Jack Ferrell’s Elements of Lesson Design (2005) are rooted on the belief that as often as possible, learning should begin with a text. The teacher’s job, according to Ferrell is to engage the reader and activate the reader’s prior knowledge. Also, multiple reading of academic text should be routine. Ferrell believes that the Independent practice should begin a lesson, usually with students engaging in a text. Once the students have had time to learn by themselves, the teacher should use guided practice to scaffold students. Then, the initial class discussion can begin with questioning with the text displayed and the focus of all instruction. Only after the teacher had pulled all possible information from the students, the teacher models how this might be done differently or more deeply. Then, students are exposed to new or similar concepts in new texts and asked to transfer skills acquired during the lesson. Finally, the cycle starts over (Glatthorn 240).
As a math teacher, I would say that I have never just given my students math problems that they have never seen before and let them try to figure it out. I have, after writing notes with the students, and only working out a few sample problems, given the students answers to problems and had them figure out how I solved the problems to get to that endpoint. In our textbook, it often has problems where students have to see if the problems are solved correctly. We use these problems in order to judge the students’ understanding of skills and standards, but only after guided practice. Each day, we start with bell work, followed by a video of the new skill, then notes led by the teacher, which includes sample problems, then independent practice. We do start with the end in mind when planning lessons. This includes making the end of unit assessment, which is what we use as a blueprint for the unit.
I can see Ferrell’s idea working in some schools with some students, but I would have a hard time with my lower socio-economic students being able to think on their own in order to master a skill without me leading them in the right direction. I would have been successful as a student if I was told to read and do the work on my own, but others, who are not as structured and motivated would be lost in the shuffle.