STEP 4: 7 Strategies for Metacognition - Discussion Forum

I prefer addressing the learning target more directly by firstly restating what we have learned prior to the current day.  Then I try to progress into the next step of the unit by stating the next learning target (I Can) and then the lesson/activity.  At the end I almost always try to wrap things up by revisiting what we have done in context of the learning target for the day to bring meaning to the homework/extension that is coming up.  I like the comparison behind what the students gleaned and the "grand reveal" of what I was expecting them to have learned - but what to do with those that didn't focus on what I was hoping them to have caught?

However, I can see how better articulating what students should be seeing/looking for in the lesson for the day can better guide them in participation.  After all, it should never be a secret what is the point to the day is along with what the most important/relevant information is.  It just makes sense that framing the thinking ahead of time leads to better results.

Our group feels that basically it is an exit ticket.  It could be used during and at the end of the lesson to check on listening skills and comprehension of the information shared.  Make sure the questions are focused and reflective on the learning.  This can be used to focus their learning for the next lesson.  

One of the first units I cover in psychology deals with memory.  We talk about the PQ4R method, which stands for Preview - Question - Recite - Read - Reflect - Recite and Review.  I think this is another form the 'wrapper" strategy.  I believe that the areas where I some time become the most deficient in are properly Previewing material and Reviewing material at the end.  

I think that I probably do a modified version of this.  Every day when we begin a lesson we go over the focus questions, cover the topic and review/answer those focus questions at the end of the lesson.  I have the students write these in their notebooks so that they can refer to them as they are studying for their assessments.

As I am learning more about the reading workshop, I wonder if the "wrapper" is built in.  

This is something that I do fairly often before reading activities in Latin because comprehension wrappers or strategies are tied to overall proficiency.  However, I definitely see how I can use wrappers prior to other skills as well or even in helping my student understand what is critical information to write down in notes and what is not.

Built in check-points to assess learning and understanding of objectives- proximity to activities and informal conversations as ongoing formative assessment strategy. 

I really like this model as it will go hand in hand with the Cornell style of notetaking that I will be implementing in my classroom during the upcoming year. 

The "wrapper" technique could be effectively used for the project I'm using to have students write down 1-3 key items that they have completed or are struggling with or have questions on in order to finish the project after each class period in which they're working on the project.

I know that getting students to engage in active listening can increase student involvement for a variety of reasons. There are many students that have never been shown how to take in information. As they are asked to participate by coming up with questions or comments they may have, they become part of the learning process. It will be a goal of mine to do much more of these types of activities in the classroom. 

I like the wrapper idea and will attempt to utilize this idea more regularly in my classroom practice.

I like the "wrapper" idea and will try to implement the strategy throughout the  school year.

My classes are project based.  Isn't the wrapper in my setting the product that they create by utilizing and applying the information thought to their own setting? 

This would work well in a lab-based assignment, for, students could easily reflect on two or three aspects of the lab in which the learning targets were actually applied and learned.

Examples are great to get kids thinking and using it as a baseline for their understanding. It may have a light bulb effect if you do it before the activity it may help some students have one to go off of!

Giving students examples before, so they know what to look for and listen for can be helpful and useful.  Progress monitoring along the way will help with formative assessments. 

It provides an anticipatory idea for learners. Give students something to think about prior to connect and make them feel confident with the idea that they are learning the  material. That sneak peak of information may spark their thinking to get more curious about the information.  

I will use a wrapper lesson on active listening and interviewing skills when students to the leadership interview. I will also use a wrapper lesson on narrative writing when students create their personal best leadership experience/This I believe activity. 

I could use this when relating explicit instruction to STEM challenges students are working on.  Making sure to have them tie things together and make connections between the content and their challenge. 

I like the finish to the wrapper approach. I teach history and many of my students prefer to hear the stories of history from me rather than read the facts in a book. This allows for a more narrative personal version of history. I have always began with reminders about active listening and skills that will help them draw information from me, but haven't ever finished with a reflective activity. I believe I can use this strategy all the time in my units. I usually have a questions on the board I want kids to answer. We can review that questions as we have done in the past, but we can also have them reflect on some of the nuances in the lecture or supporting material and discuss what they thought was important versus what I wanted them to take from the lecture and match up the two. 

A key part of the "wrapper" that is something I need to focus on more is the first part, making students aware of the metacognitive strategies that will help them be successful with the learning task. I could see myself doing this early on in the year as we establish independent reading. Before they settle in with their books, I could say "Be aware of the voice in your head. Listen for how it responds to what you're reading. Does it wander to something off-task? Is it confused?" Then after independent reading ask them to jot down a few things they noticed the voice in their head doing.

I think the wrapper idea in writing is similar to asking students to document an area where see themselves struggling and focusing on as well as an area that they feel confident in. Afterward, they can look back and see if their initial thoughts were correct. This helps them to focus on anticipated problem areas and self-check if they know their strong points.

This is something that I already find myself doing with my students: Reviewing/clarifying standards or learning targets before we practice them in class or asking the students to think or reflect on a specific target.  After we have practiced, I will have the kids write down some of the key ideas or points that were made and then I will share with them what my key ideas were.  They can then see how closely theirs matched my intended goals.

Give a few tips on active listening before a lecture.  Afterward have students write down three key ideas; then share what you consider the three key ideas of your lesson were.  Ask students to reflect on how closely their ideas matched mine.  Used often this increases learning and improves their monitoring skills.

I often use the idea of a "wrapper", especially in my upper level language classes, when reading literature in the target language - Spanish.  It helps to give students a focus before reading some difficult text.

I would implement this in my project based learning projects as part of my daily reflection and summarization of their learning.  Before their new learning, I will remind them of the strategies we have learned about active listening.  After the learning, I will ask the class to write down three key ideas that they learned from the lesson.  Afterwards, I will review with the class the key ideas and main points of the lesson to see if they had similar thoughts. Self checking and comparing is an essential part and a key factor in the learning process. I am eager to see if this activity increases learning and improves metacognitive monitoring skills.

Other than the given example, how and where might you implement this practice in the project you're working on?  Since the project requires a great deal of research, so before actually starting remind them of the questions they created and help them to narrow the focus of their research to just the questions.  Students often get side-tracked and it is more difficult for them to research.  At the conclusion of the strategy, review our speaking and listening expectations and model what a presentation looks and sounds like.  

How might this help you to innovate formative assessment?

By including “wrappers’ throughout the project, we will be able to identify those students that are ready for next steps and adjust our assessments accordingly.

Students can also generate their own questions when a new topic is introduced, setting the stage for learning. At the end of the lesson, reflection can include commentary on answers for those questions, or if new questions were generated.