"Thinking about your own thinking"
I don't know about anyone else, but this statement is a bit paradoxical to me. As soon as I heard this definition for metacognition, the first picture that popped into my head was me in a dressing room. Have you ever gone into a fitting room with two mirrors, one in front of you and one behind, and the mirrors keep reflecting each other over and over again? Two words: Dizzying and Baffling.
However, after reading Schraw and Moshman's article from this week, I think that I finally understand its concept. I also think metacognition needs a more descriptive, yet simplified definition (at least for me). Therefore, I choose to redefine metacognition as "the concrete visualization of our thought process." I think this may make a bit more sense. In metacognition, it is important to visualize our thought process, and to understand how we synthesize information and solve problems. Schraw and Moshman also believe that the idea of metacognition should be introduced to students as early as possible, and should taught in conjunction with their regular curriculum. Thus, their overall performance would increase.
I agree with this idea, and now that I have redefined metacognition, I am still working on applying this to metaliteracy. What is the connection? Are we supposed to be reflecting on how we retrieve and utilize information? And if so, what theories could we use to engage in this process?
I am happy that you were able to find away for you to understand the metacognition theory. Your analogy to the mirrors facing each other is a little off. Instead of think of it like that think of metacognition, as putting yourself as an omni-presence looking at your thought process. Its you analyzing yourself. Or think of a time when you thought about the way you reacted in a situation and wondered why you did it that way, and other ways it could have happened and the result of alternatives.
ReplyDeleteI too was confused about the mirror analogy however I do agree with you that I think metacognition needs to be redefined. for me metacognition is simply taking the third person view of your thoughts too look at what influences how you think. the ability too take this third person view would greatly increase a persons ability too identify any mistakes in their thoughts about certain situations
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