learntolearn

Learn: what…why…how…you and…

Choosing and Using Frameworks for Understanding “individual differences”

I have lots of questions!

If we count each framework separately we arrive at 4 Developmental Frameworks (Piaget, Vygotsky, Flavell, Sternberg), 4 Popular Single Factor Framework, (Grit, Growth Mindset,  Mindfulness and Agency/Self-Direction), 1 Multiple “characteristics” framework (Habits of Mind), 2 Intelligence/Cognitive Tests (WISC-V and SJV COG), Two Curriculum Based Frameworks (Differentiated Instruction and CAST), 1 “Personalized Learning” framework, and my earlier framework (CARE NOTES).

How might we compare and choose a framework? Is it doable?  valuable? context dependent?  Where might such analysis/comparison take us?  How does a teacher or school focus on one or more of these frameworks in order to more specifically and effective address the strengths and challenges of individual students? What role do parents play in choosing a way to describe their child?

Where might we start?

Is the framework easily understood?

Is it possible that some frameworks overlap with other frameworks?

How is a framework chosen?

…on the basis of teacher/school purpose;

…on the basis of ease of understanding and implementing the framework;

…on the basis of evidence of the framework’s effectiveness;

…on the basis of ease of implementing;

…on the basis of family and child input.

Are there examples of the frameworks use?  Effectiveness?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Information Processing: From a Developmental Perspective

Below are a few short excerpts from the last “model of learning” in this series.  These excerpts highlight the work of John Flavell and Robert Sternberg.  Their ideas address a range of learners:  those who succeed easily and those who are challenged.

I chose to focus on these two authors because of their emphasis on how learners process and manage information:  their attention, short term memory, working memory, long term memory, and problem solving skills.

“Educators are very interested in the study of how humans learn. This is because how one learns, acquires new information, and retains previous information guides selection of long-term learning objectives and methods of effective instruction. To this end, cognition as a psychological area of study goes far beyond simply the taking in and retrieving information. It is a broad field dedicated to the study of the mind holistically. Neisser (1967), one of the most influential researchers in cognition, defined it as the study of how people encode, structure, store, retrieve, use or otherwise learn knowledge. Cognitive psychologists hypothesize an intervening variable or set of variables between environment and behavior—which contrasts it with behavioral theories.”

http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/papers/infoproc.pdf

 Information Processing and Memory

“One of the primary areas of cognition studied by researches is memory. There are many hypotheses and suggestions as to how this integration occurs, and many new theories have built upon established beliefs in this area. Currently, there is widespread consensus on several aspects of information processing; however, there are many dissentions in reference to specifics on how the brain actually codes or manipulates information as it is stored in memory.”

……..

The implications of this research are clear. If learning—relatively permanently change—is to take place, new information must be transferred into long-term memory. Therefore, repetition and maintenance rehearsal are not sufficient to produce a lasting effect. This has great relevance to instruction and teaching, for if the aim of education is learning, information must be presented in such a way that it can be incorporated into the memory structure.”

Development of Memory and Information Processing

As previously stated, cognition is the encoding, structuring, storing, retrieving, using, or otherwise learning knowledge (Neisser, 1967). There are important developmental aspects for INFORMATION PROCESSING

According to Flavell et al. (2002), from an information processing perspective some of the most important are:

 

  1. Brain changes brought about by biological maturation or experience;
  2. Increased processing capacity, speed, and efficiency as a result of both maturation and knowledge development;
  3. Modifications of connections in a neural network;
  4. New emergent concepts arising from repeated self-organization as a result of adapting to the demands of a changing environment; and
  5. Increased capacity for problem-solving and metacognition

 

“Another theorist firmly grounded in the information processing approach is Sternberg (1988). Sternberg’s theory suggests that development is skills-based and continuous rather than staged and discontinuous as stage theorists believe, and his focus is on intelligence. This focus on intelligence separates his ideas from stage theorists because it rejects the idea of incremental stages, but rather suggests that development occurs in the same way throughout life differentiated only by the expertise of the learner to process new information….First, and very importantly, Sternberg’s model does not differentiate between child and adult learning….. Cognitive development is viewed as a novice to expert progression; as one becomes better at interaction and learning, one is able to learn more and at higher levels. Development changes as a result of feedback, self-monitoring, and automatization. In this theory, intelligence is comprised of three kinds of information processing components: metacomponents, performance components, and knowledge-acquisition components.”

 

“In Sternberg’s (1988) model, each of these three components works together to facilitate learning and cognitive development. Metacomponents are executive in nature. They guide the planning and decision making in reference to problem solving situations; they serve to identify the problem and connect it with experiences from the past….”

 

 “In summary, there are many different theories of information processing that focus on different aspects of perceiving, remembering, and reasoning. One of the most important agreements is that elaboration is a key to permanently storing information in a way that facilitates its quick retrieval when it is needed. Bloom et al (1956) and Anderson and Krathwohl (2000) provide some excellent suggestions as to how we can encourage increased elaboration among our students. However, as proposed by Hummel and Huitt (1994) if students are not required to demonstrate the results of elaboration on meaningful tasks such as examinations or projects, they are not likely to adequately develop the skills required for higher-level thinking. It is, therefore, imperative that educators and parents require the development and use of these skills as a normal process of students’ lives. If we do that, the amounts and types of student knowledge will increase dramatically and students will be better prepared for life as adults in the information age.”

 

 

                                                              

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Who is Winning at Learning?

I have long been a proponent of teaching school kids “how to learn”.

Starting in Kindergarten!

Why?

Because I worry about what happens when kids struggle with learning and do not know how to advocate for themselves?

Who are those kids?

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Hearing Learners’ Voices Means Their Social as well as their Cognitive Voices

Brain-Based Learning

Learning and the Social Brain

In a series of interviews/videos, researcher Patricia Kuhl reveals the science behind the social brain—which she calls the gateway to human cognition.  July 25, 2018

[Dr. Patricia Kuhl, the Bezos Family Foundation Endowed Chair at the Institute of Learning and Brain Sciences at the University of Washington, in a series of interviews on the science of human learning…..]

https://www.edutopia.org/package/learning-and-social-brain?utm_medium=socialflow&utm_source=facebook

…..”For educators, an awareness of the social brain presents an opportunity to tap into some of our most durable, deeply seated abilities. If the species is hardwired to work together, then our classrooms should continue to feature a healthy dose of activities that emphasize cooperation, teamwork, and peer-to-peer teaching.

Even the simplest tactics should reap dividends, according to Kuhl, who suggests using “circles or U-shaped arrangements”—or anything that gets kids interacting with one another. “The social context is extremely important to learning,” she noted, “not only in infancy, but in school-aged children, who use the social brain when they’re collaborating with one another, when they’re studying how another person goes at it, when they’re watching the eyes, even unconsciously, of their study partner as they work towards a solution together.”….

In this four-part video series, see “Kuhl’s fascinating insights on the science of human learning, with a focus on the positive—and cautionary—aspects of our social brain.”

Edutopia developed this series in collaboration with the National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

BRAIN-BASED LEARNING….a series of 4 short (under 3 minute videos

What Is the Social Brain?  https://www.edutopia.org/video/what-social-brain     The research is in: Learning is a social endeavor.

Masters of Social Learning:  https://www.edutopia.org/video/masters-social-learning We’re hardwired from birth to decode facial expression, posture, and tone of voice—and to work collaboratively.

When the Social Brain Misfires   https://www.edutopia.org/video/when-social-brain-misfires

Sometimes our powerful urge to belong can hurt us. We look at how stereotypes undermine learning.

The Social Classroom   https://www.edutopia.org/video/social-classroom

Increasingly, modern classrooms support group work and peer-to-peer collaboration. The science says that’s right on.

 

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Hearing Learners’ Voices…excerpt from Grant Wiggins

 

Hearing Learners’ Voices, Making Learning Transparent

From Dec 4, 2015 series on learners’ voices excerpt from Grant Wiggins

https://grantwiggins.wordpress.com/2011/12/02/the-student-voice-our-survey-part-4-i-learn-best-in-class-when/

A short excerpt from a Grant Wiggins’ post on what 5th graders think about learning..

5th Graders Speak Out – Survey Results

A survey of what 5th graders think about school and learning….an excerpt

I learn best in class when –
1. Teacher is explaining a subject well and not upset or being strict because a student is being annoying.
2. Teacher is not talking too much and keeps the class moving
3. I learn best in class when the teacher explains things clearly
4. When they show pictures or videos or do not talk too little or too much.
5. Is showing a video.
6. Is describing clearly and orderly.
7……………33

 

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AGENCY as an Over-Arching Concept to Address both Cognitive/Learning Voice & Social/Emotional Voice

AGENCY

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/nqsplp/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/NQS_PLP_E-Newsletter_No64.pdf

Having a voice

When children have a say in what is going on around them, they start to develop the sense that their ideas and opinions matter.  As educators we can encourage children’s sense of agency by

welcoming and responding thoughtfully and respectfully to their questions and ideas and, where possible, incorporating their ideas and suggestions when we plan and implement experiences. Allowing children a voice in what goes on means sharing some of our power and control, but it also helps to promote a more positive, open and cooperative dynamic between adults and children.           

 Vital ways of listening to and honouring children’s voices include using children’s interests as the basis for our programs; responding to children’s criticisms or comments; and allowing children to help make decisions that affect them.

 However, this listening can happen in more subtle ways as well. As educators we have a responsibility to respond to what children are telling us—both directly and through their behaviour and actions.

Reading children’s cues and responding to them is an important skill for educators to have. This is especially the case with very young children who may not be able to communicate their needs and wishes verbally.

…….”

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Winning at Learning

Continuing the Adventure of Learning How to Learn

Winning at learning from Fran Toomey
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Children’s Voices

Big Prize Logo-sjhugp

 

 

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“…but all kids have a voice and they deserve to express it.” Michelle Hammond

 

Excerpts from CASEL post received  on July 18, 2018–just I was planning an Executive Function post on “Student Voices”  

https://casel.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/SEL-Trends-Youth-Voice.pdf

”TRENDS CASEL • Empowering Youth Voice 5 Empowering Youth Voice Washoe County: Even Kindergartners Have a Voice This year, Washoe County School District (WCSD) has worked to utilize student voice at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. “We know that the best information we have about supports and obstacles in our system often comes straight from the students.” says Laura Davidson, the district’s director of research and evaluation.

”Student voice looks different at the elementary level, but it’s equally important,” says Michelle Hammond, student voice coordinator. While high school students tend to focus on issues like bullying and school climate, elementary students look at issues close to their classrooms. They’re helping change school rules to reduce behavior problems in the cafeteria. In one elementary school the Student Advisory Council addressed equity concerns by changing the gift policy for teacher appreciation week so that all students had something to give. “A lot of what we see in our student voice work is geared toward high school students, so we are exploring what student voice in elementary schools can look like. We know student voice fosters social and emotional learning, so let’s start early in life to lay positive groundwork,” says Hammond.

A unique feature of Washoe County’s work is the Strength in Voices Symposium, now in its fourth year. Attendance has grown to 400 participants attending the Spring 2018 event. Elementary, middle, and high school students lead all breakout sessions, which focus on a variety of topics like equity, assessments, analyzing results from climate surveys, and the challenges that issues like poverty present to students. In each session, students provide recommendations for change, and adults are present to capture that input.

“One of the best things about this event is that we work to ensure a representative sample of students so we have all voices at the table. We provide schools with a randomly selected list of 15 students from which eight are selected to participate,” says Hammond. “When it comes to leadership opportunities, we often default to students perceived to fit certain criteria, but all kids have a voice and they deserve to express it. If we’re really trying to drive change and improve, we must have students with diverse experiences at the table.” That’s one of the implementation challenges the district is addressing. Getting educators on board isn’t always easy because they have so much on their plates. “We are working with teachers to embed student voice into their existing practices, including SEL, so it is not seen as one more thing,” says Trish Shaffer, the district’s MTSS/SEL coordinator. …”

 

 

 

 

 

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All Kids DESERVE To Be Readers

All Children Deserve to Be Readers

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