Chapter 2, Question #1: How can instructional design model help you develop your instructional plan? Identify the steps of the DID model and explain.

Sometimes teachers can become overwhelmed by the amount of information that must be taught in a school semester. By using an instructional design model; teachers can step back and look at the semester as a whole and then break it down into sections that may be more easily managed. Teachers must remember to remain flexible when implementing an instructional design model in order for it to be successful. The dynamic instructional design (DID) model is made up of six parts and allows teachers to continually monitor their progress by using a feedback system, which allows teachers to correct mistakes along the way instead of waiting until the end.
The first step of the DID model is getting to know the students. Teachers should research their students to find out what kind of learner they are and what their ideal learning environment is. Also teachers should take into account their students home life and backgrounds when preparing their lesson plans. Once teachers have a firm grasp on who their students are their lesson plans can be adapted to fit those particular students. The second step of the DID model is stating your objectives. By using performance objectives, students know exactly what they will learn and what is expected of them. Learning objectives are also beneficial to teachers because they are able to keep track of what they should be teaching and they are able to gauge whether their students successfully completed their learning goals for each lesson. Teachers must remember to be very specific when choosing their objectives for each lesson because they have to be able to measure what their students have learned. Teachers are also able to make sure they incorporate the various degrees of learning (DOK) when using specific objectives.
Step three of the DID model is establishing the learning environment. The learning environment can have a huge impact on how the students are able to comprehend the information that is taught to them. The physical and nonphysical environments should be considered by teachers when they are making their lesson plans. For example, the seating in the classroom should be organized in a way that facilitates learning and the air temperature should be suitable for the students. The atmosphere of the classroom is also very important, if the atmosphere of the classroom is hostile; students will probably feel uncomfortable and will not comprehend what they are being taught. The fourth step of the DID model is identifying teaching and learning strategies. Teachers need to think ahead and decide how they are going to plan their lessons, what new information will they introduce to the students and what past content will they have to remediate on. Teachers need to decide what methods and media they are going to use to implement their lessons, for example giving a lecture to the class using power point presentations. Teachers also need to decide how they will get their students actively involved in the learning process. The fifth step in the DID model is identifying and selecting technologies. Teachers must select the most appropriate technology for each lesson and they must be able to use that technology effectively. The last step in the DID model is evaluating and revising. Teachers need to evaluate their lesson plans and revise any parts of it that did not work as it should have. Teachers can have students take a questionnaire to find out how the students felt about the lesson and to see if the students felt like they met every objective successfully.