RobertMarzanoonUsingNonlinguisticRepresentations

(OriginallytitledRepresentingKnowledgeNonlinguistically)
InthisEducationalLeadershiparticle,researcher/authorRobertMarzano
distinguishesbetweentwowaysthatteachersexplaincontenttostudents:linguistically
(usingwords)andnonlinguistically.Marzanosaysthelatterisusedlessfrequentlyin
classrooms,andlistsfivethingsteachersshouldbearinmindtogetthemostoutofthis
potentiallypowerfulmedium:
Nonlinguisticteachingcomesinmanyformsgraphicorganizers,sketches,
stickfiguresandsymbols,conceptmaps,flowcharts,dramatizations,andcomputerized
simulationsandthekeyispickingtherightoneforthecontentbeingtaughtfor
example,aflowchartmightbebestfordescribinghowtobalanceanequation.
Nonlinguisticrepresentationsmustconveythemostimportantinformation.For
example,ifastudentdrawsstickfiguresofthemaincharactersinastorybutdoesnt
depicttheactionsthatoccur,notmuchwouldbeaddedtolearning.
Studentsshouldbeaskedtoexplain.Presentingtheirnonlinguisticworkto
classmatespromotesgreaterunderstandingandrevealserrorsandmissingelements.
Nonlinguisticrepresentationsaretimeconsuming.Thismeanstheyshouldbe
usedstrategically,andwhentheyareused,teachersshouldgivestudentsenoughtimeto
dothemwell.
Studentsshouldrevise.Nonlinguisticrepresentationssometimescontainerrors,
andteachersshouldgivestudentsachancetoimprovetheirworkaftercheckingother
sources.

RepresentingKnowledgeNonlinguisticallybyRobertMarzanoinEducational
Leadership,May2010(Vol.67,#8,p.8486);thisarticlecanbepurchasedat