Chapter 4 and Nearpod Exploration
This week we dive into Chapter 4 of How People Learn II highlights how executive function, self-regulation, and reconstructive memory fundamentally shape a student's ability to learn. In my 1st and 2nd grade special education classroom, I see daily how students do not simply "store" information; rather, they reconstruct memories based on the environmental and contextual cues we provide. This concept directly reinforces Gura’s vision of a creative learning environment, where students need active, meaningful engagement to consolidate long-term memories rather than passive instruction. Similarly, the ISTE Standards emphasize empowering students to take ownership of their learning, which requires the very metacognitive and self-regulatory skills the chapter identifies as critical to academic achievement. I will use Nearpod to translate these theoretical frameworks into an interactive presentation, utilizing its dynamic features to model how educators can scaffold working memory and provide rich retrieval cues for diverse learners.
Gura, M. (2020). Fostering Student Creativity. EdTech Digest the State of the Arts, Creativity, and Technology 2020: A Guide for Educators and Parents.
ISTE Standards for Educators (2024). Retrieved from: https://www.iste.org/standards/for-educators.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2018). How people learn II: Learners, contexts, and cultures. The National Academies Press.
Rivero, V. (2020). A Whole New Class of Art. EdTech Digest the State of the Arts, Creativity and Technology 2020: A Guide for Educators and Parents. pp. 12-20.
You said that you are a special education teacher so I feel that this was really perfect for you. I thought the part where it discussed formal assessments is especially on target. Since you teach special education first and second grade students, using formal assessments might not give you an accurate picture of what they are learning. Allowing them more authentic hands-on experiences will allow your students to be more engaged. Providing them with different ways to show what they know will allow you to get a more accurate description of their learning levels.
ReplyDeleteHi Kayla! I enjoyed reading your blog. Your three key takeaways were spot on. I am especially intrigued by the study of working memory load. I am starting to see an overload problem more and more in my first graders. I am encouraged by strategies that support healthy executive functioning and self-regulation. Many of my first graders struggle with self-regulation and seem to have great difficulty keeping themselves on task. The modification of typical assessments is a great idea for all students, especially our younger ones who sometimes struggle with reading and writing tasks. Great use of the Nearpod presentation!
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