Looking closely at 2 cognitive principles
For my NPQLTD I have been asked to choose two cognitive principles from ‘The Science of Learning’ - Deans for Impact, 2015 and ‘reflect on their implications for the practice of teachers in my school’. Rather than my school I have reflected on their implications for my subject. (I couldn’t help myself). Cognitive Principle 1: ‘Information is often withdrawn from memory just as it went in. We usually want students to remember what information means and why it is important, so they should think about meaning when they encounter to-be-remembered material .’ Practical implications for the classroom: ‘Teachers can assign students tasks that require explanation (e.g., answering questions about how or why something happened) or that require students to meaningfully organize material. These tasks focus students’ attention on the meaning of course content.’ In D&T teachers often require students to explain their design choices or justify their plans or specification points. As a...