COGNITIVE SOLUTIONS

First for Coaching & Training

Home

Teaching Tip

Cognitive Solutions Teaching Tip Update - Nov 2008

Transformation

Students are given text in one format and are asked to present it in another. For example, a health leaflet from information on nutrition, prose to a 'rap', a psychological perspective to a 'chat show interview'

This process allows the learners to identify the nature of the transformation in keeping with their own interests.

Cognitive Solutions Teaching Tip Update - Nov 2008

'Gym Stations'

'Gym Stations'
	Run different activites at the same time as a 'round robin' process. Using 'open tasks' the learners are able to bring self differentiation to the task.

	Preparation - Mostly by the teacher initially to arrange stations and activiies but taken over by the learners throughout the session.

	Process - Learners are started at different stations and tasks are explained (or written explanations can be left at each 'station' and verbally supported by the teacher. Learners are given times to carry out the tasks before moving to the next 'station'. Assessment can be completed as part of the task. At the end of the process the infomation is consolidated. It can be appropriate for some groups to develop the tasks at each station for the other groups.

	Equipment - Any relating to the individual tasks.
	Benefits - The session is active and variety of tasks can offer differentiation against style and preference. If learners are involved in designing the tasks they will be recognise the objective to be acheived, methods of learning and how to check learning.

Quick Lesson openers - Jan 2009

Story board what you recall

Learners are encouraged to generate a visual representation of the previous lesson. This process aids context recall and is excellent for re-enforcing memory of events.

Requires paper and pens as set up.

Quick lesson openers - Nov 2008
	‘What happened next’? As each learner arrives they identify one aspect of the last lesson. These are shared with the new arrival and that learner picks an element and expands.


	'Believe you can or believe you can't - either way you are absolutely right'

Cognitive Solutions Teaching Tip Update - Oct 2008

'Beat the Lecture'

	Beat the Lecture
	Create interaction even with a small amount of chalk and talk teaching. Preparation - Learners identify questions they may have about a topic area (Kipling questions can assist in generating these - Who, When, Where, What, How & Why?). Process - Teacher presents information and learners 'Buzz in' when information that answers a question is offered. This can then be discussed or noted for further reference. Equipment - Post it notes, white board, variation on buzzers (can be a noise from learners) Benefits - learners start with questions in mind and are searching for meaning. Their attention is directed to an outcome. Avoids excessive teacher led teaching. Try it out and have fun!

	Updated ideas on teaching & learning
	"If we always do what we always did, we will always get what we always got - learning is so much more"

Quick lesson Openers - Oct 2008
	Dingbats Quick and easy brain teasers available from the internet that encourage 'right brain thinking'. e.g SOME I'm THING
	I am one thing from last lesson - what am I? Can be teacher or learner generated. An aspect of the previous lesson is described without using the exact words and learners identify what is being discussed. e.g I was talked about at the beginning and helped explain how the universe was created.