Cognitive Capacity Development

Facilitate learning experiences that allow students to engage in productive struggle and cognitive conflict so that they can move from dependent learners to independent learners who are capable of utilizing cognitive routines to problem solve.

CARING AND CONNECTED COMMUNITIES

  • In order to nourish cognitive capacity development, educators can create opportunities for students to carry the cognitive load, grapple with difficult questions and tasks, make mistakes meaningful, and learn to problem solve. Teachers discussed approaches the implement to support students as they traverse “the learning pit,” such as incorporating cognitive hooks, allowing time for young people to think and discuss, and asking questions instead of providing answers. You can start by trying a “Notice and Wonder” practice by simply showing a visual, a writing piece, a problem, etc. and then asking students, “What do you notice? What do you wonder?,” then share in small groups followed by the whole class. This practice helps to surface background knowledge, cultivate collaborative learning, and build an inquiry-based classroom. National Council for Mathematics has some great “Notice and Wonder” instructional videos and resources that can be applied to other subjects.

  • How did it feel to shift the cognitive load to students?

    What did you notice about the questions and ideas that surfaced during the “Notice and Wonder” exercise?

    What are other ways you can support young people to exercise their intellectual curiosity and cultivate genius?

  • To learn more about the “why” behind nourishing cognitive capacity development read The Neuroscience Behind Productive Struggle. To get more ideas for what to try in your classroom checkout The Learning Pit, When Students Seem Stalled, and the Equitable Mathematics Problem Solving Framework (can be adapted for other subject areas).

Warm-Ups

A warm-up exercise is a very open-ended problem to start off the day, meant to encourage students to discuss and share their ideas. It's a more student-centered way to begin class wherein students are creating, or co-creating their understanding of a subject.