Putting It All Together by Sara Sumner

Framing

saralsumnerlcsw — 2025-07-27 23:13:22 UTC

Framing is about the way we use words and the impact of our words on the students thoughts and feelings about what we are saying. By paying attention to our words, we can set the stage for how the student will hear it. For example, saying “lets do it”promotes a feeling of success (yes, I can do this!) rather than “lets try” which has a connotation of failure (I may not be able to do this). As educators, we are salespeople, selling the possibility of learning. Our chosen words and phrases have a big impact on the students perceptions of the task at hand.

Prewiring

saralsumnerlcsw — 2025-07-27 23:16:18 UTC

This tool is about giving students a heads up about what is to come in order to get their brain ready for the event. We are striving to give the student some expectation of what is going to happen in the next learning session. If worded correctly, they not only

engage excitement, but also the strong probability of success. Prewiring frames the mind and creates a state of anticipation. It can be done through oral statements, artwork or posters, metaphors or sayings dis-played on the wall, or direct experiences before the unit study begins.

Loops

saralsumnerlcsw — 2025-07-27 23:17:48 UTC

The brain loves making patterns to create meaning and the more completed loops that occur in relationship to the learning, the more memory banks are activated, and therefore the higher the chance of accurate recall. Loops can be short-term, as in finishing off a statement or answer, mid-term, as in finishing work that you have begun, long-term, as in linking together work throughout the year as themes or future-focused, as in the use of prewiring.

Feedback

saralsumnerlcsw — 2025-07-27 23:19:06 UTC

Feedback is an important part of the loop. Giving students accurate feedback can help them get prepared to move forward and take another step in the learning process. It begins with the internal chatter before, during, and after the task and is often concerned with how we perceive our ability. We can focus on feedback to ensure the student reflects back on their personal goals, look at where they are and ask the following questions to help move to a new level/step: What have I learned? What do I now know that I didn’t know before? What have I learned about myself? Where am I performing well and where do I need to improve?

Mindmapping and Mindscapes

saralsumnerlcsw — 2025-07-27 23:20:19 UTC

Mind mapping is a way to make a visual representation of your thoughts and to help see where your thoughts will take you next. Mindmapping is both sequential and random; visual in that it involves words, symbols,and color; and extremely flexible in the way it can be designed and used. Mind maps and mindscapes are a great way to review, because they have something in them that appeals to most learners.

Reflection

saralsumnerlcsw — 2025-07-27 23:21:38 UTC

Reflection is a crucial part of the learning process. Reflection involves four parts: Restating the learning goal, Reviewing the process, Providing feedback about what we learned and Reflecting on what has transferred. Reflection helps us process and be in the moment. It pulls everything we have learned together and gives us meaning, purpose and a guide for next steps.

Lo, Mo and Ho Questions

saralsumnerlcsw — 2025-07-27 23:23:09 UTC

Learning how to ask meaningful and purposeful questions is an important part of the learning progress. “It is more important for students to learn what questions to ask—and how to ask them—than to learn the answers. There are low (lo) level, middle (mo) and high (ho) level questions. Most questions are low level, but we are striving to help students learn to ask more middle level (mo) higher level (ho) questions. These questions involve understanding and detecting and inventing and evaluating. This is not easy and will require practice but will open valuable learning opportunities.

Inclusive Responses

saralsumnerlcsw — 2025-07-27 23:25:45 UTC

The climate of the classroom must include inclusive responses in order for students to feel emotionally safe and valued. Teachers should ask a question and respond

to answers with a range of comments that acknowledge effort and participation such as "I appreciate your contribution" or “thanks for taking part.” In this process it is important to acknowledge the response, but avoid rating the answer in any form. If the correct answer is supplied, the acknowledgement is still made regarding the participation, and the process continues. This encourages students to think through a wider range of possibilities, which encourages higher-level processing.

Response Time

saralsumnerlcsw — 2025-07-27 23:27:41 UTC

It is important to allow adequate time after posing a question so students can reflect and think about the answer without the teacher rushing into ask a follow up or providing them an answer. Some tips for response time:

Only ask questions that students will have a fair chance of answering
Avoid giving clues
Instead of rephrasing or repeating the question, ask students a

question and then deliberately sit and wait for a response.

At times, structure a finite time for processing. Ask the question

and then let them know that they have two minutes to think of an

answer.

The inability to respond is normal.
Accept the answer as genuine.
Allow time for correction. When students feel that they can change

their answers without penalty, the class learning culture is operating

well.

Remember not to accept the first correct response.
Provide a clear “why” for the process.
Changing a habit can be challenging.

Hands Free

saralsumnerlcsw — 2025-07-27 23:28:44 UTC

This is the obligation to answer even if your hand is not raised. Delay the introduction of this obligation until you have built a positive culture. It is important to make sure that the process is not too stressful, but it is also important to have an expectation that students will take a leading role in their learning.