Classroom Surveying Learning Principle # 1: Prior knowledge crucially influences new learning

1. “The most important single factor influencing learning is what the learner already knows -- ascertain this and teach accordingly.” - David Ausubel (cognitive scientist)

2. Section 1: Tell me about your learning preferences (how can Mr. Young improve his lessons for you):

2.1. Do you appreciate that your teacher is surveying you in order to better understand you? (are classroom surveys valuable to you?)

2.2. I feel well rested when I’m in class. (I believe I get enough sleep at night in order to focus well in class.)

2.3. I feel hungry when I’m in class. (I do not get enough to eat in the morning, and/or during lunch, and it affects my ability to focus)

2.4. Is it helpful for you, when your teacher provides a demonstration or example in front of the class, on how to approach and solve a problem? (is “chalk and talk” valuable to you?)

2.5. Are you comfortable to work in groups with your classmates, to share questions, answers and knowledge?

3. Section 2: Truthful and specific constructive criticism for Mr. Young? (how can he improve his teaching for you):

3.1. Do you enjoy Mr. Young’s lessons?

3.2. Do you believe that you are learning during Mr. Young’s lessons?

3.3. What specific comments and/or suggestions do you have to help Mr. Young improve his teaching for you?

3.3.1. Student comment:

3.3.2. Student comment:

3.3.3. Student comment:

3.3.4. Student comment:

4. “To prompt learning, you’ve got to begin with the process of going from inside out. The first influence on new learning is not what teachers do pedagogically but the learning that’s already inside the learner. Any new learning must, in some fashion, connect with what learners already know. Learners construct their sense of the world by applying their old understanding to new experiences and ideas.” - Learning Principles Distilled from the Research Literature