Stretch IT- Definition
Stretch it is a strategy that gives students a more in dept learning experience and positive feedback to answers. Instead of rewarding the student with just a simple “yes” the teacher asks a follow up question. This not only rewards the students but also further engages them by asking more questions to help them and the teacher ensure that the answer is correct. This further engages students by making them active participants in the classroom and extends their knowledge of the topic at hand. If the answer is incorrect then the teacher can call on another student to explain why it is wrong and why. Stretch it lets students know how to get right answers and continue to do so for future questions.
Stretch It- Explained in My Own Words
Stretch it works in the classroom because the students are continuously engaged within the classroom using positive reinforcement and differentiated instruction. Instead of students passively sitting in class and hearing “yes” or “no” to their answers they are encouraged to come up with substantial evidence as to why the answer is right or wrong. When a teacher is responding to a student’s answer using the stretch it method they are implementing positive reinforcement. This means that when the student answers a question, whether right or wrong, the teacher responds with a follow up question, the follow up question lets the student know that they are on the right track. Then using the follow up question the teacher can help guide the student in the right direction that they need to go in order to successfully answer. After follow up questions the student will have a much broader understanding of the question and know how to answer in the future.
Stretch it uses differentiated instruction because it caters to many different learning styles. Differentiated instruction is the ability of the teacher to cater to the numerous learning styles within the classroom. The teacher can write a problem or word on the board and ask students if they can solve it out loud. Both the visual and auditory learners can benefit from this by not only seeing it on the board but also hearing the answer worked out aloud. Also for other types of learners, some of whom might be slower than other students in the class; stretch it is beneficial to them as well. Teachers, who do not use this method, simply give a “yes” or “no” to right or wrong answer. To the student who might be struggling with the topic at hand this does not help them to grasp the topic any better. But when stretch it is applied to the classroom those students who might be behind will get to know the right answer, how it was gotten and why.
Stretch it is beneficial to all students in the classroom, even if not actively engaged in the conversation they are still hearing and seeing how to get the right answer.
Stretch it uses differentiated instruction because it caters to many different learning styles. Differentiated instruction is the ability of the teacher to cater to the numerous learning styles within the classroom. The teacher can write a problem or word on the board and ask students if they can solve it out loud. Both the visual and auditory learners can benefit from this by not only seeing it on the board but also hearing the answer worked out aloud. Also for other types of learners, some of whom might be slower than other students in the class; stretch it is beneficial to them as well. Teachers, who do not use this method, simply give a “yes” or “no” to right or wrong answer. To the student who might be struggling with the topic at hand this does not help them to grasp the topic any better. But when stretch it is applied to the classroom those students who might be behind will get to know the right answer, how it was gotten and why.
Stretch it is beneficial to all students in the classroom, even if not actively engaged in the conversation they are still hearing and seeing how to get the right answer.
Stretch It- Example
I plan on teaching high school level history, so in my class this strategy might look something like this:
Me: Who can tell me what the Civil War was?
Student: It was a war fought in the U.S.
Me: What was it fought over?
Student: It was fought to preserve the Union
Me: Who fought in the War?
Student: The Northern parts of the U.S. were fighting the Southern parts of the U.S. There were thousands of people that fought in the war including young boys and old men.
Me: What did the Union stand for and what did the South stand for?
(And the conversation continues. After letting the first student answer a few questions and proving their knowledge to me I would go on to the next and continue the conversation.)
I would also show a quick documentary that fit into the lecture to give my students a visual representation of what the war actually looked like. I think when teaching history it is important to have verbal aids but it is also very important to have visual aids. Having visual and auditory aids provides students with multiple ways to take in the information and also helps to get students excited about learning history.
Me: Who can tell me what the Civil War was?
Student: It was a war fought in the U.S.
Me: What was it fought over?
Student: It was fought to preserve the Union
Me: Who fought in the War?
Student: The Northern parts of the U.S. were fighting the Southern parts of the U.S. There were thousands of people that fought in the war including young boys and old men.
Me: What did the Union stand for and what did the South stand for?
(And the conversation continues. After letting the first student answer a few questions and proving their knowledge to me I would go on to the next and continue the conversation.)
I would also show a quick documentary that fit into the lecture to give my students a visual representation of what the war actually looked like. I think when teaching history it is important to have verbal aids but it is also very important to have visual aids. Having visual and auditory aids provides students with multiple ways to take in the information and also helps to get students excited about learning history.