Transfer Navigator

What it looks like

People who use this approach look for links between topics. When a problem is new, they ask if they have seen something like it before. They might use a math idea in science, or a lesson from one book to read another. They also watch for the place where the old idea stops working. Knowing that limit is part of knowing the idea.

One habit to try

When you start a new unit, write down one idea from an earlier unit or another class that might help. As you learn, note one place it helps and one place it does not fit. Mixing old and new problems in the same practice session helps too, because you have to choose which method fits. That choice is what a test asks of you.

Where it can trip you up

A familiar method can feel safe, so you reach for it even when the problem is different. That can lead to a confident wrong answer. Before you use an old method, ask what is new about this problem. If something important changed, the method may need to change too.

If this is not your top approach

Next time a problem looks new, pause and ask what it reminds you of. Even a loose link is a good start. Then ask one more question: where does that link stop working? Over time you build a set of ideas you can carry from class to class.

How it works with others

• Transfer Navigator and Pattern Scout: Find a rule here, then see if it holds in another subject.
• Transfer Navigator and Explanation Builder: Explain why an old method works, then where it stops working.
• Transfer Navigator and Route Planner: Plan with what worked last unit, then adjust for what is new.

Also pairs with Model Maker, Evidence Tracker, Experiment Pilot, Team Synthesizer.