Giving lectures in 1,000 words or less leaves more time for deeper learning

The dean of instruction at a Denver high school believes that if teachers could use just 1,000 words — which takes up about 9 minutes — of whole-group instruction each class period, students would have more time to explore, think, create and collaborate, he wrote in eSchoolNews.Chris DeRemer has put the idea into practice with his students at Manual High School during writing exercises. After students received a prompt, rubric, assessment and other materials, DeRemer presented a 1,000-word lecture that preceded a writer's workshop. And with less time spent on the lecture, DeRemer writes, students had more time to engage in deeper learning.However, DeRemer says, the 1,000-word method does require organization, responsibility and planning from teachers, and before the 1,000-word instruction, the learning target, agenda and assessment should be clear to the class. This kind of instruction also means the students' task would have to be "engaging, extended, and meaningful" and that they should be in a workshop environment that lends itself to collaboration.