A Cognitive Psychologist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works and What it Means for the Classroom
Summary:
The premise of Willingham's book is that Kids don't like school because neither they nor their teachers know enough about how the brain works. Willingham (2009, 1%) states teachers don't see much benefit from cognitive research because past research conclusions have been faulty. There is a gap between research results and classroom application because processes are studied in isolation in the lab but occur simultaneously in the classroom(Willigham, 2009, 2%). The purpose of this book is to explain how the mind works so that this knowledge can be applied by the teacher resulting in better educational practices. The book covers nine principles of cognition and learning; The nine principles are:
"People are naturally curious, but we are not naturally good thinkers; unless cognitive conditions are right, we will avoid thinking" (Willingham, 2009, 3%). The mind is not designed for thinking. Students don’t like school
because they don't enjoy thinking. The amount of thinking a task requires must be
enough to retain their interest but not so much that they get frustrated. Students will only enjoy thinking when they are rewarded with success.
"Factual Knowledge must precede skill" (Willigham, 2009, 12%)Background knowledge is a prerequisite for cognitive skills.There is a lot of talk in educational settings about critical thinking and higher order thinking skills. Before kids can reach the upper levels of Blooms Taxonomy, they must have a knowledge base. "Having factual knowledge in long-term memory makes it easier to acquire still more factual knowledge" (Willingham, 2009, 19%).
"Memory is the residue of
thought" (Willingham, 2009, 21%). Students will only remember what they actually think about. To teach well, you should pay attention to what an assignment will actually make students think about" (Willingham, 2009, 21%). Willingham recommends fewer attention-getting props. Teachers have to get kids to think about the material rather than the presentation.
"We understand new things in the context of things we already know" (Willingham, 2009, 36%). Understanding is linked to memory. The ability to think abstractly must be built upon a foundation of concrete thought. Learning to think is a process.
Proficiency requires practice. "It is virtually impossible to become proficient at a mental task without extended practice" (Willigham, 2009, 43%). Proficiency requires
practice and transfer. Practice does improve performance. However, it must be the right kind of practice. The practice must be done correctly and in many short sessions. Cramming does not lead to long-term retention.
Cognition is fundamentally
different early and late in training (Willingham, 2009, 51%). We mature and grow as thinkers. An adult does not think like he/she did when a child. An expert in the field does not think like a freshman in college. Learning can change the way we think.
People are more alike than
different in terms of thinking and learning. For years we have been told that all people learn in different ways. It was thought that the main three ways are auditory, visual and kinesthetic. Furthermore, they will learn best if material is presented in a way that matches their prefered learning style. Willingham states that newer studies have disproven this theory. We all actually learn in pretty much the same way. Willingham is not saying that teachers should treat all students the same way. He does state, "as far as scientists have been able to determine, there are not categorically different types of learners" (Willingham, 2009, 59%).
Intelligence can be changed
through hard work. Traditional measures of intelligence focus on information stored in long-term memory. Those memories are largely a product of environment. While genes are responsible for about 50% of our intelligence, environment may play a bigger part in intelligence than was realized (Willingham, 2009, 69%). Teachers can help foster intelligence by rewarding effort and risk-taking.
Teaching is a
cognitive skill that must be practiced to be improved. Teachers must continually hone their craft. There is a difference between experience and practice. "Experience means you are simply engaged in the activity. Practice means you are trying to improve your performance (Willingham, 2009, 76%).