#3 What does 'learning' look like?

We have established over the last couple of weeks that metacognition 'in practice' feels more tricky than just acknowledging the enormous benefits for learners who are able to think metacognitively. An integral part of addressing that issue includes recognising that students also need a positive view of themselves as learners in order to feel comfortable rummaging around inside their own heads. (See #1 and #2)

It's vital that students fully appreciate that it's ok to change what you 'used' to think in the light of new information. For that to happen, they need a good understanding of what learning actually is, and how you go about achieving it. Too many students are stuck in the Primary mode of learning where they pick up information through their own experiences through play or by paying attention to whatever they become curious about.

That works well in Early Years settings, but all children have to make the switch to Secondary mode learning once they are in school and being 'taught' what others have deemed appropriate. That requires a different skill set, including metacognition, if they are to be successful students. We want independent learners who are happy to constantly re-visit what is going on for them in order to make progress, so we have to teach them how to do that effectively.

Going back to classroom culture as a starting point for this, the first thing that all students need to recognise, (and the earlier the better), is that no true learning takes place without 'challenge'. The brain is designed to learn from new experiences, and will naturally rise to the challenge, if success feels within reach. To start with we may have to provide more scaffolding, but always with the end view in mind of helping the learner become more independent.

We do however have to demonstrate empathy when we are asking students to learn something that has not arisen from their own curiosity. When planning, we need to work hard to find an introduction that arouses curiosity and an activity that encourages learners to pursue that, rather than spoon feed them information, much of which the brain will reject anyway!

We need to create an environment where everyone feels able to leave their comfort zones, knowing that they are in a safe and non-judgemental space. As teachers, we have to ensure that our classroom is consistently preserved as that safe space where students are not permitted to back down from challenge, but neither are they at any risk of embarrassment or sense of failure for giving something a go! (See #2)

Students have to learn how to feel comfortable with challenge and recognise it as just something that they haven't learned or mastered yet. As a teacher you can say " I wonder how good we'll be at this by the end of the lesson...let's give it a go and see how far we get". Remember to create that collaborative community where everyone accepts a challenge within the framework of their own ability, whilst supported by the collective insights of their peers.

This means thinking very carefully about what you praise your students for. Children are not learning effectively when they are sitting still, being quiet, completing work, or producing it neatly, so those are not where we should focus our attention. In order to develop metacognition in your students, make sure that you praise them for; being prepared to face a challenge, remaining resilient in the face of challenge, changing the method they are using to overcome the challenge etc. You get the idea!

Make 'challenge' an explicit and integral part of your classroom practice. You can provide introductory information that supports the learning, but leave some questions unanswered, before saying, "Ok, so here's today's challenge..." and present the class with a task that requires a bit of reasoning on their part, requiring them to link the new information with what they already know in order reach the conclusion that you want them to. Remember that we are looking to create independent learners who can think for themselves!

Next time; Ensuring that learners feel comfortable making mistakes, and are prepared to practise, due to their appreciation for what the learning process really looks like.