What are some habits that may cognitively help students develop into better learners? It appears that anyone who reads widely and regularly, and writes a daily reflective journal should acquire a better disposition for learning and understanding. Yesterday, I was pleased to witness a rare sight - a student with her nose obliviously buried in a novel while eating a burger at Wendy's. How can we encourage more of that among our students (the reading for pleasure - not the burger)? As educators, we should share our own passion for reading, recommend titles to our students and even suggest they join or form a book club. Every time we see a child with her nose in a book, we can reinforce that behavior by engaging her in conversation about her reading.
Reflective writing also exercises cognitive “muscles.” How can we revive the habit of journal writing among our students? One technique is the one-minute reflective paper after each class meeting. If we need to start small, we could have students write a short reflective paper at the end of each week instead. Pose the same two questions: “What was the big thing you learned this week? What is the big unanswered question you are left with this week?” This would be a practical way to introduce reflective writing as well as assess student understanding.
A student who keeps a reflective journal and regularly reads for enjoyment is automatically developing vocabulary, comprehension and thinking skills. Reading a story is cognitively more engaging than listening to the story on tape, and listening to the story on tape is cognitively more engaging than watching it on television.
No comments:
New comments are not allowed.