SBLAC 6: Crawl, Walk, Run
“Crawl, walk, run” is a training philosophy which tells us that before we can achieve proficiency we must develop and move through the new skill slowly. We must practice the new skill on a regular basis while gradually picking up the pace. Eventually we will be able to trot off into the sunset with the new skill mastered and then we are able to join others who have also mastered the skill. When we join the others we can be competitive if appropriate or we can become a valuable member of a team carrying an appropriate share of the burden, whatever that may be. But before we run, we should crawl through the steps to ensure we have them down pat; and we should practice our new skills. We should periodically review the steps once we’ve been walking a while and acknowledge them every so often even once we’ve begun to run.
The concept of getting from A to E without going through B, C, and D every time takes into account the “crawl, walk, run” philosophy with A to B to C to D to E as the crawling phase. The walking phase is, perhaps, A to C to E. Getting from A to E without going through B, C, and D is definitely running. But while this explanation implies that B, C and D are unnecessary when running, this is not the case. When running, B, C, and D go by so fast that they are simply no longer conscious thoughts. Consider the Theory of Relativity.
We can look at A, B, C, D, and E as steps or tasks needed to solve a problem (problem-solving) or to make a decision (decision-making) or to answer a question on a high-stakes standardized assessment (question-answering). Regardless of the application, A is almost always the same, “What is being asked?” A is about identifying the task at hand. A is the first thing. As Dr. Stephen Covey told us, “Put first things first.” One should not start working on a problem and then after some familiarization period with the dilemma ask oneself, “What am I doing?” Well, no. One needs to know before one begins the work what he/she is doing. “What is the problem I’m trying to solve?” “What decision am I making?” In the case of grade school students, “What is the high-stakes standardized assessment question asking?” We call it step A because it is the first letter of the alphabet. Put first things first.
Of course many students have a hard time landing safely on A. This whole discussion about A, B, C and whatever is pointless if a student cannot lock up A. Of particular difficulty for 9th graders (and 10th graders and 11th graders, etc.) are story problems. When a math problem is disguised as a passage which requires reading about four or five sentences, figuring out the task at hand can be a truly daunting experience. A combination of simple addition and subtraction problems woven into a vignette about Jamal’s new checking account can send kids reeling into the ozone. I have seen students working in groups unable to solve Jamal’s addition and subtraction problem because they could not figure out what was being asked. Just getting to A is sometimes a triumph in and of itself.
B is next. But Dr. Covey never said anything about putting second things second. B is necessary for crawling. Depending on the challenge, it could be necessary for walking as well. But one thing is for certain: if a person’s journey goes through B, this person is definitely not running. B identifies the skill which must be brought to bear. Once I know what is being asked (i.e., A), I must determine the action to take on my part (specifically, B in this case). As mentioned, this is a pivotal phase of problem-solving, decision-making, and question-answering. If a person does not consciously know what he/she is doing once he/she has ascertained the question, that person needs to cease work. If this person has completed A but does not know what to do about it, now is the time to rummage through the ol’ tool kit for some skills. B is the key.
If I asked, “Solve for n; 2 + 2 = n,” most of us can go from A to E pretty quickly. We know the answer is n = 4 simply by looking at the equation. There is no need for us to stop at B to determine that we have to use the skill of adding integers or whole numbers. We just do it. We run through the simple addition of two integers. However, if asked, “Solve for y; 13 (√49 / y7) x 8(exponent-0) = 169 / (18 – x) when x = 5,” we might give pause. A math teacher will perhaps run through this equation like a world-class sprinter responding that y = 1 much quicker than he/she can explain the seven or eight (simple) steps required to solve the problem. Others may need to remember a few steps or a rule or two and consciously pull them out of cold storage. To solve this equation we must subtract, divide (a couple times), multiply (a couple times) and calculate a square root (fun with radicals and exponents). We also need to know some basic symbology but that’s about it.
This meaningless equation could show up on a test for no other purpose than to determine if a child can perform a series of menial tasks. This is mostly arithmetic but it demonstrates the need for students to understand the question and identify the skills(s) which must be brought to bear. Which tool(s) must he/she pull from the tool kit? This is the value of B and it applies to all disciplines.
B can also stand for Brick Wall. Often, because we are experts in the subjects we teach and B is so intuitive to us as we move through our benchmarks, we lose sight of the conscious challenge our students face attempting to assimilate new skills. We must try to avoid judging a student’s motivation when he/she is not “getting it.” Imagine the myriad new skills and knowledge floating around inside a high school student’s head when he/she has seven different classes every day each vying for priority. As we attempt to hand a child a 2500-piece Craftsman® multi-purpose set of tools, we have to be cognizant of what actually fits into each high school student’s tool kit. This is particularly important to keep in mind when we consider that most ninth graders don’t even know they have a tool kit (and this may explain why they’re always asking to borrow your tools). It is also why we must be consciously selective of the benchmarks we ask them to master. Asking too much will disappoint us and frustrate them. And while we must not ask too little of them, building intellectual capacity cannot occur simply by introducing a plethora of new skills.
The value of the metacognitive activity within the brain lies in the brain’s capacity to create shortcuts to decision-making via a metacognitive transition. I’ve been told that synaptic contact of neural dendrites with other neurons informs the soma of a mental event. Whether this event has any meaning to the student is entirely relative to the student consciously knowing that the event occurred and has meaning. Yes, metacognition requires thinking. But once it becomes a conscious thought, it means that potentially the student will no longer have to sort through myriad processes to arrive at a given solution. A student can set up his/her own mental road network. As disturbing as this is to traditional math teachers, once a student “gets it,” he shouldn’t be required to go through B just to prove he knows what he is doing. This would be disrespectful of the student’s intelligence and contrary to the cognitive process (see James P. Byrnes, 2008; Cognitive Development and Learning in Instructional Contexts, Allyn and Bacon; Chapter 10).
An example of metacognition in practice is similar to a chess player as he/she develops mastery. Suppose a chess player recognizes that his/her opponent has begun to implement a Sicilian defense. The chess player’s offensive strategy has immediately adapted to the ramifications once he/she acknowledges the opponent begin the setup. Adapting to the strategy and creating a shortcut to decision-making, the chess player has gone from A to E. He/she 1) knows and recognizes the opponent’s moves, 2) understands the connotations, and 3) responds in a premeditated manner. At once, the result is an automatic shift that is metacognitive in nature. Why can a chess master play 20 or more games simultaneously, winning every one without so much as a pregnant pause much less a comeback move? A chess master’s brain does not have to sort through all possible scenarios to determine a course of action. Decision-making is as efficient as a simple survey of the board. It is the same reason that an expert math teacher can breeze through a 75-minute, standards-based algebra assessment in little more than the time it takes to read the questions.
But the concrete operational Third Grade Brain is unable to circumvent the process. Incapable of moving directly from A to E, most of our students must necessarily go from A to B, from B to C, from C to D, and from D to E. We must teach them how to move more quickly. We must show them how to pick up the pace while at the same time acknowledging when they have mastered a step and no longer have to crawl through it every time. Crawling through life will not get them very far.
Unfortunately, the average high school teacher has even more to consider while contemplating the synaptic responses in a child’s brain. Students pick up interesting problem-solving processes throughout childhood which may not be readily explainable. While crawling through a newly introduced skill, teachers invariably discover that some of the students have internalized a completely different route from A to E. The initial reaction is to “correct” a student’s wrong-headed approach in favor of the “school solution.” Teachers want students to perform tasks just the way they’ve been taught to perform them (which is often how the teacher learned them). Whether through arrogance or a misplaced concern for proper procedure, some teachers may want to absolutely require students to get from A to E using B, C, and D. But if a student can get from A to E (with E being the skill mastery) by using G instead of B, C, and D, that should be acceptable. E is E. We have too many additional, more complex skills to work on without teachers demanding that students adhere to an individual teacher’s thought processes. If a child can solve problems using that skill, move on.