A great way to learn is by asking questions. A question begs to be answered. When you ask a question, your mind starts to explore information in new and purposeful ways. Research on questioning has shown that some forms of questioning work better than others. Questions that invite … [Read more...] about Teaching by Asking Questions: How Well Does it Work?
How to Promote Transfer of Learning
Can an eighth-grade math student apply her knowledge of geometry to estimate the square footage of the family’s new home? If so, then she has experienced transfer of learning. Transfer of learning means to extend knowledge you’ve gained from one situation to new ones. Parents and educators hope … [Read more...] about How to Promote Transfer of Learning
Building Spatial Thinking Improves STEM success
You fall off of a ledge, dropping through a hole in the floor, only to find yourself hurtling out the side of a wall like a cannon ball. If you can imagine that easily, you have great spatial thinking skills. Or you’ve been playing Portal 2. Perhaps your spatial reasoning got a boost from playing … [Read more...] about Building Spatial Thinking Improves STEM success
Cognitive Skills Help Fashion Adaptive Minds
Which is the most useful kind of knowledge - general knowledge about how to think well, or specific knowledge within many subject areas? The idea that we can train the mind to use core cognitive skills that are effective in a wide range of situations is really fantastic. But, maybe it’s too … [Read more...] about Cognitive Skills Help Fashion Adaptive Minds
Argument Skills and How to Teach Them
Argumentation is the thought process used to develop and present arguments. It is closely related to critical thinking and reasoning. Argument skills belong among the essential 21st century cognitive skills. We face complex issues that require careful, balanced reasoning to resolve. Perhaps … [Read more...] about Argument Skills and How to Teach Them
What is Expertise and How Can You Develop it?
Everybody’s an expert these days. Pest Control Expert, Plumbing Expert, Weather Expert, and so on. But what is expertise, really? A common conception is that experts know more and perform better than those around them. From this standpoint, expertise refers to the knowledge and skills that … [Read more...] about What is Expertise and How Can You Develop it?