Natalie Wexler

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4 October

Natalie WexlerKorrents 4 Oct

From one piece Minding the Gap 3 beliefs, in the piece's order there

korrents.com
Teaching students to write more clearly can enable them to think more clearly.

Their words

We realized that when we taught our students to write more clearly, they became able to think more clearly.

Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com
korrents.com
Learning and thinking are inextricably linked.

Their words

In fact, evidence from cognitive science establishes that learning and thinking are inextricably linked: the more we learn about a topic, the better able we are to think critically about it.

Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com
korrents.com
Writing is a powerful tool for enhancing thinking.

Their words

I initially wondered if I had been mistaken in arguing-not just in the book but in numerous articles and presentations-that writing was potentially our most powerful lever for enhancing thinking.

Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com

27 September

Natalie WexlerKorrents 27 Sept

From one piece Minding the Gap 3 beliefs, in the piece's order there

korrents.com
To enable all students to become truly literate, schools need to adopt an all-hands-on-deck approach rather than leaving literacy instruction exclusively to ELA teachers.

education

Their words

ELA teachers will probably always take the lead on literacy instruction, but it's far too complex-and too important-an area to be considered their exclusive province. If schools want to enable all students to become truly literate, they need to take an all-hands-on-deck approach.

Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com
korrents.com
Lack of familiarity with complex syntax is a significantly greater barrier to reading comprehension than lack of vocabulary, especially in higher grade levels.

Their words

As I discussed in a previous post, researchers have found that lack of familiarity with complex syntax is a significantly greater barrier to reading comprehension than lack of vocabulary, especially as the grade levels go up.

Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com
korrents.com
Combining science and social studies with literacy instruction can enhance students' reading comprehension and content knowledge.

Their words

We now have a substantial amount of evidence that combining science and social studies with literacy instruction can enhance students' reading comprehension, along with their content knowledge.

Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com

22 September

Natalie WexlerKorrents 22 Sept

From one piece Minding the Gap 3 beliefs, in the piece's order there

korrents.com
Lowering academic standards for disadvantaged students may deprive them of the opportunity to reach their full potential.

education

Their words

If we lower standards on the assumption that those kids will never be able to meet them, overlooking the evidence that-given science-informed curriculum and instruction-many of them can, we'll deprive them of the opportunity to reach their full potential, as we've done to so many in the past.

Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com
korrents.com
The decline in student achievement is not solely attributable to the Covid pandemic.

Their words

Covid is only one explanation offered for declines in student achievement-and one that overlooks the fact that scores were declining, and gaps widening, before the pandemic hit.

Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com
korrents.com
If a college degree does not certify actual knowledge, it may lead to failure in the workplace and affect society.

Their words

But if that degree doesn't certify what people think it does, at some point that lack of knowledge is likely to catch up with the degree holder, leading to failure in the workplace-and possibly affecting society as a whole.

Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com

13 September

Natalie WexlerKorrents 13 Sept

From one piece Minding the Gap 3 beliefs, in the piece's order there

korrents.com
Bans on technology or AI that fail to distinguish between helpful and harmful uses can hold students back.

Their words

But bans of tech or AI that fail to distinguish between helpful and harmful uses can end up holding students back.

Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com
korrents.com
Some cognitive effort is essential to learning, and subcontracting that effort to a device will also subcontract out the learning.

Their words

It helps to understand, as I've argued before, that some cognitive effort is essential to learning-and that subcontracting out that effort to a device will also subcontract out the learning.

Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com
korrents.com
Technology and AI can be helpful in the classroom when used wisely.

education

Their words

When used wisely, technology, including AI, can be helpful in the classroom.

Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com

2 September

Natalie WexlerKorrents 2 Sept

From one piece Minding the Gap 3 beliefs, in the piece's order there

korrents.com
Teacher training programs rarely equip educators with the understanding of cognitive science needed to manage AI use.

education

Their words

So it's crucial that teachers acquire the understanding of cognitive science that will enable them to determine when AI is likely to interfere with learning. Unfortunately, teacher training programs rarely equip them with that understanding.

Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com
korrents.com
Teachers and students are not receiving adequate guidance on when AI is helpful versus when it interferes with learning.

education

Their words

But neither they nor their students are getting adequate guidance on when AI is helpful and when it actually interferes with teaching and learning.

Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com
korrents.com
The long-term effects of students using AI to provide answers for homework assignments may be devastating.

education

Their words

That may lead to higher grades in the short term, but the evidence is mounting that the long-term effects are devastating.

Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com

23 August

Natalie WexlerKorrents 23 Aug

From one piece Minding the Gap 3 beliefs, in the piece's order there

korrents.com
Improving education outcomes requires connecting reading and writing instruction to content areas like history and science.

education

Their words

If we want to improve education outcomes, we need to connect reading and writing instruction to the "content areas" like history and science-and bring instruction in all those areas in line with evidence from cognitive science.

Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com
korrents.com
Without a minimum level of relevant background knowledge, no comprehension skill or strategy is likely to work.

Their words

In fact, without a minimum level of relevant background knowledge, no comprehension skill or strategy is likely to work.

Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com
korrents.com
Background knowledge and vocabulary inevitably affect reading comprehension, especially as grade levels increase and passages become more complex.

Their words

Background knowledge and vocabulary almost inevitably affect comprehension, especially as grade levels go up and reading passages become more complex.

Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com

16 July

Natalie WexlerKorrents 16 Jul

From one piece Minding the Gap 2 beliefs, in the piece's order there

korrents.com
A decline in the cognitive abilities of the American electorate could threaten democracy.

Americademocracy

Their words

If the cognitive abilities of the American electorate decline on a large scale, we all suffer, and it's not an exaggeration to say that the "end of reading" could mean the end of democracy as we know it.

Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com
korrents.com
The shift away from reading started decades ago, with the advent of TV, but the internet, digital devices, and generative AI have accelerated it.

Their words

The shift away from reading started decades ago, with the advent of TV, but the internet, digital devices, and generative AI have put it on steroids.

Minding the Gapnataliewexler.substack.com

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