Making Depth & Complexity Work For Me! by Ashley Lovern

With the icons included, connections between prior knowledge and concepts could easily be identified.

sives2 — 2022-10-21 22:52:23 UTC

The more that students are familiar the clearer what they are being asked to do becomes.

2022-10-21 22:54:24 UTC

The icons and attached activities definitely elevate the lesson through allowing the students to be interactive with the lesson.

2022-10-21 22:54:25 UTC

The learner is able to focus in on what is important on the slide.

1303016 — 2022-10-21 22:54:33 UTC

2022-10-21 22:58:40 UTC

Checking for student learning as you go through the lesson. It would help them to synthesize their learning and open up more working memory for what comes next.

The lesson with icons was more interactive and engaging. Students needed to use the information and make predictions, rather than just reading about something.

2023-08-22 16:42:14 UTC

When the icons were added, it was more clear the objective of that portion of the lesson. The icon made me think about the purpose immediately and why/how I should engage with the content.

2023-08-22 16:43:16 UTC

The icons elevate critical thinking because students are thinking not only about the material being learned but other ways to think of the material. E.G. This is order of operations>This is a math RULE>The important idea is that mathematicians have rules people follow so everyone's calculations have the same result.

2023-08-22 16:48:17 UTC

Critical Thinking and Connections

emahoney25 — 2023-08-22 16:50:39 UTC

The icons promoted WAY more connections within a single topic with promoting students to think through multiple perspectives and to have then reflect at the end by using the 4 icons. Critical Thinking was requested through the prompts and interactive elements instead of just being told the information.

2023-08-22 16:52:38 UTC

With the icons, it helps students categorized the information.

2023-08-22 16:54:11 UTC

I can visualize how the icon can help the students take notes as they help categorize the presented information.

2023-08-25 17:14:15 UTC

Icon version is much more interactive and kids participate

JSMS

coats4 — 2023-08-25 17:16:01 UTC

When you have to think before someone hands you the information, then you are more invested and want to learn about the topic more. The icons instantly let students know they need to start some form of thinking.

2023-08-25 17:16:49 UTC

One is more visual and the other is more bullet points/dry.

JSMS

coats4 — 2023-08-25 17:17:50 UTC

Students can feel more connected to the lesson because even if they don't know anything about the topic, they know the icons. They can then use their familiarity with the icons as an entry into their work on the topic.

The slideshow with the icons allowed the viewer to make more connections between the information presented and the learning targets.

2023-08-25 17:18:20 UTC

The icons in the second lesson appeal more to visual learners or students with lower reading levels. The icons also help students find an idea to focus on.

2023-08-25 17:18:26 UTC

2023-08-25 17:19:07 UTC

The slideshow with the icons allowed the viewer to make more connections between the information presented and the learning targets.

Students can easily identify key elements of the lessons by looking for icons without having to scan a lot of text

2023-10-13 20:06:00 UTC

The Peardeck with the icons is far more interactive and allows students to bring their thoughts to the discussion and work rather than just a lecture at the students.

2023-10-13 20:06:06 UTC

2023-10-13 20:06:09 UTC

On the word problems slide, students may have just jumped in to start solving the problem, seeing that word problems involve pulling out details could have them focus more on pulling out the important information prior to trying to solve the problem.

Learning targets are on the screens

2023-10-13 20:06:31 UTC

Students will see the icons and it will trigger them to think about content in a deeper way

2023-10-13 20:06:37 UTC

The Icons Draw your eyes...

butler_cathleen — 2023-10-13 20:06:52 UTC

Your brain says, "what IS the Big idea?" or what IS the vocabulary?" It gives you questions that you seek answers for.

Health Icon Slides

2023-10-13 20:06:58 UTC

The lesson with icons was much more interactive. The icons showed the students what they should be focusing on for each Slide.

Gives them connections in their brains and a key place to store needed info by recognizing icons

2023-10-13 20:06:59 UTC

2023-10-13 20:07:08 UTC

Rules icon help students know that they need to plug that into their brain as something important to remember on how to solve the math.

AMS Response

2023-10-13 20:07:09 UTC

Adds an element of student self assessment. If students didn't make those connections then it can spur them to go back and rethink.

Accountability

2023-10-13 20:07:11 UTC

There is more opportunity for students to engage and be held accountable for the learning, as well as varying levels of questioning rather than just pure content delivery.

Maths

2023-10-13 20:07:14 UTC

The icons would help students access prior knowledge and thinking if they had prior experience with icons

the math lesson without icons was less interactive than the Padlet with places for students to type answers and show the icons for helping students connect

2023-10-13 20:07:35 UTC

2023-10-13 20:07:54 UTC

Almost identical but adds in a visual response to the type of learning happening on that slide.

Helps you identify / frame learning

butler_cathleen — 2023-10-13 20:08:23 UTC

2023-10-13 20:08:30 UTC

Icons catch student attention, rather than just looking at yet another page of text.

Students work with the information rather than simply being presented the information.

2023-10-13 20:08:37 UTC

Visual gets the brain engaged in the right mode

2023-10-13 20:08:42 UTC

Once the kids recognize the icons, they are able to quickly realize and engage their brains to do the work necessary for that type of thinking.

Teaching students

2023-10-13 20:08:48 UTC

What is the best way to teach students about the icons. I understand there are games like the grab bag and read alouds. Do you first show them the all of the icons and tell them the definitions and then play the games or do the read aloud next?

AMS

2023-10-13 20:08:57 UTC

Adds an intentional multidimensional layer to increase their metacognition

Are there trending icons that would make it more meaningful for middle-school students?

butler_cathleen — 2023-10-13 20:08:58 UTC

2023-10-13 20:09:38 UTC

Students can organize their information according to the icon - keep vocabulary together, keep the rules together - and process it more effectively.

AMS Response

2023-10-13 20:10:19 UTC

The icons adds an intentional level of connection that students may not have initially grasped.

Critical thinking and connections

2023-10-13 20:10:21 UTC

More engagement. Icons let students know how they should be thinking and what to look for without the teacher talking AT them for an additional time.

Synthesizing During Learning

2023-10-13 20:10:42 UTC

Versus me presenting and moving through content, in this modality they are actually engaging their brains and understanding concepts, relationships, etc...higher order thinking

2023-10-13 20:10:44 UTC

Icons may help students process the information more quickly - know what action to take immediately (like stopping automatically when you see a stop sign). Another way of "chunking" information.

Math with Icons is Better

2023-10-13 20:11:49 UTC

Math presentation with icons can really help slow processing or ML students to easily know what they need to do on each slide or what each slide is for.

Best way to teach?

2023-10-13 20:12:27 UTC

Is it best to give students pictures and definitions of each icon before a read aloud or game? What is the best way to initially introduce the icons?

2025-06-10 22:23:21 UTC

The lesson was more interactive with the icons. The icons helped students to focus on a specific part of the learning, which would help them to latch on better.

2025-08-05 21:37:55 UTC

The second lesson is more interactive and it is clear to the students what their goal/objective is for that slide. What they should be taking from that slide.

2025-08-05 21:40:32 UTC

With the icons, it allows students to ask questions if they are still unclear of what the goal of that slide is with the icons