I have a hard time considering myself an expert in anything because there’s always room to grow in a specific area. So how can I be an expert if I still haven’t learned all the information? Sure, I’m good at things, but good isn’t synonymous with an expert. I asked my fiancé, ‘What’s something that I’m an expert-”. Before finishing, he interrupted with, “Time management. You manage yourself. You manage me. You manage your students. You have spreadsheets and schedules for everything”. He’s not wrong about the latter. But that posed the question, Can you be an expert in something as ambiguous as to time management? Time management is not a specified field, nor is it a tangible item that can be produced. Branford (2000) says that “Experts can flexibly retrieve important aspects of their knowledge with little attentional effort” (p. 31). So by definition, I would safely assume that one can be an expert even in disciplines that seem a bit ambiguous, such as time management. 

As noted above, I have a hard time declaring that I’m an expert at anything. However, I think I am exceptionally good at managing time, creating schedules, and diligently sticking to them. There are a few approaches that distinguish me from a novice:

1.       I’ve seen the negative consequences of not managing my time, which has deterred me from making that mistake again. 

2.       I’ve seen the positive effects and recognition I get when I follow schedules precisely. I am motivated by the gratification I get and the recognition I receive for being early, accomplishing tasks on time, checking things off my to-do list. 

3.       I seek out new opportunities to manage my time better (cue all the self-help books). 

4.       I know what areas I’m strong in and what areas take me more time. So, I often run cost-analysis between my time and services/products to determine if I should purchase something or make it myself. That is, I know that I’m not an expert at making worksheets, but I can certainly spend the time to dink around with it until I figure it out. But, if making a worksheet is one of many things on my list by a specific date, then I’m better off purchasing one than spending the time to make it myself-ensuring that everything gets done by a specific time.

Point 2 leads me to question, In what ways do, if at all, do motivation affect one’s level of expertise in a specific field? Are people more inclined to become and expert in a field, if the results of doing so are motivating to them?

Works Cited

Bransford, J., Brown, A. & Cocking, R. (Eds.) (2000).  How people learn: Brain, mind, 

experience, and school. Washington, D.C: National Research Council: Committee on

Developments in Science of Learning. National Academy Press.

 

Thanks for your feedback😊

This reading was particularly intriguing and relevant to me, as I am going to be entering my sixth year of teaching.  For many aspects of my job, I now consider myself to be more of an expert, whereas a few years ago I was more of a novice. However, we were introduced to a new language arts curriculum this year, and I am very much a novice in that area! Being able to reflect on the traits of being an expert in an area allows me to better approach my colleagues and my students. I need to remind myself that things that may be automatic for me may not be so for another. For example, we are going to be having a new Speech Language Pathologist joining our staff this year. I will need to remind myself to slow down when explaining things to her that are essentially second nature to me at this point.  One way in which the author's thinking resonated with me was when he was discussing the two chess players in figure 2.2 (Bransford, p. 35). It made complete sense to me that even an expert chess player would have difficulty remembering the configurations on the chessboard when the configurations were not meaningful. This is why it is critical for us as educators to always make what we are teaching meaningful for our students. Simply berating them with random facts or equations is not enough for them to assign meaning to what we are teaching and therefore be able to recall and apply it. We need to strive to have learning experiences that are meaningful and connected to our students in order for them to further their learning.  

References: 

Bransford, J., Brown, A. & Cocking, R. (Eds.) (2000).  How people learn: Brain, mind, 

experience, and school. Washington, D.C: National Research Council: Committee on

Developments in Science of Learning. National Academy Press.

“Deep understanding of subject matter transforms factual information into usable knowledge. A pronounced difference between experts and novices is that experts’ command of concepts shapes their understanding of new information: it allows them to see patterns, relationships, or discrepancies that are not apparent to novices” (Bransford et al., 2000, p. 16). This also requires expert teachers to make decisions from “mental models” and working fast without sacrificing accuracy (Fletcher-Wood, 2017). 

 

I began to visualize experts having a mental capacity of a university library that spans a variety of information in a large square foot room. There is an ample amount of information to choose from, but it is also important to be able to retrieve it in a timely manner, such as with an experienced librarian. Novice reminds me of a new freshman on their first day of library orientation with a deer in the headlights look. I think about how my years of experience have made me time efficient in certain protocol compared to students who have only seen a handful of patients. Practice really does help! 

 

I was discouraged reading, “Expertise in a particular domain does not guarantee that one is good at helping others learn it. In fact, expertise can sometimes hurt teaching because many experts forget what is easy and what is difficult for students” (Bransford et al., 2000, p. 44). I can see how this is true, and how easy it could be for a teacher to assume their student’s grasp on the information. I often worry when I finished explaining something that students may not speak up if they do not understand. When I work with students one-on-one in the clinic, I can often gauge their level of confidence in understanding based on their responses, both verbal and physical. The tricky part is when they are together as class. Are they hesitant to ask because the whole class is listening? I do try my best to reiterate to my students to always contact me if they have questions. 

 

My question is, if experts may not always be the best teachers based on losing insight into what is simple or problematic for students, how can we improve this in experts? What are better ways to make information more conductive to learning based on expert knowledge (besides using layman’s terms, asking situational/applicable questions to students, etc)? Thank you for your ideas! :)

 

Works Cited: 

 

Bransford, J., Brown, A. & Cocking, R. (Eds.) (2000).  How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C: National Research Council: Committee on Developments in Science of Learning. National Academy Press.

 

Fletcher-Wood, H. (2017). What makes expert teachers?. In Improving Teaching. Retrieved June 21, 2021, from https://improvingteaching.co.uk/2017/04/09/what-makes-expert-teachers/

 

 

As a teacher, I find myself skipping steps that feel obvious because I assume my students already know. While Bransford says experts don’t always make for good teachers, I’d push back on that idea -- I think part of being an expert is being able to anticipate what a novice will need explained. That to me shows a greater depth and breadth of knowledge than simply being able to complete a task. In language arts, students often struggle with the concept of “theme.” I can anticipate they will need help creating distinction between theme and message because I have knowledge of this subject, but a novice teacher might not realize where the confusion stems from. 

I guess the question then becomes: how to teachers ensure they are providing students with the foundational knowledge they need for more advanced tasks without constantly reteaching the same thing?

Bransford, J., Brown, A. & Cocking, R. (Eds.) (2000).  How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C: National Research Council: Committee on Developments in Science of Learning. National Academy Press. 

On the other hand, if I have to choose something that I consider myself good at, I think I am good at ‘Being punctual’ (I am aware this is not a field but I think this is one of my best skills). Taking in consideration several principles of expert’s knowledge and applying them to ‘Being punctual’, I can explain how they relate to this skill.

In order to be punctual, there are many factors that you need to consider. First, you need to ask yourself how much time you need before leaving your place and what are the things that you will need to do before leaving. Things such as taking a shower, getting dressed, brushing your teeth, packing lunch, organizing a backpack, etc. Second, estimate traffic time and give yourself an extra 10-15 minutes for unexpected events. In my case, I know exactly how much time I need in order to do these tasks and I know exactly at what time I need to leave the door to be on time. All of these factors (knowledge) explains why I have become an expert in this matter. Attending to the key principles mentioned in the chapter I could say more specifically that:

By doing these tasks on a daily basis and sometimes establishing these tasks almost as a routine, being punctual becomes much easier to accomplish.

When I think about a possible novice in regards to this skill, I immediately think about my middle school students. Yes, they are late many times and don't know why! This is something that we try to teach in our Advisory class when we talk about time management and the importance of being on time. We try to promote respect and make them understand that we need to value people’s time. In addition, we try to make them see the importance of being responsible.

When I first started running I would research training plans and now I have the knowledge to develop plans that will work best for me. I believe this example is tied to Bransfords first key principle, “Experts notice features and meaningful patterns of information that are not noticed by novices” (Bransford, 2000, p. 31). I know the patterns of my training and how to train in an effective way for me. In addition throughout my training I have had various small injuries such as shin splints. Knowing the patterns of what each injury feels like or what might cause it helps me become a better runner. Identifying patterns also shows up when determining what I should eat before a run. I see how I feel running after eating different foods an am able to identify the pattern of what will make me feel the best. I have also learned how much water I should drink or what I should eat to feel the best during my runs. I believe that all the examples listed above are also tied to Bransford’s second key principle as well, “ Experts have acquired a great deal of content knowledge that is organized in ways that reflect a deep understanding of their subject matter” (Bransford, 2000 p. 31). I have gathered knowledge throughout my time running. This also connects to my understanding of patterns. When my knee feels a certain way I can bring my previous knowledge from research and the patterns I have noticed to determine what I should do about it. 

Another aspect that stood out to me was that you don’t need to be able to teach something to be an expert on it (Bransford, 2000, p. 44). Throughout my time running I have learned a lot about what the best ways for me to train is because I have mostly learned through experience. I have not developed a general understanding about running. Therefore what I have found works best for me may not work best for someone else. For this reason I don’t believe I have the knowledge to effectively teach someone else how to prepare for a half marathon. 

Bransford, J., Brown, A. & Cocking, R. (Eds.) (2000).  How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C: National Research Council: Committee on Developments in Science of Learning. National Academy Press.31-50

I remember walking into the weight room almost 10 years ago for the first time and feeling absolutely intimidated and lost. On the whiteboard there was a list of obscure names, numbers, and percentages, and I couldn’t identify any piece of equipment around me. One day at a time, I learned how to make sense of all of it, and soon my body didn’t feel as awkward trying to maneuver the equipment. Then, as the years of practice began to add up, I transitioned from understanding what was written on that white board to why it was written. Just as the authors described through the physics analogy “novices tend to perceive problem solving in physics as memorizing, recalling, and manipulating equations to get answers,” I was also initially only worried about knowing how to successfully complete the list of lifts (2000, p. 37). Then, my knowledge expanded and I understood things such as which muscle groups different lifts focused on, or why we lift heavier in different seasons.  In other words, I was starting to make meaning of the patterns; “Research on expertise suggests the importance of providing students with learning experiences that specifically enhance their abilities to recognize meaningful patterns of information” (2000, p. 36). After four years of being taught by my weightlifting  teacher, an expert, I have a hard time comparing my knowledge to his and calling myself an expert, however, I was able to carry one the practice without his guidance. According to the Bransford text, I was conditionalized , which is when “experts have not only acquired knowledge, but are also good at retrieving the knowledge that is relevant to a particular task” (2000, p. 43). 

National Research Council. 2000. How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School: Expanded Edition. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Areas in teaching that I would put myself into the expert category would be building relationships with students with autism, creating a structured classroom, embedding fine motor work and other related services into the daily classroom routine, and setting up a classroom environment. Sadly I do not think that I have any non-professional areas that I would call myself an expert. But going through marriage counseling, I would say that I am pretty close to being an expert at communicating with my partner and soon to be husband. 

In chapter 2 I found the quote about ‘chunking’ in short term memory to be quite applicable to the areas in which I am an accomplished novice and expert professionally- due to the ability to chunk and to quickly find patterns and associations. Bransford (2000) states that, “since there are limits on the amount of information that people can hold in short term memory, short-term memory is enhanced when people are able to chunk information into familiar patterns” (pg 33). He goes on to say that, ‘in each case, expertise in a domain helps people develop a sensitivity to patterns of meaningful information that are not available to novices” (pg 33). 

Further into the chapter he writes that, “research on expertise suggests the importance of providing students with learning experiences that specifically enhance their abilities to recognize meaningful patterns of information.” (pg 36). I have found myself explain to others who observe me working in my self-contained classroom that I have an innate ability to find patterns and associations quickly and then act on them to better inform my reactions, be proactive in future encounters and facilitate learning for students who show distress or are not progressing. 

Bransford, J., Brown, A. & Cocking, R. (Eds.) (2000).  How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C: National Research Council: Committee on Developments in Science of Learning. National Academy Press. 

In my personal life, I consider myself an expert when it comes to playing the game of mancala. As a child, my 5th grade teacher taught me how to play and signed me up for mancala tournaments at school. It is a game I thoroughly enjoy playing along with others. In the game, there are two rows of the board, with four beads in each of the six pockets. The point is to gather as many beads on the appropriate side with each move. Two points that distinguish me from a novice are the following:

In my professional life, I consider myself an expert when it comes to building relationships with students. Although this year was difficult because of COVID, I like to make connections in order to better understand my wonderful students. One point that distinguish me from  a novice is the following:

Although I consider myself an expert on these tasks, I still have so much more to learn from others and with my continuing experiences! 

References: 

Bransford, J., Brown, A. & Cocking, R. (Eds.) (2000).  How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C: National Research Council: Committee on Developments in Science of Learning. National Academy Press. 

When I think about my approach to paint pouring and how I might be an accomplished novice I think about the way I chunk information. This was an important aspect of our chapter reading. While there is not a lot of “chunking” to be done in abstract paint pouring, I still understand aspects of color theory in which colors combined would create a muddy color versus the colors that are complementary. This is important when it comes to how I build my paint cup to ensure I can create an interesting pattern of colors. I don’t chunk each individual blue or red, but rather the spectrum of different colors (all shades of yellow, all shades of orange). The ability to chunk colors in meaningful ways also helps me when it comes to creating different patterns. I have also learned to focus on the end goal of my painting and use familiar patterns and shades of color to increase my chance of interesting abstract art. The ability to use the major principles of color theory and paint pouring indicates some sort of advanced novice ability on my part. 

Bransford, J., Brown, A. & Cocking, R. (Eds.) (2000).  How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C: National Research Council: Committee on Developments in Science of Learning. National Academy Press.

Bransford also talks about the importance of “chunking” related information to better retain and process large amounts of information (p.32). In the field of captioning and transcribing, we use this term “chunk” to describe the method we use to be able to capture as much of what is said as possible. We provide what we call “meaning-for-meaning captioning,” which means that we do not type verbatim; instead we eliminate repetition and reword phrases while keeping their meaning. I am able to listen to what is being said and group phrases and thoughts in my mind, then reword them more succinctly, to shorten my typing time and be able to keep up with the speaker. This is a skill that I had to develop, and without being able to chunk phrases, transcribing quickly becomes overwhelming.

Bransford’s ideas of chunking and conditionalizing resonate with my experiences with teaching and learning. I believe that students need connections and context to get the most out of what they are learning. On page 43, the authors talked about how textbooks will focus on formulas and laws without teaching when to use them. This was my own experience in school, and it is one reason why I do not enjoy math. I could never find a teacher who would explain to me why I was being made to manipulate those numbers or learn those formulas. It just felt like busywork. Even as a student now, I find that when I am able to draw connections between themes and theories, group the concepts into chunks, and identify when to apply them, I understand and retain the information much better.

Bransford, J., Brown, A. & Cocking, R. (Eds.) (2000).  How
people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C: National Research Council:
Committee on Developments in Science of Learning. National Academy Press.

As a mom to a toddler and a teacher, there are many opportunities for the need to notice patterns, reflect, and look for meaningful information. Specifically speaking to behavioral challenges faced. Children are faced with many moments for learning, growth, and experiences each day both at home and in the classroom. There will be moments of dysregulation. Whether they are feeling something they cannot identify, they witnessed a traumatic event, or they are unsure of where their next meal is coming from, I believe that there is always a reason for a child to act out. 

The important part about being a mom and teacher, is getting to the bottom of why a child is reacting the way they are. I work to create relationships with my children, encourage choice/willingness, and use positivity and patience, rather than fear and punishment. I look for patterns, I use clues surrounding the situation to problem solve. As I continue to identify these patterns, I will also encourage and model what it looks like for the children to do the same. How are they feeling in this situation? What do you do/how do you react when you are feeling _____”. This is important to me because as Bransford mentioned, “Research on expertise suggests the importance of providing students with learning experiences that specifically enhance their abilities to recognize meaningful patterns of information. (2000, p.36). It is up to us, accomplished novices to help tap into students’ existing knowledge to encourage them to find new information as they navigate through each day, moment, experience, and emotion. 

National Research Council. 2000. How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School: Expanded Edition. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

As an adult I have solved many math problems following this strategy that sometimes when I’m teaching the students I forget a step. Fortunately, I have a few students who keep me on track and remind me of the step of underlying or high lighting, the most important part of the problem. In addition, this chapter was important because it described the six principles of expertise that have to be considered simultaneously as part of our daily routines. I feel like as humans we are always learning and going through the novice step to the expert level. However, to get to the expert level it takes a while because technology and other things are changing and we can’t stay behind as teachers. 

I believe practicing regularly doesn't really distinguish me from a novice too much in that a novice is probably practicing just as much if not more than me to improve themselves. My knowledge around skillsets and tools is organized around core concepts or in my case I would call them styles that guide my thinking. When I edit a photo I'm attempting to create a result of a finished image I already have in my head. Posing this as a problem would be, how do I go about applying the skills I know to achieve the photo I want. The more often I create the same style the more "conditionalized" it becomes. I'm using these styles based on when it is appropriate rather than 'reciting' the process of creating the style. This allows me to use it in other cases where it may be appropriate but could use a little creative adjustment. Fluency in creating styles allows my conscious attention more capacity to attend to other aspects of this task such as, making sure I don't have clipping in my blacks and whites (this results in a loss of information for that area of the photo). 

I review ways of improvement when I'm not sure that the skillsets I do have will help me in creating the desired photo. After reviewing additional information, I'm able to implement what I've learned. It takes me longer to digest and retain the information sometimes. After reading Chapter two I realized there's a name for this process, "metacognition" - the ability to monitor one’s current level of understanding and decide when it is not adequate." (Bransford pg. 47) In terms of learning how to create a desired photo, I realized I need to learn different process' in order to create a photo that I had not previously done before. 

I believe creating something outside of what you normally create is something that all levels of someone whose attempting to complete a task has to deal with. With practice comes more confidence in someones ability to reach out of their comfort zone to do the task in a different way than they're familiar with. I found Bransfords take on the differences between artisans and virtuosos interesting here in that a virtuoso when given a problem will "also consider whether the problem as presented is the best way to begin." (Bransford pg. 50) When I was first starting out editing photos in college I would sometimes use the style of editing my teacher did in their own personal work (or even in an example of how to edit a photo). This of course, isn't always the best way to begin for a variety of reasons but it took time for me to separate trying to make something look good in the way someone else created it and instead monitoring how I wanted to approach the problem. My experience, knowledge, and interpretation of a photo guides how I choose to edit it. This allows me to progress at my own pace while also building up my confidence to identify and pursue new learning goals such as, seeking out new styles of editing. 

Chapter Two explained in detail how experts and novices differ, and it is not in which one is able to recall the most information. Novices as we know are those who are starting out in a field, or who are learning to adapt to the skills and knowledge needed to progress. While I am a novice in many areas in my life, one of the things outside of teaching that I see myself as above a novice- or an accomplished novice is in my ability to cook. 

As someone who grew up in a rather traditionally strict household I was brought into the kitchen at a young age and have gone on to rather enjoy cooking for my family and friends. What separates my talents as a home-cook from novice into an accomplished novice is my ability to recall information related to cooking and adapt for change: an example of this would be my understanding of the need for dishes to need more heat, spice, sugar, flour etc. just by looking at the dish as it cooks. Adaptive Expertise and the ability to recognize when something isn't working is a key component of transitioning from a novice into an expert. 

Accounting for the variables in cooking and planning accordingly is similar to teaching and adapting lesson plans for the variables of the students engagement or prior knowledge. As mentioned by the authors, “Accomplished novices are skilled in many areas and proud of their accomplishments, but they realize that what they know is miniscule compared to all that is potentially knowable.” I am able to see that I have come a long way in the skills and knowledge I have in the kitchen, but I know that there is still much room for improvement in technique and implementation.

The final reasoning for why I would place myself under the “accomplish novice,” category for cooking is that similar to an expert: I can connect patterns, see the “Big Ideas,” experiment with new methods and adaptations; but I am unable to transfer this knowledge to others. I am a terrible teacher in the kitchen as I cannot practise the metacognition needed to question why I approach certain recipes a certain way or be bothered to improve those I feel I have already mastered. It is with this new definition of what makes someone an expert that I see how I can rethink my rigid ways of cooking.

Bransford, J., Brown, A. & Cocking, R. (Eds.) (2000).  How

people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C: National Research Council:

Committee on Developments in Science of Learning. National Academy Press.

I started skating when I was 5 years old and competed until I was 18. I was able to reach the “senior” level tests that you must take in order to compete in that level. After skating this long I know so much about the jumps, spins, footwork, and what my body needs to do in order to successfully do these things. I also know a lot about the scoring system, competitions, and the sport in general. The main reason I believe that I am a novice figure skater rather than an expert is because there are many jumps that I was not able to successfully accomplish during my time as a skater. Another reason is when watching other skaters, I am able to identify the moves they do and how well they do them for the most part, but I am unable to pick up on little things that an expert skater or coach would be able to notice. Bransford writes “Experts notice features and meaningful patterns of information that are not noticed by novices.” My competitive skating days are over, but I do believe that I could become an expert in the sport by coaching. Coaching would help me learn little patterns and errors that I do not see now when watching other skaters. I would also have to continue to educate myself on current skating trends and people in order to lead my students to success. Right now I coach for fun and to stay involved in the sport. I don’t see myself coaching full time right now, however it is something to keep in mind for the future!

Bransford, J., Brown, A. & Cocking, R. (Eds.) (2000).  How

people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C: National Research Council: Committee on Developments in Science of Learning. National Academy Press.

In my educational life I consider myself to be an accomplished novice on being able to communicate with parents and build a respectful, welcoming and inclusive classroom environment for all my students. Bransford mentions, “Experts’ thinking seems to be organized around big ideas” (Bransford, 2000, p. 38). I think it if I want to get to all my students families and have all my students feel welcomed and included in my class it is hard to pin point one big main idea and become an expert at that idea because every year we get new students and families and everyone is different. I think that as a teacher you need to observe your own students and families needs and adapt and help each and one of them according to their needs. Therefore thinking as an expert and adapt and be an experty in one big idea is not possible for me to maintain and practice each year to help my students and families. I do try my best to always get to know my families and students in the first couple of weeks so that way from the get go I am able to help my students and families feel welcomed and happy in my class. 

In my personal life I consider myself to be close to an expert on playing volleyball. I am able to recognize features and patterns of the process. 

Brasnford mentions, “In each case, expertise in a domain helps people develop a sensitivity to patterns of meaningful information that are not available to novices” (Bransford, 2000, p. 33). I have been playing volleyball since I was in 6th grade-high school. Still continue to play but not in teams just for fun and I sometimes teach relatives how to play. I give them keep points (main ideas) of where to look for, what techniques to use when playing, what is the best way to hit the ball when it is being hit to you etc. 

Something new that the author invites me to think of or consider is the question that Bransford mentions on Pg 45, “An important question for educators is whether some ways of organizing knowledge are better at helping people remain flexible and adaptive to new situations than other”? I want to ask my classmates what are some ways you have considered or done in your classroom to help students organize their ideas and what they are learning in a specific subject for them to be able to be experts at a specific subject or an activity for example a first grade being able to solve word problems and detect patterns to solve them with more precision. 

References: 

Bransford, J., Brown, A. & Cocking, R. (Eds.) (2000).  How people learn: Brain, mind, 

experience, and school. Washington, D.C: National 
Research Council: Committee on

Developments in Science of Learning. National Academy Press.

Bransford, J., Brown, A. & Cocking, R. (Eds.) (2000).  How

people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C: National Research Council: Committee on Developments in Science of Learning. National Academy Press.

I found Bradfords thoughts on adaptive expertise and metacognition to be most relevant to my thinking about being an accomplished novice at yoga.  On pg. 50 he states that, “people’s mental models of what it means to be an expert can affect the degree to which they learn throughout their lifetimes.”  My personal beliefs about being an accomplished novice at yoga who still has a lot to learn, instead of an expert who knows everything about yoga, feels much more comfortable to me.  But, at the same time, I feel like this sentiment is a bit limiting.  I know I do not know everything there is to know about yoga, but simply accepting I am not an expert in spite of my higher level of understanding, practice and skill set at yoga, is hard to swallow.   I am interested in learning more about my beliefs and implicit and explicit understandings about knowledge and expertise.  

Bransford, J., Brown, A. & Cocking, R. (Eds.) (2000).  How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C: National Research Council: Committee on Developments in Science of Learning. National Academy Press.

On page 48, Bransford states that, “Beliefs about what it means to be an expert can affect the degree to which people explicitly search for what they don’t know and take steps to improve the situation.” These powerful words remind me of how much time I have invested in teaching literacy. I consider myself an accomplished novice at teaching students to read, as I recognize that what I “know is minuscule compared to all that is potentially knowable” (p. 48). Although I have spent the past two decades seeking out information and opportunities to improve upon my practice, I know that I still have much to learn. I have accomplished my goal of being highly effective at teaching my students to read, and yet I am aware that with each year that passes my skill sets and effectiveness increase because I am open to taking in new information that results in me implementing more effective strategies. 

Through coursework, collaboration with colleagues, observations of highly effective educational practices, and seeking feedback from administrators, I have learned strategies that distinguish me from a novice teacher. For example, I have spent the majority of my career as a kindergarten teacher and therefore have had countless students enter my classroom not knowing letters, sounds, high frequency words, etc. I am proud to share that I have not had a student leave my classroom not being able to read. I appreciate what Bransford touches upon on page 48 about the importance of teachers being more interested in growing their skills than appearing competent in order to actually grow and expand their knowledge. Bransford’s words harmonize with my ideas, as they reinforce the importance of tying in students’ background knowledge and modeling and fostering a growth mindset. Bransford’s work seems tightly relevant to my own work because I wholeheartedly agree that, “Expertise in an area does not guarantee that one can effectively teach others about that area. Expert teachers know the kinds of difficulties that students are likely to face, and they know how to tap into their students’ existing knowledge in order to make new information meaningful plus assess their students’ progress” (p. 49). I could not have said it better myself!

Bransford, J., Brown, A. & Cocking, R. (Eds.) (2000).  How

people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C: National Research Council: Committee on Developments in Science of Learning. National Academy Press.

people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C: National Research Council: Committee on Developments in Science of Learning. National Academy Press.

Bransford, J., Brown, A. & Cocking, R. (Eds.) (2000).  How people learn: Brain, mind, 

experience, and school. Washington, D.C: National 
Research Council: Committee on

Developments in Science of Learning. National Academy Press.

people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C: National Research Council: Committee on Developments in Science of Learning. National Academy Press.