In my exploration of the website Learning about Learning, mentioned in my previous post, I came across this video clip (just one of many worthwhile clips!) on meta-cognition by Dylan Williams. He says “most teachers try to cause learning without the students’ help‘”whereas ” the most successful teachers are those who have found ways of harnessing students’ own insights into their own learning… students as young as 5-6 years old have trememdous insights into their own learning processes”.
Vodpod videos no longer available.In a recent blog post, Angela Maiers talked about the habits and attitudes of a successful learner. She presents a list of questions for reflecting on learning.
Here are a few of them…
- What is the most important thing you do to grow yourself as a learner?
- What do successful learners do that make them successful?
- What hinders your success as a learner?
- What do you do to get over that obstacle?
- What do successful learners do when they do not know the subject well?
- How does your attitude affect you as a learner?
Would you ask your students to consider these?
Take a few minutes to think… How would you respond to them, as a learner yourself?
What Ed Said 
Once again I thought the clip was interesting food for thought.
After our recent excursion to Melbourne Grammar for ” Making a Difference Day”, I asked the students to reflect on a workshop that they felt passionate about and we did the thinking routine ” Connect Extend and Challenge” with it. I liked this because I felt it tapped into what they thought was important and made them think about the way in which they want to make a difference themselves.
I also asked them to think how all the central ideas we have covered throughout the year connected with this day and I was blown away with the complexity of their understandings, the way they connected their learning through graphic organisers and the thought they gave to their responses.
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Wow! We just need to give them the opportunities to think, don’t we?
This is the ‘Connect, Extend, Challenge’ thinking routine Claire’s refering to
http://tinyurl.com/yhmajat
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Hey Ed, loved those questions about how good learners learn. I fall into the trap of getting carried away and trying to lead too much and not simply (or not so) set it up and step back and allow students to take charge of learning – which is how i learn best!! But sometimes when wearing my teacher hat i forget that!! And get too involved instead of letting learning evolve!
Will pose these questions this week and see what response i get.
Your blog is inspirational and it provides a shortcut to thoughtprovoking material!! Keep it up.
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Thanks Hailey! If you ask your kids, will you share some of their answers?
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Those questions are great to ask the kids. I will definately be using them. I like to include children in the learning process and often ask them what they think will be a better way of learning for them. It works. They are amazing with what they come up with. The video was interesting and it kind of startled me that kids are so aware about their learning at such a young age.
Thanks for everything you are putting on the blog Ed, it always gives me food for thought, helps me learn and gives me inspirational ideas to hopefully better my teaching practise so that I can call myself a teacher of the 21st Century.
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Joc, lots of my thinking comes from what I see in your classroom! So excited for next year !
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