THINKING SKILLS, STUDENT ENGAGEMENT BRAIN-BASED LEARNING LOOKING THROUGH THE EYES OF THE LEARNER AND SCHEMA ACTIVATOR ENGAGEMENT POINT

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1 THINKING SKILLS, STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND BRAIN-BASED LEARNING Dr. Suzi D Annolfo LOOKING THROUGH THE EYES OF THE LEARNER Understanding how the brain learns and its impact on teaching and learning on a daily basis SCHEMA ACTIVATOR ENGAGEMENT POINT Define in your own words: STUDENT ENGAGEMENT What does it look like? What does it sound like? Use phrases or single words Be prepared to share with peers You have five minutes 1

2 CONTENT GOAL: what I need to LEARN: Know and Understand) 1. Current research on how the brain learns and processes information 2. How the information processing model and primacy-recency effect work together to engage the brain in learning OUTCOMES:What I can DO based on what I LEARNED Objective: Bridge theory to practice by: 1. CREATING a standards-based lesson that embeds how the brain learns (in order to effectively engage learners) 2. PROVIDE feedback to peers 3. SYNTHESIZE my learning ENGAGING THE BRAIN Post: SCHEMA ACTIVATOR Purpose: To engage the brain immediately when the student enters the classroom. The brain looks for: Novelty Engaging the physical senses Arousing curiosity Other words: Do Now; Bell Work; Engagement Point 2

3 THE BRAIN NEEDS: To be engaged within the first 5-10 minutes of class (engagement point -schema activator) To see the big picture and the relevance CONTENT, IMPORTANCE AND IMPACT To make meaning and sense of the learning and have a purposeful product at the end-what can I DO? (measureable OUTCOME) BUILDING AN ENGAGED COMMUNITY - Activity ROUND THE CLOCK LEARNING BUDDY 1. Put your name on the top of the clock 2. Follow the directions for meeting people (introduce yourself, firm handshake, eye contact, speak clearly) 3. Make an appointment with 5 different people in the room by entering each other s names on your appointment clock (1:00-5:00) (handout) DEVELOPMENT OF THE BRAIN AMYGDALA: emotions FRONTAL LOBES: Executive control system train the brain Reasoning, decision making, judgments Responsible for cognitive processing Higher order thinking skills (HOTS) CORTEX novelty MIDBRAIN hunt for pleasure LOWER BRAIN avoid harm GENDER development ROOT CAUSES 3

4 BLOOM S (Anderson) first three LEVELS OF THINKING SKILLS 1. REMEMBER (define, label, recall, recognize) 2. UNDERSTAND (summarize, discuss, explain, outline) 3. APPLY (practice, calculate, apply, execute) BLOOM S (Anderson) Levels of THINKING SKILLS (HOTS) 4. ANALYZE (analyze (take apart), contrast, distinguish, deduce) 5. EVALUATE (judge, appraise, assess, critique) 6. CREATE (design, compose, imagine, infer) THE LEARNING TRIAD CURRICULUM is the CONTENT (what do students need to know and understand) Based on Content Standards INSTRUCTION ENGAGE the brain in multiple ways; Make meaning and sense ASSESSMENT OUTCOMES EVIDENCE MEASUREABLE 4

5 HOW THE BRAIN LEARNS AND PROCESSES INFORMATION There are probably more differences in human brains than in any other animal, partly because the human brain does most of its developing in the outside world. Robert Ornstein and Richard Thompson The Amazing Brain PRIMACY RECENCY EFFECT We remember best, that which comes FIRST Second best that which comes LAST And least that which comes just past the middle (that s why we need to pay extra attention to that part of the learning experience) THE BRAIN COMPATIBLE APPROACH TO LEARNING LINKING: INFORMATION PROCESSING AND PRIMACY-RECENCY EFFECT (reference handout) 5

6 PRACTICE Practice does not make perfect Practice makes permanent (that is why specific, immediate and corrective feedback is so important) GUIDED practice should take place before INDEPENDENT PRACTICE The memory of the skill is not stored in the brain until after practice stops (4-12 hours of consolidation, often during deep sleep; brain activity shifts until it becomes permanent or automatic) CHUNKING AND MEMORY REMEMBER POWER OF: VISUALIZATION and ASSOCIATION 6

7 STUDENT ENGAGEMENT Why is that in kindergarten engagement is high for almost all children, but steadily declines for many students in middle and high school? What practices and structures are consistently in place that help students to stay engaged? RESEARCH on Student Engagement- the Brain Needs: Structure and consistency to train the brain School is your work place and your job is to learn (structure to replicate work place) Indispensible elements of improvement: Clarity-Priority-Purpose (Schmoker) To be the worker in the classroom Varied sensory input Choices and challenges Problems to solve rather than answers to remember STUDENTS WHO ARE ENGAGED IN THEIR LEARNING See the activity as personally meaningful level of interest is sufficiently high to persist in the face of difficulty Believe they will accomplish something of worth by doing it Emphasis on optimum performance and on getting it right Retain what they learn Can transfer what they learn to new context 7

8 TEACHERS WHO COGNITIVELY ENGAGE STUDENTS ARE: DESIGNERS DEMONSTRATORS DIAGNOSTICIANS DESIGN QUALITIES OF CHOICE Novelty and Variety Students have Choice Authenticity: Link learning tasks to real interest to student or real application THE BRAIN NEEDS TIME TO ENGAGE IN LEARNING TIME to play, explore, tinker, experiment, speculate TIME to PRACTICE to go deep as well as broad TIME to PRACTICE with guidance and coaching and lots of FEEDBACK TIME to be the WORKER 8

9 BRIDGING THEORY TO PRACTICE Time to put your new learning into practice as the worker.using the template, identify: 1. Subject area and grade level 2. Engagement Point/Schema Activator 3. Content (What students will learn.this is what you will teach them) 4. Instructional Strategies to engage the learner 5. Outcomes (what students will be able to do) - Be sure Content and Outcomes align 6. Closure (reference handout) PRACTICE/APPLICATION TIME 1. Using the template provided, create your content lesson plan 2. Transfer it to a large post-it paper 3. Share with your peers via a gallery walk by content area 4. Provide/receive specific feedback from your peers (see next slide) 5. Time allotment by tasks FEEDBACK improves the brain s efficiency Feedback is critical to learning It is required to clarify and correct information It allows the brain to readjust and reevaluate what it thinks it knows It is particularly important when the brain is undergoing so much building and pruning of synapses Feedback should be OFTEN Feedback should be IMMEDIATE Feedback should be SPECIFIC 9

10 REFLECTION Teaching the skill of reflecting on feedback from the teacher, peers, and self-reflection will enhance thinking skills Reflecting can be built into the lesson plan as a schema activator, practice/application, or closure REMEMBER Rarely does the brain understand things the first time they are presented CLOSURE Closure provides time for the brain to summarize learning and make further sense and meaning Can be used as a formative assessment (for learning) 10

11 CLOSURE- Part I 1. Individually summarize what you have learned in two sentences: 2. The first sentence must start with the letter of your first name 3. The second sentence must start with the letter of your last name 4. At your tables, share your summaries (more) CLOSURE PART II On the inside of your name card, list three things that you are going to start doing based on your learning today that will further impact your students learning and engagement FINAL THOUGHTS. Two things students should experience everyday: RIGOR & JOY That will be the OUTCOME of your thoughtful planning of the CONTENT With ENGAGING instructional strategies (more ) 11

12 CLOSING THOUGHT Children are the living messages we send to a time we will never see, And we must invest everything we have in those messages Thank you. Enjoy your students, enjoy making a difference! Dr. Suzi D Annolfo Recommended Resources Sousa, David. How the Brain Learns, 4th ed., Corwin Press Willis, Judy, M.D., Strategies for a Brain-Friendly Classroom in an Inclusive Setting ASCD Searles (2013) Getting to the Root Causes and Cures of Academic and Behavioral Problems in the Classroom ASCD Marzano and Pickering (2011) The Highly Engaged Classroom Fogarty, Robin. Brain-Compatible Classrooms, 3 rd ed., Corwin Press 2009 Feinstein, Sheryl. Secrets of the Teenage Brain, The Brain Store Stein, Elizabeth. Teaching Secrets: Asking the Right Questions. Education Week: May 31, 2011 D Annolfo, Suzi Summary of research on student engagement (provided) danolfo@hartford.edu 12