Identifying+Similiarities+and+Differences

= = by: Regina Hicks

//"The world is full of hopeful analogies and handsome, dubious eggs, called possibilities."---George Eliot// ====Grasping the understanding of recognizing analogies and metaphors in academics will provide students with creative learning possibilities. According to Marzano and researchers, students benefit by understanding the concept of identifying similiarites and differences because it allows the students the opportunity to participate in activities that will help them identify patterns and make connections. Understanding similiarities, students are able to compare things as well as being able to contrast things they find that have differences. They classify when they identify characteristics of a group of objects or ideas, and then develop a scheme to organize those objects. Metaphors are created when two ideas or experiences are compared based on a common underlying structure and analogies provide another way to identify similarities and make comparisons. Each of these teaching concepts allows the brain to process new information and student leanrs by "overlaying a known pattern onto an unknown one to find similarities and differences." As students understand the importance of looking for similarities and differences, it prompts them to consider information they already know in order to learn more.====

====**Marzano's research on the importance of teaching students how to identify similiarities and differences provided thorough detail for additional educator research. The summation of his research on the topic includes**:====
 * Educational programs should challenge students to link, connect, and integrate ideas
 * Student achievement will be improved from 31 to 46 percentile points when such strategies are included in instruction

[|Venn Diagrams to Compare]


 * **Students develop new ideas when educators point out similarities and differences to them via discussion and inquiry**
 * **Students benefit from construction their own strategies for comparing siliarities and difference**

[|Four Box Synetics for Metaphors]: Students can view how metaphors can be used to substitute one idea with another idea by using comparison.


 * **Students benefit from construction their own strategies for comparing siliarities and differences**
 * **Student achievement is enhanced with use of this type of teaching using nonlinguistic representation**

[|Comparison and Contrast Guides]: Students can view how comparing and contrasting is beneficial and ways to implement both concepts.

Educators can implement the concept by:

 * ====Pointing out similarities and differences. Present students with similarities and differences explicitly when this helps them reach a learning goal.====
 * ====Allow students to explore similarities and differences on their own. When the learning goal is to engage students in divergent thinking, ask them to identify similarities and differences on their own.====
 * ====Have students create graphic organizers. Help students to create or use graphic or symbolic representations of similarities and differences, classification systems, comparisons, and analogies. Suggestions include Venn diagrams, comparison tables or charts, hierarchical taxonomies, and linked maps.====
 * ====Teach students to recognize the different forms. Help students recognize when they are classifying, comparing, or creating analogies or metaphors.====
 * ====Recognize that All the World's a Stage. Language is rich with metaphor. As students encounter metaphors in reading or speaking, generate a class list. Metaphors provide a source of history, generate literary references, and suggest new ways for students to express ideas.====