Inspired Technology: Building Background Knowledge with Marzano, Inspiration, Power Point and Media Resources

1
Inspired Technology Building Background
Knowledge with Marzano, Inspiration, Power Point
and Media Resources

• JoAnn Kilkeary
• Julie Caston-Hicks
• CUE 2006

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The Importance of Background Knowledge

• The extent that students will learn new academic
  content is dependent on these factors
• teacher skill
• student interest
• complexity of content
• background knowledge
• Background knowledge-what students already know
  about content (66 influence)

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How do we acquire background knowledge?

• We acquire background knowledge through the
  interaction of two factors
• Our ability to process and store information in
  long term memory (fluid intelligence)
• The number and frequency of our academically
  orientated experiences (crystallized intelligence)

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Schools Can Make a Difference

• Fluid vs. Crystallized intelligence
• Fluid Intelligence (innate) The ability to
  process and store information in permanent memory
• Crystallized Intelligence (learned) Is
  exemplified by knowledge of facts,
  generalizations, and principles.
• Academic knowledge is more highly associated
  with crystallized abilities than with fluid
  abilities.

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Direct Approaches to Enhancing Academic
Background Knowledge

• Provide academically enriching experiences
  (i.e. field trips, school sponsored travel and
  exchange programs)
• Establish mentoring relationships with members of
  the community
• Direct approaches while they are powerful, are
  limited by school resources.

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Marzanos Solution

• Marzano offers a viable solution with a shift to
  indirect approaches
• Hands-on activities
• Pictures
• Media
• Coupled with rich dialogues these can provide
  direct learning experiences that build and
  scaffold background knowledge

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Principles for Building an Indirect Approach

• Background knowledge is stored in bimodal
  packets, linguistic and non-linguistic
• The process of storing experiences in permanent
  memory can be enhanced through building
  background knowledge
• Background knowledge is multidimensional (images,
  sounds, smells, language) and its value is
  contextual

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Further principles

• Even surface background knowledge is useful
  (familiarity with the terminology of a given
  topic )
• Background knowledge manifests itself as
  vocabulary knowledge
• - Vocabulary and intelligence are highly
  correlated
• - A word is a label associated with a packet of
  knowledge
• Virtual experiences can enhance background
  knowledge

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Background knowledge and memory

• The quality and type of processing that occurs in
  working memory dictate whether or not information
  makes it to permanent memory.

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Tapping the Power of Virtual Language Experience

• Reading and writing accompanied by language
  interaction (images and dialog) may compensate
  for the lack of direct experiences by providing a
  variety of virtual experiences.
• Examples . . . .

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Use of images, movies and sound

• Many of the characteristics and steps to
  effective vocabulary instruction involve
  activities in which technology can be used to
  enhance learning
• United Streaming or PowerMedia Plus