Embedded Files
“Conscious control is the first step toward engaging with others and the outside world. . . .”
— Dr. Nancy Sulla, 2018
Conscious control consists of
Storing and manipulating visual and verbal information
Remembering details
Holding on to information while considering other information
Shifting focus from one event to another
Attending to a person or activity
Focusing
Concentrating
Thinking before acting
Managing conflicting thoughts
Birdwalk Challenge – Read a description of how you can have primary and elementary students or secondary students engage in this challenge to help them focus, concentrate, and manage conflicting thoughts.
Talk Stick – Use this structure to help students attend to a person or activity, focus, and shift focus from one event to another in a discussion.
Check this page from the EF PLE
Affinity Mapping- This protocol works best when begun with an open-ended analytic question that asks for defining elements of something, or that has many answers and thereby provides many points of entry for deepening a conversation.
Consider using Affinity Mapping for test prepping. How can students also use an affinity map or even a mind map to show all of the things they know about a topic prior to the test?
Elementary: Help students categorize ideas using visuals.
Sci Ex: Using picture cards of planting tress, turning off the faucet or lights, tossing items into a recycling bin, etc.), have them group images that are similar. They can label how the groups fit together.
Literacy: Students could address the question of what is noticed in the story. Again providing picture cards they could sort based on characters, events, setting, etc. Students could also sort pictures or word cards, identifying vocabulary for a specific unit or pattern recognition (phonemic awareness).
Now You See It; Now You Don’t - Read a description of this activity that helps students to build their skills of focusing, concentrating, and remembering details.
Power Tool: Now You See It; Now You Don't - Supports SDI (Specially Designed Instruction for Special education classrooms)
Keep in mind some of the Executive Function skills students need during test prep:
Focusing
Concentrating
Shifting focus from one event to another
Holding on to information while considering other information
There are many more! These are just from conscious control!
Focus Cards-Use these cards to help students attend to a person or activity, focus, and concentrate. Think back to students you have taught or worked with in the past. Who might have benefitted from this structure?
🆕 Check out the new update to the EF PLE entitled, Focus Cards in Action.
If … Then Implementation Plans - Have students use this tool to create "If, Then" plans to stay on track for achieving short-term behavior goals.
Consider an "If, Then" for test prepping
Example: If I get distracted, then I will set a 5-minute focus goal.
Impulse Reflection Graphic Organizer - Impulse control is all about thinking before acting. This graphic organizer will help you think through what you did, how it affected you, how it affected others, and what you can try next time to better manage your impulses. *Which supports EF: Collaboration.
Great Student Rubric - can support the executive function skills of conscious control AND the SEL competency of self-awareness by setting clear expectations. Consider using rubrics to outline what a “great student” looks like and have students self-assess on it periodically.
Consider what a Great Student, Great Athlete, Great Musician, Great Artist, etc. would look like.
How to Set Goals and Create an Action Plan with Your Analytic Rubric - This how-to sheet can be used by students to self-assess using their PBL Analytic Rubric. Students can set goals, create an action plan, and reflect on the progress.
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