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Quote of the Day

“The National Academy of Science conducted a study to assess what the current state of knowledge is on this topic. Findings are stated as The Principles for Effective Teaching and Learning, and they will resonate with good teachers. 1. Students’ preconceptions must be engaged in the learning process. The purpose of education is to help students understand the world on a different level, but the previous level must be understood to make the new learning effective. For example, young children who are being taught that the world is round often think of it a pancake, not a globe. Teachers need to know preconceptions of students and have strategies to challenge those preconceptions. 2. The ability to understand a subject and to transfer knowledge requires a deep foundation of factual knowledge, but that factual knowledge must be organized around core concepts, e.g., animal species, geography, civil war. Information by itself is not transferred without core concept organization, e.g., what does it take for an animal species to survive (to protect itself until maturity, to feed, to move; why have cities grown up around rivers. Teachers need to study and then develop some topics in depth. The must understand the core concepts themselves and have curriculum materials and assessments that emphasize core concepts. 3. The development of expertise requires application of a metacognitive approach.”

—Suzanne Donnovan, National Academy of Science