Week 3 Blog

 

Week 3 Blog Post: How People Learn II – Chapter 4 “Processes That Support Learning”

1. Three major points

The article broke learning down into metacognition, executive function, and self-regulation. I enjoyed reading about myself and my struggles with ADHD. I had to read several paragraphs several times. According to the article, it could be my ADHD or my age, but either way, people struggle with all aspects of learning for different reasons.

Metacognition is defined as “the ability to monitor and regulate one’s own cognitive processes and to regulate behavior consciously” (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, & Medicine [NASEM], 2018, p. 70). Learners must be able to use different ways to understand and reflect on their learning.

Executive function is the process by which we take what we learn and apply it. It also involves working with other methods and organizing information effectively. According to the article, “executive function has been researched to become a better predictor of school readiness and academic achievement than general intelligence” (NASEM, 2018, p. 71). The authors concluded that students should spend less time in structured learning and more time in informal education.

Self-regulation is the ability to understand how we learn. We must use metacognition to reflect on what we have learned and what we still need to know. One must learn what motivates learning from within, which context is best for the learner, and how to organize information. The process can allow for a deeper understanding if done appropriately. “Self-regulation is a key element of the broader concept of metacognition” (NASEM, 2018, p. 73) and ties heavily with motivation. Students must learn to regulate and direct their learning.

The article also spoke about memory and how it is crucial to how we process and store information. We have both working memory and long-term memory, and we need both. Working memory allows one to retain information to process tasks and instructions, while long-term memory occurs when one connects new ideas to things they already know. The lack of memory is why young learners need more guidance; they do not have enough stored knowledge to communicate effectively (NASEM, 2018).

This infographic summarizes Chapter 4 of How People Learn II: Learners, Contexts, and Cultures. It highlights the key cognitive processes—metacognition, executive function, self-regulation, and memory—that shape how students learn and how educators can design lessons that build these skills.

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2. How do Gura’s ideas and Rivero's tools support creativity and align?

In STEM, we use a product called Vixen. It is a free programming software that students can use to program a Christmas light show. We show the kids the coding we do beforehand, and they get bonuses for creativity in pairs as they make their own light show. I show them how to use the tools and then set them loose. The unit plays to the creativity Gura (2020) mentions in his article. Creativity helps with the problem-solving needed in society. Gura says this is necessary in learning, and so did the article I read. It discussed the need for unstructured learning and for students to create their own paths. While students are making choices about their music, they are also choosing how to learn. Rivero (2020) also supports this kind of learning through digital tools that promote student choice and creative expression.

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3. ISTE Standard for Students and discuss connections to the content you read.

I am always quick to point out that the ISTE Standards help make a well-rounded individual for the new workforce we face today. To become a Standard 1.1, Empowered Learner, Standard 1 of ISTE Students, you must know how to understand, as the article explains. You must be Standard1.3 Knowledge Constructor, as stated, and be able to think through a problem and how to solve it, which are the skills the article discusses. Standard 1.5 Computational Thinker, connectsl thinking and processing data, which are also components of learning mentioned in the text (ISTE, 2017).

This infographic summarizes Chapter 4 of How People Learn II: Learners, Contexts, and Cultures. It highlights the key cognitive processes—metacognition, executive function, self-regulation, and memory—that shape how students learn and how educators can design lessons that build these skills.

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References

Gura, M. (2020). Fostering student creativity. EdTech Digest: The State of the Arts, Creativity, and Technology 2020—A Guide for Educators and Parents (p. 7).

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).

International Society for Technology in Education. (2017). ISTE standards for educators. 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 (pp. 69–83). Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/24783