<\/p>\nA perpetual challenge for teachers is overcoming the temptation of trying to teach too much material and content. Many lesson plans and courses I examine attempt way too much content coverage to be effective. The fact is that learning is not an efficient process, and we can only absorb so much information at one time without needing to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153make connections\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or use it in order for it to be meaningful. When it comes to meaningful learning,<\/i> the issue is depth, not coverage. And, when it comes to effective teaching, <\/i> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153less is more.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
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One of the most effective ways to teach for depth is to focus on concepts. When I work with teachers I find that many have an inkling that they want to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153teach about\u00e2\u20ac\u009d something, but they often don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t identify the underlying concept that will help the learner attain depth of understanding. The conversation goes something like this:<\/p>\n
Me: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153So, tell me, what do you want your students to learn?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Teacher: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Well, I want to teach about ______.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Me: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153O.k, but that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not what I asked. What do you want your students to learn<\/i>?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Teacher: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Ummm. What do you mean?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Me: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Well, when you say you want to teach your students about _______, what is the one<\/i> key concept you want them to understand?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n
Teacher: Blank stare. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153What do you mean, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcconcept\u00e2\u20ac\u2122?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n
A simple definition of concepts is, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153concepts consist of a category (class or set) and the attributes by which to tell whether or not an object belongs to the category.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Concepts are powerful because they are bearers of meaning, as opposed to merely agents of meaning. The fundamental dynamics of learning are all about how our minds process, create, and integrate concepts. Therefore, if you want to help your learners acquire depth of understanding, then focus on concepts. <\/p>\n
Deep learning consists of:<\/p>\n
Strive to be effective in your teaching by (1) identifying the concepts related to the subject you are teaching, (2) teach one<\/i> concept at a time, (3) teach for depth rather than coverage, (4) guide your students through learning activities that help them practice the abilities of deep understanding (see the bulleted list above). <\/p>\n
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A perpetual challenge for teachers is overcoming the temptation of trying to teach too much material and content. Many lesson plans and courses I examine attempt way too much content coverage to be effective. The fact is that learning is … Continue reading