I strongly agree with the concept that instruction that enables students to see models of how experts organize and solve problems may be helpful (49).
In the past years I came across many teachers and professors who really do not understand this principle of expertise of modeling. Some professor and teachers really prefer to just stand in front of classroom, reading from the text book or just telling us to read the chapter and answer the questions. All they do is lecture from the same pile of notes every year or have us Xerox the notes and memorize them. I remember having one professor that uses the same notes over and over again that you could literally notice the aging of the paper.
Well, from all that experience with professors and teachers who merely did nothing but stand in front of the classroom and look like a robot, I am so glad to say that I did not turn out that way because I learned nothing from those individuals. As a special education teacher, I wanted my students to be able to see the whole process to which I obtained my conclusion or answer. Every day of my lesson was some what like a modeling session. I would have my power point presentation and then I would do a mini modeling presentation which would either be a brain storming activity or hands on experiment. Although I encourage my students to follow my model of solving problems, I also did not discourage them from coming up with a different model in solving there own problems. By them doing that it gives me an understanding that they did comprehend the lesson and that is it not merely memorizing it but understanding.
Modeling can be used within a wide range of subjects and should not only be designated to math or science. Modeling is a good form of instruction for problem solving skills and bills a students deep understands of the subject matter being taught.
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