Metacognition in the Music Classroom https://www.globalmetacognition.com/post/metacognition-in-the-music-classroom

Metacognition is the awareness and understanding of thought itself; metacognitive approaches to teaching and learning focus on the planning, monitoring, evaluation and regulation of thinking processes. Recently, the definition of metacognition has been broadened and includes not only ‘thoughts about thoughts’ as it was previously considered, but the following notions as well: knowledge of one’s knowledge, processes, and cognitive and affective states; and the ability to consciously and deliberately monitor and regulate one’s knowledge, processes, and cognitive and affective states (Louca, 2003). “Cognitive strategies are used to help an individual achieve a particular goal (e.g., understanding a text) while metacognitive strategies are used to ensure that the goal has been reached (e.g., quizzing oneself to evaluate one's understanding of that text). Metacognitive experiences usually precede or follow a cognitive activity. They often occur when cognitions fail, such as the recognition that one did not understand what one just read.” (Livingston, 1977).

Metacognition can be explained as individuals’ use of information while they are learning or fulfilling a task and a deliberate organisation in cognitive processes (Brown, Bransford, Ferrara & Campione, 1983) whilst Wilson (1998) regards metacognition as knowledge and awareness of thinking processes and strategies (together with the ability to evaluate and organise these processes). In ‘How People Learn, the National Academy of Sciences’ synthesis of decades of research on the science of learning, one of the three key findings of this work is the effectiveness of a “‘metacognitive’ approach to instruction” (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 2000, p. 18).

Music is not only an enjoyable form of art, but it can also help foster metacognition in students. Metacognition is the process of thinking about one's own thinking, and it can be applied to any subject area, including music education. Music teachers can use a variety of strategies to help students develop metacognitive skills, which can enhance their musical abilities and overall learning. Here are some ways music teachers can foster metacognition in their students:

1. Encourage self-reflection: Music teachers can encourage students to reflect on their own musical performances and identify areas for improvement. For example, after a performance, teachers can ask students to think about what went well and what they could have done differently.
2. Provide opportunities for self-assessment: Teachers can provide students with rubrics or checklists to help them assess their own musical skills and progress. This can help students become more aware of their strengths and weaknesses and set goals for improvement.
3. Teach students to set goals: Music teachers can teach students how to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals for their musical development. This can help students focus their practice and achieve measurable progress.
4. Encourage critical thinking: Music teachers can ask students to analyze musical pieces and performances, encouraging them to think critically about the music they are playing or listening to. This can help students develop their analytical skills and deepen their understanding of musical concepts.
5. Use metacognitive prompts: Teachers can use metacognitive prompts, such as "What am I doing?", "What do I know?", "What do I need to know?", and "How can I get there?" to help students become more aware of their thinking process and develop problem-solving skills.
6. Practice mindfulness: Music teachers can teach students mindfulness techniques to help them become more focused and attentive during rehearsals and performances. Mindfulness practices can also help students become more aware of their thoughts and emotions, which can enhance their metacognitive abilities.
7. Encourage collaboration: Music teachers can encourage students to work together in groups or ensembles to develop their musical skills and learn from each other. This can also help students become more aware of their own strengths and weaknesses and develop metacognitive skills.
8. Provide constructive feedback: Teachers can provide students with constructive feedback that helps them understand their strengths and areas for improvement. Feedback can also help students become more aware of their thinking process and develop self-regulation skills.
9. Encourage students to ask questions: Teachers can encourage students to ask questions about musical concepts, pieces, and performances. This can help students become more curious and engaged in their musical learning and develop critical thinking skills.

In conclusion, music teachers can use a variety of strategies to foster metacognition in their students. By encouraging self-reflection, providing opportunities for self-assessment, teaching goal-setting, encouraging critical thinking, using metacognitive prompts, practicing mindfulness, encouraging collaboration, providing constructive feedback, and encouraging students to ask questions, music teachers can help students become more aware of their thinking process and develop their metacognitive skills, which can enhance their musical abilities and overall learning.

References

Bransford, John D., Brown Ann L., and Cocking Rodney R. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.

Brown, A. L., Bransford, J. D., Ferrara, R. A. and Campione, J. C. (1983). “Learning, Remembering, and Understanding”. In P. H. Mussen (Ed.). Handbook of Child Psychology (pp.77-166). New York: John Wiley.

Louca, Eleonora. (2003). The concept and instruction of metacognition. Teacher Development.

Livingston, Jennifer A. (1977), Metacognition: An Overview

Wilson, J. (1998). Assessing Metacognition: Legitimizing Metacognition as a Teaching Goal. Reflect, 4(1), 14-20.

from The Global Metacognition Institute https://www.globalmetacognition.com/post/metacognition-in-the-music-classroom
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Help Students Set Effective Targets https://www.globalmetacognition.com/post/help-students-set-effective-targets

Setting effective targets is a crucial aspect of student success and growth. As teachers, we play a pivotal role in guiding and supporting students in this process. By providing the necessary tools, strategies, and guidance, we can help students set meaningful and achievable targets that propel their learning forward. In this article, we will explore practical ways in which teachers can assist students in setting effective targets and foster a culture of goal-oriented learning.

1. Teach Goal-Setting Skills: Begin by explicitly teaching students the skill of goal-setting. Introduce the concept of setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) targets. Explain the importance of breaking down larger goals into smaller, manageable steps, and provide examples to illustrate the process.
2. Promote Self-Reflection: Encourage students to reflect on their strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. By engaging in self-reflection, students can identify their own learning needs and set targets that address those areas. Provide prompts or reflection sheets to guide students through this process.
3. Foster a Growth Mindset: Help students develop a growth mindset by emphasizing that intelligence and abilities can be developed through effort and practice. Encourage them to view challenges as opportunities for growth and learning. Remind students that setbacks are not failures but stepping stones towards improvement.
4. Provide Clear Learning Objectives: Ensure that learning objectives are clear and explicit. Clearly communicate what students are expected to learn and achieve. When students understand the purpose and relevance of their learning, they can set targets aligned with these objectives.
5. Individualize Target-Setting: Recognize that each student has unique needs and abilities. Tailor target-setting activities to individual students, taking into account their strengths, interests, and areas for growth. Provide guidance and support to help students set targets that are challenging yet attainable.
6. Model the Process: Model the target-setting process by setting your own goals and sharing them with students. Explain the steps you take to break down goals, monitor progress, and celebrate achievements. This demonstrates to students that goal-setting is a lifelong skill that extends beyond the classroom.
7. Offer Guidance and Feedback: Provide ongoing guidance and feedback to students as they set targets. Offer suggestions for realistic and measurable goals, helping students align their targets with their abilities and the curriculum. Regularly check in with students to review their progress and provide constructive feedback.
8. Encourage Student Ownership: Empower students to take ownership of their target-setting process. Encourage them to actively participate, make decisions, and reflect on their progress. Guide them towards setting goals that are meaningful to them, allowing for a sense of ownership and motivation.
9. Scaffold the Process: Break down the target-setting process into smaller steps. Provide templates, checklists, or graphic organizers that guide students through the process. This scaffolding supports students who may struggle with setting targets independently.
10. Celebrate Achievements: Create a culture of celebration and recognition for students' target achievements. Highlight and celebrate progress made towards targets, both individually and as a class. This fosters a positive and motivating environment, encouraging students to continue setting and pursuing future targets.

Helping students set effective targets is a powerful way to foster their growth, motivation, and success. By implementing these strategies, teachers can guide students through the target-setting process, ensuring that goals are specific, challenging, and meaningful. Empower students to take ownership of their learning journey, celebrate achievements, and continuously strive for improvement. Remember, effective target-setting is a lifelong skill that equips students with the tools to set and achieve goals beyond the classroom, fostering a mindset of continuous learning and personal growth.

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We've released two new downloadable teaching resources that will help your students reflect on their targets and goals and establish clear steps towards meeting them: target-setting worksheets and a multi-use interactive target-setting PowerPoint!

Well-designed worksheets can be instrumental in helping students establish targets for improving their work. By providing clear instructions, prompts, and structured activities, worksheets guide students through a systematic process of self-reflection and goal-setting. They can include sections for students to evaluate their strengths and areas for improvement, set specific targets, and outline steps to achieve those targets. Effective worksheets encourage students to think critically about their work, identify areas that need development, and establish measurable goals. They serve as a tangible tool that helps students track their progress, monitor their achievements, and stay focused on their targets. Ultimately, our downloadable target-setting worksheets provide a framework for students to take ownership of their learning, set meaningful targets, and work towards continuous improvement.

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Engage your students in meaningful self-reflection and empower them to establish clear goals and targets with our interactive PowerPoint resource. Designed to inspire and guide students towards improvement, this resource offers a wide range of activities that promote self-awareness and goal-setting.

With this resource you have a versatile tool for quick target-setting activities in your lessons or structured target-setting sessions. This interactive PowerPoint can be used repeatedly with the same groups, fostering a continuous growth mindset among your students.

Encourage students to reflect on various aspects of their learning journey, including work quality, learning power, attitude to learning, subject knowledge, study skills, and long-term strategies. Through a series of engaging activities, students will gain a deeper understanding of their strengths, areas for improvement, and how to set meaningful targets to drive their progress forward.

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Target setting is of paramount importance in schools as it provides students with a sense of purpose, direction, and motivation in their educational journey. By setting clear and achievable goals, students gain a tangible roadmap for their academic and personal growth. Target setting fosters a growth mindset, encouraging students to embrace challenges, persist in the face of obstacles, and continuously strive for improvement. It instills a sense of responsibility, ownership, and self-reflection, empowering students to take charge of their learning and monitor their progress. Target setting also enables teachers to provide personalized support and tailored instruction, ensuring that each student's unique needs and aspirations are addressed. Ultimately, target setting in schools equips students with the skills and mindset necessary for lifelong learning and success.

from The Global Metacognition Institute https://www.globalmetacognition.com/post/help-students-set-effective-targets
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Meditation for Self-Regulated Learning & Metacognition https://www.globalmetacognition.com/post/meditation-for-self-regulated-learning-metacognition

Self-regulated learning is the process of managing one's own thoughts, emotions, and behaviour in order to achieve academic goals. It involves setting goals, monitoring progress, adapting to new situations, and reflecting on the learning process. As educators, it is our responsibility to help our students become self-regulated learners, and one way to do this is through the practice of meditation.

Meditation is a mindfulness-based practice that involves focusing one's attention on the present moment. It has been shown to have a range of benefits for students, including improved attention and focus, reduced stress and anxiety, and increased self-awareness. By incorporating meditation into the classroom, we can help our students develop the skills they need to become self-regulated learners.

The first step in nurturing self-regulated learners through meditation is to create a safe and supportive learning environment. This means establishing clear expectations for behaviour and creating a sense of community in the classroom. By fostering a positive learning environment, we can help our students feel comfortable and confident in their ability to learn and grow.

Once a supportive learning environment has been established, we can begin to introduce meditation practices to our students. There are many different types of meditation that can be used in the classroom, including guided meditations, body scans, and mindful breathing exercises. By practicing these techniques regularly, we can help our students develop the ability to focus their attention and regulate their emotions.

One of the key benefits of meditation for self-regulated learning is its ability to improve metacognitive skills. Metacognition refers to the ability to reflect on one's own learning and monitor progress towards a goal. By practicing mindfulness, students can become more aware of their own thoughts, emotions, and behaviour, which can help them identify areas where they need to improve and develop better learning strategies.

In addition to improving metacognitive skills, meditation can also help students develop self-regulation skills. Self-regulation involves managing one's own behaviour, emotions, and thoughts in order to achieve a goal. By practicing mindfulness, students can learn to regulate their own emotions and behaviour, which can help them stay focused and motivated during the learning process.

Meditation can also help students develop a growth mindset, which is the belief that one's abilities and intelligence can be developed through hard work and dedication. By practicing mindfulness and focusing on the present moment, students can learn to let go of negative self-talk and develop a more positive attitude towards learning.

Meditation is a powerful tool for nurturing self-regulated learners in the classroom. By creating a safe and supportive learning environment and introducing meditation practices to our students, we can help them develop the skills they need to manage their own learning and achieve their academic goals. With regular practice, our students can become more self-aware, more focused, and more motivated, setting them up for success both in the classroom and beyond.

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Download our 'Meditation, Mindfulness & Deep-Metacognition Toolkit' today! The downloadable pack includes six resources:

1. An Introduction to Meditation
2. Meditation & Metacognition: How Meditation Can Boost Learning
3. Using Meditation to Train Concentration
4. Meditation & Gratitude: Improving Attitudes, Energy-Levels & Motivation
5. Meditation Instructions (A Multi-Use Tool With Instructions for Six Different Types of Meditation)
6. The Whole-School Meditation Poster Collection (Contains Ten Posters!)

from The Global Metacognition Institute https://www.globalmetacognition.com/post/meditation-for-self-regulated-learning-metacognition
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Raising Metacognitive Awareness With Lesson Wrappers https://www.globalmetacognition.com/post/raising-metacognitive-awareness-with-lesson-wrappers

Metacognition is an important aspect of learning that involves being aware of one's own thought processes and learning strategies. Metacognitive awareness is the ability to monitor one's own learning and thinking, and to use this information to regulate one's own learning. Activities that encourage student reflection at the start and end of lessons are called 'lesson wrappers' or 'cognitive wrappers' because they 'wrap' the lesson with student reflection. Allowing time for student reflection at the start and end of lessons can increase levels of metacognition in the classroom in several ways.

Firstly, student reflection at the start of a lesson can help students activate their prior knowledge and prepare their minds for learning. By reflecting on what they already know about the topic, students can create mental links between their existing knowledge and new information, which can help them to retain new information better. This process of reflection also helps students to identify any misconceptions they may have, which they can then address during the lesson.

Secondly, student reflection at the end of a lesson can help students consolidate their learning and assess their own understanding of the material. By reflecting on what they have learned, students can identify any areas where they still have questions or where they need more practice. This can help them to take ownership of their own learning and develop strategies for improving their understanding of the material.

In addition, allowing time for student reflection at the start and end of lessons can help students develop metacognitive skills, such as self-awareness, self-monitoring, and self-regulation. By engaging in regular reflection activities, students become more aware of their own learning process, including their strengths and weaknesses. This awareness can help them to make informed decisions about their own learning, such as selecting appropriate learning strategies or seeking additional help when needed.

Furthermore, encouraging student reflection can also help students develop critical thinking skills. By reflecting on their own learning, students learn to analyse and evaluate their own thinking and consider alternative ways of approaching problems. This can help them to develop more effective problem-solving skills and become more independent learners.

Finally, student reflection can help students to become more motivated and engaged in the learning process. By reflecting on their own learning, students can see the progress they are making, which can increase their confidence and motivation to continue learning. This can create a positive feedback loop, where increased motivation leads to improved learning outcomes, which in turn leads to increased motivation.

In conclusion, metacognitive awareness is an important aspect of learning that can be developed through regular reflection activities. Allowing time for student reflection at the start and end of lessons can increase levels of metacognition in the classroom, leading to improved learning outcomes and increased motivation. By encouraging students to reflect on their own learning, teachers can help them to become more effective, independent learners who are able to regulate their own learning and achieve their goals.

How Can Lesson Wrappers Help to Create Reflective Learners & Boost Independent Learning?

Regularly allowing time for student reflection at both the start and end of lessons is a powerful tool for creating reflective learners and boosting independent learning in schools. Here are some of the ways in which this approach can be effective:

1. Encourages Critical Thinking: Reflection activities encourage students to think critically about their own learning process, their understanding of the material, and the effectiveness of their own learning strategies. This helps them to develop critical thinking skills and become more independent learners.
2. Enhances Metacognition: Allowing time for reflection promotes metacognition by helping students become more aware of their own thinking and learning processes. This awareness enables them to make informed decisions about their learning, and to develop strategies to improve their learning.
3. Identifies Misconceptions: Reflection activities can help students identify their own misconceptions and correct them. This is especially important for students who may have trouble identifying their own misconceptions without the guidance of a teacher.
4. Increases Motivation: Reflective learners are more motivated to learn because they are engaged in the learning process and can see the progress they are making. This motivation can lead to increased independent learning, as students become more self-directed in their learning.
5. Improves Learning Outcomes: By regularly reflecting on their learning, students are better able to retain information and make connections between different concepts. This can lead to improved learning outcomes and higher achievement.
6. Builds Responsibility: By encouraging students to take responsibility for their own learning, reflection activities help to build a sense of responsibility and ownership over their learning. This can lead to increased independence and self-regulation in the long term.

Tips & Tricks for Metacognitive Reflection Time in Your Lessons

Here are ten tips and tricks for teachers who wish to get the most out of student reflection time in their lessons with a view to boosting metacognition and self-regulated learning:

1. Start and end each lesson with a reflective question: Begin each lesson with a question that prompts students to reflect on their prior knowledge of the topic, and end each lesson with a question that asks students to reflect on what they have learned. This helps to activate prior knowledge, promote metacognition, and consolidate learning.
2. Provide a structured format for reflection: Provide a structured format for reflection, such as a reflection journal or worksheet, that helps students organize their thoughts and focus their reflection. This can help to deepen their understanding of the material and improve their metacognitive awareness.
3. Model reflective thinking: Model reflective thinking by thinking aloud as you reflect on your own learning process. This can help to demonstrate the value of reflection to students and provide a framework for how to reflect effectively.
4. Use peer reflection: Encourage students to reflect on their learning with a partner or in a small group. This can help to promote collaboration and provide opportunities for students to share their ideas and perspectives.
5. Offer feedback: Provide feedback on student reflections to help them refine their thinking and improve their metacognitive awareness. This can help to promote self-regulation and improve learning outcomes.
6. Incorporate reflection into assessments: Incorporate reflection into assessments, such as asking students to reflect on their learning process or how they approached a particular task. This can help to deepen their understanding of the material and promote metacognition. Make sure you check out our articles and resources on 'assessment wrappers' if this is a strategy you wish to explore.
7. Encourage self-directed learning: Encourage self-directed learning by providing opportunities for students to reflect on their learning goals and develop their own learning strategies. This can help to promote independence and self-regulation.
8. Make reflection a routine: Make reflection a routine part of your teaching practice, with dedicated time set aside for reflection in each lesson. This can help to promote consistency and make reflection a habit for students.
9. Use technology: Use technology to facilitate reflection, such as online discussion forums or digital reflection tools. This can help to engage students and provide a platform for reflection that is accessible and convenient.
10. Vary reflection activities: Vary reflection activities to keep students engaged and promote creativity. For example, you could ask students to create a mind map or drawing to reflect on their learning, or ask them to write a letter to themselves reflecting on what they have learned. This can help to make reflection more engaging and enjoyable for students.

By incorporating these tips and tricks into their teaching practice, teachers can get the most out of student reflection time in their lessons with a view to boosting metacognition and self-regulated learning.

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We've created lesson wrappers that you can download and use today. Our printable lesson wrappers are ideal for making progress visible whilst our 'Virtual Lesson Wrapper' is a way of using the lesson wrapper technique without needing to print!

This download contains ten different lesson wrappers and is a comprehensive collection that will enhance learning in your classes!

This lesson wrapper is delivered via PowerPoint and features fifty metacognition and self-regulated learning activity slides; twenty-five that can be used at the start of lessons and twenty-five that can be used at the end of lessons.

from The Global Metacognition Institute https://www.globalmetacognition.com/post/raising-metacognitive-awareness-with-lesson-wrappers
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