On Assessment Strategies and Metacognition

A while back I had an epiphany about education. I was recollecting all the "stuff" I had learned throughout my time in elementary and high school, and I realized that I had long forgotten most of that "stuff". I mean, I remembered some of the "stuff" that was of interest to me, and some of the "stuff" that I happen to use from time to time, but mostly it all seems like some distant and vague memory. Ultimately, what dawned on me, was that most of that "stuff" was unimportant. What was more important was that I learned how to learn.

While I've forgotten many of the things that I was taught in school, I am readily able to reteach it to myself, should the need arise. With technology and the internet, being an autodidact is easier than ever. So, I don't lament my failure to remember—for I possess something far superior, and more useful: metacognition. As I edge ever closer to becoming a full-fledged school teacher, I find myself wondering how I will gift this magnificent tool to my students.

One way to do this, I think, may be through assessment strategies. Between assessment "of", "for", and "as", the latter may prove most useful in this. Self-assessment, in particular, may be one of the best ways for students to learn about learning. By learning to critique themselves, and their work, they will be more aware of their strengths and shortcomings. Over time, they will begin to value self-improvement, and learn how to go about attaining it. As they develop different strategies to cope with the challenges they encounter, they become more versatile and effective learners. That is my hope at least. Right now, it is just a hunch.

To bring this back full-circle then: as a teacher, perhaps I should not focus on teaching my pupils "stuff", but more on teaching them how to learn said "stuff" and to teach it to themselves. That way, in the future, when they begin to forget—as we all inevitably do—they will not just shrug their shoulders and acquiesce, instead they will take that old textbook of the shelf, blow the dust off, and relearn what it was they'd lost. Well, I suppose it's more likely they will just use wikipedia, or some other online repository of "stuff".

The Story Model

The story model has far-reaching applications, not just in the education context but can be used to examine any social situation or institution. It is quite a dynamic model, featuring many facets from the individual to the global. Because it is so comprehensive in its scope, I would like to single out one aspect that is of particular interest to me, and explore it more deeply—namely, the cultural aspect.

I am extremely interested in culture and its power to influence people. As a future educator my goal is to facilitate learning. But, learning may not occur unless the culture, or sub-culture, within the classroom is one which values learning. Therefore, as a teacher, I must create a culture with my students that is conducive to learning. Can a teacher truly just create such a culture? If so, how is that possible considering the diversity of cultural baggage each student carries in with them? 

First, it requires cultural understanding. I'm reminded of the saying: "know your audience," which applies to performers and writers, but I think is applicable in the classroom as well. As a teacher I should have some understanding of the cultural backgrounds of my students as well as their families, and also the culture that exists within the neighbourhood and the school as a whole. I should learn whether the culture has always been this way, or if it has changed over time, and if so, how long have things been this way. 

For example, there may be a longstanding cultural norm which includes ritual hazing of new students. Although it is against formal school rules, it might accepted by the students as part of the experience of attending that school. If I was a new teacher at the school, I might wish to abolish this outright because it promotes bullying, etc. Rather than ban the practice, it might prove useful to channel the preexisting traditions to influence a more positive culture. Perhaps, the class could undergo an initiation ritual together, that is safe and non-exploitative. The act of the initiation solidifies the class as a group, promotes teamwork, and creates a sense of commonality. All of which serve to create a classroom culture that values learning.

In this one hypothetical example of how a learning culture can be created in the classroom, I have used the story model framework to assess the old story as well as the present story, and used that to develop a new story that closely lines up with the preferred story. I should emphasize that this is all very theoretical and has no basis in actual practice, however, it is an idea that I've been considering for some time, and wish to explore further.