“Keep in mind knowledge begets knowledge and one of the
strongest predictors of a learner’s future capacity to learn is what he or she
already knows.”Agree or disagree and
why?
I agree with this statement. If a student does not understand a concept or a meaning of a word, then they can not build upon the concept presented. If a student doesn't understand what a marine animal is- then they will not be able to tell you about different types of marine animals. Student have to have a basic understanding of a concept before knowledge can be expanded and built upon.
Prior knowledge or being able to apply what is being taught to previous learning, certainly does make a difference. But...I think if that learning is missing, we have to go back and fill in the gaps and then build upon them.
That’s a tough statement to justify. So many variables enter into the equation: ability level, prior life experiences, and quality of instruction to name just a few. I do believe the more knowledge a person has, the easier it is to build on prior knowledge. I also believe all students are capable of learning, but that learning may be at different levels.
I think that with knowledge comes skills to decipher knowledge, so I would agree that the more you know the easier it is to construct new knowledge. For our students, basic understanding can be a challenge and they are only able to master a handful of skills, but that does not limit their ability to learn new things - it only limits their depth of learning in a particular concept.
You make an excellent point that all students are capable of learning. We need to take that into account - sometimes the learning might be at a slower rate or a lower level, but it's still knowledge gained!
Great point, as usual, Jerrie! You are right...all students are capable of learning, it just may look different and come at a different pace. I sure wish all teachers understood that concept.
Absolutely all students have the ability to learn at some level. However, like you said knowledge builds on itself so it's much easier if students have prior knowledge.
I would agree with this in it's basic concept. It's like the idea that the only way to become a better reader is to read more. You can better determine what level a student will get to (or justify their level of understanding) based off of the materials that they choose to read. It's really all about challenging yourself and pushing yourself to move further. To me, the inherent idea in this is scaffolding. You have to know what they know in order to know where they need to go and how to get them there. I do not fully agree with the final statement because if you asked me in high school, I knew a lot about math and little about history, but I have a minor in History and took everything BUT math classes. We have to take into account a person's overall goals in order to assess their learning ability - context drives content.
I agree; students are not always ready for certain concepts when they are introduced. What we struggled with in high school are easier for us now. Like math- I did not understand math much in high school, a little more in college, but now it makes alot more sense! Maybe I was not cognitively ready at the time or maybe it means more to me now???
If it’s like reading a book, it would make sense. Students who struggle with reading and just don’t get it, don’t read, and they won’t pick up a book in their free time to read. On the other hand, students who enjoy reading will read in their spare time and for fun. They read: they read for enjoyment, they read to learn, they read to understand. If a student struggles to learn new concepts, they will shy away from some of the new areas they struggle with the most and do what they’ve already learned or understood. This doesn’t mean that it is always a predictor of success. We know that some students have those phenomenal teachers who can get them reading and loving it. Sometimes a mentor helps them break out of that shell and realize they needed to approach something differently to really get it.
I'm on the fence regarding this statement. I agree and disagree in different contexts. I agree that prior knowledge is a key indicator of success but I do not believe its the only indicator of success (regarding learning). All students must have the structure inside their head to accept the learning (Ruby Payne). Also interest plays a big part of this too. I have background knowledge about hammers, nails, and wood but I do not have enough interest to build something! However I really do not have alot of knowledge about gardening but that is my interest now so I am expanding on it to have a better garden this summer than last summer. Babies are born with no prior knowledge on anything but have a tremendous capacity to learn and grow. Going back to Ruby Payne, children enter school on different levels due to their prior experiences. It's our job as teachers to make it a more level playing field so everyone can can learn. Some kids need more background knowledge than others on concepts but can learn just the same!
I think it is becoming harder and harder to level the playing field. Students are more diverse now then ever and I know with my high school students, some of their experiences I can't even imagine what that must be like for them.
I like your analogy about babies being born as blank slates. We need to not limit our expectations for students based on how much knowledge they have when they come to us.
I agree that it is our job to try and level the playing field and I also agree with Stacy that it is becoming harder and harder. I have seen so many kids come into kindergarten with wonderful life experiences and who are ready to learn. I've also seen tons of kids come in who's basic education came from a tablet or electronic device with very limited knowledge of the world around them. It makes it very challenging.
Very true. I like your use of analogies. Prior knowledge is pivotal to learning new concepts, but there are many reasons why certain prior knowledge is missing. Being educators, we find ourselves constantly filling in gaps to help students progress. Enjoy gardening this summer!
I believe that all students can learn if they want to. Drawing on a student's prior knowledge helps with relatability, but not everything in life will a person draw from prior knowledge. Sometimes a student is not ready to learn knowledge required. Up until 9th grade the educational system passes students along through the grade levels just because they had a birthday. Then they get to high school and some literally feel like they hit a brick wall. Parents don’t always know why school is now hard for the students either since they learned it easily. This makes prior knowledge a challenge since each student comes from a different place and especially in SPED the mindsets are very different.
So I a mixed on this statement when it comes to agreeing or disagreeing. I agree all students can learn and use prior knowledge to help them achieve a difficult task, but in our schools today that gap is becoming so wide that it is becoming more and more difficult to draw on students experiences.
“Keep in mind knowledge begets knowledge and one of the strongest predictors of a learner’s future capacity to learn is what he or she already knows.” Agree or disagree and why?
True students build upon prior knowledge, but interests, drive,, grit,& other's expectations, etc... are strong predictors as well.
I ride the fence on agreeing with this or disagreeing. I think that prior knowledge does give us background knowledge to relate to. For instance for young students coming into preschool they may have the background knowledge of what scissors are and what they do, they may even see scissors as bad because they cut their hair and got in trouble. So when they come into preschool with limited exposure to scissors and we have to teach the proper concept and scissor skills. Sometimes I think preschool teachers forget that kids coming in may not have all the same prior knowledge but we have teach where they are at. Some kids may come in with knowledge about scissors and others have no knowledge or limited knowledge. I feel like in today's educational system the gap is huge even within early childhood. I laugh out loud as teachers say they have no fine motor skills. My first question is, have they had exposure to a pencil, crayon or marker? Have they had exposure to scissors and cutting? Most of the time when you ask parents if they had exposure the answer is no, so there is no background for the child to be able to even know what to do with writing utensils or scissors. Also one of the things we get in EC is that the child is sensory. Have they had exposure to different textures such as sand or dirt, play dough ect. Can they be taught about these things, yes and it is usually exposed to in school. So this means that these things have to be exposed to in order to begin learning.
This is where technology becomes a double edged sword. As students spend more time on iPads and computers, they have less exposure to crayons, markers, scissors, and playdough.
I agree AND disagree... I've seen time and time again kids who have zero prior knowledge about a subject come in and be amazing students in that area. On the other hand, I've seen students with tons of past experience struggle with that subject. I believe that everyone can learn new things with effort. It may come easy to some and others may have to work hard but everyone can learn.
I agree mostly with this statement. Prior knowledge usually does help a student grasp a concept much quicker. Some students though can come into something brand new, without any prior knowledge and begin to learn right away also. I think this is another statement that can be used with every student but we also must remember that each and every student is different. Some kids may have prior knowledge and some don't, I like to teach some of the things that they need to know prior to taking on a task, because it does work better most of the time. I, myself like to know a little bit about something before I go to a class or conference.
I agree that what a student already knows is a strong predictor of a learner's future capacity. I believe this is a big reason there is such a gap in the learning and scores of upper middle class suburban students and inner city students. The differences in the their experiences and prior knowledge is huge. Also, when a teacher doesn't have to spend time building prior knowledge much more material can be covered.
That being said, I believe everyone has the capacity to learn. Even when students enter school with limited exposures, they can progress and learn.
Jan- I like the point you brought up about teachers not spending time to build prior knowledge and being able to cover more material. I hadn’t thought about that, but wonder how much time/material that would actually be. I’m sure someone has had to have done some research about that at some time, but I’m not familiar with it.
I agree, Jan, that we should not write off those students who come from less enriched environments. In fact, public education is one of our county's best ways to combat poverty. We need to continue our struggle to educate each and every child. Children from poverty lack experience, but not necessarily capacity to learn. If we believed otherwise, our children from poverty and ESL backgrounds would be doomed before they started kindergarten.
I think I mostly agree with this statement. In my mind, someone who has prior knowledge of a particular subject will likely have any easier time building and further expanding upon that foundation. However, I also think that someone else who comes in without any prior knowledge isn’t going to just not learn. His/her process of learning the same material might look a little different or be at a different pace, but regardless, I still think they’ll be able to gain some type of knowledge.
I agree that we use what we know on a daily basis to help understand new concepts being taught. We need to have basic understands of concepts in order to learn more about that concept. We use what we know to help us understand and organize material learned. We also use what we know to help us choose whether or not the information being taught is relevant and useful to us or not.
I, like so many others, agree with this statement for the most part. I think that prior knowledge is huge when it comes to learning new concepts. If students have prior knowledge, it makes it easier for them to process the new information. If they don't, it is definitely harder for them to connect to the information or understand what is being discussed. However...............some students will need to be taught the prior knowledge first. They need to learn the easy stuff before they learn the hard stuff. Some teachers forget that now all students come in on the same level. It is our job to accept them where they are and work on getting them where they need to be. All students can learn, it just may be at a different pace and at a different level.
“Keep in mind knowledge begets knowledge and one of the strongest predictors of a learner’s future capacity to learn is what he or she already knows.”
Overall, no. If I can break this sentence into two distinct parts, I would say that I agree with part 1, knowledge acquisition, but I feel that part 2, knowledge predictor, is an oversimplification. If I'm understanding correctly, I'd paraphrase this section like so: 1) Knowledge builds upon itself, growing stronger as connections and experiences expand (True). 2) One of the best ways to figure out how much a person can learn is determined by how much that individual currently knows (oversimplification/false). Knowledge is gained through various experiences and the relevant connections the learner makes to previous concepts. According to this statement, a baby would be far less capable of learning than would an 80 year old man. There is no doubt that the 80 year old man has far greater knowledge than the baby, but scientifically, it is clear that the baby's brain will be capable of far more active/learning than the man's. Many factors are involved in a student's knowledge acquisition such as home life, culture, training, interest, and personal experiences. If you could measure a student's total knowledge in their brain, you might be able to determine a possible trajectory for future learning, but without this ability, their are too many variables at play to use this statement too strongly.
Of course, the more you know in terms of prior knowledge, the more you will be able to learn because you can make connections to information previously learned. This describes many of our students coming from enriched environments who have access to books and technology at home and who likely have had life experiences beyond our immediate vicinity of Southwest Kansas. However, are we willing to write off the 70% of our students who come from poverty? Good teachers make a difference in the lives of their students and education provides opportunity for individual students to learn and to be exposed to more than their individual environments provide. We have to believe that we can elevate our students and, with effort on our part and theirs, that we can make a difference in their lives. Part of this may be addressed by creating relationships with our students and their families. Part of this may be in finding where the gaps exist in their base of information and providing interventions to fill these gaps. Part of this may be in creating opportunity for students to share their experiences through group work. This collaboration could expose students who lack prior knowledge to those who have had an enriched background, making for a sharing of experience that could open differing aspects of the world to all concerned. This is why Jefferson and the founding fathers promoted public education. They wanted an educated citizenry who would be capable of making informed decisions in a democracy. They didn't want only the wealthy to be educated; they wanted to create a nation in which all men were created equal. We will never reach perfection, but we only lose if we give up the attempt.
“Keep in mind knowledge begets knowledge and one of the strongest predictors of a learner’s future capacity to learn is what he or she already knows.” Agree or disagree and why? This is probably true in most cases but there are a lot of variables that go into it. For example if a student does not have access to quality education early in life may still be capable of improving and catching up later on. However knowledge absolutely builds on itself so the longer a student is behind the harder it will be for them to catch up with their peers.
I agree with this statement. If a student does not understand a concept or a meaning of a word, then they can not build upon the concept presented. If a student doesn't understand what a marine animal is- then they will not be able to tell you about different types of marine animals. Student have to have a basic understanding of a concept before knowledge can be expanded and built upon.
ReplyDeletePrior knowledge or being able to apply what is being taught to previous learning, certainly does make a difference. But...I think if that learning is missing, we have to go back and fill in the gaps and then build upon them.
DeleteI agree. It is important to for students to understand basic concepts of things in order to understand the details of that concept.
DeleteThat’s a tough statement to justify. So many variables enter into the equation: ability level, prior life experiences, and quality of instruction to name just a few. I do believe the more knowledge a person has, the easier it is to build on prior knowledge. I also believe all students are capable of learning, but that learning may be at different levels.
ReplyDeleteI think that with knowledge comes skills to decipher knowledge, so I would agree that the more you know the easier it is to construct new knowledge. For our students, basic understanding can be a challenge and they are only able to master a handful of skills, but that does not limit their ability to learn new things - it only limits their depth of learning in a particular concept.
DeleteYou make an excellent point that all students are capable of learning. We need to take that into account - sometimes the learning might be at a slower rate or a lower level, but it's still knowledge gained!
DeleteGreat point, as usual, Jerrie! You are right...all students are capable of learning, it just may look different and come at a different pace. I sure wish all teachers understood that concept.
DeleteAbsolutely all students have the ability to learn at some level. However, like you said knowledge builds on itself so it's much easier if students have prior knowledge.
DeleteI would agree with this in it's basic concept. It's like the idea that the only way to become a better reader is to read more. You can better determine what level a student will get to (or justify their level of understanding) based off of the materials that they choose to read. It's really all about challenging yourself and pushing yourself to move further. To me, the inherent idea in this is scaffolding. You have to know what they know in order to know where they need to go and how to get them there. I do not fully agree with the final statement because if you asked me in high school, I knew a lot about math and little about history, but I have a minor in History and took everything BUT math classes. We have to take into account a person's overall goals in order to assess their learning ability - context drives content.
ReplyDeleteI agree; students are not always ready for certain concepts when they are introduced. What we struggled with in high school are easier for us now. Like math- I did not understand math much in high school, a little more in college, but now it makes alot more sense! Maybe I was not cognitively ready at the time or maybe it means more to me now???
DeleteIf it’s like reading a book, it would make sense. Students who struggle with reading and just don’t get it, don’t read, and they won’t pick up a book in their free time to read. On the other hand, students who enjoy reading will read in their spare time and for fun. They read: they read for enjoyment, they read to learn, they read to understand.
ReplyDeleteIf a student struggles to learn new concepts, they will shy away from some of the new areas they struggle with the most and do what they’ve already learned or understood.
This doesn’t mean that it is always a predictor of success. We know that some students have those phenomenal teachers who can get them reading and loving it. Sometimes a mentor helps them break out of that shell and realize they needed to approach something differently to really get it.
I'm on the fence regarding this statement. I agree and disagree in different contexts. I agree that prior knowledge is a key indicator of success but I do not believe its the only indicator of success (regarding learning). All students must have the structure inside their head to accept the learning (Ruby Payne). Also interest plays a big part of this too. I have background knowledge about hammers, nails, and wood but I do not have enough interest to build something! However I really do not have alot of knowledge about gardening but that is my interest now so I am expanding on it to have a better garden this summer than last summer.
ReplyDeleteBabies are born with no prior knowledge on anything but have a tremendous capacity to learn and grow. Going back to Ruby Payne, children enter school on different levels due to their prior experiences. It's our job as teachers to make it a more level playing field so everyone can can learn. Some kids need more background knowledge than others on concepts but can learn just the same!
I think it is becoming harder and harder to level the playing field. Students are more diverse now then ever and I know with my high school students, some of their experiences I can't even imagine what that must be like for them.
DeleteI like your analogy about babies being born as blank slates. We need to not limit our expectations for students based on how much knowledge they have when they come to us.
DeleteI agree that it is our job to try and level the playing field and I also agree with Stacy that it is becoming harder and harder. I have seen so many kids come into kindergarten with wonderful life experiences and who are ready to learn. I've also seen tons of kids come in who's basic education came from a tablet or electronic device with very limited knowledge of the world around them. It makes it very challenging.
DeleteVery true. I like your use of analogies. Prior knowledge is pivotal to learning new concepts, but there are many reasons why certain prior knowledge is missing. Being educators, we find ourselves constantly filling in gaps to help students progress. Enjoy gardening this summer!
DeleteI believe that all students can learn if they want to. Drawing on a student's prior knowledge helps with relatability, but not everything in life will a person draw from prior knowledge. Sometimes a student is not ready to learn knowledge required. Up until 9th grade the educational system passes students along through the grade levels just because they had a birthday. Then they get to high school and some literally feel like they hit a brick wall. Parents don’t always know why school is now hard for the students either since they learned it easily. This makes prior knowledge a challenge since each student comes from a different place and especially in SPED the mindsets are very different.
ReplyDeleteSo I a mixed on this statement when it comes to agreeing or disagreeing. I agree all students can learn and use prior knowledge to help them achieve a difficult task, but in our schools today that gap is becoming so wide that it is becoming more and more difficult to draw on students experiences.
“Keep in mind knowledge begets knowledge and one of the strongest predictors of a learner’s future capacity to learn is what he or she already knows.” Agree or disagree and why?
ReplyDeleteTrue students build upon prior knowledge, but interests, drive,, grit,& other's expectations, etc... are strong predictors as well.
I ride the fence on agreeing with this or disagreeing. I think that prior knowledge does give us background knowledge to relate to. For instance for young students coming into preschool they may have the background knowledge of what scissors are and what they do, they may even see scissors as bad because they cut their hair and got in trouble. So when they come into preschool with limited exposure to scissors and we have to teach the proper concept and scissor skills. Sometimes I think preschool teachers forget that kids coming in may not have all the same prior knowledge but we have teach where they are at. Some kids may come in with knowledge about scissors and others have no knowledge or limited knowledge.
ReplyDeleteI feel like in today's educational system the gap is huge even within early childhood. I laugh out loud as teachers say they have no fine motor skills. My first question is, have they had exposure to a pencil, crayon or marker? Have they had exposure to scissors and cutting? Most of the time when you ask parents if they had exposure the answer is no, so there is no background for the child to be able to even know what to do with writing utensils or scissors. Also one of the things we get in EC is that the child is sensory. Have they had exposure to different textures such as sand or dirt, play dough ect. Can they be taught about these things, yes and it is usually exposed to in school. So this means that these things have to be exposed to in order to begin learning.
This is where technology becomes a double edged sword. As students spend more time on iPads and computers, they have less exposure to crayons, markers, scissors, and playdough.
DeleteI agree AND disagree... I've seen time and time again kids who have zero prior knowledge about a subject come in and be amazing students in that area. On the other hand, I've seen students with tons of past experience struggle with that subject. I believe that everyone can learn new things with effort. It may come easy to some and others may have to work hard but everyone can learn.
ReplyDeleteI agree its hard for a student who has had a bad past experience to get excited to learn something new or to be interested in something.
DeleteI agree mostly with this statement. Prior knowledge usually does help a student grasp a concept much quicker. Some students though can come into something brand new, without any prior knowledge and begin to learn right away also. I think this is another statement that can be used with every student but we also must remember that each and every student is different. Some kids may have prior knowledge and some don't, I like to teach some of the things that they need to know prior to taking on a task, because it does work better most of the time. I, myself like to know a little bit about something before I go to a class or conference.
ReplyDeleteI agree that what a student already knows is a strong predictor of a learner's future capacity. I believe this is a big reason there is such a gap in the learning and scores of upper middle class suburban students and inner city students. The differences in the their experiences and prior knowledge is huge. Also, when a teacher doesn't have to spend time building prior knowledge much more material can be covered.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I believe everyone has the capacity to learn. Even when students enter school with limited exposures, they can progress and learn.
Jan-
DeleteI like the point you brought up about teachers not spending time to build prior knowledge and being able to cover more material. I hadn’t thought about that, but wonder how much time/material that would actually be. I’m sure someone has had to have done some research about that at some time, but I’m not familiar with it.
I agree, Jan, that we should not write off those students who come from less enriched environments. In fact, public education is one of our county's best ways to combat poverty. We need to continue our struggle to educate each and every child. Children from poverty lack experience, but not necessarily capacity to learn. If we believed otherwise, our children from poverty and ESL backgrounds would be doomed before they started kindergarten.
DeleteI think I mostly agree with this statement. In my mind, someone who has prior knowledge of a particular subject will likely have any easier time building and further expanding upon that foundation. However, I also think that someone else who comes in without any prior knowledge isn’t going to just not learn. His/her process of learning the same material might look a little different or be at a different pace, but regardless, I still think they’ll be able to gain some type of knowledge.
ReplyDeleteI agree that we use what we know on a daily basis to help understand new concepts being taught. We need to have basic understands of concepts in order to learn more about that concept. We use what we know to help us understand and organize material learned. We also use what we know to help us choose whether or not the information being taught is relevant and useful to us or not.
ReplyDeleteI, like so many others, agree with this statement for the most part. I think that prior knowledge is huge when it comes to learning new concepts. If students have prior knowledge, it makes it easier for them to process the new information. If they don't, it is definitely harder for them to connect to the information or understand what is being discussed. However...............some students will need to be taught the prior knowledge first. They need to learn the easy stuff before they learn the hard stuff. Some teachers forget that now all students come in on the same level. It is our job to accept them where they are and work on getting them where they need to be. All students can learn, it just may be at a different pace and at a different level.
ReplyDelete“Keep in mind knowledge begets knowledge and one of the strongest predictors of a learner’s future capacity to learn is what he or she already knows.”
ReplyDeleteOverall, no. If I can break this sentence into two distinct parts, I would say that I agree with part 1, knowledge acquisition, but I feel that part 2, knowledge predictor, is an oversimplification. If I'm understanding correctly, I'd paraphrase this section like so: 1) Knowledge builds upon itself, growing stronger as connections and experiences expand (True). 2) One of the best ways to figure out how much a person can learn is determined by how much that individual currently knows (oversimplification/false). Knowledge is gained through various experiences and the relevant connections the learner makes to previous concepts. According to this statement, a baby would be far less capable of learning than would an 80 year old man. There is no doubt that the 80 year old man has far greater knowledge than the baby, but scientifically, it is clear that the baby's brain will be capable of far more active/learning than the man's. Many factors are involved in a student's knowledge acquisition such as home life, culture, training, interest, and personal experiences. If you could measure a student's total knowledge in their brain, you might be able to determine a possible trajectory for future learning, but without this ability, their are too many variables at play to use this statement too strongly.
Of course, the more you know in terms of prior knowledge, the more you will be able to learn because you can make connections to information previously learned. This describes many of our students coming from enriched environments who have access to books and technology at home and who likely have had life experiences beyond our immediate vicinity of Southwest Kansas. However, are we willing to write off the 70% of our students who come from poverty? Good teachers make a difference in the lives of their students and education provides opportunity for individual students to learn and to be exposed to more than their individual environments provide. We have to believe that we can elevate our students and, with effort on our part and theirs, that we can make a difference in their lives. Part of this may be addressed by creating relationships with our students and their families. Part of this may be in finding where the gaps exist in their base of information and providing interventions to fill these gaps. Part of this may be in creating opportunity for students to share their experiences through group work. This collaboration could expose students who lack prior knowledge to those who have had an enriched background, making for a sharing of experience that could open differing aspects of the world to all concerned. This is why Jefferson and the founding fathers promoted public education. They wanted an educated citizenry who would be capable of making informed decisions in a democracy. They didn't want only the wealthy to be educated; they wanted to create a nation in which all men were created equal. We will never reach perfection, but we only lose if we give up the attempt.
ReplyDelete“Keep in mind knowledge begets knowledge and one of the strongest predictors of a learner’s future capacity to learn is what he or she already knows.” Agree or disagree and why?
ReplyDeleteThis is probably true in most cases but there are a lot of variables that go into it. For example if a student does not have access to quality education early in life may still be capable of improving and catching up later on. However knowledge absolutely builds on itself so the longer a student is behind the harder it will be for them to catch up with their peers.