Developing metacognition was a common theme at ResearchILD’s 36th Annual Executive Function Conference. Here are highlights from a few of our featured speakers.
Creating Strategic Learners
It is no secret that metacognition is an integral component of academic and lifelong success. When students think about their thinking and learn about their learning, they are better able to understand their strengths and challenges. Dr. Lynn Meltzer, director of the Institutes for Learning and Development (ResearchILD & ILD), described a number of ways that teachers can help their students become strategic learners and promote students’ self-awareness.
Social-Emotional Learning
Meaningful relationships are a key part of living a happy and fulfilled life. Promoting metacognition can help students develop the skills they need to create and maintain successful relationships. Dr. Maurice Elias, a professor in the Psychology Department at Rutgers University and director of the Social-Emotional and Character Development Lab, works to develop schools of character, close achievement gaps, and increase student proficiency. Dr. Elias shared a skills-based framework for success in school and life that centers around metacognition. Metacognition is a critical element of developing the self-awareness, social awareness, and relationship skills that are essential for connecting with others.
Identity and Belonging
Self-understanding is also at the heart of developing a sense of identity and belonging. David Flink, founder and chief empowerment officer of Eye to Eye, spoke about his personal experience with dyslexia and ADHD. Flink founded Eye to Eye, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of young people with learning differences through mentoring. Flink emphasized the importance of embracing students’ identities and promoting self-advocacy to build stronger and better learning experiences for all students.
Build Your Executive Function Toolkit
Are you interested in building your Executive Function Toolkit? Join us in February and March to hear from EF experts on topics such as metacognition and motivation, strategies to support students with long-term projects and project-based learning, embedding EF in the general education curriculum, and the intersection of EF and social-emotional learning. Learn more and register here.
- Caitlin Vanderberg, M.Ed., SMARTS Associate
SMARTS Executive Function Curriculum: smarts-ef.org
Research Institute for Learning and Development: researchild.org
The Institute for Learning and Development: ildlex.org