From Why don’t students like school? here are some good pointers. They don’t really do the book justice, but hey…
| Cognitive Principle | Required Knowledge about Students | Most important classroom implication | |
| 1. | People are naturally curious but they are not naturally good thinkers | What is just beyond what my students can know and do? | Think of to-be-learned material as answers, and take the time necessary to explain to the students the questions |
| 2. | Factual knowledge precedes skill. | What do my students know? | It is not possible to think well on a topic in the absence of factual knowledge about the topic. |
| 3. | Memory is the residue of thought | What will students think during this lesson? | The best barometer of every lesson plan is “Of what will it make the students think?” |
| 4. | We understand new things in the context of things we already know. | What do students already know that will be a toehold to understanding this new material? | Always make deep knowledge your goal, spoken and unspoken, but recognise that shallow knowledge comes first. |
| 5. | Proficiency requires practice | How can I get students to practise without boredom? | Think carefully about which material students need at their fingertips and practice it over time. |
| 6. | Cognition is fundamentally different early and late in training | What is the difference between my students and an expert? | Strive for deep understanding in your students, not the creation of new knowledge. |
| 7. | Children are more alike than different in terms of learning. | Knowledge of students’ learning styles is not necessary | Think of lesson content, not student differences, driving decisions about how to teach. |
| 8. | Intelligence can be changed through sustained hard work. | What do my students believe about intelligence? | Always talk about successes and failures in terms of effort, not ability. |
| 9. | Teaching, like any complex cognitive skill, must be practised to be improved. | What aspects of my teaching work well for my students and what parts need improvement? | Improvement requires more than experience; it also requires conscious effort and feedback. |
The book sounds really interesting. Can I borrow it please?!
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[…] is the mother of the muses, cognitive scientists pointing out that good questions need good facts. (Points 1 to 3 here), or that attention and memory are inextricably linked , there is more than enough to suggest that […]