Bridget Casse

#aHR0cHM6Ly9zdWJzdGFjay5jb20vaG9tZS9wb3N0L3AtMTc3NTU2NjYwP3NvdXJjZT1xdWV1ZQ==" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">rynomad.github.io/stubsack/?utm_…

Responsive teaching: 7 guiding principles arc.educationapps.vic.gov.au/learning/sites…

If you're making silly mistakes, then you need more practice. Climbing a skill hierarchy is not just about conceptual understanding. It's also about reliable execution.

If you want to actually retain information you consume, you need to practice retrieving it from memory, not just re-consuming it. You have retained information if and only if you can regenerate it from memory. So naturally that is the exercise that must be practiced. Yes, it is also helpful to make connections between isolated pieces of information. Yes, those connections are themselves information. Yes, if you want to retain the connections, then you have to exercise their retrieval, not just re-consume them from an external source. Yes, this also applies to connections between connections. Yes, this also applies to skills, concepts, procedures, applications, etc. If you want to be able to generate it from your head, then you need to practice generating it from your head.

If you understand the interplay between working memory (WM) and long-term memory (LTM), then you can derive -- from first principles -- the methods of effective learning.

The science of learning isn't about prescriptions, it's about probabilities. And this is where knowing the boundary conditions of any principle matters so much. Knowing when not to use it can be as important as knowing when to. This is my problem with every lesson starting with retrieval practice "because science". A principle applied everywhere becomes dogma; a principle applied within its limits increases the probability of it being effective, because it honours the conditions that make it work in the first place. Retrieval practice is a key driver of learning but there are a lot of contexts where retrieval might be counterproductive: introducing new concepts or when prior knowledge is insufficient to make retrieval attempts meaningful rather than random guessing. The boundary conditions matter precisely because they reveal the mechanisms underlying the effect. Retrieval practice works through the effortful reconstruction of knowledge from memory, which strengthens retrieval pathways. But if there's nothing meaningful to retrieve, or if the retrieval demands exceed working memory capacity, the mechanism breaks down. The practice becomes ritual rather than science. Interleaving benefits discrimination between similar concepts, but becomes less valuable when categories are already easily distinguishable. Spacing enhances retention through forgetting and relearning, but may hinder initial acquisition when foundational knowledge is still forming. Senior leaders saying "use retrieval practice when learners have established some initial knowledge of the material, when the cognitive demand matches their capacity, and when errors can be corrected through feedback" is less compelling than "start every lesson with retrieval practice." The nuanced version requires professional judgment; the simplified version offers algorithmic certainty. This is where we need to move away from "what does the research say" but "under what conditions does this research apply/not apply to my context and how can I apply it?"

A generalisation from @aniobrien of course but there must be better ways. Offer it up to the next wave of festival attendees perhaps? 2025 school inquiry/problem-solving provocations? Young enterprise challenges taking on real one tent at a time? What do the organisers suggest?

A busy life is not a symbol of status. It's a symptom of trying to do too much for too many people. A full calendar brings a surplus of stress and a shortage of energy. Reflecting and relaxing should be top priorities. Unscheduled time isn't wasted. It's invested in well-being.

@stephen_PtC Anything is possible, could it be that the fact they responded indicates a willingness to learn? Maybe more 'obvious' connections required to relate with said mental models to start... There has to be the desire though of course.

@stephen_PtC Ruined...or, reinforced you're leading change with mana. Always a choice how to perceive feedback. They can always proudly ask their tamariki or kaiako to translate! Brilliant centenary celebrations 🙂

@Cherie59789095 Congratulations, you superwoman! 😊 Have a fabulous year.

And so the New Year begins,,, in Wellington. Excited to be starting the new job and so grateful for whanau support.

13 storey treehouse is the context here - just for clarification 🤗

The tried, robust, trusted works a treat for raising achievement… My explicit modeling may not look fancy, but our visible learning strategies help our learners know what to do next… isn’t that the best outcome? #solotaxonomy @arti_choke

@stephen_PtC I’m feeling that! 12 days in class; 6.5 weeks online with 4 & 5 year olds! The show must go on! 🤗

I’m looking a little (ok a lot) ‘Teacher tired’ but for our last Term 3 Friday Funday for my darling 4/5 y/o boys, I dressed as a flower for our Spring party. Happy holidays - so deserved parents, teachers and tamariki xx

The reaction when the courier turns up with two new ⁦⁦@MerrimanEileen⁩ books! Thank you for making reading so exciting and thoughtful for our kids. 😊

@byronStepho @PtChevSchool @Google @Petalcupcakes @PtChevSchool @stephen_PtC Most definitely appreciated from this teaching and learning fam! #edchatnz

@stephen_PtC @MissP_NZ @byronStepho Dance like no one is watching, then tweet it so everyone can appreciate it 😉 Sounds like you all made today really special for this darling learner.

They couldn’t take Yr5/6 kids to camp for the quiz they planned,so they brought the camp quiz to the Yr5/6 kids & whanau at home! Aww! Nice work @PtChevSchool Totara Team!