What great comments from the last weeks post on Engagement.
I don’t know about you, but as I read about the importance assessing
and building background knowledge, it made me stop and think about all of the
lessons that I taught to my second graders.
The main focus of my planning was on how I would teach the new skill or
information for that lesson. I understood
what previous knowledge they had developed while in my classroom and so as I created
the lesson I would build upon that information.
I realized that not much thought or effort had gone into assessing what
prior knowledge they had developed from other sources that would impact their
full understanding of what I wanted them to grasp. How much more successful would my students
have been in 2nd grade and beyond had I taken the time to
intentionally use background knowledge appropriately?
Throughout this chapter a variety of strategies were
presented that that can be implemented into any unit as we seek to not only
assess but build background knowledge in our students. Accessing prior knowledge will help ensure
that our students are a more than ‘a mile wide and an inch deep’ in their
knowledge of the content you are teaching.
The statement that really made me stop and think was when the author
quoted Gallagher who said “Those students who sit down to the exam with the
broadest base of prior knowledge will have the highest chance of scoring well”
p45 If this is the case then we can only
benefit our students by making a conscious effort to enhance their background
knowledge.
Points for Discussion:
1) It seems to me that the step of focusing on background
knowledge is the easiest step to skip while planning / teaching a lesson. Do you agree or disagree with this statement
and why?
2) Out of the strategies given throughout the chapter which one or two are you considering implementing in your classroom and what affect do you think it will have on the way you plan?
3) If you always planned a unit with assessing and building
background knowledge as an integral part would it change the way you looked at
your current textbook or resources?
Assessing background knowledge is a valuable tool and can have a beneficial place in the classroom. I believe there are a couple of reasons it's easily overlooked and sometimes just ignored. One reason is time. We plan lessons a week or two in advance, enter them on RenWeb, and move on to our other tasks. If we assess background knowledge it may require us to change our lessons which requires redoing a job we've already checked off our list as complete. Another reason is routine. We are creatures of habit. It takes a whole new mindset to break old habits and the effort to implement the unknown is sometimes easier said than done. Lastly, I think most teachers today are just overwhelmed with the daily demands of keeping with the rate of technology and the vast knowledge of the latest techniques we should be using.
ReplyDeleteWhile in Boston for the NSTA Conference, I attended a class on ''Effective Formative Assessment'. I had planned to implement one in particular that is not in this book but fits with the information in the chapter. It's called 'Sticky Bars'. The teacher hands out sticky notes of the same size and color. The students are given a question and a few responses to choose from. The write their answer but not their name. The teacher collects the notes and creates a bar graph on the wall or bulletin board. This gives the teacher and the class an immediate visual and can prompt discussion easily. This can remain on the wall while the unit is taught and can be updated mid unit and at the end. The teacher can use different colored notes and place them along the original and see the changes as learning takes place. The following website has more ideas as well: uncoveringstudentideas.org
I totally agree, Trista, that assessment,done properly, can mess up our planning. In reality, we too often teach material that students have mastered just because " that's my favorite part to teach" when our focus and time spent should be on content that they haven't mastered. My experience teaching at a low-income school taught me the importance of background knowledge. My students had very limited background knowledge because their life experiences were so few. Many had never been out of their own communities. I found the virtual field trips and web quests very helpful in helping them make connections.
DeleteI believe background knowledge is often overlooked because it requires both a time commitment and change in our classroom routine. As teachers we tend to have routines, parts of chapters, and other pieces of information that we feel "must be" taught. If we were to take time to access and use background knowledge it might mean that we would have to depart from our classroom status quo and do something that is completely new and uncomfortable for us. I think if we took the time and energy to access and use background knowledge we and our students would greatly benefit form the results we would see.
ReplyDeleteI would like to use many of the ideas mentioned in the chapter but two ideas that stood out were creating prediction guides and creating student text detectives. The prediction guides would benefit me as a teacher because it would help focus my teaching from a "shotgun" approach (little bits about lots of stuff) to a more precise approach focusing on the information that students know the least about and want to know the most about. The text detectives is great idea for the social studies classroom because it sets up students to find current events and current visuals about the information that will be taught in the classroom in the next week. Students not only use the background knowledge but it also serves as a tool to help build background knowledge.
Yes, I agree that skipping an evaluation of our students background knowledge is an easy thing to do. I tend to be driven by what great knowledge "I" can impart to the students. Oh, I do usually ask a few introductory questions prior to beginning a new topic, but I don't go as far as preparing a guided assessment. That's going to change.
ReplyDeleteI really liked many of the ideas presented in this chapter for early assessment......carousel walk (Wendy's tip), free discussion, virtual tours, textbook scavenger hunt, and picture books. I will DEFINITELY be doing the textbook scavenger hunt as I am blessed with new visually enhanced textbooks this school year and I had already planned to get the students looking and thinking using a guided activity before each new chapter. I have used picture books for years, but normally as a supplemental teaching tool after presenting the content. I think I will move my "story time" to the start of a new chapter or unit in order to generate discussions and assess background knowledge.
Background knowledge as stated by the author is essential to comprehension, to making connections, and understanding the big ideas. Those students with ample background knowledge of a topic are engaged easier and preform at higher levels. Bridging that gap is the mighty task set before us as educators.
Great comments by everyone! I look forward to seeing you implement these strategies in your classroom.
ReplyDeleteAs a Bible teacher, I feel like there is so much background knowledge to access from all of our students' life experiences. They learn from their own relationship with God, church, watching their parents, Awanas, and Christian culture. However, so much of what they observe contradicts God's Word. My job is to pay careful attention at how they understand and relate to each Biblical concept I am trying to teach. Being a first year teacher last year, I definitely didn't do everything I could have to connected what they already know and how they connect that to the truth. I am really looking forward to further developing my "pre-assessements" and properly surveying their background knowledge.
ReplyDeleteFree Discussion is one of my favorite strategies of accessing background knowledge. Hearing what they already know about a Christian Worldview and guiding them through all of their different ideas is something I want to integrate into every class. Another strategy that could best pull their background knowledge is Prediction Guides. I already use these to some degree, but could definitely up my game. I think it's an excellent suggestion to allow the students to create their own prediction guide at the end of a unit. This is a way for them to not only review for an assessment, but to really get a hands on experience with everything they have learned.
Being able to better access their background knowledge is going to help them connect on a deeper level with their textbooks. This will hopefully inspire learning in a new way and motivate them to learn on their own. I am definitely looking forward to implementing several of these strategies in my classroom!
It is easy to skip background knowledge while lesson planning. I agree with the others that time and routine can get in the way. Another problem I have encountered is assuming students already possess what I considered basic knowledge that most students should already have. When I assess what they already know and realize they aren't ready for what I planned to teach due to lack of background knowledge, I adjust my lesson plans accordingly. This takes time but it has more than paid off in the end.
ReplyDeleteI read several ideas I would like to implement in my classroom. I already use technology to research topics before we study them and I will increase this. In addition, I like the idea of prediction guides. This will not only give me an idea of what they already know but I can word questions in a way that will require them to apply scientific reasoning. I would also like to build reading experiences through more real life articles. This will actually increase background knowledge and cultivate interest in the topic.
After we assess background knowledge, we are obligated to analyze and develop a plan that takes the students from where they are to where we want the to be. The amount of work this requires discourages many of us from taking the time to assess our students. However, this is necessary for us to be effective teachers.
ReplyDeleteOne of the techniques that I can implement in my classes is using picture books to build knowledge. Many picture books focus on Math concepts that would provide background knowledge. I also need to assess students at the beginning of the year through a baseline assessment to know what Math concepts are mastered and what concepts we need to master.
We are the product of all of our life experiences and use them as a filter for future experiences. A strong case is made in the book for the necessity of understanding this in relation to educational experiences. As I read, I saw the relational application for us as as servants of Christ. We may expect that a student, teacher, parent, friend, co-worker, employee, supervisor, or spouse should have the same understanding of a situation or possess the same knowledge that we do. We often need to humbly extend grace and understanding, realizing that God has allowed us individually to see these deficits, giving us the opportunity to serve others by coming alongside and filling in the "potholes" relationally, just as we are called to do in the classroom.
DeleteI want to try out each strategy for assessing background knowledge that is mentioned in the book (anticipation guide, carousel walk as listed and using photographs, and free discussion). I will have general ideas for lesson plans (ones that I have not invested a lot of time and effort in and am willing to let go of or adapt). After assessing the students' background knowledge, I will finalize and perfect my plans guided by what I have discovered through assessment. Like so many things in life, a little extra work on the front end with hopefully make the rest of the process more successful for teachers and students, even though our ability to plan ahead is handicapped.
To build back ground knowledge, I will adapt ideas from the textbook scavenger hunt (using articles, photos, and primary source documents) since I will not be utilizing a traditional textbook. Another idea that I will try is to have stations where students evaluate different pieces of the whole as they rotate through each station. The class will come together at the end of class to discuss/predict how the pieces are related/fit together. I am excited to use virtual tours of ancient and current sites around the world to "show not tell" about physical geography and culture. My student will also gain background knowledge and context from visiting speakers and as they visit historical sites, churches of different faiths, and local ethnic festivals throughout the year.
I will now regard my textbook and resources as a collection from which I can pick and choose the information that is most useful and pertinent to meet student needs, rather than as a guide that must be strictly adhered to.
My desire is for my students to wonder, search, discover, connect, synthesize, and utilize, rather than skipping over what they don't understand and to become investigators who can recognize and fill in their own missing pieces through personal research.
I have definitely learned, especially last year how important assessing background knowledge is, especially in Bible Class. Last year I tried to assess their Bible knowledge by asking them to answer questions individually on paper. This didn't work so well. I loved the idea about grouping the students into small groups for "free discussion". It would be much less intimidating for the students with no background knowledge and I would be able to get the answers I need about where to start with the lessons. Too many times I have falsely assumed that the students knew about an Old Testament Story that I would be using as an example. This would help tremendously.
ReplyDeleteI have found that assessing a student's background knowledge is essential in teaching music. Some students may have been introduced to music theory and terminology through private instruction, but many will not have any prior knowledge of either. I start each semester with a "What Do You Know?" Questionnaire to determine where to start in regards to theory and terminology and to assess which students would be able to peer tutor with one another within the classroom. The information acquired from the questionnaire is very valuable to my planning process and an approximation of how much time I should allot for the content area.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that it is easy to overlook assessing prior knowledge when planning lessons. I am sometimes guilty of assuming that my students are familiar with terms, events, and ideas when in fact they are not. By assessing prior knowledge I can make sure that all of my students have the background information they need without making them feel guilty for not knowing what they "should" know.
ReplyDeleteI was pleased to see that I already use some of the strategies listed in the book. I often use bell-ringer journal activities to assess prior knowledge as well as to generate interest in the topic or story that I am introducing. I love the idea of a textbook scavenger hunt! I have done web quests (online scavenger hunts) before, but for middle school I think the textbook idea would work well. Finally, as an English teacher, of course I want my students to read as much as possible. I hope to find ways to encourage reading both in and out of the classroom to give my students the widest base of learning possible.