This week in graduate school I was instructed to create a concept map that went along with a virtual field trip that I would have my class take. The idea of a concept map is to start with a basic idea or essential question that the students are curious about and then lead them on a discovery to find the answers. During my reading assignment I noticed that the resources: cues, questions and advance organizers, and summarizing and note taking, correlated with concept mapping, virtual field trips and the principals of the cognitive learning theory. Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn and Malenoski began by explaining that these resources focus “on enhancing student’ ability to retrieve, use, and organize information about a topic (2007, p. 73).” Moreover, cognitive Learning Theory follows the same concept; it is primarily about using images and the five senses to engage students in their learning. The most remarkable thing that I heard this week from Dr. Orey (laureate Education, Inc.) was that students can only learn 7 +/- 2 things at a time. Everyone has a limit as to what they can understand and process in one block of time. Dr. Orey mentioned that people remember images and smells easier than other information. In addition, he recommended that teachers use a lot of informational images in conjunction to what they are teaching.
In Kindergarten my job is that much more important. I am responsible for establishing the base for much of the information that students will build upon later education years. I need to find ways to input images, music and movement into more of my lessons. The more ways I can incorporate these things, the better chance they have of retrieving it later. Dr. Orey said that each idea we hear can somehow be connected so prior knowledge. That is why it is important to take time before you begin a lesson to allow students to share. I am excited to create a concept map this week and use it with my Kindergarten students. I am a bit anxious to see how the whole group will respond. However, these instructional strategies are helping me to teach with understanding. How can I go wrong by showing more images, using more music, and getting my students up out of their chairs? I will keep you posted on the results!
Chelsea Blasius Lewis
Resources:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Program five: Cognitive learning theory [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Chelsea,
ReplyDeleteI still sings songs that I learned in grammar school! Infusing music into your lessons that are rich with visuals and words is a great way to help enforce connections within your instructional theories. We lost power in our middle school for three hours today and as a related arts teacher I walked around and helped classroom teachers. Even without technology,students were engaged playing games,singing songs and sitting in small and large groups interacting with one another.
Teachers were finding multiple and creative ways to keep students actively engaged in the moment.
I am so happy to hear it. On days when my SMART board is not working I still find ways with music and visuals to make it work! Thanks for sharing your story.
ReplyDeleteChelsea
I agree that Dr. Orey was stating that we need to use technology as well as visuals to teach our students. I agree that visuals help students learn information. The visuals causes the student to do what is called dual coding and causes the students to start the elaboration process so information can be stored in long-term memory.
ReplyDeleteChelsea, right you are. I have commented before that so much foundational learning occurs in Kindergarten. I was an assistant for almost 14 years and I was astounded at just how much these students take in. Now that I'm a third grade teacher, I can appreciate teachers who start the cognitive processes in students so that by third grade, we are not usually starting from the basics.
ReplyDeleteRobbie,
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how you can see the growth of each student in Kindergarten. I have taught upper grades too, and the progress is not as visible. In Kindergarten students seem to just soak everything up. I wonder why that is? Is it because the students are just beginning their education and establishing all of their future connections?
Chelsea Blasius Lewis
Chelsea way to go, music, dance, pictures, videos, and computer software will all assist students to retain new information. Dr. Orey was talking about the brains ability to remember 7 +/- pieces of new information in a lesson. This got me to thinking about how many new things are in each of my lessons everyday.My lesson on scatter plots had 18 things new to my students this is far too many. As I start rewriting my lesson plans I need to keep in mind what the student already knows and what I am asking them to remember that is new. I personally need to allow far more time for my students to process the new information than I have been doing. Keep adding new things for your students to use to form those precious memory connections.
ReplyDeleteDoug Baker
http://concreteorabstract.edublogs.org/2011/11/18/cognitivism-in-practice/comment-page-1/#comment-21
Doug,
ReplyDeleteIt has to be so hard as a 9th grade teahcer to only introduce 7+/- 2 things at a time. How do you cover your curriculum? I find myself introducing more than that in Kindergarten. Do you find it challenging?
Chelsea Blasius Lewis
Not really, it is only impossible. Today's lesson for my Algebra 1B (failed second semester last year) had eight words they did not know, five different examples of concepts not covered except for last year, and asked for manipulations they are still trying to figure out. I have two months to get them ready for the retest on an EOCT that they failed last year and still have four chapters to cover. With luck I will get to do two chapters and 23 new concepts. Then I will begin a review that has them cycle through all of the materials four different times from three different directions. These are the kids I love and have chosen to work with but I struggle to keep positive that I ever reach any of them. It is difficult when they cover the same amount of material in one semester that I cover with my regular algebra class in a semester and a month. My personal goal is to get 12 out of 24 to pass the EOCT but my realistic goal is that I may get 9. In this case time is my big enemy as the kids will not get to see two full chapters that are tested while my regular classes will see both of those chapters and two more before there test in June. The algebra 1B class is an experiment and I am not convinced it is the correct class for these kids, unfortunately if we don't try something different the successful ones would have lost a full year of mathematics instead of a semester.
ReplyDeleteDoug Baker