Hey Cassis! Thanks for sharing what you learned about direct instruction, and providing some personal insight into what it means and how it relates to our project. It was really helpful to be able to see what the potential benefits and drawbacks of using it to teach students about cyberbullying and mental health. The main points surrounding the tensions that can arise between structure and flexibility were particularly interesting to me, which I would say are important things to note when it comes to discussing an emotionally charged topic like cyberbullying.
I agree with the idea that the highly structured nature of direct instruction could be helpful when introducing the core concepts of cyberbullying. I think being clear about what it is and having rigid structures surrounding the main ideas is crucial in ensuring that students are all exposed to the most important foundational information. I also agree with what you had to say about the drawbacks though. Direct instruction does leave little room for emotional processing and reflection, and that can cause problems with a topic like cyberbullying that depends on students to connect with themselves on an emotional level.
Personally, I think a blended approach would be ideal when it comes to teaching a lesson on cyberbullying. Direct instruction would be a great way to introduce the students to some of the more foundation-level information that’s required for them to be able to perform more reflective activities surrounding the topic. While it may not be ideal as the entire structure of the lesson, it could provide a great start or component within the teaching style.
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