Week # 4
SMART Learning Objectives
1. Explain mnemonic tools including mnemonic devices, memory palace and rhyme scheme.
2. Explain the differences between growth and fixed mindsets and if we can change them.
3. List and explain the five other types of affective study strategies.
4. List the four things we can do to help our students learn.
5. Explain the two types of praise and how they relate to the two types of mindsets.
2. Explain the differences between growth and fixed mindsets and if we can change them.
3. List and explain the five other types of affective study strategies.
4. List the four things we can do to help our students learn.
5. Explain the two types of praise and how they relate to the two types of mindsets.
Content Summary
Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning
by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, and Mark A. McDaniel
CHAPTER SEVEN SUMMARY: INCREASE YOUR ABILITIES
Mnemonic is a tool that can be used to access large information. It is a way to remember or gain access to memory and can take different forms to help us gain access or find the memory we are searching for. A group of British academics in the fields of Psychology and Sociology completed a review of evidence from neuroscience and come to the following conclusions. One is that the brain structure and architecture are in fact determined by our genes. The second is that the fine structure of neural networks can be modified by our experiences. Last we are definitely gifted with our genes that help to shape the brain, but we also can with self-discipline, motivation, and focus determine our own success (Brown, Roediger, & McDaniel, 2014).
One of the great examples of our brains enduring strength is that we are able to generate neurons all throughout our lives. This process is known as neurogenesis and helps us to recover after a brain injury. It is believed that neurogenesis will also play a part in how memory is consolidated, and will help with spaced practice and effortful retrieval. There have been studies that have tried to determine if IQ can be raised. The results are that different things will effect IQ, for example nutrition is a factor, and environmental effects like socioeconomic status will also effect IQ (Brown, Roediger, & McDaniel, 2014).
Deliberate practice is a type of practice that usually happens by ourselves, when we are concentrating to complete a certain level of mastery. An example would be the musician who spends long hours in practice to complete mastery of the piece or arrangement. Memory cues like mnemonic devices, memory palace, or rhyme schemes are tools that will help us to create pathways for the memory to flow and for us to retrieve. We have already talked briefly about mnemonic devices as a way to recall information. A memory palace is a way to organize and hold a larger volume of material in memory. An example would be going into a room and using the items in the room to help us recall large amounts of information because we associate certain items with ideas in our mind. A rhyme scheme is a song that will help us to remember information. We want to use the lyrics of a song to link up with a piece of memory and help us to retrieve it (Brown, Roediger, & McDaniel, 2014).
CHAPTER EIGHT SUMMARY: MAKE IT STICK
These are by no means a complete list of all the study strategies that can be used, but here are some suggestions. We need to practice retrieving new learning from memory. This would be where we would give ourselves quizzes to see what information we have learned and what still needs to be learned. We also need to space out our retrieval practice by making a schedule of when to practice, then quiz and from the quiz see what information needs to be practiced. Then we also need to interleave different problems into out learning. It is all about mixing up the examples or areas of study. We can also use different types of questions in our self-quizzing. This type of study will help us to know the differences in a problem when we encounter it in a real world situation. It will help us to know how to solve it (Brown, Roediger, & McDaniel, 2014).
Other types of affective study strategies would include elaboration, generation, reflection, calibration, and mnemonic devices. Elaboration is the process of taking one thing we have learned and making connections to other areas of learning. Generation is where we are given a problem to solve before we are taught how to solve it. Reflection is a combination of elaboration and retrieval. This is where we look at a situation and ask ourselves how we could have done something different to change the situation, or see what we did right. Calibration is the process of evaluating learning to see if we have illusion of mastery that need to be corrected. Mnemonic devices are things that help us learn tons on information (Brown, Roediger, & McDaniel, 2014).
As a teacher there are four things we can do to help our students learn. The first thing is to explain how we learn. The second thing is to teach them how to study. The first two point are things that most students do not know how to complete. This is where as a teacher we need to model this behavior and show our students how to learn and how to study. The third point is to explain to the students about desirable difficulties and how they will be experiencing them in this classroom. The last thing is to be transparent with the students. Tell them up front how the class is going to be set up and what the expectations are for them in regards to learning. Explain that things will sometimes be difficult and that this is part of the learning process (Brown, Roediger, & McDaniel, 2014).
VIDEO SUMMARY: MINDSET - THE NEW PSYCHOLOGY OF SUCCESS, DR. CAROL DWECK
Professor Carol Dweck completed a study on how our mindset effects our method of learning. She has defined two different mindsets one being fixed mindset and the other is growth mindset. The fixed mindset is someone who does not believe that they can change their level of intelligence. The growth mindset is someone who believes that intelligence is not fixed but can develop (Dweck, 2013).
Another interesting study looks at the value or effects of praise. There were two types of praise given during the study. The students were given ability praise the type that lets the student know it was because of the ability shown during the task. An example of ability praise would be when the teacher tells the student you are smart. The process praise is where the praise tells the person that great effort was given to accomplish a task. An example of process praise is you worked really hard. The ability praise was shown in the study to create a fixed mindset, where the process praise created a growth mindset (Dweck, 2013).
In another study two group of seventh grade students who were struggling in math completed six sessions. The first group was given six session all over study skills, where the second group during the six sessions did received study skills but also information on growth mindset. Two years later the two groups were evaluated and it was shown that the first group of students had continued to struggle with math and continued to have drops in grades. Where the second group that received the extra information about growth mindset increased their grades (Dweck, 2013).
Connection to Field and/or Discipline
We need to let our students know that it is ok to fail. Failure will help our students know what they really know and what they do not know. This is a point that we need to get across to our students. It is ok to fail and sometimes I will give you an assignment that will almost guarantee that it will cause failure. It is what we do after we fail that shows us if we have a fixed or growth mindset. We also need to tell them when they answer wrong to go back and find out the correct answer. The most important thing is to give them permission to fail and let them know it is ok to fail and that is how we learn.
Suggestions for Implementation
In the tips for teachers section above we give some examples of what to do to help the students learn. The most important thing is to teach them by modeling the process of how to learn and how to study. As teacher we sometimes expect our students to know how to study and in most we find that they have never been taught or been taught the wrong way. When I read a story to my class I can stop periodically and check knowledge and understanding of what they have read. But I also need to explain to them that they need to do this when they are reading on their own. We will also stop in places to check understanding of vocabulary that could be new to the students. While going through both checking knowledge or vocabulary I need to remind the students this is something I expect you to do when you are reading on your own. We can also check to see if the story activates any prior knowledge of the students modeling how we make those connections.
Formative Assessment
Go ahead and check your knowledge with the following questions. When you are done please click on check answers to see how you did. Use the feedback to see which areas of information you need to practice. Click on the drop down box to change between types of activities.
References
Brown, P. C., Roediger III, H. L., & McDaniel, M .A. (2014). Make it stick: The science of successful learning. [Kindle DX version]. Retrieved from Amazon.com. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
Dweck, Carol. (2013, June 18). Mindset - The New Psychology of Success [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGvR_0mNpWM
Dweck, Carol. (2013, June 18). Mindset - The New Psychology of Success [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGvR_0mNpWM