Creating Meaningful Learning Experiences Through the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model

Creating Meaningful Learning Experiences Through the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model

 

Several of you mentioned the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model in your original interviews and talked about its use as an intentional set of moves that enable you to support student learning through various stages. While we traditionally think of the GRR model as linear it doesn’t need to be. Fisher and Frey recommend looking at each of the four components as different access points that can be used in any order. 

Access point 1: Teacher Modeling Critical Thinking. This method includes think-alouds, worded examples, and modeling through expertise. 

 

Thinking is invisible. Instead of getting students to copy our work, we should strive for them to explore the deeper understandings of the content. When we talk about our thinking using think-alouds, students will be able to emulate the same cognitive practices. 

Tips: 

  1. Jot down notes about the think-aloud in advance 
  2. Use the word because as frequently as possible. 
  3. Include the why, examples, and reasons. 

Access point 2: Guided Instruction. Using robust questions, prompts and cues to scaffold understanding and provide students with teacher-support. 

In guided instruction it’s important to not just provide students with direct answers. Instead, teachers should provide just enough support to let them find the answer. The teacher provides support by addressing misconceptions and errors instead of simply correcting the errors. 

Tips: 

  1. Use a variety of scaffolded questions starting with literal-level questions and progressing as quickly as possible to inferential-level questions. 
  2. Prompt the student to engage in the cognitive work; to do the heavy lifting. Prompt students to use their background knowledge, procedures and process they know and to reflect. 
  3. If students are still struggling, provide them with a cue such as, “Look at your notes from yesterday.” 
  4. And if the student is still struggling, provide a direct explanation and immediately monitor their understanding. 

Access point 3: Collaborative Learning. Peer-led learning experiences provide students with interactions with the content and with peers to develop a deeper understanding of what they are learning. 

 

Peer work affords students with the ability to apply their learning with peers. 

 

Tips: 

  1. Collaborative work should be planned and tailored to the learner and the learning task. 
  2. Some strategies to use include: think-pair-share, shared verbal fluency, jigsaw, reciprocal teaching, numbered heads together. 

Access point 4: Independent Learning. Students apply what they have learned and interact with increasingly complex tasks. 

 

Independent learning tasks allow students to practice and apply their learning 

 

Drag and Drop 

Drag and drop activities can easily be created in Nearpod and they can vary from simple to complex. Nearpod has numerous pre-made drag and drop activities from k-12 and it’s easy to create your own. 

Possible uses 

  1. Labeling diagrams and maps 
  2. Definitions and identifications 
  3. Sorting words, pictures, and ideas 
  4. Ordering events 
  5. Causes and effects 
  6. Creating words with word tiles 
  7. Choose details that support the main idea 

 

How to create drag and drop activities in Nearpod

Using drag and drop activities and accessing reports 

 

Elementary Announcements 

Monday: https://youtu.be/WHSmzWj_BKE 

Tuesday: https://youtu.be/88WAwU6pXg4 

Wednesday: https://youtu.be/nGosHkwevtU 

Thursday: https://youtu.be/r9u--zdrqBE 

Friday: https://youtu.be/oonL-V4MwTo 

 

High School Announcements 

Monday: https://youtu.be/g49l1QTCS2I 

Tuesday: https://youtu.be/0WbQwJGf-Xg 

Wednesday: https://youtu.be/axabLp5hD04 

Thursday: https://youtu.be/rqzvWF4SRSU

Friday: https://youtu.be/6n5De_ZNiPc 

 

Mindful Messages 

Monday

Happiness and fulfilment rarely come from selfish pursuits, but almost always come from doing good deeds for others. By helping others we help ourselves.

How does helping others lift your mood? 

Can you think of a time where you helped others? How did it make you feel? 

Tuesday

Not a failure, but low aim is crime. 



Be grateful for the challenges that you face. 

What does this mean to you? 

Why is it important to aim high? 

Would you rather aim high and fail than aim low and succeed? 

 

What is a challenge that you faced and overcame? How did you overcome it? How did it make you feel? 

Wednesday

Just putting on an emotional expression triggers that emotion.

Can you think of a time where your face told a story that you might not have wanted it to tell? Can you think of a time where the opposite is true? 

How does a smile uplift you and those around you?  

Thursday 

One bad chapter doesn’t ruin the book. Turn the page and enjoy. 

Can you think of a time in your life where you’ve a bad part of your day and what you did to turn the page and make the rest of your day better? 

What are some things you do to turn the page? 

Friday

Some days you just need to create your own sunshine.

How do you create your own sunshine? 

 

Staff Wellness 

Exercise vigorously for 4 seconds and repeat. Your muscles might thank you. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/11/well/move/exercise-high-intensity-interval-training-hiit.html 

 

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