Metacognitive wrappers based around Marzano's 8 C's of engament.

This is an attempt at personalising the start point of a learning experience. I have planned a choice of four different metacognitive wrappers. These have been designed around the four classification of Robert Marzanos learning styles ( from On excellence in teaching"").
The students will arrive and "best fit " themselves to a category. I have intentionally dropped the labels, although this may be a mistake, to keep the start of the lesson as simple as possible for the students.
I have tried to simplify Marzanos language for year 7 students and phrased them as questions to invite self reflection. I will record their preferred style for future reference and use.
















Once selected the students will have Metacognitive wrapper for their prefered style. These have been designed to meet the assigned C's of engagement. The basic format of these wrappers are to get the students to think about the content of the lesson and also about a strategy that will facilitate their learning. I have attempted to match these thoughts with their particluar C. I don't think these are perfect yet. Any suggestions to improve them are welcome.

1. Mastery learners who are driven by success and are engaged predominately by Competition and Challenge

















2. Interpersonal learners who are driven by relationships and are engaged by Cooperation and Connections.
















3. Understanding learners are driven by the need to make sense of things and are engaged by Curiosity and Controversy.














4. Self Expressive learners who are driven by origionality and are engaged by Choice and Creativity.















I will update this post after I have used them with some student reponses, and when I have overcame the Nuthallian problem of what success will look like in this lesson.

Behaviour Management by numbers

There is a big difference between behaviour management and behaviour "response" and I think this little vignette illustrates it.
Today we differentiated our three science classes by giving our students the choice of five different enquiries to pursue. I was working with a our weaker students on two different investigations. I was always going to be busy, but, today I got to the point of being too busy. I felt as though I was having no impact at all, keeping some on task, supporting others and extend others too. I was getting a bit frustrated and a few bits of poor behaviour were evident.
Thankfully I managed to curb my frustration and gathered the students together. I asked them what they were finding difficult? And compiled a list that ranged from access issues, attitude to learning or motivation and on taskness. All the things I had noticed. I then asked them what help they needed to overcome these problems. Too my surprise they generated solution to the problems that involved themselves or their peers, I was not included! It was great to see them (finally) acknowledge the need for responsibility in their learning.
So I asked them to give themselves a score out of ten for the responsibility shown in the first twenty minutes. They average out at around five. I then asked them if they used their strategies where they would be? This produced a score of about nine and a half. I allowed them to aspire to better.
So it was great to see over the next 45 minutes the transformation in the classroom. This would not have happened if I had of let my frustration rule the situation.We regularly went back to our arbitary responsibility score as it ebbed and flowed, and it never went below 7.5. Although abitary this strategy has allowed students to self monitior a learner attribute and to manage the situation (almost) by themselves.I got the productive classroom my efforts deserved and less fustrated!

This lesson has reminded me that students are absolutely aware of the expectations we have for them and they do respond to having responsibility. We just have to have a little trust in them.


Sent from my iPhone

A change to the definition of learning.

I've just used the define function of Google for the word "learning". I really wish I had not. So imagine my disappointment when I searched "learn".

To be fair my search for a working definition has been as long one. I'm not after an academic, convoluted all encompassing one, just something I can use to spot it taking place in the students in my classroom. Graham Nuthall has wonderfully documented how difficult teachers find this.
I think I have come to clarity recently with a one word definition. That word is change.
If someone has learned something it will manifest itself in one of three places.
Most obviously is the acquisition of new knowledge, students will know a new fact previously unlearned, or added to an existing idea which deepens or broadens a concept.
This may also culminate in the second area, which is a change in an opinion. For this to happen it may or may not involve new knowledge but could be down to recognising the significance of a piece of knowledge.

The final are is probably the most complex. This is the student confidence in their knowledge. Students could move from "I think the answer is..." to " I am certain that it is..". The reason for this is the students are linking a piece of knowledge to evidence of its validity or truth. So it is possible that learning results in the student becoming less confident. In a world where it is necessary to unlearn and relearn it is vital that the student thinks about why they know something and verify that they have sufficient evidence to believe it. This is rather counter intuitive. I thinks it's probably worth spending a moment to think about how you could help students manage this loss of confidence and see it as a part of the learning process.

This route however allows students to unlearn your misconceptions or eventually be more confident in it, if/when they find the reason something is true.

So to summarise my working model of learning is a change in knowledge, opinion and/or confidence.
Incidentally, the Internet is saved as I searched for "definition of learning Graham Nuthall" and I stumbled upon Artichokes blog, and there too the word change appears in the definition. In such company I feel vindicated! Huzaah!

To clarify the use of italics for the phrase piece of knowledge as I am unsure of the piecemeal nature of knowledge. I'm sure Nuthall phrases it as "item" for completeness.