In the cognitive learning theory, students organize old knowledge, scripts, and schema, find relationships, and link new information to old. This past week, I couldn’t see how my lesson plan on multiplication as repeated addition really applied to this theory by using a graphic organizer. I am a very visual person, and I couldn’t quite “see” how all of these techniques would come together. However, while typing my lesson plan, it all began to make since. Once I had to include every specific step in the process of repeated addition by using power point and a graphic organizer, I began to make sense of it all. It would be difficult for the students to form a relationship with repeated addition and multiplication without using Power Point and the graphic organizer. Once I actually began grouping numbers, I understood how important these tools were in relation to the learning theory itself.
Ironically, through the process of writing the lesson plan and using the tools presented in our class meetings, I myself was learning by using the cognitive approach. I began organizing previous knowledge about repeated addition and lesson plan development, and linking it to new information that I learned in my own graduate level class. I read a very interesting article this week, where a college professor became frustrated with his students because they wanted to “know exactly what the professor wanted for a specific assignment”. He felt that the students needed to think for themselves and use the cognitive approach in answering questions and completing an assignment for his class. The students felt as if they were being “tricked” by not being given right or wrong answers. The professor made a comment regarding making transitions between cognitive stages easy for the students. The teacher should find a balance between challenge and support. Ask questions that challenge thinking, and give support by giving clear assignments and a supportive classroom assignment.
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