Process vs. Content

Process and Content, these two words have bubbled up continually in various contexts this quarter.  In writing lesson plans for different courses, we have been told we could have a learning target that was either content or process oriented -- for example, a learning target of understanding photosynthesis or comprehension of a text (content) on the one hand, or a learning target of understanding the scientific method or a specific reading strategy (process) on the other.  It has been helpful for me to differentiate the two types of learning goals in thinking about my lesson planning. 

What I learned this week is that it is also vitally important to think about process and content when giving students directions.  I taught a writing lesson on Wednesday and when I gave the students their “off you go” instructions for independent writing time, I felt like my directions were too long-winded and found, not surprisingly, that many students did not have a clear idea of what was expected of them.  I was not surprised when my CT brought this up after the lesson.  She agreed that I had re-capped the learning objective and given them directions on what to do during their independent writing time, but her observation about what went wrong was spot on.  I had interwoven the directions (process) with the lesson recap (content), which ended up muddling the students’ understanding of both.  I was relieved that the solution was so simple. 

The following day I had my formal observation during my writing lesson.  This time I was careful to delineate between the end of the mini-lesson (content recap) and the “off you go” instructions (process).  I further supported the students in accessing and understanding each piece separately by having an anchor chart that summarized the lesson content on the wall and a list of task instructions up on the ActivBoard.  It felt better to me as I was teaching and I had no confused students approach me afterwards about what they should be doing.  Everyone got right to work.  My field instructor commented on how well the end of the lesson had gone and, of course, I gave credit to my CT for her astute observation the day before.  It really drove home to me the importance of separating process and content in my teaching.