Metacognition

I came across a useful article on the VESPA Mindset twitter feed entitled “Strategies for teaching metacognition in classrooms.” Metacognition is thinking about thinking and can be used to improve student learning. The following is quoted from the article “Recent shifts in pedagogy have emphasised the importance of encouraging students to figure out how to be independent, self-regulated learners. The teacher cannot be there to hold their hand beyond school. This demands that students reflect on their learning in meaningful ways. It also requires students to be critical analysts of their own thinking in order to overcome complex or unexpected problems.”

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Revision Showcase Photos

By Matt Smith

I have being doing some Revision Showcases with my AS classes this week and thought I would share some photos from them.

I find them such a useful activity for a number of reasons.

QE TeachMeet on Revision

By Matt Smith

In our latest TeachMeet the focus was on “The best ways for students to revise”. Below are some of the things that were discussed.

Frontload your Students!

By Cate Brett

One technique that I have found to be very helpful is that of ‘Frontloading’. Essentially, it involves preparing an A3 sheet with a variety of boxes, titles, questions and glossary terms which students investigate and complete using resources we have directed them to AHEAD of the time we will study the material in class.

Can our students think?

By Matt Smith

Below is a link to an interesting article that argues that many students have lost the ability to think for themselves.  I certainly agree with the idea that many students are only interested in the question “what do I need to do to get a top grade?”.  However, I would be horrified if my students lacked the ability to think for themselves in the way some of the students in this article are portrayed.  What do you think?

http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2015/feb/07/secret-teacher-exams-students-thinking

Revision – what seems to work

By Matt Smith

 

We often tell our students that they should be revising, but I feel some of them just do not know how to while others revise using ineffective methods.  Below is a great blog that highlights some key research into what works and what does not when it comes to revising.

The two key things that seem to come out from this are: