Issue 21: Oct 06, 2008 Connections Newsletter

“Writing to Learn”

Brenda Hill
Oct 06, 2008

"Writing to Learn" at the beginning, during, or at the end of content acquisition lessons connects writing assignments to new learning and allows transfer of skills and concepts across all subjects. In this article we will focus on short, informal writing assignments that can be used at the beginning of acquisition lessons.

Beginning lesson writing assignments occur in a variety of formats and are usually made to "activate" prior knowledge as a bridge to new learning. These assignments may ask students to complete the K-W columns of a K-W-L chart, make prediction statements from a wordsplash, or use a Frayer diagram for vocabulary development, etc. Students reflect on what they already know so responses will vary.  Beginning writing assignments provide insight into background knowledge and direct classroom instruction. By having students write at the beginning of lessons, smooth transitions are made into the teaching component of the acquisition lesson.

Beginning lesson writing ideas are easily planned and should be consistently and pervasively implemented across the curriculum. Students learn more, and their capacity to learn is greatly increased when writing assignments are made requiring them to use new content learning. Reflect upon how you can implement writing assignments at the beginning of lessons to increase learning and achievement across all disciplines.

This article in based on the Learning-Focused Writing Assignments and Benchmark Assessments Workshops.
Information cited includes references from the US Department of Education (2003), The Center for Performance Assessment (2006), Douglas B. Reeves (2006), and D.B. Reeves: Accountability in  Action: A Blueprint for Learning Organizations (2004)



How to use Learning Styles in your Classroom to Differentiate Higher Level Thinking and Learning

Barbara McSwain
Oct 06, 2008

We know more today than ever about how children learn.  Throughout the United States we have students of all ability levels and different learning styles thinking creatively and critically. Recently an educator asked, "How can we implement learning styles to differentiate higher level thinking and learning in every classroom?" One of the top five effective practices for increasing achievement is to implement a common unit/lesson design based on research. This is what Learning-Focused does with its unit/lesson framework and is one place where learning styles and higher level thinking are addressed.

In the December 2004 issue of the NACTA Journal, Brian Myers and James E. Dyer's research on the Influence of Student Learning Styles on Critical Thinking was printed. The results of this study stated that no critical thinking skill differences existed between genders.  However, the results did state "that students with deeply embedded abstract sequential learning style preferences exhibited significantly higher critical thinking skill scores." The researchers concluded that "if abstract sequential learners are inherently adept at thinking critically, teachers may not need to focus as intently on teaching strategies that address this learning style. By contrast, however, concrete sequential, abstract random, and concrete random learners may need additional attention through instruction methods and techniques that enhance the critical thinking skills of these learners." This is exactly what Learning-Focused does in Connecting Extending Thinking.  Students are taught extending thinking skills explicitly in an acquisition lesson. After mastering the skill, the thinking skill is applied to content that has been taught in previous acquisition lessons. This is an important instructional concept since sixty percent of test items are coming from extending thinking skills. In the past, educators have simply connected the thinking skill to content without considering if the students understood the thinking skill. It is imperative that the students know both!

What are Learning Styles? The simple answer is that they are different approaches or ways of learning. Visual learners learn through seeing. Auditory learners learn through listening. Tactile/Kinesthetic learners learn though moving, doing and touching. Learners have all of these opportunities in the Learning-Focused unit/lesson framework. The acquisition lesson plan (EATS), which is the first level of learning, and the extending thinking lesson plan (EMTS/EATETS), and culminating activity have imbedded within their framework the use of:

  • Graphic organizers which address the needs of visual learners

  • Collaborative pairs which address the needs of auditory learners

  • Vocabulary activities that provide "hands on" for Tactile/Kinesthetic learners, interaction for auditory learners and vocabulary graphics for visual learners

  • Mnemonic devices which address memory


During Learning-Focused workshops, trainers may be asked, "Will students use these strategies at the college level?" Although this is a topic that had been widely researched and advocated throughout the professional literature, Gokahale wanted to see the effects with critical thinking at the college level. In the Journal of Technology Education, Volume 7, Number 1, Fall 1995 Anuradha Gokhale addressed collaborative learning. Vygotsky's (1978) research recognized that students are capable of performing at higher intellectual levels when working in collaborative situations vs. individually.

There have been many studies at the primary and secondary level to support the success of collaborative learning. This study determined that students participating in collaborative learning had performed significantly better on the critical thinking test than students who studied individually. It was also found that both groups did equally well on the drill and practice test. This result is in agreement with the learning theories proposed by proponents of collaborative learning. "From this research study, it can be concluded that collaborative learning fosters the development of critical thinking through discussion, clarification of ideas, and evaluation of others' ideas. Certainly these strategies will be beneficial at the college level. More importantly, they are important in life. When has anyone had a personal or professional problem that they did not need to use higher order thinking skills?"

During Connecting Extending Thinking, the second level of learning, students are provided opportunities to address their learning preferences utilizing the thinking skills that Marzano has identified as the most critical: abstracting, comparing/contrasting, classifying/categorizing, constructing support, analyzing perspectives, inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning, error analysis, and writing.

Learning Preferences address the manner in which individual students prefer to "tackle a task." One group of students may prefer mastery tasks which involve repetitive exercises and practice in skills and information. These students prefer for answers to be judged by correctness. They enjoy sequential tasks which can easily be recalled and restated. The second group of students may prefer interpersonal tasks. These students come into the world talking and enjoying the company of others. If a teacher moves them into another group for talking too much in the first group, they will want to send the teacher a thank you note because now they have new people to get to know! They prefer tasks that focus on identifying and using personal characteristics. These students want assignments to be judged on expressiveness. The third group of students comes into this world asking "why." These students want understanding tasks. They prefer that their assignments focus on explanations, explaining concepts/theories. They want assignments to be judged on reasoning. The fourth group of students prefers self-expressive tasks. They want assignments to be focused on the creation of unique and original products and solutions to non- routine problems. Allowing students to choose their task by learning preference enhances their ability to learn. All students must answer the same Essential Question that requires students to use an extending thinking skill. All Essential Questions are based on state standards. All students have the opportunity to select the task that best fits their learning preference.

Another type of assignment that students may choose from during the extending thinking lesson is the Tiered Activity. Students are using extending thinking skills to answer the Essential Question, but the tiers take into account student ability levels. Some students need more challenge while others may need more support. All students are using extending thinking skills, and all tasks are based on state standards/curriculum.

In a TES Scotland, 15 September 2006 article profiling Dr. Edward De Bono, an expert on teaching thinking as a skill, it is stated that one, 'must provide people with a structure, a framework for thinking." De Bono continues, "That's what has been missing.  All that has been done in the past is 'that's right, that's wrong,' logic and argument. But, frameworks for pro-active thinking are tougher than just reacting - we haven't had them at all. "  

De Bono continued, "Youngsters who are not very good at other subjects and think that they are stupid - and may even have been told so - can do very well at thinking when it is explicitly taught to them. That gives them great self-esteem and improves their performance in other subjects. There is no such a thing as stupid children. Arrogance is the only stupidity."  Learning-Focused Connecting Extending Thinking does exactly what Dr. Bono is advocating. The workshop and materials teach educators how to explicitly teach the thinking skill and how to appropriately attach it to content. It is at this level that assignments are differentiated. The Learning-Focused framework for unit/lesson design, which includes extending thinking, allows students to choose assignments based on their learning preferences, learning styles, and ability levels that are based on state standards. The question is no longer, "Do we know what to do, but rather will we do it?"



Learning-Focused in Action

Bill Blynt
Oct 06, 2008

Holland Patent Middle School (NY) was recently recognized by the New York State Department of Education as one of a select few 'Closing the Achievement Gap' schools. This honor was presented to schools in New York State that showed a dramatic increase in state assessment scores. This honor culminated a three year effort by the Holland Patent School District to increase assessment scores at all levels.  

In the middle school, a plan was developed by the administration and staff that focused on student achievement. This plan used the Learning-Focused Schools Model as a guide. Under the leadership of building principal, Mrs. Nancy Nowicki, components of the plan were implemented. Mrs. Nowicki credits much of the increase in assessment scores to the comprehensiveness of the plan that outlined specific and connected training for her staff.  

One of the major factors Principal Nowicki cites for the dramatic increase at the middle school was a true focus on student learning. Professional development offered to staff to change teaching strategies was focused and connected.  Working in cooperation with Learning-Focused, the staff received training focused on addressing vocabulary deficiencies, making learning an active and engaging process and prioritizing and mapping their curriculum to align with state assessments. Using the Learning-Focused Model, "enabled the staff to see what we were doing was connected," states Mrs. Nancy Nowicki.

Changing the climate in the building was a continuous process. Staff team meetings, department meetings and faculty meetings were used to refine or reinforce various strategies introduced as part of the Learning-Focused Model.  States Mrs. Nowicki, "The middle school staff embraced the concept of 'consistent and pervasive'. They understood that everyone needed to work together and focus on the same things in order for our students to benefit."

Although much of the initial training was provided by Learning-Focused consultants, many staff members, including Mrs. Nowicki and her assistant Mrs. Kristy McGrath, have received extended training and now serve as in-building trainers to support teachers.  States Mrs. Nowicki, "Our teachers look forward to attending Learning-Focused trainings and frequently ask to become a more involved by serving as in-house support personnel or presenting to their colleagues." The support from Learning-Focused "has enabled us to sustain our efforts to continuously improve as a school".