This Institute is designed for participants interested in integrating Direct Instruction (DI) and findings from the science of learning into the teacher preparation programs at their colleges and universities. Based on our collective experience, we have identified several compelling reasons to introduce teacher candidates to Direct Instruction:
- DI offers an extensive research base relevant to students in both general and special The DI research base complements findings from the science of learning and the science of reading and math. Moreover, Direct Instruction represents the application of those findings to the classroom.
- Implementing a DI program requires a set of instructional delivery skills that can later be generalized to other programs. These teaching skills include maintaining student engagement, providing positive and corrective feedback, and pacing instruction appropriately.
- DI programs are known for their logical, systematic instructional design. Initial experiences in teaching systematically designed DI programs enable teacher candidates to identify critical instructional design features typically lacking in other commercial programs. By teaching DI programs, teacher candidates can observe firsthand those instructional design details incorporated into explicit strategy instruction, including critical prerequisite skills, different types of examples (e.g., introductory and discrimination examples), and cumulative review of previously introduced content. Subsequently, candidates are given opportunities to apply those DI instructional design principles as they modify other commercial programs to meet the needs of their most challenging students.
At the conclusion of this Institute, participants will be prepared to examine their existing teacher preparation programs and integrate coursework and fieldwork focused on Direct Instruction within the framework of the science of learning.
The Institute will address the following:
- current research on Direct Instruction, the science of learning, and implementation science as it pertains to teacher preparation;
- how the science of reading and the science of math are evident within the Direct Instruction approach;
- how to design teacher preparation coursework using Direct Instruction textbooks;
- how to design teacher preparation fieldwork using Direct Instruction materials;
- how to position Direct Instruction coursework and fieldwork within the context of a more comprehensive teacher preparation program grounded in the science of learning.
Meet the Presenters
Marcy Stein, Professor Emeritus
School of Education, University of Washington Tacoma
Dr. Marcy Stein is Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington Tacoma, where she was one of the founding faculty members of the School of Education. She has published extensively in the areas of teacher preparation, reading and mathematics instruction, curriculum analysis, and textbook adoption. She is the lead author of Direct Instruction Mathematics. Marcy has incorporated DI methodology into both reading and mathematics methods courses and practica for teacher certification students throughout her career.
mstein@uw.edu
Diane Kinder, Professor Emeritus
School of Education, University of Washington Tacoma
Dr. Diane Kinder is Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington Tacoma. Her career has focused on teaching and preparing teachers. She has taught general education and special education at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels in addition to teaching for the Department of Defense Dependent Schools. She started the first Direct Instruction School in Portland, Oregon. After completing her Ph.D. at the University of Oregon, she was the undergraduate coordinator of special education at Northern Illinois University. At the University of Washington Tacoma, she and Dr. Stein developed the dual-track special-elementary education certification program and received an OSEP 325T grant to revise and enhance their program and develop partnerships with local schools using Direct Instruction.
dkinder@uw.edu
Return to the National Direct Instruction Conference and Institutes page.
