate
      and what is inaccurate.
    2. Timely.
    3. Feedback should be criterion-referenced as opposed to norm-referenced.
    4. Students should provide some of their own feedback.
  3. Have them create their own rubrics.
    1. Organize their own jobs.
    2. Streamline KWL charts that were created in small groups.

Technology Applications

    • Templates:
      • Components of a General Rubric for Information (p.100)
      • Components of a Generic Rubric for Process and Skills (p.100)
    • Advanced organizers.
    • Reflective notes with Microsoft Office, etc.
    • TIPS.
    • Electronic portfolios.
    • Inspiration/Kidspiration for brainstorming goals.
    • George Lucas Foundation Instructional Module: http://www.glef.org/Assessment/index.html
    • Use Excel to create an interactive worksheet to receive immediate feedback.

To the Top^
Generating and Testing Hypotheses 
  1. While hypotheses can be approached inductively or deductively, generally speaking deductive approaches reproduce better results.
  2. Teachers should ask students to clearly explain their hypotheses and their
    conclusions.
  3. Use a variety of structured tasks to guide students through generating and testing hypotheses.
    1. Systems analysis.
    2. Problem solving.
    3. Historical investigation.
    4. Invention
    5. Decision making
  4. Inquiry on weather proposed by teacher 
  5. Students can go outside and make predictions based on the type of clouds they've learned about.                                      
  6. Student can go online to see what the weather currently is in their area.

Technology Applications

    • Simulation software.
    • Interactive websites.
    • Graphs.
    • Use PowerPoint or another presentation program to introduce hypothesis.
    • UEN science projects: Swans; Ponds; Streams; Weather.
    • USGS to work with real data (earthquake, volcano, etc.)
    • Use Excel to see stages of decision making, data collection, testing, estimating, correcting and evaluating final results.
    • Template:

To the Top^
Cues, Questions, and Advanced Organizers 
  1. Cues (hints) and Questions
    1. Should focus on what is important as opposed to what is unusual.
    2. "Higher level" questions produce deeper learning than "lower level questions."
    3. "Wait time"
    4. Use questions before a learning experience.
  2. Advance Organizers
    1. Expository
    2. Narrative
    3. Skimming
    4. Graphic advance organizers (see Graphic Organizers, above).
  3. Students use graphic organizers to record information.
    1. KWHL or KWL
    2. Missions: What do you know about the missions? What do you want to know? Where can information be located?
    3. What did you learn?
    4. Dates
    5. Ethnic backgrounds
    6. What were they made of up? What is their purpose?

Technology Applications

    • With PDAs use Picomap.
    • With computers use Inspiration/Kidspiration.
    • Higher-level questioning—PowerPoint with images.
    • UEN—WWW.Activities to ask questions.
    • Post to MyEDesk or to shared site for student access.
    • Use Excel to create certain "table" types of advanced organizers.

To the Top^