Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Cognitive Learning

What are the essential skills and/or learning outcomes you want your students to know and be able to do that relate to cognitive learning? 

In relation to cognitive learning, I want my students to be able to use metacognition. I think that this is a very important skill to have because if a learner is aware of their cognitive processes and can control them, they can get the most out of their learning experience. I think that metacognition also goes hand in hand with self-regulation and just being able to make sure that a student stays on task and is engaged. At the end of the day, the student knows best what type of learning they prefer and what will get them to pay attention. If a teacher can find a way to get the student to apply this information, the learning gains will be that much greater for the student. I think that it is essential for my students to understand that they are all capable, even though they may learn in different ways. I also want them to be able to achieve and push themselves to do well.

Here is a really great article about metacognition! It discusses the subject of reading specifically, and how students can develop metacognition.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/20198244.pdf?acceptTC=true

2 comments:

  1. Elizabeth, I think you are so right about metacognition playing a role in self control. In my experience when I have used metacognition techniques and trying to get "trouble" kids to work on a task has made a night and day difference. When they know that they are smart and that their thoughts are intelligent they are more willing to think about their thoughts and then work.

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  2. I agree. I think metacognition is very important. Students will be more capable to do tasks on their own if they are thinking about and understand how their minds work to get a solution. Good post!

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