In the Wendi Pillars article, "What Neuroscience Tells Us About Deepening Learning," I have highlighted a couple of items. Please read the entire article and use it to answer the following questions.
Return to information over time
Pillar talks about "explicit spiraling of information over time." How does this spiraling connect with the "enduring understandings" in UBD/DI?
Time it right
How does the enduring understandings in the UBD/DI design support the "primacy-recency effect" that neuroscientists study?
Looking for how UBD/DI is supported by neuroscience research mentioned in this article. Use the information in the highlighted sections to answer the questions.
The "spiraling of information over time" seems to go hand in hand with UBD/DI. The enduring understandings provide the focus and framework a teacher needs to guide the information that will be spiraled. All information circles back to the "big idea" which helps students to see the relationships between ideas and concepts learned. Spiraling allows students to use the information again and again and in context which deepens their understanding. The more a student uses knowledge, the more it becomes comfortable and "owned". After that recall just becomes a habit.
ReplyDeleteThe "primacy-recency effect" is supported by UBD/DI in that the enduring understandings are constant in every lesson/activity. They guide the introduction to lessons and are referred back to throughout the unit. They help a teacher focus and tailor tasks that are relevant to the big ideas so students can apply new information. I also like the idea of beginning right away and taking care of "housekeeping" while the students are working. It seems like students would "buy in" faster and you wouldn't lose their attention or waste time getting them to focus. The routine of having students "synthesize information" the last few minutes of class ensures that it is on their mind as they leave.
What I took away from this article are the implied references to some of the differentiated instruction techniques we have been learning about and the rationale behind “understanding by design”. Pillar mentions extensive, strategic planning (KUDs?), use of higher-level questioning, graphic organizers for synthesis and opportunities for students making connections (making learning relevant?). It is interesting that she designs instruction time differently than many teachers; being aware of the primacy-recency effect, she jumps right in to focused teaching, followed by application and exploration tasks for her students. She doesn’t want the students remembering announcements or homework review more easily than the planned enduring understandings of the curriculum. Saving the last 10 minutes of class time for closure is critical for the “pointed repetition” necessary for the newly learned information to stick in her students’ memories. Using and applying in the classroom what science has learned about the brain and how it stores information just makes good sense. It seems that neuroscience and UBD/DI support each other.
ReplyDeleteReturn to information over time
ReplyDeletePillar talks about "explicit spiraling of information over time." How does this spiraling connect with the "enduring understandings" in UBD/DI?
I think this relates to UBD/DI’s “enduring understandings because in this model we are teaching the “big ideas” and these big ideas lead to the basic facts and skills we would want our students to know from our unit. By teaching the “big ideas” students would be able to (hopefully) apply them to other topics and not just the one unit we are studying. For example, in Third Grade we teach about the ancient civilization of Greece, Rome, and Mali. If I teach my students how to study about civilizations and people they will be able to use that information across three different units. This way my students will be able to return to the big ideas for each civilization and return to the information I want them to understand with each place.
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How does the enduring understandings in the UBD/DI design support the "primacy-recency effect" that neuroscientists study?
Primacy-recency effect is the term used to explain that students “tend to be the best at recalling the first and last chunks of new information”. UBD/DI design supports this because if teachers are teaching the “big ideas” they are constantly being referred back to during the whole lesson. Teachers should begin their lesson with the “big ideas” and wrap up their lesson with the “big ideas”. If we are doing this then the facts, concepts, those S.O.L. pieces will fall into place.
Enduring understandings are the "big ideas" that are discussed in Chapter 3 of UBD/DI. In the planning template on pp. 30-31, the enduring understandings would be the entries into Box U and the associated essential questions that would foster inquiry would be listed into Box Q. These questions would be the higher-level questions to make connections.
ReplyDeleteThe spiraling of information would start with pretesting students' understanding of the big ideas. The teacher then spiral upward by developing tasks and activities that address areas in the enduring understandings that need more focus.
What was covered in the previous class and how that connects with the enduring understandings for the unit could be discussed at the beginning of the class. What was covered during class and how that connects with the big ideas could be summarized at the end of class. I use a SmartBoard during all classes. I save my class notes into a PDF file and post them to my web site. I start every class by opening the notes from the previous class and reviewing them. I can do a better job at summarizing at the end of class and connecting the material to the enduring understandings.
As I was reading the article, I found myself saying: “Ah that makes sense” over and over. The idea the spiraling of information makes sense as to why the information would be stored in long memory and strengthened. Spiraling builds upon information. I guess sort of as what we talked about last week, when we were taking our lessons and SOLs and finding the big picture. We easily saw how the topics/content of what we are teaching can be tied from one to another. It aides in repetition and review with graphic organizers and synthesis of the information. And just brings a sense of answering the question: “Why do I need to know this?” The idea of slowing down, is one we have talked about many times. I liked the example she gave and the results she gained from that “precious 10 minutes”. The idea of “primacy-recency effect” was new to me. But like the rest of this article, it made sense! I definitely see how the beginning and the end would be the most beneficial times. The beginning, the kids are fresh and ready to work, the ending leaves a lasting impression, thought, idea. I sort of thought about Charlie Brown, and when the kids are at school…the sound of the teacher’s voice. I often worry if that’s what I sound like to my kids because we work so fast and so much is laid in front of them in terms of information to learn. Anywho, I definitely support neuroscience findings. It is amazing how the brain works and how complex and intricate it all is. And when these findings are spelled out before me (like in this article), it’s a “duh” moment of: why didn’t I think of that? It makes sense!! I think teachers could learn a lot from neuroscience and just how the brain affects learning in the classroom. I believe this article fully supports neuroscience with UBD/DI.
ReplyDeleteUBD/DI talks about the "big idea" and connecting concepts taught across the content areas. Pillars article on neurosccience discusses how information can more quickly be recalled if it has been "retrieved repeatedly and connected to as many other pieces of information as possible." In this way the enduring understandings of UBD/DI relate directtly to the spiraling of information over time mentioned in this article. I do plan for the repetition of information and I try to connect it across the content areas. I consolidate information during the lesson to make sure students understand what has just been taught. I also use our "maintenance moments" in our lesson planning to constantly go back and review what has previously been taught. The thing that I find most challenging is establishing relevance. I understand that when students better relate to the information, it increases their chances of recalling it. However, I feel that some of my students don't come with much background knowledge and point of reference so it is more difficult to establish these relationships.
ReplyDeleteThe primacy-recency effect does make sense. I understand that students retain the information more that is taught at the beginning and end of the lesson. I like Pillars recommendation of slowing down and giving students extra time to explain their comments, which can show the students' connections to previous learning.
When I first started reading the article, I gave myself a pat on the back. Just the other day I was working with my students to draw a clock on the whiteboard and before we started putting numbers on the clock, I jogged their memory of the cardinal directions we learned about when we studied maps. Then we put the numbers on the clock starting with 12,3,6, then 9. Then we went back and filled in the missing numbers. I am using spiraling as much as possible because I am seeing what a difference it makes to their understanding and deeper knowledge of concepts.I have also done more with KWL charts, Lotus Squares, and Venn Diagrams then I have in past years. I agree with starting the day right away, my students work on their word study first thing in the morning and it is repetitive throughout the week so they know the routine. That is when I do my secreterial chores, which for us can't wait very long in the morning. Giving kids the big picture by spiraling makes the concepts more real-world so they can apply it and come to a deeper understanding.
ReplyDeleteI have a couple of areas to work on. The slowing down for answering questions is the most challenging for me because of time allowed for content and activities as well as the attention span for k students. The other challenge I have is revisiting the day, so that the students can have meaningful conversations with their parents about what happened in their day at school.
The enduring understandings are what you want the students to take way from your lessons and remember 30 years from now. They are the big picture in which the world is painted. The way in which you reach these universal standings is through the spiraling of information over time to ensure long-term memory. Pillars calls for higher-level questioning and building connections to pervious learning to make sense the world. It is though these connections that the students are able to connect to and learn the enduring understandings of UBD/DI.
ReplyDeleteThe enduring understanding in the UBD/DI design support the “primacy-regency effect” because the understandings are introduced early and taught throughout the unit, ending in reiterating the understanding. When building a lesson upon enduring understandings you build in scaffolding to ensure the students practice and use these understandings over time. The students are introduced to the understanding at the beginning of the lesson, unit, year and these understanding are constantly being brought back to the forefront of class work.
Pillar talks about "explicit spiraling of information over time." How does this spiraling connect with the "enduring understandings" in UBD/DI?
ReplyDeleteI think that in spiraling, you are constantly/continually returning to a common theme, which sounds very much like UBD. You are inherently setting a purpose for your instruction and with the spiral, you will circle back and return it, reaching more learners in different ways each time (ideally). I once tutored a child in a private school with a spiraling math curriculum, and I loved it. The teacher’s philosophy was that each time we spiral back, it’s another opportunity for you to develop deeper understanding, strengthen those brain connections, and practice/review. She once said that if a child doesn’t get fractions the first time, it’s ok. We have next time. And the time after that. In thinking about DI, It really does seem like with spiraling, you are able to cater the curriculum and instruction more to your specific learners, because with circling back you have more opportunities to teach it again and teach it differently. This time I need to reach so-and-so, and he is interested in XYZ, so I will teach it like THIS. Seems like a dreamy set-up to me.
How does the enduring understandings in the UBD/DI design support the "primacy-recency effect" that neuroscientists study?
In a well-planned and executed UBD plan, your purpose is clear and evident, and students will walk out with that core essential understanding. The authentic performance tasks that are a crucial piece of UBD directly relate to what Pillars describes to be the most effective use of the primacy period, which is to have about 10 mins of explicit instruction and then time to work on applications/explorations of this information. In terms of maximizing the recency effect, Pillars states that the best way to spend that LAST chunks of class time would be in to engage in a synthesis activity. This too is on a higher level of thinking, can be differentiated based on readiness and/or interest, and learning style. The research in this article are very complimentary to the UBD/DI design.
Return to information over time
ReplyDeleteI can see how explicit spiraling of information over time correlates very closely with the enduring understandings in UBD, especially after our class tonight. I believe it is critical to spiral information for students and revisit previously taught material on a consistent basis, particularly in math. I think UBD teaches the “big ideas” – or the concepts that should be spiraling over an over. For 5th graders in math, this is multiplication facts. We talk all the time about being able to memorize facts to make our lives “easier” in later concepts – fractions, multiplying fractions, greatest common factors, etc. We spiral our review back to prior teachings going all the way back to 3rd grade when they started memorizing those facts.
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I loved reading about the primary-recency effect. It made me take a look at the format of my own lessons in recognizing that the introduction and conclusion of a lesson are vitally important – not just something to write down in my plans. I plan on making a cognizant effort in adhering to this practice! I also believe that UBD supports this practice by looking at the “big ideas” and referring back to them throughout your lesson, especially in your introduction and conclusion.
The “explicit spiraling of information over time” appears to be something I try to do as much as possible in my history class. My curriculum requires students to know very specific facts that oftentimes are hard to connect to previous or future information. I try my best to constantly make connections between what we’ve learned to what we will be learning and bridge the gap to help them better understand the bigger generalizations. Because UBD focuses more on the big ideas versus the specific facts, the idea of “explicit spiralizing of information over time” helps students to focus on what’s important, the established goals and understandings, as well as essential questions. The focus is now on the transferable concepts and processes.
ReplyDeleteWith regards to the relationship between the “primacy-recency effect” and UBD/DI design, again it puts the focus on the understandings and big ideas. Putting most of your attention into the first and last part of a lesson will help students better retain the information and to analyze and synthesize so that the connections resonate with them. I know that I usually do exactly what was said not to do within the first 10-20 minutes of class: take attendance, check homework, review, etc. I definitely need to think about how I can better plan my lessons to fit how students better recall information. Specifically, taking the last 10 minutes of class to recall the information from the unit so that we can focus on the themes and understandings I want my students to always remember.