M is for Metacognition

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M is for Metacognition

A Discussion of How Teachers’ Brains Engage During Periods of Highly Creative WorkA Challenge to the Status Quo of Current Thinking About ThinkingNational Title I Conference, San Diego, CA 2014

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Dr. Linda Karges-Bonewww.educationinsite.com

Charleston Southern University

Professor, Author, Radio Host

Differentiated Pathways of the Brain and Breaking Brain Barriers

Brain-Framing: Instructional Planning With the Brain in Mind

Brain Verse: Activities to Build Literacy and Neural Connectivity

Brain Tips: Simple Yet Sensational Brain-Friendly Strategies for Improving Teaching, Learning, and

Consultant to Title I Schools around the US/Former Special Ed. Teacher

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Our TaskMaximizing Teachers’ Impact in High Poverty Settings

With innovative, brain-friendly practices

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Maximizing the 3 C’s

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Why Metacognition? Let’s Deconstruct the

word. Meta=Self Cognition=Thinking An “Awareness of

One’s Own Thinking”

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For Teachers….It is Truly Meta-Metacognition

One must be aware of one’s OWN thinking.

Concurrently, one must be aware of how students are or are not engaged in thinking.

It is a process unlike any other.

Exhausting Exhilarating

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Teachers Who Work in High Poverty Settings

Do not have the luxury of simple COGNITION.

Thinking is not enough.

Metacognition is required.

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Why? Three Reasons….

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There should be enough…Spread out, it is about the size of a linen dinner napkin.

But, if you were to count the synapses at the rate of 1 per second, you would finish 32 million years after you began!

Bright Air, Brilliant FireRobert Sylwester

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But the Amygdalas Kick In Almond Shaped

Clusters Triggered by stress Unleash Cortisol Shutting down

higher order thinking

Damaging the brain

The Challenge Cortisol, the stress hormone does so much

damage to our brains as it seeps out: shutting down the pre-frontal cortex, impeding creativity: actually shrinking the hippocampus, the center of memory; and slowing neuro-genesis. But, when you recognize the fact that simply living in poverty triggers cortisol, even when there is no direct stressor like abuse or illness in a child’s life, you have a huge problem. Dr. Linda Karges-Bone

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The Answer……MetacognitionMaintaining an uber-awarenessA gestalt of where everything and

everyone is in space and time.A pre-cognition of what might come next.And how the teacher and every other

player on the cognitive chess board is going to react.

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Metacognition Requires MORE

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And MORE Challenges from the

Common CoreDeeper, Richer CurriculumDemands Deeper, Richer

Neural Connectivity

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10 Strategies to Maximize Metacognition

#1…..Teachers’ Brains Deserve Attention.

Put the Oxygen Mask on Yourself First!

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StrategyTreat teachers’

brains like gold.Reduce their

stress.Enhance their

wellness.Harness their

creativity.

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Your challenge…..Plan something special and rewarding for teachers every week.

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“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Gandhi

METACOGNITION MOMENT

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#2…..Teachers Need Time to Transition into a Metacognitive State .

Common Core Planning is Different from Fragmented 6 point Lesson Planning.

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Strategy Provide Planning

Time to Integrate and Investigate Common Core Connections.

If you want the CORE to be rigorous, your planning time must be rigorous.

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Your challenge…..RE-configure schedules to enable robust shared planning and guard this time jealously!

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“Change Your Thoughts and You Change Your World” Norman Vincent Peale


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#3….Think carefully about how assessments are used.

Assessments reveal different attributes of students’ abilities.

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Strategy Re-visit portfolios. Implement tiered

assessments where possible.

Create a balance of high and low stakes assessments.

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Your challenge…..You may not be able to control the state or district level assessments, but you can shift traditional testing at the classroom level to be more reflective.

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“The belief that all genuine education comes about through experience does not mean that all experiences are genuinely or

equally educative. “ John Dewey


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#4….Consider the role of neuro-architecture.

Environment matters to the gray matter.

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StrategyGive teachers

mini grants to design more brain-friendly settings.

Use soothing colors such as greens, blues.

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Your challenge…..Take the “Are You a Neuro-Architect?” quiz from Dr. Bone’s book Brain Framing and act on the results with colors, music, and water features.

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“The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say ‘the children are working as if I

do not exist. ‘ “ Maria Montessori


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#5….Practice brain-friendly praise strategies.

Give both teachers and students cues that increase neural productivity.

Train the brain to take creative risks and enjoy the journey of learning.

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Strategy

Read the work of Dr. Carol Dweck as a faculty.

Remember that praise for intelligence freezes the brain. Praising effort sets it free!

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Your challenge…..Put up “Praise Stem Posters” with fresh stems to help teachers re-think the ways that they praise.

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“Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement” CS Lewis


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#6….Think GREEN

Recognize the importance of novelty and nature to metacognition.

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Strategy

Harness the power of green spaces, outdoor classrooms, and sunlight to enhance thinking.

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Your challenge…..Give rewards to teachers who create at least one outdoor classroom lesson each week. Even a “Power Walk” before a writing activity is powerful for metacognition.

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“One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. “ William Shakespeare


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#7….Consider the new research on creativity.

Connect this research to what we know about metacognition.

Kids and teachers need time to think INSIDE THE BOX.

Drew Boyd and Jacob Goldenberg

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Strategy

Subtraction Unification Multiplication Division http://online.ws

j.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324188604578541843266186054

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324188604578541843266186054






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Your challenge…..Implement the “Fed-Ex” Creativity model at the next faculty meeting. Draw the name of a teacher and give him/her a free afternoon to develop a fresh idea for your site. “Deliver “ it at the next meeting.

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““Art is an elastic sort of love. “ Josephine Baker


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#8….Reduce the impact of stress in order to shift the brain into metacognitive mode.

Recognize the fact that children who live in poverty have more of the stress hormone cortisol, which impedes thinking.

.

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Strategy Increase physical

activity in order to stimulate “Exercise Induced Neuro-genesis and the release of BDNF..which acts like “Miracle Gro for the brain.

BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor)

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Your challenge…..Set up a Walking Program for both teachers and kids. Set goals, such as “Walking to the State Capitol”. Get pedometers donated.

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“Don’t try to fix the students. Fix ourselves first. “ Marva Collins



#9….Harness the connection between literacy and metacognition.

Neural-Scaffolding requires fluency and flexibility in language.

By some estimates, there is a 30 million word difference between children who live in poverty and their non-poverty peers by age 4.

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Strategy Become familiar

with the research:http://centerforeducation.rice.edu/slc/LS/30MillionWordGap.html

Set high expectations for language in your classroom.

http://centerforeducation.rice.edu/slc/LS/30MillionWordGap.html








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Your challenge…..Read aloud every day. Reading aloud is FREE and immerses children in rich language. Try Dr. Bone’s “School Wide Literacy” Read Aloud plan in Brain Framing.

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“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” Dr. Seuss



#10. Decide to change your mind.

“Paying attention in the present moment, on purpose, and without judgment.”

Studies show that teachers who learn mindful practices become better practitioners and remain in the profession.

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Strategy Decide to celebrate small victories in the classroom.

Take pictures of your students engaging in hard work and post them boldly.

Choose a compassionate response and use mirror neurons.

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Your challenge…..Make a list of what you LOVEd about teaching when you entered the profession. Then, put it somewhere on your desk. Every day, select one attribute and focus on “seeing it come alive” in your classroom.

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“I dwell in possibility.” Emily DickinsonMETACOGNITION MOMENT

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A Comparison…if you dare.

Metacognition is required in today’s classrooms.

Metacognition requires enormous effort, commitment, and strength from the teacher.

Dancers remain en pointe’ for just a few minutes at a time.

Teachers maintain this kind of “cognitive dance” for hours at a time.

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Metacognition Matters, But it is difficult to maintain.

Look at the picture closely.

The world sees the beauty.

Our bodies and minds experience the pain and effort.

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Thank You!Visit my Facebook

Page and “Like It”.My site:

www.educationinsite.com

Many of the strategies discussed today can be found in Brain Framing.

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M is for Metacognition