While reflecting on my thinking, it occurred to me that the organization of my thoughts varies depending on the information or subject. My strengths include being very well organized and being a visual learner. Memorization skills such as mnemonics, repetition, and rehearsal are extremely helpful to me. I tend to do better when writing something many times. Writing things helps me to focus and think about the subject matter. When I just read something over and over and simply say it in my head, it is not possible for me to make the same connection to the material. It is also helpful to connect the new information to my previous knowledge or experiences.
As far as reading goes, wandering off topic used to be a problem for me when the content was not interesting. In those instances time was wasted rereading several times to understand the material. Over time my reading habits have changed. I now am able to focus on the topic even if there is not a personal connection made, although without breaks reading lengthy assignments can be a struggle for me. While reading, highlighting important ideas, jotting notes to the side, and stopping to ponder about what was just explained can be most helpful. Also my mind races with thoughts like how to implement certain ideas in my classroom, and how students would react to particular tasks.
Being a very hands on and visual learner, lectures can be more difficult for me. Lectures force me to listen well and write down everything the professor says. It is not possible for me to just listen and remember the information. Doing activities that relate to the topic makes the material easy to remember and to refer back to at a later date. All students will not organize their thinking in the same way. As a result it is important to provide many opportunities for them to explore their own thinking so that they can better learn and understand the content.
Showing posts with label E342 Wednesday Metacognition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label E342 Wednesday Metacognition. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Jennifer Wolff, Metacognition
Over the past week I have been trying to observe the way I think. I did not think this would be that difficult, but after trying to complete the task for the first couple of days, I realized I was definitely wrong. Especially when organization is added in the question, the task became more difficult. I have come to realize a lot of things. When it comes to school work, I am on top of my game, yet when it comes to my life, it is the complete opposite.
I've learned that organization to school work is the key. I try to use my planner religiously. However, sometimes this can be a negative thing as well. For instance, those days when class is running late and I just want to leave the room. The teacher gives us our homework, but I've already packed up and don't want to get my planner back out. This always hurts me because later that day, or the next day, I resort back to my planner, see nothing written, then just assume I don't have any. I don't even replay the ending of class in my head to make sure. This happens because I rely on my planner so much that I just assume if I had homework, I would have written it down.
I also think the way I write notes varies depending on subjects. For instance, when in science class, I never write any notes because I believe I already know all the information. However, when I'm in history, I write every fact down because that is my worst subject and I want to make sure I don't forget any information. In these two situations I hurt myself as well. When it comes to test time, for science I don't have any information written, and for history, I have too much information to remember. I have learned after being in school for so long note taking organization just comes with time. When comparing who I used to be while taking notes, is definitely different than who I am now.
I believe thinking about how one thinks is very important for teaching. We need to be able to realize that every student thinks differently, and we need to accept that fact. Not every student is going to like taking notes, or believe notes will help them. As long as the students are learning the material, it should not matter what ways they process the information, as long as they are containing it.
I've learned that organization to school work is the key. I try to use my planner religiously. However, sometimes this can be a negative thing as well. For instance, those days when class is running late and I just want to leave the room. The teacher gives us our homework, but I've already packed up and don't want to get my planner back out. This always hurts me because later that day, or the next day, I resort back to my planner, see nothing written, then just assume I don't have any. I don't even replay the ending of class in my head to make sure. This happens because I rely on my planner so much that I just assume if I had homework, I would have written it down.
I also think the way I write notes varies depending on subjects. For instance, when in science class, I never write any notes because I believe I already know all the information. However, when I'm in history, I write every fact down because that is my worst subject and I want to make sure I don't forget any information. In these two situations I hurt myself as well. When it comes to test time, for science I don't have any information written, and for history, I have too much information to remember. I have learned after being in school for so long note taking organization just comes with time. When comparing who I used to be while taking notes, is definitely different than who I am now.
I believe thinking about how one thinks is very important for teaching. We need to be able to realize that every student thinks differently, and we need to accept that fact. Not every student is going to like taking notes, or believe notes will help them. As long as the students are learning the material, it should not matter what ways they process the information, as long as they are containing it.
There are several ways to organize a person’s thinking. I have different ways I like to organize my thoughts for different subjects. I will discuss a few of the different techniques I use.
In literature class, it is important for me to write notes on all the readings that I do for class. First, I will start out reading the article or story just to get an overall idea. I will do this first reading without taking any notes. The second process I do is to go back and highlight some important word or phrases as I am reading the information again. The final step in my organization process is to reread the material a third time and take detailed notes on the material. These three steps do require a great deal of time but in order for me to truly comprehend the material it is important for me to do this process.
Another activity I use to organize my thoughts is to create idea webs. There is so much information that I need to process when I am reviewing my notes. Therefore putting the ideas into an idea web assists me in organizing the information into sections so that I can better comprehend the material. By using this technique, it easier for me to find the main ideas faster and then I can discuss them in the classroom.
I organize my thoughts differently for different subjects. In math I find what works best for me is to break down the problems into smaller pieces. In our math class we are looking at different ways to organize addition problems. The easiest way for me to explain this type of problem is to draw out the numbers and to count them out. This may seem a difficult and tedious task for an addition problem, but this process assists me in learning and teaching a topic such as addition.
The other subject that I organize differently is science. I find it easiest to put the information down into a table when doing science activities. For example, making a table for a science experiment not only makes it easy for me to read but also for me to explain. The techniques that I use help me to be better organized in school and when I am teaching a new play to the freshman football team that I coach.
In literature class, it is important for me to write notes on all the readings that I do for class. First, I will start out reading the article or story just to get an overall idea. I will do this first reading without taking any notes. The second process I do is to go back and highlight some important word or phrases as I am reading the information again. The final step in my organization process is to reread the material a third time and take detailed notes on the material. These three steps do require a great deal of time but in order for me to truly comprehend the material it is important for me to do this process.
Another activity I use to organize my thoughts is to create idea webs. There is so much information that I need to process when I am reviewing my notes. Therefore putting the ideas into an idea web assists me in organizing the information into sections so that I can better comprehend the material. By using this technique, it easier for me to find the main ideas faster and then I can discuss them in the classroom.
I organize my thoughts differently for different subjects. In math I find what works best for me is to break down the problems into smaller pieces. In our math class we are looking at different ways to organize addition problems. The easiest way for me to explain this type of problem is to draw out the numbers and to count them out. This may seem a difficult and tedious task for an addition problem, but this process assists me in learning and teaching a topic such as addition.
The other subject that I organize differently is science. I find it easiest to put the information down into a table when doing science activities. For example, making a table for a science experiment not only makes it easy for me to read but also for me to explain. The techniques that I use help me to be better organized in school and when I am teaching a new play to the freshman football team that I coach.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Hannah Troxal's Plan Idea
While trying to think which ways I personally organize my thoughts and concepts I tried to focus on how I actively learn in class, study for tests, do homework, and read required texts.
I have discovered over my years in school that if I am not actively doing something while learning or reading then I will not be able to make a connection to it later. For example if I do not highlight or take notes I will not remember the reading later. It is extremely helpful for me to be able to look back and see what I thought was important at the time of initial reading. It is also useful for me to take notes during class so I can of course later recall upon what the teacher has said. This not only helps later but during the class itself-it keeps me focused on what we are doing or discussing. Even if I start doodling I can actually see that I am off task and remind myself to get back on track!
I am a very systematic learner and I love mnemonics, lists, bullets, flash cards and little creative ways to remember things. As a child I usually had a hard time memorizing and the listed above were always ways my mom would help me learn more efficiently. Anytime I have lists to memorize I always create some cute saying or word that I know I can remember. As soon as I get the test I write the mnemonic on the first page before even writing my name, so I will not forget when it is time to answer the related question. Flash cards are a way I use to organize vocabulary terms that will be important to memorize. These are not only useful but convenient to study with in a line, waiting for someone or riding the bus to class!
While note taking might be difficult at the early elementary level it might be appropriate for fourth through sixth graders to be introduced to it. I definitely feel that teaching students how to create their own mnemonics, find ways to remain on task during class and while doing homework, utilize flash cards and make lists of important highlights from class will be very beneficial to them as they grow in their school career.
I have discovered over my years in school that if I am not actively doing something while learning or reading then I will not be able to make a connection to it later. For example if I do not highlight or take notes I will not remember the reading later. It is extremely helpful for me to be able to look back and see what I thought was important at the time of initial reading. It is also useful for me to take notes during class so I can of course later recall upon what the teacher has said. This not only helps later but during the class itself-it keeps me focused on what we are doing or discussing. Even if I start doodling I can actually see that I am off task and remind myself to get back on track!
I am a very systematic learner and I love mnemonics, lists, bullets, flash cards and little creative ways to remember things. As a child I usually had a hard time memorizing and the listed above were always ways my mom would help me learn more efficiently. Anytime I have lists to memorize I always create some cute saying or word that I know I can remember. As soon as I get the test I write the mnemonic on the first page before even writing my name, so I will not forget when it is time to answer the related question. Flash cards are a way I use to organize vocabulary terms that will be important to memorize. These are not only useful but convenient to study with in a line, waiting for someone or riding the bus to class!
While note taking might be difficult at the early elementary level it might be appropriate for fourth through sixth graders to be introduced to it. I definitely feel that teaching students how to create their own mnemonics, find ways to remain on task during class and while doing homework, utilize flash cards and make lists of important highlights from class will be very beneficial to them as they grow in their school career.
Amy Stone's Metacognition
My own thinking is normally very jumbled although I am naturally an extremely organized person. I do very well with organizing tangible objects but when it comes to my own thoughts, they seem to get lost in the mix. When telling stories or in normal conversations, my thoughts jump around a lot. My boyfriend constantly makes me explain my thought process to him because we’ll be talking about one subject and I’ll automatically switch to a new topic. My thoughts are easily triggered by events that are meaningful to me and I use this process in my writing and reading as well.
Throughout high school and in my years of college, when reading texts I always tend to relate them to events I have experienced in my life that are important to me. I like to annotate my readings by highlighting information I find important and also making notes in the columns about connections to my life. By reading the information in this way, I am able to remember it easier and make it meaningful to me. There are several topics that I read that I am not able to make a connection to. In this case, I try to understand the full definition of the term and then create my own reasoning or story of a way to remember. I rely on mnemonic devices often therefore I must develop my own ways to personally remember the topics and readings.
My metacognition when it comes to writing is a much more tedious process. I normally begin writing with a topic in mind and then stray away from that topic very quickly because my thoughts fly by. I like to begin writing papers with the body paragraphs first because I normally have to fix my introduction and conclusion several times because my thoughts stray from the original topic. I would like to learn better writing strategies and ways to organize my thoughts in the writing process.
I feel that it is very important for children to learn how to organize their thoughts in both the reading and writing processes. I wish that in my schooling I were taught concrete ways to organize information. These strategies would be very important for reading comprehension and writing processes. By developing theses strategies early, children are more likely to use those strategies throughout all their schooling. I would like to begin to learn new strategies that I can teach to my future students as well as learn for my own thought processes.
Courtney's Reflective Thinking
It’s a strange feeling to think about how you think. Our brains are always active so we don’t really realize when we’re thinking sometimes, so to concentrate on it is interesting. I realize that I have different ways to organize my thinking depending on what I am thinking about and why. For instance, when I am studying for a test, I organize my thoughts through flash cards or I take notes. My flashcards usually have a concept on one side and the other side I write my thoughts about the concept. Sometimes I even draw pictures to describe the concept if it helps make my thinking more clear. When I take notes to study I read through text books, worksheets and notes I have taken during class time and then formulate new notes. Normally I type them because it helps me stay organized and be clear about what I am thinking (I tend to ramble a lot). Typing helps my mind not wander as much as when I am writing for some reason.
When I am thinking about a concept I am about to write about I organize my thoughts differently. To be honest, I normally just start writing/typing (kind of like I am doing now). It is easier for me to just start writing and let my thoughts come together in the final product. When I ponder about a concept I am supposed to write about for a long time I usually end up stuck and frustrated. However, when I start typing my thoughts and words flow together and end up making sense. Then once I finish my first draft, I have to print a copy and then read through and add and take away things that do not make sense. Then I put together the revisions with the original and create a more organized and final product. If it is an assignment that needs more structure however, I will usually just write random notes about the topic that I want to include in the paper and try to order them in how they will appear in the paper. I actually also realized I organize my thoughts when I am reading as well. However, I do not always record these thoughts. Instead, I organize my thoughts in my head so I can make sense of what I am reading. When I am reading my textbooks I tend to pay attention to the first sentence of the paragraph the most and think about that while I read the rest of the paragraph. This way I will better understand what the paragraph is discussing. Basically, I organize my thoughts more than I thought I did!
When I am thinking about a concept I am about to write about I organize my thoughts differently. To be honest, I normally just start writing/typing (kind of like I am doing now). It is easier for me to just start writing and let my thoughts come together in the final product. When I ponder about a concept I am supposed to write about for a long time I usually end up stuck and frustrated. However, when I start typing my thoughts and words flow together and end up making sense. Then once I finish my first draft, I have to print a copy and then read through and add and take away things that do not make sense. Then I put together the revisions with the original and create a more organized and final product. If it is an assignment that needs more structure however, I will usually just write random notes about the topic that I want to include in the paper and try to order them in how they will appear in the paper. I actually also realized I organize my thoughts when I am reading as well. However, I do not always record these thoughts. Instead, I organize my thoughts in my head so I can make sense of what I am reading. When I am reading my textbooks I tend to pay attention to the first sentence of the paragraph the most and think about that while I read the rest of the paragraph. This way I will better understand what the paragraph is discussing. Basically, I organize my thoughts more than I thought I did!
Kristen W's metacognition
My own thinking about concepts at first is very jumbled. I think it takes a lot of organization to have clear thoughts on all the concepts I learn now. For several years I have grown accustom to taking notes in class. There are so many different concepts that I come across in college. Notes are always a way to display what is important and what is not. A lot of times when I read something for a class I will highlight what I think is important and maybe make a side note why it was important. This is needed now more than ever, because I have found things that I want to use in the future and I hope when that day comes I can find those notes somewhere. Notes help while reading alone at home, but they help in thinking about concepts in the classroom as well. I am always sure to take notes in class in order to know what concepts are important to think about. I also say what I think about the concepts in class discussion in order to see if I am thinking on the right track. Also, a lot of homework assignments that I have now focus on directing my thinking to the important parts of concepts I learn.
I think it is important to have students think about the concepts they are learning pertaining to reading and writing. One way that I think will help this is class discussion. Providing opportunities for students to pose questions, reflect, and debate about what they read not only shows me, the teacher, their comprehension of the reading, but helps them clarify their thinking on the concept as well. To me, notes are an important part of organizing my thoughts, but I didn’t do any note-taking in elementary school. I think taking notes may be a little complex for younger kids, which is why I probably never did it. An alternative may be to have kids write in journals on what they think the main points of the reading were. This would not only be an outlet for kids who may not feel comfortable during a class discussion, but would also allow writing practice and supply a hand written guide of their thoughts. Another way to make students aware of how they think about the material they encounter is to supply homework assignments which ask of their reflections or to answer what the most important parts were to them. Overall, having metacognition and organized thoughts is important. I not only want to find the best strategies now to organize my thoughts, but to find the best strategies to teach organization of thoughts as well.
I think it is important to have students think about the concepts they are learning pertaining to reading and writing. One way that I think will help this is class discussion. Providing opportunities for students to pose questions, reflect, and debate about what they read not only shows me, the teacher, their comprehension of the reading, but helps them clarify their thinking on the concept as well. To me, notes are an important part of organizing my thoughts, but I didn’t do any note-taking in elementary school. I think taking notes may be a little complex for younger kids, which is why I probably never did it. An alternative may be to have kids write in journals on what they think the main points of the reading were. This would not only be an outlet for kids who may not feel comfortable during a class discussion, but would also allow writing practice and supply a hand written guide of their thoughts. Another way to make students aware of how they think about the material they encounter is to supply homework assignments which ask of their reflections or to answer what the most important parts were to them. Overall, having metacognition and organized thoughts is important. I not only want to find the best strategies now to organize my thoughts, but to find the best strategies to teach organization of thoughts as well.
Jess's Metacognition
During my reading I never sat back and thought about what I was reading deeper then what was needed for school work and assignments. However last semester I had the pleasure of taking X460, Books for Reading Instruction. This class taught me different strategies for teaching students how to track their own metacognition. Through this class I found myself reading for a deeper meaning in my books not only outside of the classroom but for classroom texts as well. Even though most of the reading strategies I learned were targeted for children and children's books they became useful for me as well as a college student. Tracking my thoughts with sticky notes, and placing markers on important ideas helped me to take better notes, and to find things easier in a longer chapter. As I entered this current semester I found myself reading till I understood the text and highlighting and tracking thoughts and questions more then I ever have before. Not only do I believe this will help my school work but it also brings much more meaning to books I might have not found interesting in previous semesters or school years.
My writing unlike reading usually becomes very focused on my own thoughts without a lot of effort. I usually start a paper, at least ones with personal ideas infused into them jotting down notes about the path of I want to take. After writing a paper I find it important to go through my final draft sentence by sentence and make thoughts and notes in the margins that help me to better organize it. Since i've been writing I have gotten carried away with my thoughts through papers. The notes in the margin help me rearrange my thoughts in a way that makes the paper more fluent and easy to read.
As a teacher I want to strive to teach students better ways to study, read, and write. This will include strategies that help them track their metacognition. I think that as a student I wish I would have been taught more strategies for reading and studying material that is being read. I also wish more time was spent on specific writing techniques.
My writing unlike reading usually becomes very focused on my own thoughts without a lot of effort. I usually start a paper, at least ones with personal ideas infused into them jotting down notes about the path of I want to take. After writing a paper I find it important to go through my final draft sentence by sentence and make thoughts and notes in the margins that help me to better organize it. Since i've been writing I have gotten carried away with my thoughts through papers. The notes in the margin help me rearrange my thoughts in a way that makes the paper more fluent and easy to read.
As a teacher I want to strive to teach students better ways to study, read, and write. This will include strategies that help them track their metacognition. I think that as a student I wish I would have been taught more strategies for reading and studying material that is being read. I also wish more time was spent on specific writing techniques.
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