1 Hidden Slide for InstructorTopic Slides Time Estimate (Minutes) Notes/Suggestions Introduction 2 – 5 5 Reflecting on Our Beliefs 6 - 12 15 Discuss Slides 6 and 7, then give students the Lesson 1 Handout and have them do the self-reflection activity on Slide 8. Discuss common misperceptions about your field – Slides 9 – 11. (Slides cover misconceptions about the field of science. You can replace with your field, if you want.) Slide 12: Show video: Beliefs that Make You Fail or Succeed. Ask students to take notes in their handout. Homework and Wrap-Up 13-14 2 Total 25 Speaker’s notes offer suggested points – use or adapt as you wish.
2 Metacognition - Understanding How You LearnPair – Share – Discuss Why is it important to understand how you learn? Ask students to briefly discuss question with the person next to them, then lead a short discussion with the full group. Many students arrive in college without having had the opportunity to learn about how they learn and what they can do to study as effectively as possible. We’re going to be looking at a variety of ways you can learn in harmony with your brain. 6.1.16
3 What We’ll Cover Make studying and learningIntroduction to the Science of Learning Learning and Your Brain Understanding Your Learning Style How Sleep and Exercise Affect Your Learning Memory, Mindsets & Attention Make studying and learning less stressful, more effective! Over the next few classes, we’re going to be learning about what helps and hurts our ability to learn. If you understand this early on, you can make studying more effective and less stressful. CLICK – “Along the way” box will appear. You may already be doing some of the things we’ll talk about. I’ll ask you to tell us what works for you. You may not agree with everything – but try to keep an open mind. Along the way, tell us what works for you.
4 Cognition = Learning The mental process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience and the senses. This series of lessons are all aimed at helping you develop your metacognition. “Cognition” means learning.
5 Metacognition What will help me learn?Thinking about your own thinking What will help me learn? How well do I really understand this material? Am I using learning methods that work for me? “Metacognition” refers to thinking about your own thinking. It means asking yourself questions like – what will help me learn, how well do I really understand the material, and am I using learning methods that work for me? Let’s take a few minutes to think about some of the beliefs we bring to college.
6 How Many People Go Through CollegeStuff I Believe From my 18+ Years of Life Stuff I Memorize For College Class Our brains have only so much storage capacity—like a silo. So as we’re exposed to new information—and there’s a lot of it, especially in college—our brains have to prioritize what’s important to remember. When we arrive at college, our brain is already filled with what we have learned so far in our lives. CLICK If we treat college coursework as only stuff we need to memorize for class, we’re setting up a competing container of knowledge. It’ll be hard to remember new information because our brains can only store so much. Which of these containers are you most likely to use and draw from in your life? (What you already believe) Which of these containers of knowledge will you most likely use and draw from in your life?
7 A Better Model: Constructivist LearningI reflect on college course material to modify or add to what I believe Do I agree with class material? What do this mean to me—in college, and in my life? Do I need to change or let go of any old beliefs? Stuff I Believe From my 18+ Years of Life There’s a better model than two competing siloes—constructivist learning. Constructivist learning means that you construct meaning—you reflect on new college course material, and modify or add to what you believe. CLICK Do I agree with this material? What does it mean to me? Does what I’m learning change any of my existing ideas? Are there old beliefs I need to let go of? If you integrate what you’re learning by figuring out what it means to you, you get rid of the problem of competing containers of knowledge and you’ll be more likely to remember information when you need to. I’d like you to think about whether you may be limiting your learning with some preconceptions or judgments—about yourself or about what you’ll be studying. 4.1916
8 Reflect and Note (for yourself)What negative beliefs do you have (if any)? About yourself as a student? About your field of study? Give students the Lesson 1 Handout. I’d like you to take a minute and ask yourself: Do you have any negative beliefs about yourself as a student (for example, “I’m not good at math”) or about our field of study (for example, “Science is boring”)? Pause for students to make notes in their handout. Ask if a few people want to share what they wrote. If students don’t have any negative beliefs, that’s fine. If they have negative beliefs about themselves as college students, you can tell them you’ll be giving them some opportunities to change that thinking. Here are some common misconceptions I hear about the field of science.
9 Misconceptions: “Scientists are boring”Rene Descartes Inventor of Cartesian plane system (coordinate geometry) Came up with idea of plane system while in bed staring at a fly Francis Crick Co-founder of DNA structure Was said to use LSD in the laboratory and have most of his a-ha moments while under the influence Was said to have an extremely low IQ Misconceptions About Science: “Scientists are boring - they just work with microscopes all day” Rene Descartes Inventor of Cartesian plane system (coordinate geometry) Came up with idea of plane system while in bed staring at a fly Slept until 1pm every day!! Died of pneumonia. It was said getting up at 4:30am everyday to tutor Queen Christina of Sweden led to his poor health. CLICK Francis Crick Co-founder of DNA structure Was said to use LSD in the laboratory and have most of his a-ha moments while under the influence Was said to have an extremely low IQ
10 Misconceptions: “Science does not require creativity or imagination”August Kekule first had the idea that benzene might be a ring of carbon atoms after waking from a dream about a snake biting its own tail. He is now credited with the discovery of the structure of benzene.
11 Misconceptions: “Scientists are a bunch of white guys”Insect hearing Charles Henry Turner (African American) Faye Wattleton Santiago Ramon y Cajal (Spanish man) Rosalind Franklin (British woman) Ynez Mexia (Mexican American woman) Advances in reproductive health and rights Structure of nervous system (won Nobel Prize 1906) Items in left column appear when you click. Another misconception: Scientists are just a bunch of white guys. In fact, there are many scientists of color and women who made major contributions. Let’s look at three. What was Charles Henry Turner’s contribution to science? (Pause, then click) (February 3, February 14, 1923) He was a prominent research biologist, educator, zoologist, and comparative psychologist born in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1892, Turner became the first African American to receive a graduate degree at the University of Cincinnati. In 1907, he became the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. Turner published 49 papers on invertebrates. In his research, Turner became the first person to prove that insects can hear and can distinguish pitch. In addition, he first discovered that cockroaches can learn by trial and error and that honeybees can see color. How about Faye Wattleton (Pause, click) (born July 8, 1943) She was the first African-American and youngest President ever elected to head Planned Parenthood (1978–1992). Currently, she serves as the President of the Center for the Advancement of Women, and also serves on the board of trustees at Columbia University. She is best known for her contributions to the family planning and reproductive health, as well as the pro-choice movement. How about Santiago Ramón y Cajal ? (Pause, click) (ForMemRS[1]) (1 May 1852 – 17 October 1934) He was a Spanish pathologist, histologist, neuroscientist, and Nobel laureate. He is considered by many to be the father of modern neuroscience. He was skilled at drawing, and hundreds of his illustrations of brain cells are still used for educational purposes today.[2] And there are more ... Rosalind Franklin, who pioneered the structure of DNA, and Ynez Mexia, who documented dozens of Latin American plants. And more ... Structure of DNA First documentation of dozens of Latin American plants
12 Beliefs That Make You Fail or Succeedhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH95h36NChI&feature=list_other&playnext=1&list=SP85708E6EA236E3DB Tell students you’ll show a video (about 7 minutes). Tell students to take notes in their handout on common misperceptions about how people learn and a common metacognition mistake (page 1 and 2). After the video, review answers to questions and ask for reactions. Do you agree, disagree? Did you hear anything that caused you to question a belief about how you learn? What are common misconceptions about how people learn? Learning is fast. (I don’t need to put in much time studying or reviewing material.) Knowledge is composed of isolated facts. (I just need to memorize.) Being good at a subject is a matter of inborn talent. I’m really good at multi-tasking.) What’s a common metacognition mistake that students make? Over-estimating their understanding Tell students that this video sets up a number of the themes that you’ll discuss more.
13 Homework - Handout Answer quiz questions about the reading.Read Chapter 1 of The New Science of Learning. Answer quiz questions about the reading.
14 There is no limit to what you can learn!Reflecting on your courses, and connecting them to your beliefs, will help you master college material. We actually can change how smart we are, by exposing ourselves to new information or by looking at what we know in a new way. Don’t limit yourself with negative beliefs or myths about learning! There is no limit to what you can learn!