Lesson wrappers are learning activities that encourage students to reflect on what they have learned, how they have learned it, and how they can apply that knowledge in the future. They also encourage reflection prior to learning and encourage planning and a self-monitoring. They are called 'lesson wrappers' because they 'wrap' lessons with student reflection activities at the start and end. When used consistently, they can help increase self-regulated learning in the classroom in several ways; lesson wrappers:
Promote Metacognition: Lesson wrappers encourage students to think about their own thinking, which is known as metacognition. By reflecting on what they have learned, students become more aware of their own learning process, including their strengths and weaknesses, and can identify strategies that help them learn more effectively. This promotes self-regulated learning by enabling students to take control of their own learning and make decisions about how to approach new material.
Encourage Goal Setting: Lesson wrappers can be used to encourage students to set goals for their learning. By reflecting on what they have learned and identifying areas where they need to improve, students can set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals. This helps them to stay focused and motivated, and to monitor their progress toward achieving their goals.
Facilitate Feedback: Lesson wrappers provide a way for teachers to gather feedback from students about what they have learned and how they have learned it. This feedback can be used to improve instruction and help students to learn more effectively. Additionally, when students receive feedback on their own learning, it helps them to regulate their own learning and make adjustments to their approach as needed.
Foster Reflection: Lesson wrappers encourage students to reflect on what they have learned, which is an important part of self-regulated learning. Reflection helps students to consolidate their learning and connect new information with what they already know. Additionally, reflection can help students to identify gaps in their understanding and make connections between different concepts.
How can lesson wrappers raise levels of metacognition in lessons?
Metacognition is the ability to reflect on one's own learning and thinking processes, and to use this information to regulate one's own learning. It involves being aware of one's own knowledge, skills, and attitudes, and being able to monitor and adjust these as needed. Encouraging student reflection at the start and end of lessons can help raise levels of metacognition in the classroom in several ways:
Promotes Self-awareness: Reflection activities encourage students to think about their own learning process and identify their own strengths and weaknesses. By becoming more aware of their own thinking, students are better able to identify areas where they need to improve, and can take steps to address these areas.
Develops Critical Thinking Skills: Reflection activities also help to develop students' critical thinking skills. By reflecting on their own learning, students learn to analyse and evaluate their own thinking, and to consider alternative ways of approaching problems.
Enhances Learning Retention: When students reflect on what they have learned, they are better able to consolidate their learning and make connections between different concepts. This can lead to better retention of information over time.
Improves Problem-Solving Skills: Reflection activities can also help to improve students' problem-solving skills. By reflecting on their own learning, students learn to identify areas where they are struggling and to develop strategies for overcoming these challenges.
In summary, encouraging student reflection at the start and end of lessons can help raise levels of metacognition in the classroom by promoting self-awareness, developing critical thinking skills, enhancing learning retention, and improving problem-solving skills. By engaging in regular reflection activities, students become more aware of their own learning process, and are better equipped to regulate their own learning and achieve their goals.
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.
