Teaching for Conceptual Understanding “Grasping the structure of a subject is understanding it in a way that permits many other things to be related to it meaningfully.” - Jerome Bruner, The Process of Education 9:00 – 3:30 Aha moments for me, especially in the past few years. Five dollar words…  p. 1 @juliehstern #learningtransfer

Learning Intentions I can help students to become more conscious of their thinking and learning, and the role of concepts in organizing our world. I can foster meaning making of individual concepts. I can facilitate students’ articulation of their understanding of conceptual relationships. I can promote depth and breadth of understanding through transferring conceptual relationships to new situations. Take a minute to think about your current level of comfort and intentionality of each of these. By the end of the day you will be equipped with a lot more strategies and ways to think about this in your context.

Basic Planning Steps Identify the concepts in learning outcomes, standards, etc. Write conceptual questions (about the relationship between and among concepts). Plan ways to foster meaning making of individual concepts (surface level learning). Think of one context that will illuminate the answer to the conceptual question and plan for students to articulate the relationship in their own words, using evidence from the context (deeper learning). Think of at least two additional contexts or learning experiences that further illuminate the answer to the questions (learning transfer). Question stems: p. 29, elementary p. 25, secondary Strategies in chapters 2 and 3 This is an oversimplification but gives a structure to how to get started. The foundation day is designed to get teachers playing with this type of teaching before we really start assessing students and ourselves. Assessments are the focus of the core workshop day. Let me show you how we went through these steps with our science example. Lesson frameworks in chapter 4 @juliehstern #learningtransfer

Key Points Students must provide evidence to support their conceptual relationships. Transfer deepens understanding, we shouldn’t wait until the end of instruction for transfer. Provide opportunities for students to refine their conceptual relationships in class.

Reflection What have you noticed about what we’ve done so far with this sample math lesson? Allow students think deeply about the purpose of mathematical concepts. Foster students’ articulation of the relationship between mathematical concepts and procedural knowledge. Strategy: Concept attainment Strategy: Marzano’s vocabulary model Walk and talk? Or Gallery walk with chart paper. @juliehstern #learningtransfer

Key Points Concepts organize information enabling easier retrieval. Concepts take on meaning by exploring attributes of key examples. If we don’t have a corresponding concept, it is not surface learning, it is rote or superficial. Connecting concepts in relationship = deeper learning. Transfer is both a means and an end. @juliehstern

Key Points A focus on conceptual understanding builds schema for easier retrieval of factual information. Focusing deeply on concepts (through illustrations, SEEI, etc.) allows for slower, more deliberate processing of their meaning. Students can access conceptual understanding using a variety of contexts, texts, problems, experiences, situations that tailor to their knowledge and interests. Intentionally transferring understanding to multiple contexts builds the ability to see patterns, make connections, etc. LUNCH! FINISH THIS SLIDE AT 12:00 @juliehstern #learningtransfer