Using Brain Dumps
Brain Dump Strategy I’ve seen several teachers use brain dumps and they’ve been used for a variety of purposes from an activation strategy to a pre-assessment to a mid-lesson retrieval to a wrap up activity. Also called “free recall” it is backed by cognitive research. How’s it work: Students are given a topic and are given several minutes to write down all they know about the topic without using any resources. As a second optional step: students can then work with a partner to share or add to their lists or they can be allowed to reference their notes or other resources. Be specific with your prompt. Set a time limit. Why it works: All students are actively engaged. It’s a low stakes learning strategy that enables students to see where they are in relation to the learning target and criteria. Retrieval practice activities such as brain dumps helps students cognitively organize their learning. A...