"How can being aware of next learning steps help cognitive engagement?"
As a teacher at Point England School part of our professional practice is to carry out an inquiry. This inquiry is to refine, develop and learn within a particular area/topic.
My personal inquiry is related to awareness of learning steps and cognitive engagement e.g learning. This awareness relates to two areas, students and teacher. As I have reflected on learning and the process of learning I have become increasingly aware of the need for learning steps to be known. These steps are labeled as many things such as goals, aims, WALTS, and learning intentions. But the key similarity is that they all give the learner the focus/aim for what they are learning.
In my inquiry I want to take the next step with these learning goals/aims and inquire into how can learning be accelerated by being aware of the progression of learning steps. If a learner is aware of where they are currently at, where they have come from and what their next steps are, will personal engagement and ownership bring increased learning and cognitive engagement?
As I am in a 1:1 digital classroom, visibility of learning is important and also more easily carried out. So visibility will be key within the implementation of this inquiry. A couple possible steps for this inquiry are to:
- Establish where students are at in progressions and what the next learning step is.
- Ensure learning steps are visible - on site with learning tasks, on blogs with published work etc.
- Ensure students are aware of what they are learning - share and discuss.
- Use learning steps to reflect on work - rubrics, conferences, peer feedback, blog commenting.
- Publish reflections along side work on personal blogs.
