Education and Science by Rita Meek

Metacognition: The Gift That Keeps Giving

hoffmandenrita — 2024-05-04 22:51:17 UTC

Define metacognition for students as an essential learning skill.
Use metaphors, such as "driving their brains," to make the concept of metacognition more concrete and accessible.
Encourage students to describe the benefits of "driving their brains" well, providing examples.
Explain the importance of keeping their brains moving in the correct lane and following the best route toward achieving their goals.
Allow students to choose what they want to read and the topics they want to learn about.

Move Your Body, Grow Your Brain

hoffmandenrita — 2024-05-04 23:09:09 UTC

Exercise Improves Focus and Reduces Classroom Management Challenges
Exercise Positively Affects Brain Function
Regular Physical Activity Supports Healthy Child Development
Cutting Physical Education May Be Counterproductive

Survive and Thrive During Testing Season

hoffmandenrita — 2024-05-05 01:54:30 UTC

The way many schools and educators currently approach teaching and testing does not align with how the brain is naturally wired to learn. Research shows that the brain is not designed for long periods of sedentary learning. Emotions play a crucial role in driving attention and understanding. Creating emotionally engaging learning experiences to cultivate better retention and comprehension is essential. Research emphasizes the need for teaching strategies that align with how the brain naturally learns, suggesting a shift toward more active, emotionally engaging, and meaning-based learning environments.

Training the Brain to Listen

hoffmandenrita — 2024-05-05 02:16:37 UTC

The HEAR strategy provides a clear and structured approach to teaching listening skills. For DHH students, explicit instruction is crucial as they rely on different modalities for listening, such as lip-reading or sign language interpretation.
The Engage step in the HEAR strategy suggests using a physical component, like turning one's head, to indicate active listening. For DHH teachers, this visual cue could be particularly valuable when working with students who rely on visual information.
The Anticipate step emphasizes looking forward to what the speaker has to say. This can be adapted for DHH students by encouraging them to engage with the content visually, such as through captioned videos, sign language, or written materials.
The Replay step involves analyzing and paraphrasing what the speaker has said, aiding in understanding and memory retention. DHH teachers can use this concept to encourage their students to restate information in sign language or written form, reinforcing their comprehension.