Week 3 Blog Assignment



In Chapter Five of How People Learn II, it is emphasized that when students (and humans in general) already have prior knowledge of a particular subject area, learning new content in that same realm of subject matter is much easier. There are several strategies teachers can employ when trying to elicit prior knowledge of a certain subject in students before presenting new information. Some of these strategies include asking initial questions to spark previous knowledge or having students draw, write or create something based on that previous knowledge. Once this knowledge is re-actived and fresh, students are able to input new subject matter easier.

Sharing new information is a crucial step in assessing student comprehension. There are many avenues for sharing. Some are more academic (a test, worksheet, or student verbal or written summaries), some are more creative (a project, presentation, drawing, play/skit, etc). Gura's philosophy would lean towards the more creative student output realm, as this not only allows students to create and explore but also tends to lead to more student motivation, engagement and ownership. Creation-based assessments also tend to be more collaborative, allowing for different types of assessment from different people (classmates, teachers, parents, etc). 

Gura states that technology is "available to provide support in the cricial area of thinking that accompanies and drives creativity." (Gura, 2016). Technology can be used as a tool to enhance engagement, creativity and assessment. Teachers are providing students a method of creativity and personal expression by offering (specific, carefully chosen) technological devices, programs and platforms for them to use. 


References: 

  • Gura, M. (2016). Make, learn, succeed: Building a culture of creativity in your school. Eugene, OR: ISTE.

Comments

  1. Peter ScrimaJuly 12, 2023 at 2:42 PM

    I completely agree that tying new information into prior knowledge improves the learning process. I like the idea of sharing new information to strengthen the understanding. I often have my students reflect on each lesson to encourage communication, but also to reinforce new content in a meaningful way. Thank you for your perspective.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Miriam ConradyJuly 12, 2023 at 4:38 PM

    Great job on your infographic! It looks very professional. I completely agree that teaching is more meaningful when you are able to tie it to prior knowledge. It gives your students a baseline and allows them to learn in a more meaningful way. Thank you for sharing your ideas!

    Miriam Conrady

    ReplyDelete

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