This idea of a cycle of learning reiterates the idea that teachers should teach nothing in isolation; everything should be connected in some way. When teachers follow the standard schedule where they introduce a concept on Monday and test on Friday, they bring the learning process to a halt. Teachers need to build on what their students already understand so that the students can have a foundation on which they can build their fortress of knowledge (Cheesy, I know). The stronger the foundation, the more stable and expansive the future knowledge will be.
Activating prior knowledge can also be done by connecting basic ideas across content areas. Students may have an interest in one subject, but they may not see the relevance of learning another. By connecting Big Ideas between the two content areas, teachers can motivate their students to learn about subjects that some students may not normally perform well in. For example, I absolutely despise math. I was that student in school that asked, "What is the point of me learning this stuff? That's what calculators are for!" However, if one of my teachers had connected math with a content area that interested me, there is a good chance that I would have been more motivated to learn math. Similarly, teachers can use their students' personal areas of interest to motivate and engage their students.
This reminds me of an episode of a favorite childhood show, Full House. Stephanie shared my animosity towards mathematics, and had a difficult time understanding fractions. Joey, being the genius that he is, used food- an interest and motivation for many students- to demonstrate the concept of fractions. Stephanie understood the concept of fractions, D.J. and Kimmy ate the cupcake halves, and all was well at the Tanner family household.
First, I love your example. You just proved that activating prior knowledge is an effective way to engage a student in the topic.
ReplyDeleteWe have been taught repeatedly to activate prior knowledge and motivate a student. I however, wonder if this technique is ALWAYS effective. I have prior knowledge on many different topics. However, just because I have this background knowledge doesn't mean that I will be interested in it. For example, I know about cars (I know how to drive one, fill with gas, basic things), but I am not interested enough to research the topic, nor would I want to be taught about it (which is why I ignore my father when he starts talking about it).
I do agree that having this knowledge will help most students become motivated in the lesson and that everything students are taught should be connected to something they already know.
I agree I too was weary of discussing this topic. This chapter cleared up a fog of misconceptions that I had developed. I always just considered an affective hook of a lesson sufficient enough to serve as the motivation. I never considered that it takes more to engage and interest students. In order to truly motivate a student you must get to know the student as an individual and discover their interests. A classroom of students represents a broad range of motivation levels. Some students have had negative experiences in the past in a content area that has infringed upon future learning in that area. As you suggested, this is when it is important to find a content area that the student feels successful in and find creative ways to link new concepts to that content. I have always found fractions confusing and difficult to understand. I like the Full House example that you referenced. Food is always a great motivation piece.
ReplyDeleteWere things ever unwell in the Tanner household?
ReplyDeleteOnly when D.J. became anorexic and Uncle Jesse abandoned the family by selfishly marrying Becky (then returning the next week to live in the attic?? What??!)
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