“Teacher, why I gotta know this stuff?”

What metacognition is and why it is important

Metacognition described in 3 ways:1.Bransford Text says: the ability to monitor

one's current level of understanding and decide when it is not adequate

2.Wikipedia.com says: the knowledge of one’s cognitive progresses and the efficient use of this self-awareness to regulate these cognitive processes .

3.Britishcouncil.org says: knowing oneself as a learner.

As students become more skilled at using metacognitive strategies, they gain confidence and become more independent as learners. Independence leads to ownership as student's realize they can pursue their own intellectual needs and discover a world of information at their fingertips.

The task of educators is to acknowledge, cultivate, exploit and enhance the metacognitive capabilities of all learners.

(Source : coe.sdsu.edu/articles/metacognition)

“IBM has hypothesized that metacognitive awareness may be one of the keys to developing truly intelligent artificial systems.” (Source: www.aaai.org)

1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness

promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes

1. Teaching students that their ability to learn is mutable.

2. Teaching planning and goal-setting.

3. Giving students ample opportunities to practice monitoring their learning and adapting as necessary.

As students we continuously use metacognition without realizing it.

When we study for tests When we review tests with our teachersWhen we write papers on topics discussed in

class

Title: Metacognition Web

Instructional Strategy: Creative Thinking

Purpose:

This activity is designed to help students generate ideas as to why metacognition is an important concept for classroom teachers.

Objectives: Generate ideas on how metacognitive skills can be used. Student Activity:

On a piece of white paper, draw an oval in the center. In the oval write "Metacognition is the knowledge we have about how we learn." Then write down how students can use metacognition to regulate their learning webbing out from the oval. Describe benefits that metacognitive skills specifically bring to your subject area or the age level of the students you will be teaching. Post your metacognition webs on the walls of the classroom and share them with other students.

Variation: The instructor will draw the oval on the board and the class can brainstorm ideas that spin off of it.

After the brainstorming session, reflectively write about the metacognition activities that you might use in your future teaching.

Interview your neighbor about how they have used metacognition during their college years. What about high school? Be in pairs with your interviewee and introduce your partner to the class. Then share the stories you heard from your partner.

It is my hope that you don’t feel like Granny here and you’re all able to benefit from this lesson on Metacognition. If you’re still awake that means you’ve listened somewhat and should

feel super…

If anyone has any questions, comments, or smart remarks, please… I’d love to hear from you right at this very moment.

The End

Bransfordwww.wikipedia.comwww.dictionary.comwww.aaai.orgcoe.sdsu.edu

www.britishcouncil.org

www.google.comwww.facebook.comwww.houghtonmiffli

n.com