How to Teachso Students RememberRemember

Book Study: Fall 2009

Angela Johns

Instructional Facilitator

Marilee SprengerMarilee Sprenger

Just for Laughs

““To begin with the end in mind means to start To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you’re going so that It means to know where you’re going so that you better understand where you are now so you better understand where you are now so that the steps you take are always in the right that the steps you take are always in the right direction.”direction.”

~Stephen Covey~Stephen Covey

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (98)The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (98)

Before you take a step, step back

Marshmallow Test

Take two steps forward

This approach is called This approach is called backward designbackward design (Wiggins and McTighe, 1998), (Wiggins and McTighe, 1998), beginning beginning with the end in mind with the end in mind (Covey, 1989), or (Covey, 1989), or developing clear targets developing clear targets (Stiggins, 2001). (Stiggins, 2001).

Point: Match instruction to our learning Point: Match instruction to our learning goals.goals.

If students know from the beginning what the If students know from the beginning what the intentions are, they can purposely learn intentions are, they can purposely learn based on your “targets.”based on your “targets.”

The Steps Before the Steps

Expectations.Expectations. These are the goals, standards, objectives, or These are the goals, standards, objectives, or performance descriptors that you want your students to achieve.performance descriptors that you want your students to achieve.

Enduring Understandings.Enduring Understandings. From the expectations, From the expectations, what do you want your students to understand? What are your what do you want your students to understand? What are your intentions?intentions?

Essential Questions. Essential Questions. Take those understandings and put Take those understandings and put them in the form of questions such as “Why?” or “How?” These are them in the form of questions such as “Why?” or “How?” These are open-ended questions that offer an inquiry approach to learning.open-ended questions that offer an inquiry approach to learning.

The Steps Before the Steps

Evidence. Evidence. How will your students show they understand?How will your students show they understand?

Evaluation. Evaluation. Create the assessment that matches the Create the assessment that matches the understandings.understandings.

Entry Points. Entry Points. How will you go from the “big” ideas to the How will you go from the “big” ideas to the smaller ones that will engage your students?smaller ones that will engage your students?

Experiences. Experiences. Design your instruction to match your intentions Design your instruction to match your intentions and your assessment, using the seven steps described in this book and your assessment, using the seven steps described in this book ((How to Teach so Students RememberHow to Teach so Students Remember), to give your students ), to give your students long-term retention and transfer.long-term retention and transfer.

Baby Steps (Enduring Understandings)

In essence, you are taking your state or In essence, you are taking your state or district’s expectations and creating a purpose district’s expectations and creating a purpose for them. for them.

An enduring understanding is the purpose for An enduring understanding is the purpose for learning—the overarching idea we want our learning—the overarching idea we want our students to internalize about the content area.students to internalize about the content area.

This understanding is not taught as much as it This understanding is not taught as much as it is discovered through inquiry.is discovered through inquiry.

Baby Steps (Essential Questions)

When developing Essential Questions:When developing Essential Questions: Identify your unit topicIdentify your unit topic Determine the subtopics of the unitDetermine the subtopics of the unit Determine the concepts/big ideas that you want Determine the concepts/big ideas that you want

your students to walk away with when they are your students to walk away with when they are done studying the unit. These can link directly to done studying the unit. These can link directly to state standards.state standards.

Reword the concepts into questions that begin Reword the concepts into questions that begin with words such as: with words such as: why, how, should, could, or why, how, should, could, or which.which.

Essential Questions

When essential questions are formed: When essential questions are formed: You can decide what the students will need to do You can decide what the students will need to do

to demonstrate their understanding.to demonstrate their understanding. You will develop the assessment.You will develop the assessment. Then you will determine what experiences will Then you will determine what experiences will

provide the students with the factual and provide the students with the factual and conceptual understandings.conceptual understandings.

When the essential questions can be When the essential questions can be answered, you will know that the students answered, you will know that the students have the enduring understandings.have the enduring understandings.

Factors for Learning

These factors (Ardenal and Mann, 2000) can lead to learning new These factors (Ardenal and Mann, 2000) can lead to learning new tasks and concepts successfully:tasks and concepts successfully: FrequencyFrequency

Repeated exposure to the learningRepeated exposure to the learning

IntensityIntensity Learning requires rigorous practiceLearning requires rigorous practice

Cross TrainingCross Training Different kinds of skills and different forms of memory should be usedDifferent kinds of skills and different forms of memory should be used

AdaptivityAdaptivity Monitor student’s progress and adjust the teaching to meet their needsMonitor student’s progress and adjust the teaching to meet their needs

Motivation and AttentionMotivation and Attention Keep students interested in a taskKeep students interested in a task Various strategies will keep students on taskVarious strategies will keep students on task

The Seven Steps

The seven steps to The seven steps to teach students to teach students to remember incorporate remember incorporate the Factors for Learning.the Factors for Learning.

Each step begins with Each step begins with re-, the prefix meaning re-, the prefix meaning “again” or “back.”“again” or “back.”

Memory is a process Memory is a process that takes going over that takes going over again and again, and again and again, and memory takes us back in memory takes us back in time.time.

The Seven Steps of the Learning/Memory Cycle

Step by Step

1.1. ReachReach We must “reach” our students, and they [students] must “reach out to make We must “reach” our students, and they [students] must “reach out to make

gains in their learning.gains in their learning.2.2. ReflectReflect

We want our students to “bring back” the information to begin to create an We want our students to “bring back” the information to begin to create an understanding.understanding.

3.3. RecodeRecode Gives students the opportunity to translate the material and make it their own.Gives students the opportunity to translate the material and make it their own.

4.4. ReinforceReinforce Feedback assists the students in knowing where they are in the learning Feedback assists the students in knowing where they are in the learning

process.process.5.5. RehearsalRehearsal

The opportunity to store information more permanently.The opportunity to store information more permanently.6.6. ReviewReview

Examining again.Examining again.7.7. RetrieveRetrieve

This step is a true test of memory: To recall to mind; to remember.This step is a true test of memory: To recall to mind; to remember.