Our understanding of the way people learn has drastically changed in the last century. In the early 1900’s, education focused mainly on the development of basic literacy skills (National Research Council, 2000). Throughout the 20th century, scientists dove deeper into cognitive studies and provided us with a “contemporary view of learning,” (National Research Council. 2000). This idea of learning suggests that we build our new knowledge based off what we already know and believe (National Research Council. 2000). Readers and learners are constantly making connections between the content they are engaging with, and their personal experiences. For my third-grade students, this could look like “this character has a pet cat and so do I!” This can also look like, “we’re reading a story about the moon, and I know that the moon is made out of cheese!” While students are making these connections, any knowledge they have stored will shape their new understandings. If students have any misconceptions, like my friend who shared about the moon being made of cheese, this will shape my student’s new knowledge about the moon. It is important to engage students’ initial understanding or prior knowledge on a subject to help work through any misconceptions they might have.
Another way that we have moved forward in our understanding of how people learn, is that learners need to be actively engaged with what they are learning in order to make deep connections with the content. “A metacognitive approach to learning” looks like students taking ownership in their learning process (National Research Council. 2000). When learners are developing goals and actively monitoring their progress within those goals, they are more engaged and invested in their learning experience (National Research Council. 2000). Reframing our lessons to address and reflect on our students’ knowledge and put our students at the center of their own learning, can help them to take control over their own learning and develop a deeper understanding of the content.
Photo by me: My students learning through hands-on exploration
References
National Research Council. 2000. "Learning: from speculation to science" Chapter 1 of
How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school: expanded edition.
Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/9853.
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