Greetings!
I hope you are enjoying the start of fall. Here in the mountains of North Carolina, the leaves are just beginning to change. Last month, I've had the privilege of working with teachers and leaders in Pennsylvania and upstate New York. My favorite activity is working with educators to help them make a difference for students. Remember, you'll find activity templates, articles, podcasts, and more information about my presentations and books on my blog or on my website. No registration required, and they are all free! Finally, who do you know who might benefit from this newsletter? Please forward it to them and remind them they make a difference, just like you do. Barbara |
Two Types of Background Knowledge If your students are like mine were, they did not have a strong background knowledge, which negatively affected their learning. What I didn't realize at the time was the difference between content background knowledge and strategic prior knowledge. Content prior knowledge is what they know or think they know about the subject you are teaching. But strategic prior knowledge is what they know or think they know about the learning strategies you are teaching. For example, you might expect that your students should know how to listen, yet you are frustrated that so many of them don't listen! They may not understand the specific strategies for listening, such as sitting up, keeping their eyes on you or on what they are writing/reading, and listening for understanding. Just as we have to activate prior knowledge for the content we teach, we have to take time to do the same for our strategies.  |
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If there are standard strategies used in your school, such as the expectation that students will take notes, consider taking the opportunity to encourage teachers to teach the strategies in a comprehensive manner. For example, teach note-taking in a language arts class, and reinforce the same strategies in science, math, and social studies. Consistency makes all the difference!
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