Learning about learning

It's easy for me to reflect on this class because I link the visuals, the black box, rat, bell, eggs, etc., to the concepts. I liked knowing what we were going to learn about and the order in which we were going to do them (helps me keep organized in my thinking). Our lesson plan was exceptionally helpful. It helped me make sense of what the text was about by putting into practice what the words were conveying. When a student comes to me, I make certain assumptions about what their existing knowledge base consists of because they have passed a certain level in the math curriculum, language curriculum, etc. But what about the student that isn't grasping the material? Does she have any existing knowledge base for me to build upon? How can I help her organize the information so she can retrieve it and use it later? Can she inculcate the information or does she need to rely on external organizers? How is she thinking? Gagne and Briggs model keeps me thinking about the learner and where to begin to look if one of my students isn't quite grasping our subject.