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Teacher for Learner-Extend Activity



One misunderstood concept in education is the focus on prior knowledge (PK) as an 'either/or' scenario when it comes to helping or hindering content area instruction. I experienced gaps myself and struggled to articulate how PK is misapplied as an either/or because educators aren't asking students the right questions. For example, typically teachers fall into the mindset that either a student can draw on PK to build-on or they cannot for a particular content area, like writing or mathematics. It is widely accepted in education circles that PK can either help or hurt ones progress in acquiring and assimilating new information. This is easier and neater than exploring why traditional PK techniques do not always work, for example, experience trauma while learning and cultural dynamics. 

Can you recall a time when you were a student and were completely gobsmacked that others around you knew something that you didn't? Perhaps you recall a time you felt embarrassed or dumb for not knowing something that the teacher claimed you learned last year. As educators, how we respond to students during and after an activity are equally important to how we frame the activity.

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