Neuron e-Poster

19 July 2023

How can I electronically represent neurons?

Description

Students create an electronic poster depicting a neural network.

Learning Intention

We can represent the function and structure of neurons.

Success Criteria

I can create an e-poster  depicting a neural network.

Explicit Teaching

Review the parts of a neuron using the ThinkPlus Neuron. Refer students to the neural connections wall mural if you have this on display in your classroom. Watch the video ‘3D Animation – Brain with Neurons Firing.’ In pairs or small groups, students create an e-poster depicting neural pathways that include at least four neurons.

The e-poster should include a commentary describing how neurons interact (fire and wire.) The commentary could be written, spoken or both. At least one neuron should be labelled.

Enabling Prompts

Can you use a neuron resource to help you label the parts of the neuron?

Extending Prompts

Can you label a neuron, using the wall mural resource with the structure and function each part has?

  • What helps your brain to learn?
  • Can you add these details to your e-poster and represent them with a picture?

Reflection

Students to form mixed groups based on the app they choose. Each person can have had a turn presenting part of their e-Poster and each student gets to vote which speaker was the most engaging and why.

Curriculum Links

English

Productive Modes, Speaking, Writing and Creating

They create texts that show how images support the meaning of the text and extend key ideas. Students develop and explain a point of view about a text, selecting information, ideas and images from a range of resources and explain their choices of images and other text features.             

Resources

New Neuron 2021

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Activity 9 – Post/Pre Test

21 June 2023

What do we know about the brain?

Description

Students reflect on their learning about Neuroplasticity.

 

Learning Intention

We are finding out what we  know about the brain and how we learn now,  after lessons and activities about Neuroplasticity.

Success Criteria

I can reflect on my knowledge of the brain after completing the neuroplasticity unit.

Explicit Teaching

Neuroplasticity activities and lessons are completed, students repeat the ‘What I know about the brain?’ activity on the other side of the sheet. Have students compare each side of the activity sheet to measure the growth in their knowledge.

Younger students can then use the learning reflection to compare their learning on dotted thirds. Older students can record and respond to the following sentence starters on the back of their sheets.

“I now know…” “Something I didn’t realise is…”

 

Enabling Prompts

  • What is something new you have learnt that isn’t on your first reflection?
  • What was the most interesting fact you learnt and why?
  • Have you found the answers to any of the questions you asked before starting the lessons?
  • What surprised you to learn and why?

Extending Prompts

  • How is this knowledge different to what you knew before learning about neuroplasticity?
  • How could you teach this to someone who doesn’t know anything about neuroplasticity?
  • Can you summarise everything you learnt?
  • Was there anything in your first reflection that you discovered was not correct?

Reflection

Students sit in a circle and share their learning in a popcorn style, or calling out their responses by building off what others have already said. They do this by using the prompt YES and…, using their listening skills to make relevant statements. If students have difficulty taking turns, the teacher could monitor the order by asking students to raise their hand when they have something to add.

For example: I learnt that the neurons in our brain pass messages through the synapse (1st student) YES and the neurons sharing can have no, weak or strong connections (second student) YES and no connections are where we all start when learning something new and so forth
(third student).

Optional – The teacher could record what the students are saying and use the comments to make a class summary of neuroplasticity learning.

Curriculum Links

English

Speaking & Listening

Students use a variety of strategies to engage in class discussions. They contribute actively to discussions, taking into account different perspectives.

Personal and Social Capability

Self-Awareness       

Students understand themselves as learners.

Resources

  • A4 size sheet with outline of two heads – What I know about the brain template
  • Learning Reflection – dotted thirds

2016_Pre-Post_Poster_A3_v1

Download

Dotted Thirds Reflection Page

Download

Visible Learning

21 October 2021

‘Learning we can see’

John Hattie and his colleagues at Auckland University, systematically assesed and synthesised over 800 previous research studies (Meta-analysis) to determine what influences and improves student learning and achievement. They found that the key to making a difference was making teaching and learning visible. Since 1999, John Hattie has continued to collect and aggregate meta-analyses to the Visible Learning database. His latest dataset synthesizes 1,500 meta-analyses of 90,000 studies involving more than 300 million students. This is the world’s largest evidence base into what works best in schools to improve learning.

Some of the 1999 key findings were discussed in the widely read 2007 article, The Power of Feedback by John Hattie and Helen Timperley (see below), leading to the development of Cycle of Teacher Inquiry and Knowledge Building (Victorian Institute of Teaching) and AITSL’s background paper to inform the development of a national professional development framework for teachers and school leaders. The quote below is from this background paper and refers to professional learning for teachers (andragogy) however, the fundamental theory of learning applies to teaching children (pedagogy).

The National Research Council’s third finding concerned the importance of developing metacognition and self-regulated learning because in this way the participating professionals take control of their own learning and develop a strong sense of agency. Individual and collective motivation to engage is enhanced. Such processes are fundamental to the development of adaptive expertise, with professional learning becoming driven from a desire to learn and improve outcomes for students rather than passively listening to someone else’s desire to tell them what to do. (Timperley, 2011, p.8)

The work of Professors Hattie and Timperley has influenced the work of educators globally, including the research and development of ThinkPlus.

Please explore our collection of resources and research into the field of Visible Learning.

Articles

John Hattie – What matters in 2020

Websites

Podcasts

Further Information

2017 Influences on Learning and ThinkPlus

 

Contributing to the ThinkPlus library

Have you found anything interesting lately?

If you come across anything of interest that you feel would be of value in our library, please let us know.

We would love to hear from you and make your contribution a part of our library, so that others in our community can have access to more amazing resources!

Send us a quick email as we continue to grow ThinkPlus.

Celia Franzè: celia@elevo.org

Creativity

21 October 2021

‘Permission to see things differently’

Creativity is the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality. It characterised by the ability to perceive the world in new ways, to find hidden patterns, to make connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena, and to generate solutions.

Please explore our collection of resources and research into the field of creativity.

Articles

Creativity in schools sounds so good – so what’s the hitch? ‘Creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status’

Videos

Websites

Podcasts

 

Contributing to the ThinkPlus library

Have you found anything interesting lately?

If you come across anything of interest that you feel would be of value in our library, please let us know.

We would love to hear from you and make your contribution a part of our library, so that others in our community can have access to more amazing resources!

Send us a quick email as we continue to grow ThinkPlus.

Celai Franze: celia@elevo.org

Feedback

21 October 2021

‘It’s how we improve’

Feedback has great impact on student learning outcomes according to the research done by John Hattie. ‘The simplest prescription for improving education must be dollops of feedback’. Please see one of the most important research articles that began the shift towards educators better use of feedback, the seminal article, ‘The Power of Feedback’ by John Hattie and Helen Timperley.

Please see below to explore our collection of resources and research into the influence of feedback.

Articles

The Power of Feedback Feedback is one of the most powerful influences on learning and achievement, but this impact can be either positive or negative. This article provides a conceptual analysis of feedback and reviews the evidence related to its impact on learning and achievement. The type of feedback and the way it is given can be differentially effective. A model of feedback is then proposed and analysis suggested for ways in which feedback can be used to enhance its effectiveness in classrooms.
To give better feedback, you must fully understand the agony of receiving it A conversation about why receiving feedback is so hard, whether everyone has the capacity for it, and how each of us can get better at it.
How to promote effective peer response Peer feedback is a powerful tool when done correctly
Authentic feedback- What it is and isn’t Peter DeWitt looks at effective and ineffective feedback
Feedback to support lifelong learning Australian-based work by Hattie
How to give students specific feedback that actually helps them learn Effective feedback for student growth
Giving student feedback 20 ways to give the right type of feedback to students
9 Ways to Look at Failure Differently Looking at failure from a different perspective; or rather, many perspectives
Learning From Mistakes Learning from mistakes depends on one’s willingness to learn from failure and an ability to understand an analyse error

Videos

Critique and Feeback – The story of Austin’s Butterfly Teaches students how to give kind, specific and helpful peer feedback (6.30 mins)

Contributing to the ThinkPlus library

Have you found anything interesting lately?

If you come across anything of interest that you feel would be of value in our library, please let us know.

We would love to hear from you and make your contribution a part of our library, so that others in our community can have access to more amazing resources!

Send us a quick email as we continue to grow ThinkPlus.

Celia Franzè: celia@elevo.org

Mindfulness

21 October 2021

‘Be mindful of the present’

At its simplest, mindfulness is paying attention in a particular way to the present moment, without judgment. It means learning to rest your mind and body by focusing on the present moment. Scientific research has proven that regular mindful meditation helps combat stress, improves focus and increases resilience.

Please explore our collection of resources and research into the field of Mindfulness.

Articles

Videos

Websites

Podcasts

 

Contributing to the ThinkPlus library

Have you found anything interesting lately?

If you come across anything of interest that you feel would be of value in our library, please let us know.

We would love to hear from you and make your contribution a part of our library, so that others in our community can have access to more amazing resources!

Send us a quick email as we continue to grow ThinkPlus.

Celia Franze: celia@elevo.org

Thinking Dispositions

21 October 2021

‘Making thinking visible’

Visible Thinking is a research-based approach to teaching thinking that develops students’ thinking dispositions, while at the same time deepening their understanding of the topics they study. Visible Thinking, an approach to teaching thinking developed by Project Zero, Harvard University, has two goals: to deepen content learning and to cultivate students’ thinking skills and thinking dispositions. Now used by educators around the world, Visible Thinking is designed to be used in all subjects, all grades, and in a range of educational settings.

Please explore our collection of resources and research into the field of Visible Thinking.

Articles

 Making Thinking Visible

 Original research article by David Perkins at Harvard Graduate School of Education

Videos

Websites

Visible Thinking

Podcasts

Contributing to the ThinkPlus library

Have you found anything interesting lately?

If you come across anything of interest that you feel would be of value in our library, please let us know.

We would love to hear from you and make your contribution a part of our library, so that others in our community can have access to more amazing resources!

Send us a quick email as we continue to grow ThinkPlus.

celia@elevo.org

Mindsets & Maths

21 October 2021

NEVER AGAIN let your students tell you “I’m just not a maths person”

The idea that some people are born “good at maths” and some are not, is just not true and yet many still believe this. The latest research tells us that because of the plasticity of the brain, students can reach any level in maths. Communicating this growth mindset message, “everyone can learn maths,” helps students understand that maths success is not about talent and ability but hard work, good strategies and help from others.   

Please explore our collection of resources and research into the benefits of a growth mindset in Maths Education

Articles

The ‘boys are better at math’ mindset creates gender gap in sciences Messages parents give girls about maths and science is hindering their progress in STEM subjects.
How one school changed its maths culture By starting with the mindsets of teachers, and recognizing that each person has her own mathematical history, one school was able to empower teachers to deepen their math skills
Strengthening Persistence in Math and Beyond A set of practices and tools designed to build students’ persistence tackling challenging math tasks. These can extend beyond the math classroom and applied across content areas (41 page PDF)
Unlocking Children’s maths potential Five research results to transform maths learning (Jo Boaler, Stanford University)
Ability and mathematics- the mindset revolution that is reshaping education  Jo Boaler discusses the impact of growth mindset on maths
Building a mathematical mindset community Easy reference card to promote a growth mindset in the maths classroom
Setting up positive norms in math class/ Positive norms to encourage in math class Easy reference PDF’s by Jo Boaler

Videos

 

My Favourite ‘No’ Great to teach students to use mistakes as a learning tool in maths (6 mins)
How you can be good and maths (and other surprising facts about learning) Jo Boaler, Stanford University, explores the myths around maths ability and learning (13 mins)
Problem-solving Math Grade 3 students choose three ways to solve a maths problem (5mins)

Websites

Growth Mindset Maths Great website for promoting a growth mindset when teaching maths
youcubed Fantastic maths growth mindset website created by Jo Boaler, Stanford University

Contributing to the ThinkPlus library

Have you found anything interesting lately?

If you come across anything of interest that you feel would be of value in our library, please let us know.

We would love to hear from you and make your contribution a part of our library, so that others in our community can have access to more amazing resources!

Send us a quick email as we continue to grow ThinkPlus.

Celia Fanze: celia@elevo.org

Activity Science of Learning – Study Smart 1

20 October 2021

Description

Students will learn how to reduce distractions during class and study times using:

  • PEN #1 – Written text and spoken word do not mix
  • PEN #6 – Multitasking impairs memory and learning

Resources

Study_Smart_1

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Study_Smart_1_-_Two_Readers_Activity

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Study_Smart_1_-_Two_Readers_Activity

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