Week 3

How People Learn II, Chapter 5 - “Knowledge and Reasoning” Summary: 

“Knowledge and Reasoning” lays out a blueprint of a learner’s ability to make connections with new, learned information, integrate it into situations, and develop capabilities to reason and use learned knowledge for deeper understanding. Learners naturally start to build a foundation of knowledge, even from infancy (p. 86). As people mature and experience the world, the knowledge base provides the necessary skills needed in order to draw conclusions, or reason. Secondly, as learner’s build on an existing knowledge base it then leads to expertise, which is beneficial because learner’s will be able to recall quickly and learn new information easier. However, with expertise may come bias. While some bias may be useful for problem solving in social situations, some negative bias includes people’s attitude toward learning. It is vital to break through these barriers to allow learning possible. Inferential reasoning refers to a learner’s ability to make “logical connections between pieces of information in order to organize knowledge for understanding and to drawing conclusions” (p. 93). Culture also has an influence on how people reason. In conclusion, chapter 5 provides strategies that support learning, which will be explained below. 

Shaping and Impacting Curriculum Design:  

Educators must move past their own bias of gaining new knowledge. In the realm of professional development, there can often be resistance to learning how to use new technology, especially if one finds it difficult in the first place. “Knowledge and Reasoning” expands on this idea: 

“Biases affect the noncognitive aspects of learning as well. In a variable world, highly stable task environments are not guaranteed and so training to high efficiency may actually create a mindset that makes new learning more difficult, impeding motivation and interest in continuous growth and development.” (2018), p. 93)

If a teacher is hesitant toward technology use in the classroom because of their preconceived notions or inability to learn how to use it, then they deprive students of the ability to create and expand their knowledge. This contrasts with Gura’s plea to curate a creative learning environment. Gura emphasizes that educators should introduce and use quality technology in the classroom because of its importance for empowering students' creativity to learn at a deeper level (2016, p. 73). Additionally, ISTE Standard for Educators 1(c) encourages teachers to “stay current with research that supports improved student learning outcomes, including findings from the learning sciences” (ISTE, 2017). Instructing with technology is a must! 

Secondly, chapter 5 mentions how it’s not enough to merely integrate and extend a student’s knowledge but to apply it in a meaningful way. This correlates with Gura’s goal of applying knowledge through creativity. He continues to say that technology supports and fosters the development of student creativity (2016, p. 74). Another way students can benefit using gained knowledge is through collaboration. Technology provides ease of use to work and communicate to solve a problem. ISTE Standard Global Collaborator asks students to use digital tools to broaden and enrich their learning through collaboration (ISTE, 2017). Again, Gura supports this viewpoint in his research stating the number one skill employers seek are people who have the ability to work in a team (2016, p. 71). Some tools that support collaboration are Edmodo, Google Drive, Whiteboard Pro: Collaborative Drawing, and BoomWriter. 

Finally, “Knowledge and Reasoning” lists strategies to support learning: retrieval, spaced, and interleaved practices, as well as summarization (drawing) and explanations. While there are several tools and activities to support retention and varied practices, summarization and teaching are higher level skills that will prove useful when students leave the classroom. Some tools that I’ve found useful for summarizing through drawing in my fifth grade classroom are Doodle Buddy and Sketch.Book. I also had students create their own Google slide show to teach their peers about sustainable resources. 

Infographic Summary: 

My infographic is a summarization of the text above, however, there are a few more points I would like to explain. Under the umbrella of using technology in the classroom, we see that technology can provide many opportunities for creativity. Gura states it best that “technology, this day and age, can empower students to produce sophisticated, highly appealing, professional looking products without the need for talent, for difficult-to-acquire skills, and without great effort” (2016, p. 73). He is a big advocate for teachers incorporating technology in the classroom and recommends educators familiarize with ISTE Standards. Group work can also be very beneficial for students beyond the classroom. Collaborative activities encourage teachers to deter from memorization of facts to highlight students’ development of meaningful thinking, creativity, and reasoning skills (Gura, 2016, p. 56). Another connection between chapter 5 of How People Learn II and ISTE standards is that it pushes students to think outside the box. Developing a knowledge base and later using that knowledge in the real world will greatly benefit a student's life. Educators have provided a solid curriculum when they utilize ISTE Standards, use quality technology in the classroom, and design lessons that give room for creativity and collaboration.

References

Gura, M. (2016) Make, Learn, Succeed: Building a Culture of Creativity in You School. Eugene, OR: ISTE. Part 2

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2018) How People Learn II: Learners, Contexts, and Cultures. Washington, D.C.: The National Academic Press. http://doi.org/10.17226/24783. Chapter 5 - Knowledge and Reasoning. 

ISTE Standards for Educators (2017). Retrieved from: https://www.iste.org/standards/for-educators

Global Collaborator ISTE Standard