Some days when sitting in my classroom whether at university or school I wish I had taken the time not only to do my homework but to read the section in my text books which the teacher was going to cover the next day.
In a short article on LinkedIn this morning Hannah Young suggests three steps every teacher, lecturer or professor could immediately use to improve learning/create a culture of learning.
- Each teacher, lecturer, or professor prepares a short video, audio or document covering the next lesson and shares these digitally with their students ahead of the next lesson. By providing all three formats students can select the format which they find easiest to use.
- The students are asked to access the content and come to the next lesson with three words that sum up the main ideas, themes or points. This means that when students arrive in the next class, they are ‘warmed up’ with even a small amount of prior knowledge onto which they can pin any new knowledge.
- The students share their ‘words’ and the teacher notes them on the board. Now the teacher can ask the class to apply systems thinking to identify the connections between the words and ideas which can now be linked to theories and real-world issues.
Benefits for students and teachers
- Students will be actively thinking not passively absorbing.
- Each lesson becomes acutely focussed.
- Learning time is maximised
- A new visible thinking routine develops in the classroom.
- No lecture or copying down of notes from the board.
- The entire lesson is focussed on critical thinking, creative problem solving, communicating and collaborating.