Mid-semester Check-in
Metacognition and Bloom’s Taxonomy
Lesson based on Dr. Saundra McGuire’s Teach Students How to Learn
Workshop Overview
Goal: to reflect on current and potential habits for success at City Tech and beyond.
Total workshop time: 1 hour
Discussion Question:
What’s the difference between studying and learning?
Here’s one answer:
“Studying is focusing on the ‘whats,’ but learning is focusing on the ‘hows,’ ‘whys,’ and ‘what ifs’...
(slide 1/2)
…I find that when I focus on the ‘whats,’ if I forget them I can’t recreate the information. But when I focus on the ‘hows,’ ‘whys,’ and ‘what ifs,’ even if I forget the ‘whats,’ I can recreate them.”
—Student from Dr. Saundra McGuire’s Teach Students How to Learn
(slide 2/2)
Discussion Question:
For which of the following tasks would you work harder: getting an A on a quiz or teaching that material to the class?
Why?
Here’s one answer:
“When we must teach a body of material, we attempt to master it so that we can answer questions beyond the material we present. Teaching requires a high level of mastery, so if students aim for that level, they can’t go wrong” (McGuire 70).
Discussion Question:
How might we go from studying to learning to teaching?
Here’s one answer:
Let’s break it down.
Here’s an example:
“Goldilocks and the Three Bears”
Question: What’s the story about?
Remember + Understand
Remember: knowing the basic plot points of the story
Understand: knowing the reasons behind the basic plot points (e.g., why Goldilocks made certain choices.)
Question: What lessons do you think Goldilocks learned from this experience with the three Bears? What questions do you have of the story itself?
Apply + Analyze
Apply: predicting how Goldilocks might act the next time she visits a house that’s not hers.
Analyze: picking out inconsistencies or questions about the story itself. (e.g., Do bears even eat porridge? Are they capable of using bowls?)
Question: Are any of Goldilocks’ actions justifiable? Why or why not? What’s the moral of this story, and do you agree with it? How might you rewrite or change this story?
Evaluate + Create
Evaluate: assessing whether or not Goldilocks’ behavior is justifiable and why/why not.
Create: making a story of your own that uses a similar structure but with very different values and plot points. (e.g., “Goldilocks and the Three Professors.”)
Reflection
At what level of Bloom’s Taxonomy did you have to operate to make A’s or B’s in high school? Why?
At what point do you think you need to be in order to succeed in college? Why?
Practical Steps to Apply Bloom’s Taxonomy
—The Study Cycle—
An Experiment in Active Reading
—1 passage + 3 questions—
Goal: try to answer the 3 questions based on your reading of the passage.
Question 1: What process is being described in this passage?
The procedure is actually quite simple. First you arrange items into different groups. Of course, one pile may be sufficient depending on how much there is to do. If you have to go somewhere else due to lack of facilities that is the next step; otherwise, you are pretty well set. It is important not to overdo things. That is, it is better to do too few things at once than too many. In the short run this may not seem important, but complications can easily arise. A mistake can be expensive as well. At first, the whole procedure will seem complicated. Soon, however, it will become just another facet of life. It is difficult to foresee any end to the necessity for this task in the immediate future, but, then, one can never tell. After the procedure is completed, one arranges the materials into different groups again. Then they can be put into their appropriate places. Eventually they will be used once more, and the whole cycle will then have to be repeated. However, that is a part of life.
From McGuire, Saundra Yancy. Teach Students How to Learn: Strategies You Can Incorporate Into Any Course to Improve Student Metacognition, Study Skills, and Motivation (p. 88). Stylus Publishing. Kindle Edition.
3 Questions:
Here’s more context: a heading
Not super clear or understandable, huh?
Laundry
The procedure is actually quite simple. First you arrange items into different groups. Of course, one pile may be sufficient depending on how much there is to do. If you have to go somewhere else due to lack of facilities that is the next step; otherwise, you are pretty well set. It is important not to overdo things. That is, it is better to do too few things at once than too many. In the short run this may not seem important, but complications can easily arise. A mistake can be expensive as well. At first, the whole procedure will seem complicated. Soon, however, it will become just another facet of life. It is difficult to foresee any end to the necessity for this task in the immediate future, but, then, one can never tell. After the procedure is completed, one arranges the materials into different groups again. Then they can be put into their appropriate places. Eventually they will be used once more, and the whole cycle will then have to be repeated. However, that is a part of life.
From McGuire, Saundra Yancy. Teach Students How to Learn: Strategies You Can Incorporate Into Any Course to Improve Student Metacognition, Study Skills, and Motivation (p. 88). Stylus Publishing. Kindle Edition.
3 Questions:
How does knowing the heading change your experience with and perception of the information?
The point: previewing the text matters!
This can be the difference between remembering and forgetting.
Question: What might you look for now when you first encounter a text?
But previewing is only half the battle…
2. Attend Class
Do in class what you can’t do on your own! Take advantage of this time!
Discussion question:
What classroom conditions are essential for your best learning?
What happens if those classroom conditions aren’t present or possible?
The reality: there is no such thing as a perfect teacher, student, or classroom experience.
Everyone has different preferences, needs, expectations. So what do we do?
Metacognition—thinking about thinking / knowing how you know—helps us take control of our learning, no matter the environment or the professor.
3. Review
Discussion Question:
Have you see a movie/read a book more than once? What do you notice when you rewatch/reread? Why might that experience be beneficial to school work?
This step can be as little as 10 minutes!
4. Intense Study/Writing Session
Suggestion: divide the session into 15-20 minute chunks. See handout for more details.
Discussion Question:
How different are your study habits from this list?
Summary
5. Assess
Let’s assess where you are.
11 questions
All “True or False” questions
Slide 1/4
Assess
11 questions
All “True or False” questions
Slide 2/4
Assess
11 questions
All “True or False” questions
Slide 3/4
Assess
11 questions
All “True or False” questions
Slide 4/4
Grade Your Quiz
Your score will predict the grade you should expect to receive in a class.
Number of True Responses:
Rhetorical Question: in what areas can I change my behavior or study habits?
Reflection Activity
FREEWRITE (5-10 minutes):
At the beginning of the semester, you wrote about your goals for the future. You also noted challenges or obstacles you might face in the pursuit of these goals, particularly in this course.
In light of our discussions today, take an honest look at where you are, and respond to these questions:
“Do I think I’m on track to completing this course and graduating college? Why or why not? What steps can I take to continue pursuing my goals?”