Check for Understanding
Today's Activities:
1. Watch this video:
*This video explains the meaning of metacognition. As you watch this video, reflect on your own study process.
Today's Activities:
1. Watch this video:
*This video explains the meaning of metacognition. As you watch this video, reflect on your own study process.
For Today's discussion:
1. Using your own words, explain the meaning of metacognition and name the stages of the metacognition process (you can refer to our presentation or pg. 229 for support if needed it).
According to the video, metacognition involves understanding how our brain works and taking more control of our learning (book states- managing one's learning) and knowing exactly what works for us. When we figure out what works for us, that can become our future strategy when trying to accomplish a task.It is then when we'll know the when, how, and why of what we're doing. When thinking about myself, I know several strategies that I've created to help me accomplish a variety of challenging tasks, which are everyday things. If I want to work on my homework and be able to finish it, I know that I need a place that's quiet where I can hear myself thinking (and even reading out loud). Also, if I want to understand what I read, I reread and write notes. I have to write notes (not typed) because I find that that's how I remember the information better. There are so many strategies that have helped me academically and personally. When thinking of my students, I have found that they are able to do the same thing when it comes to accomplishing challenging tasks and coming up with strategies they know work for them or that I suggest. Many of them are able to figure this out on their own while others need help. The stages of the metacognition process are: defining the task, goal setting and planning, enacting study tactics and strategies, and adapting studying.
ReplyDeleteViviana,
DeleteLike you said it is so important to identify what works for each individual. I realized that for me. I need to be in a quiet place to be able to study and I have to have the materials that I have to read in my hands ( reading in the computer doesnt work for me, I guess I'm old school) this way I can highlight, make notes, write my own comments, etc.
With my students, it was important to explain them think about your thinking, for them to not fly through a reading, but to take time and enjoy and understand what they were reading.
Do you think it's important to know the stages of metacognition?
I do believe it's important to know the stages of metacognition because when we do we can help our students help themselves the way we help ourselves. Definitely something that will help them forever.
DeleteThe following is what I understand metacognition to be. From the videos and the chapter this is how I understood it. Metacognition is, just like mentioned, thinking about thinking. I understand metacognition is knowing how your brain works and what works best for YOU. I believe metacognition and problem solving go hand in hand! For example trying to figure out what is the best way of studying for you. You use metacognition, by thinking about how your brain takes information the best, whether it is by listening, writing, reading or any other way. When I study I need to read then rewrite everything in my own words in order to understand it. This is metacognition and it is also problem solving because you try to figure out what the best format for your studying is. At least this is what I understand it to be! You need to develop a plan, monitor it then evaluate it. The stages of the metacognition process involve defining a task, setting your goal and plan, enacting tactics and strategies then adapting your studying to them.
ReplyDeleteB. Valdez, I like how you made the connection to problem solving. Like you say they go hand in hand. That is why it is crucial that we teach metacognitive skills to our students. So many times all they are missing is this level of self-reflection. On Thursday we have a problem solving activity prepared to help us reflect deeper on the metacognitive strategies and skills need to solve problems. Thank you for sharing!
DeleteAfter watching the video and reading the chapter, I define metacognition as: thinking about thinking. As an educator, I use "think aloud" when teaching. I use this strategy so that I can model how we should problem solve. By "thinking aloud" I am using a metacognition strategy to teach them how we should use our thinking and planning skills to sovle problems.
ReplyDeleteAlicia,
DeleteI find myself using the think aloud strategy in class and sometimes I forget to mention that that is what I am doing, and I think my students think I talk to myself! However, most got to know me throughout the year and I caught a few of them using this strategy in class!
Thank you for sharing!
Isabel Hernandez
Think aloud is a great strategy. We use Stephanie Harvey: "Strategies that Work" and Comprehension Strategies" and her first lesson is on Think aloud which is a great resource for brand new teachers or ACP teachers. I know that it helped me a lot, when I started.
DeleteThanks for sharing :)
Yesssss. Thinking aloud. I love to do that. Thanks for reminding me Alicia. At the beginning of the year during read aloud, the kids think I am crazy thinking aloud, but then when they see how it helps my thinking...they jump in and start thinking aloud with me. Lot of sticky notes with our thinking in my class.
DeleteThanks for sharing Alicia
True! Thinking aloud is definitely a good strategy especially when the students have learned how to use it (which doesn't take long for them to learn it when it's something that they constantly do). After modeling it, and they start practicing it, it's awesome when you hear they way they think and the ideas and connections that they come up with while reading. It helps them understand whet they are reading and engages them.
DeleteMetacognition is “thinking about your thinking.” When faced with a task or problem, we have to evaluate our options for meeting that challenge. We must select a strategy that will take us to the desired outcome. The stages of the metacognition process are: define the task, set your goal and plan, enact strategies and tactics, and then adapt. In the classroom setting, metacognition comes into play in problem-solving. For example, imagine that a student is presented with a word problem. The student must define the operation (or series of operations) that he or she will use to solve the problem, enact the strategy and then find the answer.
ReplyDeleteAnd then reflect on your own learning.
DeleteGood answer Sarah :)
After watching video, metacognition is "thinking about your own thinking" and evaluating your own ways of coming up with a solution. There are four stages 1) defining the task 2) goal setting and planning 3 & 4) enacting study tactics and strategies. When learning a task we have to think of the resources available and how we need to plan for addressing the task. We need to make on our judgement as to how we would approach the task and which available resources we will be using.
ReplyDeleteMetacognition is being aware of your thought processes and monitoring what you are thinking as you complete a task. The stages are 1) defining the task - when you start out, the first thing you think through is how you will go about solving the problem or completing the task. Things you might consider are resources available to help you, time constraints, etc. 2) goal setting and planning - Once you've thought through how to get started and taking into consideration all of the other factors identified, you need to set a goal and design a plan to achieve that goal. 3) enacting study tactics and strategies - carry out the plan. 4) adapt - this involves a reflection process. If the plan didn't work, then you need to think about what to change to make it work or what you might do differently next time.
ReplyDeleteMetacognition is understanding the way you think and being aware of what you know and don’t know. When you don’t understand something, you know which strategies to use and when to use them to assist in the learning process. The stages of the metacognitive process include the following: 1) defining the task, 2) goal setting and planning, for example, plan on spending two hours a day reading school-related materials, 3) enacting study tactics and strategies, such as identifying and defining key terms and reading the summaries before reading the chapter, 4) and the last stage is adjusting one’s understanding of the tasks, goals, planning, and strategies, or making a permanent change into future studies.
ReplyDeleteMetacognition is “thinking about your thinking”. Metacognition has to do with being able to understand the reasons of why or how we can get something done and our limitations. As I watched the video, I thought about the way I use metacognition. For example, as I think through the day about the things that has to be done and know that can get done, I start by preparing a plan or schedule, sometimes I write it down, sometimes I just think about the time frame I would like things to get done. Having a plan/schedule helps me stay focused and organized. So, as we use metacognition, we think of strategies to get a task completed which is similar to problem solving.
ReplyDeleteThe stages of metacognition strategies are:
Defining the task
Goal setting and planning
Enacting study tactics and strategies
Yes Blanca, I like how you gave us an example of how you use your metacognitive skills for your everyday to-dos. This definitely related to problem solving. This made me think of people who are always late, or are always missing deadlines. It could be more than just being disorganized or having bad habits. It could also be that they lack metacognitive skills to prepare for their daily activities. Maybe they are not reflecting deep enough on what has worked or not. They may not be adjusting their understanding of the task, meaning they are not changing their strategies once they realized they did not work. Just a thought. Thank you for sharing Blanca!
DeleteMetacognition refers to the cognitive abilities a person has to monitor its own thinking; it's thinking about its own thinking. It sounds complicated, but the video gave great examples on how implement some of these metacognition skills, the kind of thinking or questioning we need to do to ourselves to complete an specific task successfully. Questions like what do I need to accomplish, do I have enough information, what should I do first, am I implementing or doing what I had planned, how am I doing, etc. This kind of questions are focused on directing or redirecting your actions towards the objective that was previously defined. The stages for the metacognitive process are defining the task, goal setting and planning, enacting tactics and strategies, and adapting. Some of our students lack of this metacognitive ability (especially students in the lower grades), so I tend to "think aloud" about my thinking, like Alicia was mentioning on her comment, to guide students on how they can analyze and think about their own cognitive processes.
ReplyDeleteSilvia, great definition. I agree students in lower grades, I will even say all the way to 3rd grade lack the ability to reflect on their own thinking. I also believe that teaching this skill to students is vital.
DeleteTake a look at this slideshow. Copy and paste.
Deletehttp://www.slideshare.net/janesutton48/developing-metacognitive-skills-in-your-students
Very easy to follow.
Gabby
Metacognition is thinking about one's thinking. This is pretty deep and can be hard to understand. But, like the video explained, we must think about how it is that we learn and how we get tasks done.By figuring that out, we can set our goals and get our work done.
ReplyDeleteI'll use myself as an example. Over the past 2 years, I have always tried to work at a pace that will not leave me overwhelmed when the deadline is around the corner. However, I have found that I just cannot put my thoughts on paper until the last minute and I have done well. When I actually sit to work on my assignments, I have already spent the week(s) or days with the task and instructions in my mind and I have spend a good amount brainstorming (in my mind) and then I'll sit to work. I have also found that I sometimes work better in the wee hours of the morning, and sometimes right before bed. I always listen to music as I work or have some background noise, like the TV playing. I cannot sit in absolute silence like several classmates have mentioned.
The stages of metacognition include defining the task, goal setting and planning, and enacting study tactics and strategies. The video was clear and interesting and really made me think about my thinking. Thank you for sharing!
Marie Isabel Hernandez
Thank you for your answers, it looks like the concept of metacognition and it's stages are very well understood. Some of you provided with very good examples, made connections to problem solving, and shared how you already use it in the classroom. Besides modeling our thought process out loud, it also a good idea to have children discuss their thinking process... the same way we are doing it today! Some of you shared you have your study strategies down, you know you always need a quiet room, you know you need underlining, etc, as you share and discuss your strategies with peers you reflect deeper on your study habits and learn about others that my work for you as well. This is very important for children, because many do not reflect about their study habits naturally, they need to articulate their thoughts, and they need ideas. On Friday, we are sharing with you an article that talks about 'meta-teaching', which is a teaching strategy that aims to mediate metacognition to help the child make explicit their thinking and learning for the purpose of self appraisal and self management'. Thank you all for sharing, you are great!
ReplyDeleteMetacognition is defined in this video as thinking about thinking. I am a visual learner so when I watch these videos they truly help me understand. Students in the metacognition stage should follow the stages mentioned.
ReplyDelete1. Before: Develop a plan: Why am I doing this? What do I already know that can help me with this goal or plan.
2. During: Monitor: Ask, am I spending enough time on what I am doing? Am I close to my goal or plan? How should I keep going?
3. Evaluate: How well did I do? What could I have done differently to accomplish my goal or plan.
Great video ladies!
As per the video meta-cognition as applied to studying is set in stages. During stage one we need to make sure we understand the task at hand. Do we need to read to familiarize ourselves with the content being learned? Stage two is figuring out how to approach the task at hand. Do we have the ability to generate a plan to complete the task? Can we make sure that we set our goals and accomplish them in terms of what needs to be done? Stage three is where we consider all the obstacles we encountered in wanting to complete the task and so here we need to re-evaluate our way of working so that we are successful in the end.
ReplyDeleteEsmeralda ;-) I hope I understood well???
Hello everyone!
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention yesterday: Very awesome (and cool!) idea on creating this blog, Maria and Gabby! Great job!!
Aside from its dictionary and/or popular definition (“thinking about thinking”), I personally define metacognition as managing your own thought process. The steps on page 229 make the concept of metacognition very learner-centered and personally empowering. After the task is defined, it is now practically the apprentice’s task to map out his/her own learning. As a practical application, I used the gradual release of responsibility model to (covertly) teach metacognition in reading to my students. I would read a mentor text aloud and stop to reflect on important points through thinking out loud; we then read it together as a class as we stopped at important points and I deliberately either shared my own thoughts, asked questions about the text, made the students predict the next part, or answered their questions. Afterwards, they read with a partner and annotated or marked the text, as they discuss the meaning. As the last step, they read, annotate or mark the text on their own. By the time we read another text, they were (for the most part) able to apply this strategy to navigate their own understanding of the selection.
For my own thought process, one of the things I do to utilize metacognition is a mental visualization of the task-at-hand. For instance, if I am about to make a presentation to my colleagues, (physical preparation aside) I imagine the physical set-up, my movement around the room (stationary vs. mobile); predict the possible questions and concerns they might have about the topic I will discuss; visualize their reactions; create a “conversational thread” about how a single, important idea may spin into a weighty talking point leading to a robust discussion, etc. Truth be told, I even visualize some people causing problems or stirring up issues - so that I may be able to address them in case they arise. I recognize that there is a host of variables that may come into play in any scenario which can make its flow unpredictable, but applying this metacognition strategy in the guise of mental preparation helps me become a bit more confident during what could be a nerve-wracking presentation.
Vir-
DeletePlaying devil's advocate...nice. I do the same strategy too ;0) It helps me prepare to what the other side might come up with.
Thanks for sharing,
Angelica
1. Using your own words, explain the meaning of metacognition and name the stages of the metacognition process (you can refer to our presentation or pg. 229 for support if needed it).
ReplyDeleteMetacognition can be defined as the ability to think about what will be learned as a process where you can plan, monitor, and change the process if necessary. The stages in the metacognition process are defining the task, goal setting and planning, and the last stage is enacting study tactics and strategies.
What is Metacognition? Metacognition is thinking about your thinking, or taking control of your learning by breaking learning down and thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteThe stages of metacognition are:
1- Defining the task (What is the problem...)
2- Goal setting & planning (How will I solve this problem...)
3- Enacting strategies to reach desired goal (looking up more info about a problem on the internet, reserach, questioning during reading, etc)
4- Adapting study (After I have solved my problem, is there something I would have done diffrently later?? I can adapt my next problem solving acording to this last one preformed.)
I have been using metacognitive skills in reading for about 4 years and it has helped my students slow down and understand tasks. First of all when reading, when they think through their reading like possibly ask questions while they read...that is metacognition. I have had students write down the questions (skill) as they are reading and then go back and answer them or ask someone about the question or they do more research to answer the question (strategy). This definily slows down the fast reader and helps them think about their reading. Another is during math problem solving: They braid reading strategies to solve math word problems. One example could be they actually visualize the word problem and draw it out then they take out the question and dissect it to understand what it is asking. Maybe there is a word they do not understand and they look up words or ask someone to explain the word.
Metacognition allows students and teachers to break down a problem and understand it.
-Angelica
As we try to find a given answer, I usually ask "Okay boys and girls, how are we going to find the answer?" I then get the answer to the problem and I tell then no, HOW, do we find the answer. I believe the how is very important because it takes me through their thinking process, metacognition. They begin to share clue words or phrases that trigged the intended task. The create a plan to get them to the answer, and then they are able to evaluate their answer based on the question. Having students explain their thinking process also helps other students see the multiple ways to achieve an answer. Getting the students to discuss the how, to me is more important than the actual answer.
ReplyDeleteMetacognition is "thinking about thinking". It's understanding how the brain works and taking control of learning. On the video they gave an example of the things that have to be done, but the first thing that we have to do is think of those things that we have to do. Then, we have to think of how are they going to get done. In order for us to do that, first we have to develop a plan, then we monitor the plan and finally we evaluate it. The stages of the metacognitive process are: defining a plan, goal setting and planning, enacting study tactics and strategies, and adapting studying.
ReplyDeleteMetacognition is understanding what you are actually thinking. Processing and planing how you are going to solve and carry out a problem. utilizing your knowledge, abilities and skills to plan and execute. I tend to think aloud when I'm organizing my assignments, lesson plan..etc. I also have a note book where I write my "thinking notes" this helps me visualize and in a way make it tangible, doable.
ReplyDeleteWith my students I like to do the same, for them to organize and plan so that they can see, their thinking process and plan accordingly.
If you had time Watch Stephanie Harvey, talk about the importance of small group and comprehension, she is awesome.
ReplyDeleteStephanie Harvey retweeted
Heinemann Publishing @HeinemannPub Jun 16
Video | "Small Group Work: No Longer Optional" - @Stephharvey49 #CompandCollab http://hubs.ly/y0VDqZ0