If you’re like me, you look for techniques to help your students go beyond basic facts and enter deep learning. Deep learning allows our children to acquire lasting knowledge and transfer it to other situations they encounter, whether they need the information tomorrow or ten years from now. Today, I want to share three powerful tools for deep learning.
These three tools can be applied no matter what skills you or your students have. I present them at their most basic because I want you to consider how you might best use them.
Three Powerful Tools for Deep Learning
- Scaffold Learning
- Spiral Learning
- Concept Learning
These are not new ideas in education. But I do find the original proposals of these ideas the most inspiring. Recent books and studies go into specific details about how to incorporate them – usually within the framework of core curriculum – but I like to look at the original ideas and create ways that work best for me and my children. I encourage you to do the same.
Scaffold Learning
Jerome Bruner was an American psychologist who first proposed scaffold learning in the 1950s. He related the process of learning to that of constructing a building. Initially, the child (the building) needs extensive support from parents and teachers (who form the scaffolding). Eventually, this scaffolding can be dismantled and the child can move forward independently.
My interpretation of scaffolding relates very closely to my goal of fostering independent learning. Your children need a tremendous amount of support at the beginning. Be their strong scaffolding. Help them establish a firm foundation. And then gradually step back. If you’ve done your job, your children will be able to stand on their own and continue with learning and advancement throughout their life.
Spiral Learning
Bruner also developed the cognitive theory of spiral learning. This is the idea that repeated exposure over time to a subject results in deeper understanding and retention. I use this method quite often. We might cover a subject at a basic level or from one perspective and then circle back several years later and cover it in more depth or from a different perspective, whether it’s writing, history, science, or math.
The elementary math curriculum I used – Primary Mathematics (Singapore Math) – relies heavily on spiral learning. I also find spiral learning has elements in common with a Growth Mindset, another learning philosophy I embrace. If you do much reading on educational approaches, you’ll find that the ones that appeal to you are interrelated.
Concept Learning
Concept learning was put forth by Bruner and his associates in the 1960s. To me, it relates closely to the elements of scaffold and spiral learning. It’s the ability to take the information you learn and apply it to new situations.
This is especially important now, as we live in an age where memorization has less value than ever before. You don’t necessarily need to store facts in your brain that can be quickly accessed online. Also, the information or ‘facts’ available to us is multiplying exponentially. Instead of memorization, it makes sense to have our students focus more on understanding the broad concepts – the themes – and apply them as they move forward.
Concept learning in history could involve looking at colonialization in a broad sense and understanding the perspectives and motives of both the colonizers and the natives. For example, rather than focusing on memorizing the facts of the British interactions with Native Americans on the East Coast, you might focus on what you see as the key themes of colonization. The student can then apply it to many other historical events and also to current events as well.
In communication, concept learning takes the basics of grammar, vocabulary, and composition and applies them to business, research, or creative writing. And in math, you look at how fundamental math concepts, not just memorized multiplication tables, apply as you tackle higher-level math.
Putting It All Together
Last week, I wrote about the magic of not knowing. How you don’t need to immediately look everything up. How sometimes it’s okay not to know. To wonder, dream, imagine, and come up with your own answers. Not knowing has its place. But so does knowing. Learning. Understanding the answers. My point is that, when you need to know, then really know. Know deeply.
“Knowing how something is put together is worth a thousand facts about it.”
Jerome Butler
These three powerful tools for deep learning – scaffold, spiral, and concept learning – are not universally embraced by educators. But I think at least one reason they aren’t is that people may not like specific interpretations of them. The beauty of homeschooling (and parenting in general) is that you can interpret and use these tools any way you see fit.
