METACOGNITION IN PRACTICE

The Soap Dish Booth Activity

The task titled Soap Dish Booth, requires a trial and error approach and planning. You will have 25-30 minutes to complete your task and will reflect three times; before starting, midway, and when finished.

Learning Target. I can effectively solve or address a non-routine, real world problem or dilemma.

Success Criteria. The response includes:

  • An opinion of yes or no.
  • At least 3 pieces of relevant evidence to support the opinion.
  • Evidence used as support is “key” evidence rather than “minor or secondary.”

The Soap Dish Booth Task packet includes:

  1. the assignment page with the learning target and success criteria,
  2. the prompt page with the learning target and success criteria,
  3. the information page with the data charts,
  4. a response page to write an answer and give supporting reasoning,
  5. a reflection page containing sections for a pre-task reflection, a mid-task reflection and a post-task reflection.

 Soap Dish Booth Packet

Now that you have a clear understanding of what you are being asked to do, you will do a pre-task reflection. Write your answers to the questions below on the first section of the Reflection Sheet.

  • Have I done something like this before?
  • If so, what approach did I use then?
  • Did it work? If not, why not?
  • Can I tweak that approach and use it?
  • If not, what would be the best plan or approach to solve this problem and address this issue?

Now, set a timer and work on the Soap Booth Task for 10 minutes. Then stop for the mid-task reflection.

Stop midway to reflect and examine your progress in relation to the learning target and success criteria. Use the middle section of the Reflection Sheet, and ask yourself:

  • How am I progressing?
  • Where am I in relation to my learning target and success criteria?
  • Do I need to change my strategy or plan?
  • If I keep going like I am, will I be successful?

Now, set a timer and finish up your work on the task.

Use the last section of the reflection sheet and, ask yourself:

  • Did I reach my learning target? Why or why not?
  • What worked well in doing this task?
  • What did not work well and why not?
  • If given a task similar to this in the future, what will I do differently?

METACOGNITION IN ACTION

Ways to Promote Metacognitive Awareness

  • Tell pupils about metacognition and model the processes in your own work.
  • Begin with an explicit lesson on how to be metacognitive when learning and studying.
  • Use metaphors to explain and explore how metacognition works.
  • Catch students begin metacognitive.
  • Ask students to share their examples

Creating a Conducive Environment for Promoting Metacognition

  • Create a safe environment for risk-taking
  • Make deliberate mistakes
  • Think aloud across content areas and situations
  • Convey the message that everyone can learn from mistakes
  • Promote a growth mindset

As the lead learner in your classroom, teachers can make the concept of metacognition more concrete for students by demonstrating it in action across subject lessons. By thinking aloud about the meaning of unfamiliar words and correcting deliberate mistakes in math calculations, for example, you can show students how useful it is to think about your thinking and how metacognition can be applied across contexts in school and outside the classroom. These think-alouds also convey the message to students that everyone, even the teacher, can learn from their mistakes and benefit from thinking about how they learn and how they might improve their learning. This approach recasts missteps from evidence of failure to opportunities to learn and improve.

Intellectual Risk-Taking

What are two ways you can make your classroom environment more conducive to metacognitive practices by promoting intellectual risk-taking?

Metacognition Plan

What are three things you can do to build more metacogntion into your teaching practices? When will you start?