Teach-onomy Teaching & Learning ~ How does it happen? A closer look at understanding how the mind processes information By: Cindy Bryson Zuluaga Do you ever think about your thinking? This is called metacognition. As teachers, we need to understand how children learn in order to design lessons that promote thinking How do we do this? We must familiarize ourselves with the thinking skills children use when learning. So what skills determine how we think? Theorists believe there are two types of thinking skills; those requiring less mental effort and those requiring more effort which must be sustained over a longer period of time. These skills are called: Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) and Lower Order Thinking Skills (LOTS) Both of these are mental skills inherent in our daily lives. However, a s our tasks become increasingly more difficult in nature, we must use higher order skills to process them. So...how do these skills develop and how are they established in the brain?? Well, Benjamin Bloom developed what is known as Blooms taxonomy, a model describing brain function. It is believed brain functions occur in three separate and distinct parts of the brain, referred to as domains. These domains overlap one another, meaning we are using some within others, not in isolation of one another. Blooms theory regarding these domains is widely recognized, accepted and respected. So what are these domains? The following are definitions of Blooms domains: Cognitive ~ intellectual capability, knowledge, thinking Affective ~ feelings, emotions, behaviors, attitudes Psychomotor ~ movement, gross and fine motor skills Cognitive Psychomotor Affective This is a representation of Blooms model: And here are some examples of websites that capture how each of these functions could be used by educators in conjunction with technology: 1.Remember/Save:2.Understand/Explore: Apply:4.Analyze: 5. Evaluate/Assess:6.Create: And here are the processes our brain uses to go through these stages But what are the implications for teachers? Can we use this information to create more meaningful and authentic lessons for our students? Absolutely! Watch the following podcast. This educator breaks down the Blooms taxonomy model and uses it as the basis for a thinking concept in a writing course. Amazing! (I am sure this could be done with any area of content.) But wait, there is one more thing As educators, we must consider the notion of multiple intelligences (learning styles) if we are truly going to create meaningful and effective learning opportunities for our students.. Does Blooms taxonomy of learning relate to how we learn?? Spatial Linguistic Logical-mathematical Kinesthetic Musical Interpersonal Intrapersonal Naturalistic Yes! Our understanding of multiple intelligences as described by Howard Gardner is crucial to understanding how Higher Order Thinking Skills emerge. Listen to the following podcast!This is a wonderful explanation of this concept. So what does this mean for teachers? It means we must: Be aware of how our students learn, individually and collectively Secure, design, or create lessons and instruction that build upon their needs and interests Expose them to learning opportunities that allow them to develop higher order thinking skills Instill in them the desire to be a lifelong learner Encourage engagement through interactive activities Allow them to take ownership of their learning Expect the best from them Celebrate their success Remember our term metacognition? When we learn to think about our thinking we know that we have arrived! So grab your passport and begin the journey into the exciting world of education. Of course, do not forget to use all your exciting digital tools to create 21 st century learners! We must give credit to all of our sources that made this presentation possible.. References Thanks for learning!