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Competency-Based Learning

-With Competency-Based Learning, “students are able to prove their understanding on more personal and authentic terms” (Teach Thought, 2022).

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What is competency-based learning?

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by TeachThought Staff

What is competency-based learning? Competency-based learning is an approach to education that focuses on the student's demonstration of desired learning outcomes as central to the learning process.

It is concerned chiefly with a student's progression through curriculum at their own pace, depth, etc. As competencies are proven, students continue to progress. It is similar to mastery-based learning, with the primary difference being that competency-based learning often focuses on observable skills or 'competencies,' while mastery learning may be academic-as likely to focus on concepts as skills.

Like most things education-related, there is disagreement of what competency-based learning actually means, what its defining traits are, and how it should ideally be used or function. It is traditionally thought of in terms of skills and vocation, but it can be entirely 'academic' as well.
The Characteristics Of Competency-Based Learning
A key characteristic of competency-based learning is its focus on mastery. In other learning models, students are exposed to content-whether skills or concepts-over time, and success is measured summatively. In a competency-based learning system, students are not allowed to continue until they have demonstrated mastery of the identified competencies (i.e., the desired learning outcomes to be demonstrated). In this way, the definition of competency-based learning is closely tied to mastery learning.

Competency-based learning is similar to outcomes-based learning in that said outcomes-in this case, called 'competencies'-are identified beforehand, and students are frequently assessed. In this way, competency-based learning can be thought of as a form of outcomes-based learning.

See also 21st Century Teacher's Dictionary
Pros & Cons Of Competency-Based Learning
Its effectiveness, of course, depends on the ecology it is embedded in. In a system with deep and diverse support systems, robust assessment forms, and clear and manageable learning outcomes that are accessible to all learners, competency-based learning can be an effective model, potentially reducing inefficiency (including time spent learning) and increasing pedagogical precision and student achievement.

Its strengths lie in its flexibility, as learners are able to move at their own pace. This supports students with diverse knowledge backgrounds, literacy levels, and other related aptitudes. Its challenges should sound familiar to most educators, including the difficulty in identifying-and agreeing upon-the most important competencies, how to best assess them, and how to support learners that struggle.

On paper, technology adds a new wrinkle to competency-based learning, as it provides students with access to content to develop said competencies. If every student can access the same content the teacher does, there is less of a need for the class to move together, and students are able to prove their understanding on more personal and authentic terms.
What Is Competency-Based Learning?; Infographic source Rasmussen College

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by TeachThought Staff What is competency-based learning? Competency-based learning is an approach to education that focuses on the student's demonstration of desired learning outcomes as central to the learning process. It is concerned chiefly with a student's progression through curriculum at their own pace, depth, etc. As competencies are proven, students continue to progress.

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Standards-Based Grading

This approach can have a positive impact on teaching instruction and student outcomes. "Systemic (SBG) changes made teaching clearer, more purposeful, and more conducive to student needs while enhancing student growth mind-set and ownership" (Knight & Cooper, 2019, p. 65).

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How can standards-based grading improve instruction? What are the potential cons of standards-based grading?

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Mindfulness and Teacher Burnout

Mindfulness is a huge preventative measure from teacher burnout and increases student success in later years (Mindful Schools, 2022). This is becoming increasingly important as teachers job expectations are stretched further.

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What are the benefits to incorporating mindfulness in the classroom for both teachers and students?

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A review of school-based positive psychology interventions found that "the structure of the interventions was as important to success as the content of the programs." ¹⁸ We design our programs with this in mind.

We have also learned by doing. We have 15 years of experience, and over that time, the basis of our whole-school approach has been validated by research: students receive more lasting benefits when taught by their trusted classroom teachers than by outside providers. ¹¹ Research on programs addressing trauma also shows that whole-school approaches work better than individual interventions. ¹⁹

Mindful Schools works with each school and district to understand their culture, context, assets, and needs, and we emphasize:

You can read more about the research on mindfulness in education, and hear from our Executive Director Seewan Eng in this article:

A Recent Study Found a School-Based Mindfulness Program Doesn't Work-Let's Unpack That

Researchers and key figures reflect on the results and implications of one of the largest studies on mindfulness in schools ever conducted. The bottom line: the structure and approach matter.
"You can have the best curriculum in the world, in any subject area, if you're not able to show up in good shape, it's eventually going to go sideways. Mindful Schools has long had curricula for students, but the whole school approach really begins with adults first. We offer teachers as many entry points as possible. As a teacher, I need a community to support me, not just pressure to do it all on my own. I need an invitation and a reminder to practice, not just another mandate to do more. As more people learn together each year, and capacity builds, this is how a culture of care takes root and sustains." - Seewan Eng, Mindful Schools
1 "Any Anxiety Disorder," National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), n.d., https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder.shtml

2 "Common Sense Census: Media Use by Tweens and Teens," Common Sense, 2021, https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/8-18-census-integrated-report-final-web_0.pdf

3 Jayne O'Donnell, "Teens Aren't Socializing in the Real World. And That's Making Them Super Lonely," USA TODAY, March 20, 2019, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2019/03/20/teen-loneliness-social-media-cell-phones-suicide-isolation-gaming-cigna/3208845002/

4 "Adverse Childhood Experiences Among US Children," The Child Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI), November 2017, https://www.cahmi.org/docs/default-source/resources/issue-brief-adverse-childhood-experiences-among-us-children-(2017).pdf

5 "Coronavirus Disease 2019," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d., https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/p0331-youth-mental-health-covid-19.html.

6 "2017 Educator Quality of Work Life Survey," American Federation of Teachers, 2017, https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/2017_eqwl_survey_web.pdf

7 Madeline Will, "Stress, Burnout, Depression: Teachers and Principals Are Not Doing Well, New Data Confirm," Education Week, June 15, 2022, https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/stress-burnout-depression-teachers-and-principals-are-not-doing-well-new-data-confirm/2022/06

8 Michelle Hackman and Eric Morath, "Teachers Quit Jobs at Highest Rate on Record," WSJ, December 28, 2018, https://www.wsj.com/articles/teachers-quit-jobs-at-highest-rate-on-record-11545993052

9 Emily Berger et al., "A Systematic Review of Evidence-Based Wellbeing Initiatives for Schoolteachers and Early Childhood Educators," Educational Psychology Review 34, no. 4 (July 4, 2022): 2919-69, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-022-09690-5

10 Chiesa, A., & Serretti, A. (2009). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for stress management in healthy people: a review and meta-analysis. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 15(5), 593-600.

Sedlmeier, P., Eberth, J., Schwarz, M., Zimmermann, D., Haarig, F., Jaeger, S., & Kunze, S. (2012). The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 138(6), 1139.

11 Jha, A. P., Krompinger, J., & Baime, M. J. (2007). Mindfulness training modifies subsystems of attention. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, 7(2), 109-119.

12 Condon, P., Desbordes, G., Miller, W. B., & DeSteno, D. (2013). Meditation increases compassionate responses to suffering. Psychological Science, 24(10), 2125-2127.

13 Birnie, K., Speca, M., & Carlson, L. E. (2010). Exploring self-compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). Stress and Health, 26(5), 359-371.

Neff, K. D., & Germer, C. K. (2013). A Pilot Study and Randomized Controlled Trial of the Mindful Self-Compassion Program. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 69(1), 28-44.

Shapiro, S. L., Brown, K. W., & Biegel, G. M. (2007). Teaching self-care to caregivers: effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on the mental health of therapists in training. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 1(2), 105.

14 Goldin, P. R., & Gross, J. J. (2010). Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on emotion regulation in social anxiety disorder. Emotion, 10(1), 83.

15 Ortner, C. N., Kilner, S. J., & Zelazo, P. D. (2007). Mindfulness meditation and reduced emotional interference on a cognitive task. Motivation and Emotion, 31(4), 271-283.

16 Chiesa, A., & Serretti, A. (2009). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for stress management in healthy people: a review and meta-analysis. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 15(5), 593-600.

Pbert, L., Madison, J. M., Druker, S., Olendzki, N., Magner, R., Reed, G., ... Carmody, J. (2012). Effect of mindfulness training on asthma quality of life and lung function: a randomised controlled trial. Thorax, 67(9), 769-776.

17 Hoge, E. A., Bui, E., Marques, L., Metcalf, C. A., Morris, L. K., Robinaugh, D. J., ... Simon, N. M. (2013). Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness Meditation for Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Effects on Anxiety and Stress Reactivity. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 74(8), 786-792.

18 Duyen T. Vo and Kelly Allen, "A Systematic Review of School-Based Positive Psychology Interventions to Foster Teacher Wellbeing," Teachers and Teaching 28, no. 8 (November 12, 2022): 964-99, https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2022.2137138

19 Dana Carsley, Bassam Khoury, and Nancy L. Heath, "Effectiveness of Mindfulness Interventions for Mental Health in Schools: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis," Mindfulness 9, no. 3 (October 23, 2017): 693-707, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-017-0839-2

20 Jutta Tobias Mortlock, Alison Carter, and Dawn Querstret, "Extending the Transformative Potential of Mindfulness through Team Mindfulness Training, Integrating Individual with Collective Mindfulness, in a High-Stress Military Setting," Frontiers in Psychology 13 (June 30, 2022), https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.867110.

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Research on Mindfulness and Education Mindful Schools' programs are informed by decades of research and 15 years of experience in this field. Share this page with your principal, PTA, or peers to make the case for mindfulness in schools.

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Mindfulness Exercises in the Classroom

There are many different helpful types of mindfulness exercises that could be really fun to try in the classroom. Some of these examples include: pinwheel breathing, mindful glitter jar, and smiling minds app.

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What is metacognition and how does this tie into teaching problem solving?

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Teaching problem solving: Let students get ‘stuck’ and ‘unstuck’

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Problem solving skills do not necessarily develop naturally; they need to be explicitly taught in a way that can be transferred across multiple settings and contexts.

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What are three mindfulness exercises you could try this week?

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Mindfulness Exercises for Kids in the Classroom - Waterford.org

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Use these 51 mindfulness activities to help children recognize and manage their thoughts, emotions, and actions—all important SEL skills.

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51 Mindfulness Exercises for Kids in the Classroom

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Teaching problem solving

Intentional teaching of problem solving is crucial to developing the next generation of critical thinkers. It is important to practice getting "stuck" and "unstuck" on different ideas and practicing thinking outside the box. We should be normalizing overcoming hard things and teaching students that they can do it too. We grow in the uncomfortable.

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Utilizing a Problem-Solving Curriculum

A problem-solving curriculum such as Global Problem Solvers is a great way to give direct instruction around metacognition and critical thinking.

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After exploring Global Problem Solvers, what is the problem that they are trying to solve in Series 2?

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This post is sponsored by Global Problem Solvers: The Series (GPS: The Series), a Cisco Corporate Social Responsibility initiative. It was independently conceived and written by Ditch That Textbook's Matt Miller.
Students don't have to wait until they're adults to start solving problems -- both big and small in their community and around the world.

Your classroom is one of the best places to start.

Even better, solving those problems can support the curriculum you teach.

With a problem-solving framework in hand, the right questions to ask, and a way to engage students in the process, your students can be deep into this meaningful work in no time.

Global Problem Solvers: The Series (gpstheseries.com) is a FREE animated video series created as part of Cisco's Corporate Social Responsibility program. It features a diverse group of teens from around the globe using their unique skills to positively impact the world. The videos are geared toward students in grades 4 through 8, but the curriculum has been scaled to use with younger and older students as well.

It includes tons of FREE curriculum resources to get teachers and students thinking and working, like ...

Detailed teacher guides with storyboards, scripts and teaching summaries

Two seasons (seven episodes each) of animated videos

Prompts for class discussion

Long-term projects to solve student-identified problems

Worksheets to help students explore further

Bonus video interviews with entrepreneurs

Bonus STEM lesson plans

All the resources (videos, guides, etc.) are available in English, Spanish, French, and Hindi.

Trailer for Global Problem Solvers: The Series ( view on YouTube)

Mini documentary about how Arizona educators used Global Problem Solvers: The Series at their schools. ( view on YouTube)

10 ways to use GPS: The Series for problem solving

Want to empower your students to solve problems? Want to get them thinking about global and local problems that they could take on?
Here are some ways you can use the FREE resources in GPS: The Series to support your students ...
1. Watch the videos with your students.

The GPS: The Series videos feature a diverse group of teens from different backgrounds, each with a unique skill. They rely on each other, exhibiting true teamwork, to get the job done.

Each series features seven videos between three and five minutes long. They're in that sweet spot: just long enough to engage students but not so long that they overtake precious instructional minutes.

2. Incorporate the nine steps of social entrepreneurship.

A theme that runs through GPS: The Series is social entrepreneurship: a business dedicated to doing good. The steps that a social entrepreneur uses to identify, validate, and create a business can help guide your students in the problem-solving process.

3. Think about problems that students can solve.

Throughout each season of GPS: The Series, students can embark on a long-term project. They identify a problem and take steps to create a solution. The teacher guides for each season gives teacher guidance for facilitating a long-term project. It helps you lead students through the planning process, provides questions for critical conversations, and empowers your students to share their ideas with the world.

4. Master the core elements of storytelling.

A great idea can't be great if others can't see the value in it. The elements of storytelling help students to convey their ideas to others. They also help students become better communicators overall. In Season 1, the long-term project emphasizes storytelling. It explores the concepts of character development, inciting incidents, metaphor, humor, turning points, and resolution.

10 ways to teach problem solving with FREE GPS: The Series curriculum ( View on YouTube)

5. Learn about design thinking.

Design thinking is a type of creative problem-solving that focuses on the users of the solution. Season 2 of GPS: The Series puts an emphasis on using the "discover, define, explore" framework to help students solve problems with the community in mind.

Discover: try to understand the world around them and how it's all interconnected

Define: identify a specific problem to solve

Explore: work through the possible solutions, persevering and learning through complications

6. Infuse into your own curriculum.

GPS: The Series offers lots of ways to integrate the curriculum into your grade level or subject area. The long-term projects from the Teacher's Guides aren't just something else to add to your curriculum for the year. They are another way to help students apply important concepts. This also applies to the videos, discussion questions, worksheets, and other resources in GPS: The Series. For example, ask questions from and focus on concepts from your math and science curriculum while using GPS: The Series resources. Have students practice language arts skills while writing about topics from GPS: The Series.

7. Facilitate meaningful discussions.

The driving force behind a meaningful discussion is a great prompt. When you have a great question or hypothetical situation, it engages students and sparks their creative thinking. Within the curriculum for GPS: The Series, you'll find lots of well-written, thoughtful discussion prompts. Each video has a class discussion section in the teacher's guide. Plus, the Teaching Companion worksheets (currently available in English) keep quality discussion questions at a glance while you teach. These discussions can be facilitated through whole class or small group discussion. In a remote learning setting, call on students to answer during a video call or asking them to respond by typing in the chat. Use video or text discussion tools in face-to-face or remote settings to encourage discussion.

8. Students present solutions.

When students complete a long-term project, they have something to be proud of -- something worth sharing! If their ideas and solutions never leave the classroom, how can students use those solutions to make an impact? And how can they learn that their voice and ideas are important and can make lasting change? To help this sink in, give students opportunities to share their ideas and solutions. Organize a presentation to local decision makers. Set up a video call with an expert in the field. Post images, videos and text to social media accounts. Reach out to local news media. Have students design a website with details about their ideas and solutions, complete with images and video.

9. Add bonus STEM lessons.

Bring the STEM content of GPS: The Series to life with STEM lessons. The Teacher Resources section of the website links to three STEM lesson plans that are integrated with GPS: The Series themes and episodes, including:

10. Connect students with change makers.

Entrepreneurs all over the world are using the processes students use in GPS: The Series. Put your students in touch with them to bring concepts to life. GPS: The Series offers six videos called "The Putri Files", where GPS team leader Putri interviews these entrepreneurs. In addition, you can find entrepreneurs in your local community, state, country or beyond who would meet your students over a video call. Search for entrepreneurs online and reach out to them.

Conclusion: How will you use GPS: The Series resources?

To get started, head to the GPS: The Series "Teacher Resources" page to browse teacher's guides, watch videos, and download resources. Check out their collection of video resources on YouTube. Access the resources in English, Spanish, French, and Hindi.
How could you use these resources in our classroom? How have you incorporated the concepts of entrepreneurship into learning? Please share in a comment below! For notifications of new Ditch That Textbook content and helpful links: Interested in having Matt present at your event or school? Contact him by e-mail! Is Matt presenting near you soon? Check out his upcoming live events!

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10 ways to teach problem solving (with FREE curriculum!)

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This post is sponsored by Global Problem Solvers: The Series (GPS: The Series), a Cisco Corporate Social Responsibility initiative. It was independently conceived and written by Ditch That Textbook's Matt Miller. Students don't have to wait until they're adults to start solving problems -- both big and small in their community and around the world.

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What is Problem-Based Learning?

Problem-based learning is “a student-centered approach in which students learn about a subject by working in groups to solve an open-ended problem” (Cornell University,2010, para. 1). It is student-driven and flexible. Teachers allow students to showcase learning and solve problems in their own way.

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What is an example of how project-based learning (PBL) can be utilized in social studies? Can you think of an idea for utilizing PBL in another subject?

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What is an example of things we can say to our children to promote and teach metacognition? What benefits are there to teaching this at a young age?

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When kids hit difficult problems - the seemingly insurmountable English essay, a math test that takes on epic proportions, social struggles that leave them feeling frustrated - it can be tempting to give up and resort to four words no parent ever wants to hear: "I can't do it."

In order to thrive, kids need to be able to make the transition from the negative "I can't" to the proactive "How can I?"

To do that, they need to think about why they're stuck, what's frustrating them, what they would need to get unstuck. They need to think about their own thinking.

There's a word for that, and it's metacognition.

Metacognition is a big word for something most of us do every day without even noticing. Reflecting on our own thoughts is how we gain insight into our feelings, needs, and behaviors - and how we learn, manage, and adapt to new experiences, challenges, and emotional setbacks. It's the running conversation we have in our heads, mentally sounding ourselves out and making plans. Training kids to use it proactively to overcome obstacles, it turns out, can be a powerful tool.

More and more studies are suggesting that kids who are taught to use metacognitive strategies early on are more resilient and more successful, both in and out of school.

"I view metacognition as a goal," says Marc Gladstone, a learning specialist. "Getting into the habit of using metacognitive strategies early on helps kids become more independent learners and bolsters self-advocacy skills."

"Metacognitive thinking teaches us about ourselves," says Tamara Rosier, a learning coach who specializes in metacognitive techniques. "Thinking about our thinking creates perspective - perspective that leaves room for change."

She gives an example: "Instead of saying, 'Math tests make me anxious,' we're asking ourselves, 'What is it about math tests that makes me feel anxious and what can I do to change that?' "

Kids who are taught to think of themselves as being "good" or "bad" at a particular task can have a fixed mindset that makes them passive in approaching a challenge: either they can do it or they can't, but they aren't likely to think they can change that outcome.

Teaching kids to become more metacognitive helps them move from a mindset that leaves little room for change to a mindset which promotes self-awareness and resilience.

Help for kids with learning issues

Helping your child learn to work through difficult situations (or homework assignments, as the case may be) without becoming overwhelmed or giving up is especially valuable for kids with learning issues who may need to come up with different strategies than other students in the class.

For example:

A child with ADHD who struggles to stay on task is likely to feel frustrated and anxious when he's assigned a long essay. If he's unable to reflect on why the project upsets him he might think, "Everyone else is having an easy time. I'm just bad at writing."

A kid who's learned to reflect on his own learning process, on the other hand, could look at the situation and say, "I always feel like this when I have to work for a long time. Maybe if I take breaks every hour or so I'll feel less stressed out." By taking a metacognitive approach, he's able to manage his frustration and find a better way to approach big assignments in the future.

Great for self-regulation

Metacognitive skills are not only excellent tools for kids who learn differently, and often find themselves struggling to keep up. They also enable kids to self-regulate when faced with challenges, especially unexpected ones.

"One of the most powerful byproducts of metacognitive thinking is increased self-regulation," says Gladstone.

Being able to self-regulate helps kids manage experiences that might otherwise overwhelm them. For example, take two girls who have to audition for a school play, both of whom are struggling with unusually difficult material.

A girl who is regularly told how talented she is and is used to being praised for her performances is likely to get frustrated and overwhelmed at the sheer thought of performing badly.

But a girl who is praised for her ability to work hard and persevere when she's faced with a challenge can draw on her metacognitive skills to help her manage her nerves and help her figure out a way of rehearsing that works better for her.

Quieting negative self-talk

Fallout from a fixed mindset often takes the form of self-criticism. The negative feelings kids experience when they feel frustrated easily turn into negative self-talk. "If I'm so smart, why did I fail the test? I'm not smart. I'm useless."

"When you place your value on being 'smart,' anything that makes you feel less than smart is devastating," says Rosier. "A lot of kids develop a negative inner voice, and they develop it in place of metacognition."

This negative voice is sneaky, she explains, often masquerading as a coach. "You can mistake self-criticism for motivation. What we want to do is get rid of the negative inner voice and replace it with metacognitive thinking that helps your child find new ways to manage her challenges instead of beating herself up about them."

How do you help your child start becoming more meta?" Metacognitive questions, says Rosier, will help your child begin thinking in a more reflective way. Questions should be:

Open-ended. Give your child some space to reflect on his thinking: Can you tell me more about why you think that?

Non-blaming. It can be hard to stay open when kids are acting out, but asking them to think about their behavior can help them learn to manage difficult situations in a better way: Why do you think you got so upset when Dad changed the channel?

Solution-focused. Encourage him to think about how he can use his understanding to change things in the future: How could you handle that differently next time?

Process-oriented. Ask questions that help your child get a better idea of how his thought process works: How will you know when this drawing is finished?

"When you teach kids to think about their behavior differently, they begin to behave differently," says Rosier. But she warns that it's important not to expect instant results. Learning to think metacognitively is a process, and parents may have to accept that a lot of the work is happening behind the scenes.

"Of course we want to see progress, but our children - especially teenagers - don't always share their thinking with us and that's okay."

Just asking the questions gets the metacognitive work going internally, even if it's not visible to the parental eye, Rosier explains. The benefits are the same, she says, even if all you get is a grunt in return.

Learning to learn

Asking questions at home will help kids begin to use metacognitive strategies in their schoolwork, too. For many kids - especially those with learning differences - this can be harder than it sounds. It's easy to get bogged down by poor study habits, procrastination, homework meltdowns, and test stress.

If your child is struggling to work through a long paper, ask questions that help him use his metacognitive skills to try a different approach.

What do you think is making it hard for you to work on this paper right now?

What are some strategies that have helped you do well on similar papers in the past?

Can you use those insights to help you with the work you're doing now?

Asking metacognitive questions will help him clarify his process, manage his anxiety, and find a better way to approach his paper, but the benefits don't end when the assignment is done.

The more your child is able to understand his learning process the easier it will be for him to figure out what strategies and supports work best for him - knowledge that will help him succeed - both now and as he grows up.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is metacognition?

How does metacognition work?

How can parents encourage metacognition?

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Metacognition: How Thinking About Thinking Can Help Kids - Child Mind Institute

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A powerful skill for building resilience through the skills and techniques of metacognition from the experts at The Child Mind Institute.

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What are the five key thinking practices that metacognition involves? What are some ways to intentionally teach these practices?

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When was the last time you reflected on your intellectual growth? When was the last time you stretched it further? Paying attention to how you think and how your thinking affects how you learn enhances both self-awareness and brainpower. This "thinking about thinking" is called metacognition, and it's a skill teachers can introduce to students at a very young age.

What is metacognition?

Philosophers have been thinking about thinking for centuries, but three psychologists-William James, Jean Piaget, and Lev Vygotsky-examined the role of metacognition in modern education. Each studied it from a different angle: James concentrated on the distinctively human ability to look inward; Piaget focused on metacognition as it applies to reasoning; and Vygotsky connected it more broadly with consciousness. "All three," however, "underscored the value of metacognition for intellectual growth."

To understand what you think, you need to understand what you know, which leads to what you don't know. In the classroom, this is where the metacognitive "path to understanding" begins.

Why is metacognition important?

Marilyn Price-Mitchell, PhD, says that metacognition helps children "make greater sense of their life experiences and start achieving at higher levels." That's a pretty huge benefit. But before discussing how to teach it, we need to understand how it works.

Metacognition involves five key thinking practices, or what I used to describe to my high school students as "good habits of mind." They include:

1. Planning and goal setting

2. Continual monitoring of progress

3. Identifying what you know

4. Identifying what you don't know

5. Adapting as necessary

These habits make learning about so much more than the basic memorization of facts and definitions; they help integrate new knowledge into what students already understand about the world. When kids feel the rewards of making genuine connections between facts, definitions, and concepts, learning is a lot more fun. And when learning is fun, it's easier to retain.

"Young people become more self-reliant, flexible, and productive," says Price-Mitchell, "when teachers cultivate students' abilities to reflect on, monitor, and evaluate their learning strategies."

In other words, you're teaching a child to step back and notice her strengths and weaknesses and how those strengths and weaknesses affect her performance. It's like course correction for the mind, and it shows kids that their brains, like their bodies, are growing all the time. Metacognition helps them grow positively, and proactively.

The Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Learning agrees: "Students aren't going to learn how to be good learners unless we engage them in activities and discussions about how they perceive themselves as learners."

How to apply metacognition in the classroom

When teaching metacognitively, the goal is for students to learn a new concept, retain it, and then apply what they learned to new circumstances. You're essentially creating "an environment where students feel comfortable attempting new feats," says John Mendes, EdD.

Consider the following sequence of exercises and keep in mind that metacognitive strategies occur during learning.

1. What don't you know?

Perhaps the single most important thing for children to learn about learning is that it's okay not to know things. That's why we go to school in the first place. Learning is what living is all about. And confusion is a big part of learning. It's important for kids to get comfortable with this idea.

Ask your students to make a list of things they know about the solar system, for example, as well as a list of things they don't know. They'll be excited to share the knowledge they bring to the table, and that excitement will prepare them to investigate the gaps in their knowledge.

2. Make learning visible.

Concept mapping develops logical thinking by literally showing relationships between ideas, images, or words. This is where the lightbulbs start flashing around the room because kids begin to see how isolated ideas relate to the big picture.

Every concept map begins with a focus question, which serves as the trunk of the concept tree (or the beak of the concept octopus or the hub of the concept wheel ... you get the idea). Key concepts associated with that question become the branches, further refined ideas and observations become the leaves, and so on.

To get started, do your first concept map as a group so your students can brainstorm collectively. For some helpful visuals, visit Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything or run a Google image search.

3. Use reflection as a measuring tool.

After you've completed a unit of study, ask your students to make then-and-now charts with one side labeled "Before we studied ..." and the other side labeled "After we studied ... ." In the Before column, have them write everything they thought was true, and in the After column, have them write what they now know to be true.

With this activity, kids are visibly reinforcing the cognitive journey they've just traveled. They are thinking about the thinking they've done and seeing where it's brought them.

In an article for the Brookings blog, David Owen and Alvin Vista outline a feedback tool called Exit Tickets for use at the end of each lesson. Modeled after traffic lights, red prompts students to explain where their learning got held up. Yellow invites different or unexpected questions, ideas, and perspectives. Green signifies new learning.

Hint: Pay close attention to the yellow light. That's where students are reflecting on how they learned-or the act of learning itself-instead of on what they learned.

For older kids, journals are great for reflection. In addition to being safe spaces for analyzing their learning strategies and assessing performance, they also invite students to plan for future learning experiences. "With this," says Mendes, "students are taking accountability for their 'own' learning and developing into lifelong learners."

4. Bookend activities with helpful reminders.

The other day while volunteering in my kindergartener's class, I noticed how his teacher prepared the students for story circle. "As I read this book," she said, "I'd like you to listen for some facts that you already know about platypuses. I'd also like you to listen for some facts that are new to you. Then we'll talk about them after."

Using this simple, tactical method, she was cueing up the class for active listening, while also preparing them for a follow-up discussion. This worked so well that the kids opted to spend extra time sharing all the platypus facts they had learned.

These kinds of prompts are effective at any age and can be easily adapted to mirror the complexity of the material.

5. Facilitate dialogue that challenges biases.

Prejudice interferes with learning. If metacognition is learning how to learn, then it needs to address the personal and social biases we naturally develop over time. The process is called reflexive thinking, or reflexivity; it trains a reflex into the brain to, first, be aware of one's own biases and, then, to use critical thinking to challenge them and consider other perspectives.

Don't miss the opportunity to model healthy reflexive thinking! Perhaps you have a story about an experience that helped you recognize your biases and how you adapted your thinking as a result. Share it. When you do this, you're showing metacognition in action and helping your students see that everyone's thinking evolves over time-even the thinking of teachers.

Is this thing working?

How do you know whether you've successfully fostered metacognition in your classroom? Instead of peppering you with countless questions about a new topic, your students will start asking themselves.

Resources for learning more about metacognition
Come and share your strategies and questions for nurturing metacognition in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook. Plus, check out some of the other articles in this series:

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What Is Metacognition? A Guide for Educators

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When was the last time you reflected on your intellectual growth? When was the last time you stretched it further? Paying attention to how you think and how your thinking affects how you learn enhances both self-awareness and brainpower. This "thinking about thinking" is called metacognition, and it's a skill teachers can introduce to students at a very young age.

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Why should we use Problem-Based Learning?

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Problem-Based Learning | Center for Teaching Innovation

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Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered approach in which students learn about a subject by working in groups to solve an open-ended problem. This problem is what drives the motivation and the learning.

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Project-Based Learning is for all Learners

"It’s important to note that PBL can work for all students; it should not be reserved for those who have higher skill levels or who are fluent English speakers” (Project-Based Learning in Social Studies, 2018, p.23). Working with my special-needs learners, this is important to remember that I can also be incorporating PBL for my students.

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Metacognition= a Skill That Builds Resilience

Teaching and modeling metacognition is a great way to instill healthy habits in our children. Teaching children to think deeply and process their big feelings allows for healing and find solutions.

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Metacognition

Paying attention to how we think helps us become more self aware. It also "helps children “make greater sense of their life experiences and start achieving at higher levels" (Price-Mitchell, 2015, as citied in Kiedaisch, 2018, para. 3)

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The ten concepts that were highlighted in this assignment all tie into our program’s essential question: In light of what is known about how children learn, how shall professional educators best promote resilience and recovery for the children and their families who have experienced traumatic events?

Framing our teaching and learning around competency, projects, standards, and placing emphasis on problem solving skills all promote resilience and hold high standards for success for students and families who have experienced trauma. It is important to continue to provide opportunities that promote learning and are not focused on defining individuals based on their trauma. By also instilling mindfulness techniques along the way, these concepts share the overall goal in mind to help individuals reach their fullest potential, regardless of circumstances.