Cognitivism in Practice

The cognitive learning theory revolves around how information is processed through different sections of the brain (Laureate Education Inc., 2010). As a special education teacher, I feel it is especially important to understand how information is processed and how to best reach each individual student. Many students have difficulty retaining information, and others commit the information to short-term memory and forget it after the test. Our job as teachers is to deliver instruction so students can internalize the information presented, giving them a collection of information to draw from in the future. A proven way to allow information to reach long-term memory is to provide a multisensory approach (Laureate Education Inc., 2010).

There are a number of instructional strategies that aid in the retention of information in long-term memory. One such strategy is cues, questions, and advance organizers. Each part of the instructional strategy can be clearly defined. Cues refer to any reminders or hints that students receive regarding what they are about to experience. Questions are similar to cues and help students trigger their memories and access prior knowledge. Advance organizers are what teachers present to students before a learning activity to help them categorize and make sense of the information (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). When thinking about incorporating technology into these instructional strategies, a useful tool seems to be the concept map. Students are able to look at essential questions or larger topics and organize information in an easy manner. Students can even create their own visuals to show how pieces of information are connected to an overarching theme or belief. Putting all the information together on a concept map shows connections, cause and effect, and other important concepts.

Another useful instructional strategy is summarizing and note taking. This strategy focuses on the ability to take larger chunks of information and synthesize, or boil it down into a concise package (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). Summarizing is something that people are required to do in almost every facet of life. Reading books, watching movies, attending trainings, or recalling what has happened in the past requires summarizing. Being able to analyze information and determine what is not just interesting, but most important is crucial.  Many elementary students struggle with the ability to take notes, and tend to copy too much information. For elementary students who are just learning how to summarize and take notes, I feel that the Word AutoSummarize tool is beneficial. This tool takes a selection of text and provides a summary in different formats (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). Using this tool can give students the ability to check and see if what they think is the main point of a passage is correct. Giving students the opportunity to highlight or summarize on their own and check with the AutoSummarize tool provides scaffolding and instant feedback.

I feel that both instructional strategies discussed are helpful. Summarizing and note taking and cues, questions and advanced organizers both provide students with support and skills necessary to become successful in education and life in general. Although I use both strategies in my class, I have not incorporated either of the technology components discussed to date. I look forward to using the tools discussed and bringing a more meaningful multisensory approach to the classroom.

 

    References

 

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). [Webcast]. Cognitive Learning Theories. Baltimore: Author.

 

Pitler H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.