Before you turn away in disgust at another use of a fancy word, consider that “metacognition” is a big word today in our schools. This means that our kids are being taught everyday about it and how it will help them succeed in life. So shouldn’t you and I also take a few minutes to find out what it’s all about and why it’s so important?
Metacognition is defined many ways, but the one terminology we are interested in is this one: “thinking about thinking.” We might also say, “learning about learning,” “knowing about knowing” or simply “being aware of my thinking and learning process.” Compare this to “metadata,” defined as “data about data”: in our camera, metadata is the data [EXIF info: aperture, shutter speed, etc.] about the data [the light intensities recorded] in our pictures.
You use metacognition all the time. When you are aware that you do not know something, you are using metacognition. When you tell yourself you need to get help with a project, you are using metacognition. When you realize you’re not as good with portraits as you are with landscapes, you are using metacognition. When you finally, grudgingly admit that “ït’s not the camera, but the shmuck behind it that makes the photograph,” you are using metacognition.
It’s being intimately aware of what you are really good at — and what you suck in, and being fine with it because you are going to concentrate on your strengths. It’s being able to hear someone denigrate your pitiful efforts at flash photography — and being unfazed about it because you know that is so true. It’s not getting all riled up when someone post something negative about your favorite camera because you were fully aware of these weaknesses before finally making an informed choice that it nevertheless was the right camera for your needs.
In schools, our kids are learning those skills: knowing what they know and what they don’t — and so knowing when to ask for help. Concentrating on their stremgths, without neglecting to work and overcome their weaknesses. Knowing their preferred style of learning — and asking the teacher to include it in his or her teaching, activities and evaluations. Becoming at ease with who they are, what they know, what they are able to do, and how/when/to whom to go for help with the other stuff.
But how about us? If we are not improving in our photography, perhaps it’s about time we “take two,” and take stock of where we are, what we know and don’t, what we like and make a plan to better ourselves as a photographer. You might find that you become a better person to live and work with in the process. Metacognition. Know thyself.
Read Mike Johnston‘s article about Winter Photography for a perfect example of metacognition at work.