“ Thinking-about-Thinking ” A Metacognitive Awareness Consortium

1. “Thinking-about-Thinking”A Metacognitive Awareness Consortium Understanding Metacognition for Teachers &Their Students Sheryl Ross ED 561 Adv. ED Psych Dr. Michael Rousell April 26, 2012

2. Nature by numbersAn atmosphere for learning By Cristóbal Vila http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkGeOWY

3. Six Key Strategies for Teachers Alliance@al4ed.org, Case Study,2005 Vocabulary & Language Development Exploring Vocab words with academic concepts Build on student’s background knowledgeDiverse needs Guided InteractionStructure lessons for students to work collaboratively about academic concepts-listening-speaking-reading-writing Metacognition & Authentic AssessmentTeachers model explicit critical thinking skills to create highly skilled readersUse a variety of assessments to check understandingExplicit InstructionDirect teaching of concepts & academic languageMeaning-based context & Universal themesTaking something meaningful from students’ lives to springboard into academic conceptsModeling-graphic organizers- visualsMakes language & content more accessible to students

4. The Metacognitive Competence of ChildrenInternational Journal of Bilingualism, 2010A Role-Play Scenario of Student Strategies- How kids do it Thinking…Knowing…Learning...Control…Cool… • Directed attention- The child focuses on a semiotic cue identifying the problem. • He/she tries to get back on track. • Control of emotions- The child shows self-determination to communicate and does not manifest any frustration feelings. • Anticipation- The child elaborates a plan to act while thinking aloud. • Mime- The child proposes to show something using mime. • Cooperation- The child proposes an explicit action to communicate with the other child. • Code-switching- The child proposes another language to communicate (sign language included). • Imitation-The child proposes to do the same as the other. • Clarification- The child makes more propositions in order to reassess the information source. • Ask for assistance- The child explicitly refers to an external help to intervene.

5. Mnemonics The art of memory using systematic procedures for improving memory. These strategies take what needs to be learned and connect it with already known words or images. Loci Method: Technique of associating items with specific places, for example, picturing where something belongs to think of the name. Peg-type Mnemonics: systems of associating items with cue words, for example, one is bun, two is shoe, three is tree. The words you want to remember are “pegged” to already known systematic words that naturally link together. Acronyms: Technique for remembering things by using the first letter of each thing to create a word that is easy to remember. Distributed Mnemonics: sorting words in categories. Chain Mnemonics: linking a memory strategy in which each thing in the series is linked to the next, for example, “i before e except after c” or GenkiEnglish.com songs and activities to match phonics Keyword Method: system of associating new words with similar sounding words or images in order to remember them more easily. Visual Memory: multi-sensory, mental imagery, using physical items, pictures, word cards,

6. A Metacognitive Awareness Lesson for TeachersA Time to Reflect &Learn- Professional Development Duration- 55 minutes Objectives- Metacognition Strategies • What are the mnemonic strategies? • What strategies work best for you, the learner? • How can we transfer metacognitive awareness into the elementary classroom to help our students with their learning? Materials Needed: The Set- the quiet atmosphere for learning because we deserve it: SMARTboard for Video “Nature by Numbers” on Vimeo or YOUTube Candle, lighter (low lighting) or battery-lites and group table labels Online or CD Player, instrumental music Note: This was a part of a lesson we did last year and our peers loved the experience. Banners- made with plastic table rolls, silver paint, ribbon in soothing colors hanging floor to ceiling Ethnic- gentle music online or CD and player Brain Food-Table- I prefer big bowls of fruit, bread nuts, bottled water, table, cloth, serving utensils, service Tables for small groups of teachers Table strategy labels: Visual Imagery, Loci Mnemonics, Chain Mnemonics, Distributed Mnemonics, Rote Memorization Table strategy materials for group learning Hand-out of strategies: Metacognitive Journals http://freeology.com/wp-content/files/metacognitivejournal.pdf Metacognitive toolkit http://www.readingresource.net/support-files/metacognitionyoolkitrevised.pdf List of common words for strategies on poster Small tablets to write down words, pencils Additional informative posters

7. Lesson continued… Resources Online Video- Nature by Numbers. Vila, Cristobal, 2008, YouTube Online Video-Metacognition Song, 2010. Uploaded by frogeeteacher. youtube.com. Google Images Preparation Prepare set materials and room Prepare banners Prepare food Prepare strategy materials for group tables Set-up with food available as audience walks in. Opening: 10 minutes Meet and Greet- teachers asking them to find a seat with one of the group tables and eat. Turn on Nature by Numbers video presentation Introduce metacognitive concept with word game Role-Play Student metacognitive Compentencies Introduce class table activities and Tables- each group instructor introduces table strategy Break-out into groups: Demonstrate and provide strategy lesson with each group: 10 minute rotation Visual Imagery: Using physical items, picture and word cards using common words Loci-type Mnemonics: List of words, association, acronyms using common words Chain Mnemonics: 1st word associaltion-2nd word association and on, verbal association using common words Distributed Mnemonics, sorting using common words. Rote Memorization, flash cards, repetitious writing using common words. Each Group- Ask everyone to write down the list of common words without looking at their materials after table strategy implemented Conversation: Prompts- All tables- How did this make you aware of your cognitive thinking process? What strategies have you taught yourself? How did the music, food, ambiance effect how you think? What does this mean for our young learners? Closing: Youtube Video, Metacognition Song in the Classroom

8. Lesson Outcomes Metacognitive awareness will transfer into our classrooms at either the university or elementary levels. We will teach students how they think-to remember-how to recall information We will teach students new understandings-awareness-how to explain new ideas or concepts We will teach students analysis-how to discriminate or compare and contrast We will teach students how to strategize and evaluate-to defend and stand for a decision We will teach students how to create, design construct their thinking strategies

9. Visual & ImageryA picture is worth a thousand words Multimedia coding-To bring out the best thinking strategy! Using physical items: with texture-smell-color Using picture and word cards: to correspond with physical items Building connections: show or discuss cultural similarities and differences Working memory for verbal-visual images: Frames for Fluency and pic word cue cards, Carousal Topics based on phonics lesson See attachment for picture and word cards example

10. Apply to My Classroom A Multisensory Structured Language Program Teaching is done using all learning pathways in the brain simultaneously in order to enhance memory and learning: Systematic & Cumulative following the logical order of language Direct Instruction-inferential learning with student/teacher interaction Diagnostic Teaching must be adept at prescriptive or individualized instruction Synthetic/Analytic Instruction uses parts of a language builds to whole meaning/and vise versa …because our students think differently! Phonology-Study of sounds Sound-Symbol Association Syllable Instruction Morphology Syntax Semantics Curriculums: Modified Orton-Gillingham Method The Spaulding Method English to a Beat Alphabetic Phonics Seq. English Ed Lindamood-Bell Method The A.P.S. Linguistic Approach to Literacy Starting Over Frames for Fluency GenkiEnglish.com

11. “Good teaching cannot be reduced to technique; good teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher.” Parker J. Palmer, The Courage to Teach