Knowledge Building in Classrooms: Ideas at the Center Mary Lamon Institute for Knowledge Innovation and Technology (IKIT) OISE/University of Toronto Knowledge Building in Classrooms: Ideas at the Center Mary Lamon Institute for Knowledge Innovation and Technology (IKIT) OISE/University of Toronto

Institute for Knowledge Innovation and Technology We are an international group (19 countries) cognitive and computer scientists educational researchers educators at all levels students from Grade 1 to university community organizations (hospitals) businesses

We are designing and researching an approach to teaching and learning that is changing classrooms from a place where the focus is on tasks and activities to a place where ideas are at the center. In these kinds of classrooms a revolution in education is happening.

Scardamalia

Knowledge Building Social Transformation Technological Transformation Knowledge Forum®

A social activity whose object is the creation of knowledge. There is a focus on idea improvement - when faced with a problem of understanding students go deeper using all available resources. There is both a personal and collective responsibility for advancing a community’s knowledge. Knowledge Building

Knowledge Forum supports a culture for creative work with ideas. Students construct their own database as they tackle real ideas and authentic (to the learners) problems Knowledge building dialogue in the database encourages students to reflect on their theories, explanations and accounts. Peer feedback leads to revisions in writing thereby increasing literacy. CSILE (computer supported intentional learning environments) Knowledge Forum®

Students collaborating on ideas takes them into realms that adults find amazing.

Improvable Ideas There is a focus on idea improvement - when faced with a problem of understanding students go deeper using all available resources.

A side effect of knowledge building is an increase in literacy (reading, writing, technology) Through knowledge building discourse, students bring in their own ideas. As they do so they need to find how their ideas fit with other ideas (peers, teachers, authoritative sources).

Peer Feedback

Students Teaching Researchers Grade 9 Grade 5

Epistemic Agency The great challenge is for teachers to turn executive processes over to learners (e.g.,goals for learning, identifying difficult to understand problems, monitoring progress).

“Common fears for teachers,especially Grade 9 teachers, are that they are too immature, they can't handle this, I can't leave them alone, what happens if they do it at home. So what! Technology and using it to think should be more of a focus in the new curriculum. We as teachers must break down our own barriers to technology. I really don't think it is the students who need much work with new models of learning; it's the teachers. So how do we do this? I think that's the interesting part.” Sue Wilkins,Secondary School Teacher Alex, Grade 9 student

Research Results Standardized test scores in reading comprehension, vocabulary, and spelling Ability to read difficult texts Quality of questions and comments Depth of explanation Graphical literacy Conceptual change Portfolio commentaries Collaborative processes Inquiry processes Standardized test scores in reading comprehension, vocabulary, and spelling Ability to read difficult texts Quality of questions and comments Depth of explanation Graphical literacy Conceptual change Portfolio commentaries Collaborative processes Inquiry processes

Annual Knowledge Building Summer Institute August 10-13, 2004 Toronto, Canada This work is supported by a grant from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council: Innovations for the New Economy