Each month we take a closer look at one of the metacognition or self-regulated learning teaching resource that we offer. The aim of self-regulated learning is to empower students to take control of their own learning-processes; metacognition is the cognitive aspect of self-regulated learning and emphasises the awareness, understanding & regulation of thought.
Reading these monthly posts can contribute to your continued professional development and give you new ideas for classroom practice: why not try a new resource each month and, slowly but surely, become a master of metacognition? Perhaps you’ll be inspired to make a new resource to use with your students or, if you’d like to save time, you might download and try one of the resources from our site.
Our teaching resources are aimed at teachers of students aged 11-16 and can be used by all teachers: regardless of their subject-specialism. They emphasise student-reflection, metacognition and self-regulation.
This month we’re looking at lesson wrappers. Links to order and download the resource can be found at the bottom of the article or you can click here.
What Are Lesson Wrappers?
Lesson wrappers are, in essence, student-reflection activities that occur at the start and end of lessons. Typically they take place on some form of worksheet that structures and prompts their reflections; they could also take the form of questions or activity prompts asked by a teacher or displayed on presentation.
What Are Lesson Wrappers For?
Lesson wrappers are one of the most commonly cited approaches to metacognition and self-regulated learning. It is normal for the start of lesson reflections to focus on:
· Recalling the previous lesson
· Readiness and preparedness for learning
· Recalling and monitoring previous targets for improvement
· Planning approaches to learning
· Monitoring progress
Whilst it is normal for end of lesson reflections to focus on:
· Performance evaluation
· Self-assessment of learning
· Identification of obstacles and issues that prevented progress or learning
· Target-setting
· Metacognitive regulation, e.g. “What would you do differently next time?”
How Do I Use Lesson Wrappers?
Our lesson wrapper pack contains ten different lesson wrappers allowing for you to provide plenty of diversity in your approach. Simply select the one you want to use and print it off for your students: allow them time at the start and end of the lesson to complete their lesson wrapper.
How Do Lesson Wrappers Foster Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning?
Lesson wrappers encourage students to become aware of and understand their thinking-processes in relation to learning (metacognition) and, with a focus on target-setting and target-monitoring, encourage self-regulated learning. Well designed-lesson wrappers can specifically target the self-regulation cycle of planning monitoring, evaluating and regulating the learning-process.
Which Teachers Can Use Lesson Wrappers?
Lesson wrappers are suitable for teachers of any ability or age group: our set of ten lesson wrappers was designed with 11-16 year-olds in mind.
To Which Students Are Lesson Wrappers It Most Suited?
Lesson wrappers are particularly useful as an intervention for students with low levels of metacognitive awareness and knowledge or poor self-regulation skills.
How Else Do Lesson Wrappers Benefit Students?
Lesson wrappers allow students to identify the connection between their state of mind at the start of the lesson and their performance in the lesson, thus gaining metacognitive knowledge; moreover, lesson wrappers align with teachings around ‘growth mindset’ since they help students to identify the choices and behaviours that lead to learning and success.
Lesson wrappers help to create ‘reflective learning’ which has been described as: "... deliberate process during which the candidate takes time, within the course of their work, to focus on their performance and think carefully about the thinking that led to particular actions, what happened and what they are learning from the experience, in order to inform what they might do in the future" (King, 2002).
Where Can I Get Some Good Lesson Wrappers!?
This resource can be ordered or downloaded by clicking here. Membership Plan holders can download it freely via the ‘Member’s Area’ by clicking here. You can browse our other metacognition and self-regulated learning-resources here.
You can also use the site menu to navigate and download our large collection of metacognition & self-regulated learning teaching resources. Don’t forget to check-out the ‘Free Downloads’ section of the site!
