To increase student understanding, teachers should focus on teaching for understanding rather than just teaching content. This involves using generative topics, setting understanding goals, allowing understanding performances, and ongoing assessment. It also means involving students actively in making sense of what they are learning so they can construct meaning and develop a network of associations that links new knowledge to what they already know and find value in their own lives. Varied activities, learning styles, and appropriate challenges can help students understand rather than just know or memorize.

1. Nazarena Cali

2. How might you increase your students’ understanding of what they learn?References: -Working with styles by Dr. Kathie F. Nunley in the website help4teachers.com/learningstyles.htm-How the adolescent brain challenges the adult brain? by Dr. Kathie F. Nunley in the website help4teachers.com/learningstyles.htm-Teaching for understanding: Educating students for performance by Ken Kickbusch in the websitewww.weac.org/resource/june96/under.htm-learnweb.harvard.edu/ALPS/tfu/about2cfm

3. What is understanding?A flexible performance capability Knowing UnderstandingLearning for understanding Learning styles varied activities in class challenge vs comfort

4. Teaching for UnderstandingGenerative topicsUnderstanding goalsUnderstanding performancesOngoing assessment

5. Students are actively involved in the process –they make sense and construct meaning- that has value in their lives beyond the school Students do Students understand develop and integrate a network of associations, linking new input to preexisting knowledge and beliefs