Other Instructional Strategies to Engage the Learner

Group work can be an effective method to motivate students, encourage active learning, and develop key critical-thinking, communication, and decision-making skills. But without careful planning and facilitation, group work can frustrate students and instructors and feel like a waste of time. Use these suggestions to help implement group work successfully in your classroom.
Learning Styles, Multiple Intelligences, and Differentiated Instruction
Diggity Dog Research Organizer
Robert J. Marzano (2000) identified ten research-based, effective instructional strategies that cut across all content areas and all grade levels. Each requires specific implementation techniques to produce the effect sizes reported, so their use requires learning to use them correctly.
Problem Based Learning (PBL) is an instructional method that challenges students to "learn to learn," working cooperatively in groups to seek solutions to real world problems (Duch, 1995). The process can feel very different for teachers! Instead of starting with a standard and designing a lesson around it, teachers will start with a problem, concern, or challenge that is real and relevant to their students. The students will choose the method and media to attempt to solve the problem. Multiple standards are incorporated into the lesson and the solutions presented by the students show mastery of those standards.
The Dare to Differentiate wiki space is an excellent resource on "The What", "The How", and "The Now What" processes teachers struggle with when planning effective instruction.  It is a wealth of information which can assist teachers in differentiating instruction effectively.
Instructional strategies determine the approach a teacher may take to achieve learning objectives. Five categories of instructional strategies and explanation of these five categories can be found within this site.  Instructional methods are used by teachers to create learning environments and to specify the nature of the activity in which the teacher and learner will be involved during the lesson. While particular methods are often associated with certain strategies, some methods may by found within a variety of strategies. A sampling of instructional methods with accompanying explanations are presented in this website.
John Hattie’s meta study Visible Learning (2009) is a milestone of educational research. The Times Educational Supplement called it ‘holy grail of teaching‘. Hattie’s book gives an evidence based answer to the question ‘What works best for students’ achievement?’ 
Writing is a critical component of any instructional program within classrooms, regardless of level.  This website offers many different ways writing can be incorporated into your teaching and learning processes.