Metacognition

The article “Using Self- Assessments in Elementary Classrooms” stresses that self assessment in the classroom is crucial to learning because it determines one’s self improvement. Students ability to engage in self-assessment increases as they develop metacognition, which is the capability of thinking about one’s own thinking. In order for a child to develop metacognition, parents, teachers and caregivers must provide feedback and insight into a child’s behavior and learning so that the child can begin to form some type of self appraisal. The child uses this feedback to develop their self perceptions and motivation in the classroom. The article states that, “research suggests that while general cognitive ability relates strongly to academic achievement, motivation and self-appraisal also contribute to children’s engagement in learning and academic success” (Bingham, Holbrook, and Meyers 60). When students have high self-appraisal as well as high expectations for themselves in the classroom, they are more likely to have higher grades and better results. The challenge with teaching self-assessment is that it is difficult to determine how much students are capable of. Older students need much less structure and guidance in self-assessment than younger children. Many times, teachers use self-assessment techniques that are ineffective and do not assess a child’s understanding of the material. Also, many teachers fear that including self-assessment in the classroom wastes valuable because it requires so much scaffolding, especially in the younger grades. Self-assessment is important because it is a powerful tool in a child’s education. (Jade Kirvin)
 * Bingham, Gary, Teri Holbrook, and Laura Meyers. "Using Self-Assessments in Elementary Classrooms." //Phi Delta Kappan//. 91.5 (2010): 59-61. Web. 10 Sept. 2010**


 * Green, Bonnie A. “Understanding Schema, Understand Difference.” Journal of Instructional Psychology, Vol. 37, No. 2. East Stroudsburg University. Web. 12 Sept 2010**

More and more, our societies are diversifying. In the past, classrooms were composed of children coming from the same cultural background. But, with people becoming more mobile, environments are diversifying. What makes one person different from another is one’s schemata, as Bonnie A. Green focuses on in her article, //Understand Schema, Understand Difference.// She argues that by embracing a diverse environment, students are forced to learn about different peoples schemata, giving them the vital skills to adjust to differences that will help them in the classroom, and in the future. A schema is what one uses to organize information to help comprehension, recall information from the past, and to problem solve. People are introduced to schemata immediately by their immediate environment, determining how one sees situations and the world. Diversity in the classroom means a wide range of schemata, and Green focuses that teachers can help create a common class room schema that all students can be apart of while embracing their personal schemata, because presenting and learning from other schemata is one huge benefit of being in a diverse environment. The article reads, “A diverse environment in school can lead a person to better predict how others will behave, even when unfamiliar schemata are governing a given situation” (Green, 138). The ability to know how to navigate in an unfamiliar situation is a vital skill that a diverse classroom provides each student. The article also presents psychological benefits to diverse schools (increased safety, social satisfaction). By teaching differences, teachers can also lessen stereotyping and prejudices. By focusing on differences like personalities (schemata) instead of race or ethnicity, teachers can help eliminate prejudices and stereotyping. Benefits of a diverse classroom include problem solving skills, social comfort, and appreciation for people in from different backgrounds. Diversity in American communities are becoming more common, and this article shows the possible benefits of this, and how it can can push American education into a new, positive direction. (Eileen Cullen)

**Green, Bonnie. “Understand Schema, Understand Difference.” Journal of Instructional Psychology (2010) Vol 37 Issues 2: 133-145. June 2010 ** Having differences in a classroom can make you that much of a better teacher states Bonnie Green. Schema helps keep our thoughts organized by the exposure of real life situations, it changes how we attend, comprehend, and behave that allows us to better understand the issues of diversity and difference. Too much schema is not a good thing either, this then leads to stereotyping, and prejudice between the students, and unfortunately sometimes in the teacher as well. Stereotyping is when you predict the behaviors of others before they perform them. Prejudice is stereotyping gone horribly wrong, which is when one begin to judge someone based on a particular characteristic they have already grouped them in. For teachers it is important to understand where the student is coming from, literally where they are coming from. Understanding what their background consists of will enable the teacher to teach each of the students in a form they will understand, but still incorporating all the students. Green gives strategies for teachers to use to understand where the students are coming from, and to become aware of the difference in the classroom they will face. There is an Us VS Them factor, which leads to stereotyping and prejudice; if these walls can be broken down students will be able to see that there are things the students share in common with other one another. Teachers who understand this concept and can differentiate between the actual differences in student’s background, education and personality instead of the differences that increase stereotyping and prejudice will better be able to enlighten greater cognitive thoughts in their students allowing them to have a more comfortable and better experience in schools. (Rochelle Takhar).


 * h, Nancy. "Metacognition Needed: Teaching Middle and High School Student's to Develop Strategic Learning Skills." Preventing School Failure 54.2 (2010): 99-103. Print.**

In the article Metacognition Needed: Teaching Middle and High School Students to Develop Strategic Learning Skills The author stresses the importance of developing the student’s basic reasoning skills, through the use of metacognition. Through these practices it has been noted to increase the student’s ability to understand their own thinking as well as the learning process or Self Reflective Learning. While most teachers and some students have well developed metacognitive skills the majority of students are lacking in the ability to analyze work or instructions, simply choosing to rely on the direction of the instructor to explain the work to them. The author points to the lack of development of metacognition in the classroom as a casualty of time “metacognition may be overlooked in the classroom because most instruction focuses on the content rather than on the strategies used to learn the content. (Joseph p.4) When the teacher implements exercises to promote the use of self reflective learning it not only saves time the students would have otherwise wasted expecting to be told the answer, it adds no extra time to the lesson. Through discussions, self assessment, questioning problem solving the teacher is able to facilitate the student’s progression into a confident learner. The article emphasis the importance of linking learning and thinking in the classroom As well as offering helpful assignments for teacher interested in the implantation of metcognitive practices in the classroom. (Chris Horton)


 * Joseph, Nancy. "Metacognition Needed: Teaching Middle and High School Students to Develop Strategic Learning Skills." //Preventing School Failure//. 54.2 (2010): 99-103. Print.**

This article points out two distinct and exceedingly common types of learners. The first is confident in their learning and are able to work through most of their confusion through thinking new materials through. The second type of student does not entrust in their own intelligence, rather they depend on those around them to correct their confusion. The goal is to get the second type of learner up to speed with the first. Educators contemplate various ways to guide students in developing metacognition, which according to Nancy Joseph is, “the ability to reflect on their own thinking and develop and use practical problem solving skills to resolve learning difficulties”(p 99). Many students are able to use self-guided learning techniques to determine when they are incorrect. Through metacognition, they can asses their progress and determine a way to continue their learning. Research shows that metacognition is essential in the classroom. Students who can reflect on their thinking are much more successful than students who do not understand their thinking process. It is proven that students at a young age can asses their learning to some degree. It is important to teach metacognition in elementary schools because as a child advances through each year of school, more and more metacognition is required of them to be successful. It is easy for teachers to overlook metacognition because there is a lack of time in the classroom to teach such an unnatural skill but it is important to teach it because metacognition can help teachers understand their students abilities. Teachers can use scaffolding to get the ball rolling for their students. By using strategically planned lessons that guide students into self reflective learning, teachers can open the eyes of their pupils that struggle with assessing their own skills. (Jade Kirvin)

** Van Vlierberghe, Leen and Braet, Caroline, and Bosmans, Guy, and Rosseel Yves, and Bogels, Susan. “Maladaptive Schemas and Psychopathology in Adolescence: On the Utility of Young’s Schema Theory in Youth” // Cogn Ther Res(2010) 34:316-332 // ** Maladaptive schemas are presumed to originate early in life and subsequently create vulnerability for psychological problems; cognitive diatheses must be demonstrable from childhood onwards, albeit in some developing form. Studying schemas in general and Young’s theory in particular among younger populations is of special relevance. First, hardly any research paid attention to whether specific schemas uniquely contribute to internalizing or externalizing problems in adolescence. Second, a better understanding of maladaptive schemas that develop out of familial adversity in childhood and the mechanisms involved could yield insight in developmental trajectories leading to the development of psychopathology. Third, Young has outlined specific treatment strategies to deal with maladaptive schemas. Promising results of schema-focused therapy were found in a randomized control trial with borderline personality disorder patients and the usefulness of techniques for treating cognitive schemas in pathology is generally acknowledged. Consequently, in case Young’s theory stands the test in youth, his schema model might create the opportunity of developing early interventions for youngsters. It would be interesting to examine whether this mediation hypothesis holds in non-referred adolescents as well and/or can be extended to other forms of childhood adversity and psychopathology. In sum, there seems to be at least some evidence that specific schemas are more closely related to specific forms of psychopathology. (Jen Wadsworth)