Retrieval

"Every time you retrieve a memory it becomes deeper, stronger and easier to access in the future." (Horvath, 2019)

Concrete Strategies

Additional Links

Why?

What is Retrieval?

Retrieval Practice is the art of pulling information "out" of the brain. Outformation rather than information. Retrieval Practice facilitates deep, lasting, and useable memories that are easier for students to access. We are asking students to retrieve information out of their brains during a test. Students need to practice retrieval ahead of the test so their brains can establish an efficient path for the information.

"Conductor Analogy": Students have the equivalent of a "conductor" (executive function) in their brain. In order for memory to work fully, the student must engage their "conductor" to tell multiple parts of the brain to fire simultaneously (like multiple instruments in the symphony). Retrieval practice is the best way to engage the students' conductors and have the entire symphony play. Simply re-reading notes or highlighting notes only activates one part of the brain. This is the equivalent to only a violin playing one line of music. Retrieval practice is a simple and efficient way to encourage a student's "conductor" to engage the entire brain in recalling a memory. (Hovarth, 2019)

For more information click "Review, Recognition, Recall" link below.

Concrete Strategies

Getting Started....

Brain Dumps (Agarwal and Bain, 2019)

Summary: 1) Pause your lesson, lecture, or activity. 2) Ask your students to write down everything they can remember. 3) Continue your lesson, lecture, or activity.

Blank Recall (These methods can be used for retrieval of current topics or for spacing and interleaving of previously taught topics.)

( Do Nows, Warmup Worksheets, or Bell Work, Exit Tickets -Online or with post its, white board formative quizzes, Kahoot It!, Google Forms, Go Math Share and Show in workbooks and online, Socrative, Quizizz, paper and pencil quizzes)

Think-Pair-Share (at the beginning, middle, and or end of lesson)

Summary: 1) Students think about a topic in response to a question or prompt. 2) Students pair up with another student and talk about their reflection. 3) Students share their thoughts in a larger class discussion.

Adding to Your Toolbox...

Power Ticket (Agarwal and Bain, 2019)

Summary: Ask students to recall what they know about current and past topics. Students fill out a grid as a graphic organizer for their thoughts.

Power Ticket Template with space for examples

Power Ticket Template without space for examples

Two Things (Agarwal and Bain, 2019)

Summary: At any point during a lesson, beginning, middle, or end stop and have students write down Two Things about a specific prompt. For example: What are two things you learned so far today? What are two things you learned yesterday? last week? What are your two takeaways from this unit? etc

Retrieve-Taking ( a powerful spin on traditional note-taking) (Agarwal and Bain, 2019)

Summary: 1) Teach your lesson as usual. Students listen and participate, but they can't take notes (yet!). 2) Pause your lesson. Students write down important topics they want to study. 3) Give students quick feedback about important topics or facilitate a discussion where students share what they wrote down. 4) Continue your lesson.

Retrieval Guide to replace Study Guides (Agarwal and Bain, 2019)

Summary: Students review at the end of a chapter or section to prepare for a quiz or test. Create fill in the blank guides where students can pause during reading, lectures, or videos to retrieve key information pertinent to essential learning.

Retrieval Guide Template & Example

Students Create Questions then Ask Each Other

Summary: Students create their own questions then give other students a chance to recall by asking their question. Questions can be improved by using QRR.

QRR Template