"Tasks that ask students to perform a memorized procedure in a routine manner lead to one type of opportunity for student thinking; tasks that require students to think conceptually and that stimulate students to make connections lead to different set of opportunities for student thinking."
(Stein & Smith, 1998, p.269)
(Stein & Smith, 1998, p.269)
Teaching with High Cognitive Demand in YOUR Classroom
If one teaches while using high level cognitive demand tasks enables students to be challenged to think deeper mathematically. When teaching with low cognitive demand tasks the students are no longer challenged and are simply going through the motions. A simple set of procedures trap students thinking and limit their creativity as well as thinking about mathematics. Many students do not enjoy mathematics because they are not challenged and because it is simply repetitive and ultimately boring. As teachers, we should be the agent of change. This change starts first by challenging students to complete tasks that require high cognitive demand. To complete this change within a classroom, first you must start by assessing current tasks, then modifying them to maintain a high level of cognitive demand. Second, is the carrying out of the modified tasks within the classroom setting. Third, is reflection as to how this task went over. Reflection should cover both teacher instruction and student understanding. Most likely, this process will need to be repeated multiple times until the task is truly a high cognitive demand task. The high level tasks truly do show students what mathematics is about: problem solving. In addition to mathematics, problem solving is a valuable skill to have throughout life. Challenging students within the classroom will also prepare them from challenges to come. When students are able to conduct their own thinking as well as come to their own answer they are more likely to be successful at harder problems in the future. As teachers, we want to be training students to be successful in the 21st century. Skills such as creativity, problem solving, critical thinking and communication of thoughts are all skills needed in order to be successful. Changing these aspects of a classroom may be difficult and time consuming but are essential to student learning. As a teacher are you ready to be this change to your school and your students?