Meg Lee: When we learn something new, if we don’t take time to process it in very close proximity to learning it, we are likely to forget it. We want to make sure that we are always building in those moments for processing. We know that’s how the mind works and how the brain learns.

Kalen Dillon: Today what we’re going to do: I can assemble elements of Abrahamic religions to compare and contrast the three monotheistic faiths.

A stop and jot is a way to purposely find time to stop and allow processing to happen. Whether it’s happening in a writing form, drawing form, it’s just a way for kids to make meaning of what they’re learning.

OK, so go ahead and open up your stop and jot to the next page.

I make a stop and jot worksheet for every single class. It’s kind of like a map of the lesson. I really try to limit it to three to four pages. They can quickly look through it and see what am I doing today, but then it also keeps me on track so I know exactly where I want to stop, exactly what I want to do.

Meg Lee: Stop and jot can happen in a lot of different ways. It could be just on a sheet of scrap paper that the students have. It could be within some kind of a packet or a learning experience worksheet. It could be on a Post-it Note. The idea is providing that space for students to process what it is that they’re thinking about and organize their ideas in a way that will eventually be able to help them as they deepen their understanding.

Kalen Dillon: I’m going to give you guys 10 minutes to start sorting and looking for similarities and beginning to connect them. After 10 minutes, we’re going to come back together and do a pause to process activity. OK?

Once we start an activity, I intentionally try to do every eight to 10 minutes where we’re stopping to process.

Now that we’ve discussed just a little bit, I want you to explain in your best way possible, in what ways do all three of these religions fit together?

It’s not necessarily going to be graded, and really it’s meant to be a place for kids to house their thinking, to make meaning of their thinking.

Student: I connected nomadic, monotheistic, and fasting even though it wasn’t based off of one specific religion. It was—

Kalen Dillon: If you don’t have something stopping you, it’s easy to move past it, and that’s where the stop and jot helps the teacher remain accountable because you say, “OK, this is my stopping spot. I know that I created it intentionally because they have to be able to understand this element before moving on to the next element.”

OK, I want you to take a minute and talk to your neighbors and pair-share. What are some things that you wrote down for each of them individually?

Meg Lee: This teacher has thought very deeply about what the to-be-remembered content of the lesson is and where she wants to direct student thinking very precisely. Those moments are embedded in the lesson at specific times to give students that space for their cognitive processing at pivotal moments in a learning experience.

Kalen Dillon: Thank you for your hard work and your thinking. Your thinking matters, and it is very important. Good job.

Delta Middle School

.css-1sk4066:hover{background:#d1ecfa;}Pausing to Process New Information With a Stop and Jot

Pausing to Process New Information With a Stop and Jot