Metacognition Strategies – Cultures of Thinking

Gallery walk

Description:
The Gallery Walk strategy showcases various graphic and/or textual displays while learners interact around them in a purposeful way. Just like in an art gallery, this is a quiet activity. This strategy can easily be combined with other strategies such as the Chalk Talk thinking routine.

How to Use the Strategy:

Choose a topic/concept in which a visual display will be produced by small groups.
Choose a PURPOSEFUL way that students will interact with what is displayed (ie: gather 5 ideas, write something in their journal/sticky note, find 3 things you do not agree with, etc.). Keep in mind that students should DO SOMETHING with the ideas they are taking away from the displays.
Once the small groups have completed their visual display, hang them up around the room.
The first time you introduce Gallery Walk, you will need to state the rules: no talking, there is a focus/task to complete while walking, rotate through the gallery clockwise/counterclockwise, set amount of time, etc.
Explain the PURPOSE for the Gallery Walk by telling students what they need to be doing while they are walking quietly.
Start the Gallery Walk for the time allotted.
Culminate the activity in some way (ie: whole class discussion, small group discussion, journal entry, exit slip, writing piece, etc.)

Note Taking/Note Mapping

Description:
Students add their thoughts and comments to the class notes. “Note Taking” is done for the students. They record WHAT THEY SEE. “Note Making” is for students to record WHAT THEY THINK or the WHY of what they see. They should think of explaining what they see using prior knowledge and vocabulary. This is their personal space and nothing written will be considered wrong.
Note Taking/Note Making can be used to formatively assess understanding both by the teacher and the student. An action plan can also be developed by both the teacher and/or student.

SOLVED

Description:
The SOLVED strategy is used to think through story problems.

Talking to the Text

Description:
Talking to the Test is a strategy where students have the opportunity to share their ideas about a reading selection. Students may either write their thoughts on a selection or use stick notes.Talking to the Text is actually the “RELATE” portion of the SQ4R reading strategy.

How to Use the Strategy:

Teacher models Talking to the Text on the overhead by jotting notes in the margin, asking questions, making prediction, underlining, and/or highlighting a piece of text.
Students name the techniques they notice the teacher doing as he/she writes.
Whole class compiles a chart of these strategies.
Students try it with a new piece of text.
Sticky notes may be used to write thought on if they are unable to write on reading piece