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Copyright McREL 2008 © 2008 McREL

Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning

Nonlinguistic Representation

Handouts/Attachments

•  Graphic Organizers

•  Rubrics

Last time, we explored these instructional strategies :

•  Setting Objectives

•  Providing Feedback

•  Reinforcing Effort

•  Providing Recognition

•  Identifying Similarities & Differences

•  Summarizing & Note Taking

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Copyright McREL 2008

Category Average Effect Size

Percentile Gain

Identifying Similarities & Differences 1.61 45

Summarizing & Note Taking 1.00 34

Reinforcing Effort & Providing Recognition .80 29

Homework & Practice .77 28

Nonlinguistic Representation .75 27

Cooperative Learning .73 27

Setting Objectives & Providing Feedback .61 23

Generating & Testing Hypotheses .61 23

Cues, Questions, & Advance Organizers .59 22

Copyright McREL 2008

ReflectingOnMyOwnBeliefsAndPractices

Whatisthepurposeofrepresentingknowledgeindifferentforms(e.g.,words,pictures)?

WhendoIaskstudentstorepresentknowledgeusingformsotherthatwords?

WhatquestionsdoIhaveaboutrepresentingknowledge?

Enhance students’ ability to represent and elaborate on knowledge using mental images.

NONLINGUISTIC REPRESENTATION

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Nonlinguistic Representation Many psychologists believe that we store knowledge in two ways:

linguistically (words) nonlinguistically (images) and

Italy

The more we use both systems of representation, the better we are able to think about and recall knowledge.

Four Planning Questions for Instruction:

Nonlinguistic Representation

Which strategies will provide evidence that students have learned

that knowledge?

What knowledge will students learn?

Which strategies will help students acquire and

integrate that knowledge?

Which strategies will help students practice, review, and apply that

knowledge?

Whatarenonlinguisticrepresentations?

MentalPictures

Nonlinguisticrepresentationsareimagesthatcanbecreatedinvariousformsandformatstorepresentinformation.Theseformatsinclude:

Pictographs

GraphicOrganizers

PhysicalRepresentations

Kinestheticrepresentations

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Ofthedozenplattersartfullyarrangedontheluncheontable,onlyonecommandedmyattention-andapprehension-adishofsilkworms.Minutesbeforeatthe….ScientificResearchInstitutenearDandong,Ihadwatchedagoldensilkwormcrawlacrossthebackofmyhand.Nowitwasonmyplateforlunch.Theeyesofmyluncheoncompanionsshiftbetweenmeandtheshinybrownbeast,thesizeofamediumshrimp,ontheplateinfrontofme.Clutchingitwithmychopsticks,Itookacrunchybite.Asmooth,warmcustardwithanuttyflavorspilledovermytongue.Inoticedmydinnerpartnersspittingshellsofthesilkwormpupaeonthetableclothandthefloor.Iswallowedthewholething.

NationalGeographic

SILK

THINK,PAIR,SHARE

•  Howareyourmentalpicturessimilar?different?

•  Whatbackgroundknowledgedidyouusetocreatethispicture?

•  Whatemotionsdidyoufeelasitwasbeingread?

•  Didyouassociateanytastes,smellsorsoundswithyourmentalpicture?Whatwerethey?

•  Howdidgeneratingthismentalpicturehelpyouunderstandwhatwasbeingreadtoyou?Describeyourmentalpicture

usingthechatfeature.

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Whatdoescurrentresearchtellusaboutusingnonlinguisticrepresentations?

Avarietyofactivitiesproducenonlinguisticrepresentations.

Nonlinguistic

representationsshouldelaborateonknowledge.

Manypsychologistsbelievethatwestoreknowledgeintwoways:linguistically(words)andnonlinguistically(images).Themoreweusebothsystemsofrepresentation–thebetterweareabletothinkaboutandrecallknowledge.Twogeneralizationsfromtheresearchcanbeusedtoguideteacher’suseofnonlinguisticrepresentations.

ORGANIZINGIDEAS

VOCABULARYTERMSANDPHRASES

DETAILS

INFORMATION(DECLARATIVEKNOWLEDGE)

Studentscanbeaskedtorepresenttheirunderstandingoforganizingideastheyarelearning.

Studentscanbeaskedtorepresenttheirunderstandingofthedetailstheyarelearning.

Studentscanbeaskedtoactoutthedetailsofthesituationtheyarestudying.

Aspartoflearninganewword,studentsshouldbegivenand/oraskedtocreatetheirownnonlinguisticrepresentationsoftheword.

Recommendations for Classroom Practice: Nonlinguistic Representations

1.  Use graphic organizers to represent knowledge.

2.  Have students generate physical models of the knowledge.

3.  Have students generate mental pictures of the knowledge they are learning.

4.  Use pictures or pictographs to represent knowledge.

5.  Have students engage in kinesthetic activities representing the knowledge.

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1.  Use graphic organizers to represent knowledge.

Recommendations for Classroom Practice: Nonlinguistic Representations

1.Usegraphicorganizerstorepresentknowledge.

Informationordeclarativeknowledgecanbeorganizedintopatternsthathelpstudentsseedifferentrelationshipsandconnections.

ORGANIZINGIDEAS

VOCABULARYTERMSANDPHRASES

DETAILS

ConceptPattern

Generalization/PrinciplePattern

EpisodePattern

ProcessCause/EffectPattern

TimeSequencePattern

DescriptivePattern

FACT

FACT

FACT

FACT

FACT

TOPIC

Descriptive Pattern

Time Sequence Pattern

EVENT

EVENT

EVENT

EVENT

EVENT

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Process Cause-Effect Pattern

EFFECT

EPISODE

Episode Pattern PERSON

CAUSE EFFECT

TIME

PLACEDURATION

EPISODE

PERSONPERSON

Generalization/Principle Pattern

Generalization/Principle

Example

Example

Example

Example

Example

Example

Characteristic

Characteristic

ConceptCharacteristic

Example

Example

ExampleConcept Pattern

Use graphic organizers to represent the term or phrase.

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1.  Use graphic organizers to represent knowledge.

2.  Have students generate physical models of the knowledge.

Recommendations for Classroom Practice: Nonlinguistic Representations

Havestudentsgeneratephysicalrepresentationsoftheknowledge.

In my son’s Ancient Civilization class, he was told he could either write a research paper on a civilization of his choice, or make a castle. Of course, he chose to make a “sugar cube” castle, which cost me $50 and I was blessed to have sugar all over my kitchen floor for the three weeks that it took him to make it. I kept asking what knowledge he was supposed to be representing and his response was, “I am just supposed to make a castle”.

Physical representations or models should be a reflection of the knowledge students are supposed to be learning.

You have to ask- “Was the time it took to make the representation worth the learning that occurred?”

3d. Have students create physical representations of the knowledge they are learning.

Have students create physical representations of the term, phrase or knowledge.

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1.  Use graphic organizers to represent knowledge.

2.  Have students generate physical models of the knowledge.

3.  Have students generate mental pictures of the knowledge they are learning.

Recommendations for Classroom Practice: Nonlinguistic Representations

Sounds Smells Emotions

Havestudentsgeneratementalpicturesoftheknowledgetheyarelearning.

Tastes

MentalPicture

Istoodonthetopofagrassyrisewatchingayounggirlandherdog.Thedoghadbeenswimminginamuddypond,anduponseeingthegirlranatfullspeedtogreether.Heplacedhismuddypawsonhershouldersandvigorouslylickedherface.Thegirllaughedwithgleeandstrokedthedog’sfur.Iimaginedhowthefurmustsmellfromthewaterinthemuddypondandrealizedthatthegirlmustnowsmellthesame.Icouldalmostfeelhowgrittyherhandshadbecomefrompettingthedog.Mythoughtstraveledtothefactthatherfacemustbestickyfromthe“dogkisses.”Thetworanofftogether.Icontinuedtohearherlaughandthedogbarkevenaftertheywerewelloutofsight.IsmiledasIwalkedbackhome.

3c. Create a Mental Picture

Have students create mental pictures to represent the term, phrase or knowledge.

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1.  Use graphic organizers to represent knowledge.

2.  Have students generate physical models of the knowledge.

3.  Have students generate mental pictures of the knowledge they are learning.

4.  Use pictures or pictographs to represent knowledge.

Recommendations for Classroom Practice: Nonlinguistic Representations

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Change in Length of Days

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22-Jul 1-Aug 11-Aug 21-Aug 31-Aug 10-Sep

Melbourne, AustraliaMiami, FL,Buenos Aires, ArgentinaJuneau, AK, USAQuito, EcuadorMoscow, Russia

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Have students create pictographs to represent the term or phrase.

Pictographsusesymbols,symbolicpictures,andorkeywordstorepresentinformation.Thesehelpgenerateimagesinyourmind,helpyouseepatterns,andhelpyourememberinformation.

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Usepictographstorepresentknowledge.

Food Chain My Teacher’s Description My Description

A person, animal, or plant that depends on the next

and usually lower animal or plant as a source of food.

It’s like when a bird eats

a snake, a snake eats a mouse, and a mouse

eats corn.

How I’ll Remember This Word

Additional Experiences/Connections

S C

I E N

C E

F

Recommendations for Classroom Practice: Nonlinguistic Representations

1.  Use graphic organizers to represent knowledge.

2.  Have students generate physical models of the knowledge.

3.  Have students generate mental pictures of the knowledge they are learning.

4.  Use pictures or pictographs to represent knowledge.

5.  Have students engage in kinesthetic activities representing the knowledge.

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Have students engage in kinesthetic representations of the term, phrase or knowledge.

Havestudentsengageinkinestheticrepresentationsoftheknowledge.

Kinestheticactivitiesarethosethatinvolvephysicalmovement.

Physicalmovementassociatedwithspecificknowledgehelpsgenerateamentalimageoftheknowledgeinthemindofthelearner.

Acting out story of Isis and Osiris

RubricForNonlinguisticRepresentation4 Thestudent’srepresentationindicatesadetailedunderstandingoftheinformationimportanttothetopic.

3 Thestudent’srepresentationindicatesacompleteunderstandingoftheinformationtothetopic.

2 Thestudent’srepresentationindicatesanincompleteunderstandingofthetopicormisconceptionsaboutsomeoftheinformation.However,thestudentshowsabasicunderstandingofthetopic.

1 Thestudent’srepresentationindicatesanunderstandingofthetopicthatissoincompleteorhassomanymisconceptionsthatthestudentcannotbesaidtounderstandthetopic.

0 Notenoughinformationtomakeajudgment.

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HowwelldoIincorporatetheresearchandtheoryoncreatingnonlinguisticrepresentations?

NotatallToagreatextentTowhatextentdoI……Clearlyidentifytheknowledgestudentswillusetogeneraterepresentations?

1234

Clearlycommunicatethestrategythatstudentswillusetogeneraterepresentations?

1234

MakesurestudentsknowhowtousethestrategythatIwantthemtousetorepresentknowledge?

1234

Overtime,collectevidenceaboutmystudents’proficiencyatusingavarietyofmethodstorepresentknowledge?

1234

Reflecting on Practice

Take a few minutes to reflect on how you will support Nonlinguistic Representation in your school using the chat feature.

Be prepared to share one of your thoughts with the group.