Reflecting
Students will complete an activity/simulation then go back and ask the questions: Would I do the activity/simulation the same way? Would I try another process to complete the same activity/simulation? This I hope will help the students to think about what learning that took place in the classroom.
Sharon,
this really is a great way to help them see the common thread & really progress well with the content.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Wanda,
and this really helps them identify where their own misunderstandings are & helps me check that as well.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I appreciate the reminder to relate the new information to previous topics. So often the learning may be isolated which makes it difficult to apply it to a real life situation.
I think reflecting is important because it gives students a chance to make sure that they understand the covered material and ask questions if needed.
Romana ,
this is a great point & we should all seek to incorporate these ideas into our courses.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
In my grad school program,one of the professors incorpoprates weeekly blogging into her curriculum. Self-reflection is an important part of learning. However, most students do not know how to self-seflect and may need initial guidance. It is important to stay on topic during reflection, I, personally find miself getting off course, especially when I feel strongly about an issue.
I do the same. This gives the students the ability to digest what what they have just learned.
Reflection and Review are very important elements of my classroom agenda. I think its so important in the emphasis on the subject matter in order to relate and retain. So I have students Reflect on the information...give a detailed Review of the subject matter...Afterwards I Relate that information to previous topics which helps connect the dots resulting in the students Retaining that information.
The process of debriefing is essentially the most important component of learning and putting it to memory. It is only after we review and elaborate on what we learn that we truly learn it and put it to memory for recall at a later time.
When students process the information, put it into their own thoughts and words and challenge their understanding they learn. Anyone can read something or listen to something, but did they really see or hear??? It's only when we review, elaborate, rehearse and chunk that we apply true meaning to informtion we receive.
I really like this idea of AAR. I really like it because it hits home on the learning objective or the GOAL as the module discusses.
In the Military, with can that an AAR (After Action Report).
Anytime a task is completed, you should always go back and look at the process to see if the Goal was achieve, how affective was the procedure and what could have been done different. Everything we do in life is evaluated in that way or in a similar way.
Mary Jane,
these are excellent questions to ask after any activity or lab that you try so you can seek to consistently improve.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
