From Julia
I believe the following quote expresses the frustration of many of today’s high school students.
From the standpoint of the child, the great waste in school comes from his inability to utilize the experiences he gets outside the school in any complete and free way within the school itself; he is unable to apply in daily life what he is learning at school. That is the isolation of the school-the isolation from LIFE.
–John Dewey
In my twenty years of teaching, I have invested much time in trying to make the content relevant to students, to find activities that apply what is in the book to what is in real life. When I was first exposed to 4MAT, I felt validated, as every complete learning cycle needs this personal adaptation of the learning (extend, refine, perform). However, I was also challenged, as my units were lacking a personalized quadrant one or “connect” to the students where they are in their own lives. My previous idea of a learning cycle was a 3-step method presented in some science programs:
(1) exploration, (2) content development, and (3) application.
This approach, though better than traditional lecture and practice, omitted the highly personal aspect of learning. Student learning begins with the unique neural pathways that have already interwoven their spider-web-like connections in the students’ brains. As teachers, we need to find ways to tie in to these webs. If new learning isn’t connected to what students already know, it will most likely be lost. The more we know our kids, the more apt we are to create activities that connect and generate enough interest on behalf of the learner to embark on the learning journey with us.
As I write this, so many examples come to mind, but I will share the story of “Rob.”
Rob was never a disruption, but he slouched in his desk with his arms crossed and did not engage in the learning process with the rest of the students. I spoke with him one-on-one to see if I could find a reason or a way to get him interested in the content as he was failing biology. I asked permission to call home, did so, and did not find any support for Rob there. Then, when we began the “connect” activity for the interdependence unit, Rob was hooked. He was so involved in this blindfolded activity with puzzles and K’NEX that he and his partner were one of the first to be successful in each task. And it didn’t end there. He completed all of the learning activities in this unit and for the rest of the school year, raising his failing grade to that of a “B.” I never received a satisfactory explanation as to what really changed for Rob that day, but I know something switched in him and he began to invest some of his energy in learning the biology content. Know that not all connect activities are equal. I have tried some that didn’t flow and didn’t seem to help students learn the content. When I try something that works, I know it works, because the students remember these big ideas, even at the end of the year. All of the connect activities in this book are field tested. Some of have been used successfully for years and some are newer ideas with less history behind them.
Finally, know how important it is to complete the entire learning cycle. I have been “4MATing” my units for over 10 years, and know that it makes a difference. In his book, The Art of Changing the Brain, James Zull explains that utilizing the 4MAT cycle engages all 4 parts of the brain’s cortex and is needed for deep learning. All information enters the brain through the sensory experiences, which are primarily interpreted in the back half of the brain. Some of this sight, sound, touch, smell and/or taste information is reflected upon by the temporal area of the brain. It integrates signals, makes connections, develops patterns, language and makes images meaningful. These meanings may then be integrated as new ideas by the front part of the brain and plans for action are formed. Finally, if our ideas are turned into action by the motor area of the brain (speaking, writing, movement), deep learning has happened.
From Joan
As more of a newcomer to 4MAT than Julia, I would like to echo her comments. I am convinced that 4MAT not only has improved my students’ understanding of the concepts, but also has made me a better teacher. It is fitting that the bridge between the concept and the content in our last unit is “cycle”. I, too, have used many of the activities listed in this book for years but haven’t always followed the natural cycle that engages all four parts of the brain. By following the unit activities in the order they are presented, students are more fully engaged and reach a deeper level of learning and in addition, I have developed a greater passion for teaching utilizing this framework. I hope all of you will be just as excited to use these activities as we have to help your students achieve a deeper understanding of the Biology concepts.