Isle of Wight County Schools developed the Instructional Framework as a way to ensure effective instruction throughout the division. It is the teacher's responsibility to frame the lesson, allow students to practice targeted skills, integrate projects, pursue their interests, and connect their curriculum to the world beyond school. Based on best practices, the Instructional Framework follows the gradual release of student learning which moves classroom instruction from teacher-centered, whole group delivery, to student-centered collaboration and independent practice. The gradual release model incorporates "I do, we do, you do together, you do independently."
Daily lessons include time for identifying the Learning Outcomes or Essential Question, which drive students to discuss, inquire and investigate the topic. Direct Instruction is the "I Do" part of the lesson, where the teacher is working with the whole class, introducing a concept or activity, or even modeling procedures for the students. The Student Work Period is the "We Do, You Do Together, You Do Independently" part of the lesson. This may include stations rotations, collaborative activities, partner or small group work, and field experiences. The final component of the Instructional Framework is the Debrief, where students and teachers reflect on learning and use that feedback to drive instruction.
The largest chunk of time is devoted to the Student Work Period--65%--with Direct Instruction around 20% and the Debrief at 10%. Even though Debrief is a small portion of the lesson, it is a valuable component that provided insight into student progress and helps teachers know how to move forward with their instruction.
Recently we spoke to teachers at Carrollton Elementary to find out why the Instructional Framework is beneficial and how their lessons look when they are using the Instructional Framework. In the video below, the teachers explain how they are using the Instructional Framework in their classroom, while footage from their classes shows the framework in action. I would like to thank the Carrollton teachers for helping us share with the community how classrooms across IWCS are ensuring effective instruction through the use of the Instructional Framework.
