Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #17- June 27, 2009
Want to get the most “bang for your buck?” As you plan for the next school year, please consider these findings.
Upon researching numerous studies on student engagement, the following elements were mentioned most frequently. There is no doubt these eleven factors can and will spark a tremendous increase in positive student engagement in your classroom.
1- Provide a safe, nurturing environment.
2- Share the expected outcome with students.
3.- Get students excited about the goal(s) they plan to achieve, individually and
as a group.
4- Make the content relevant and useful.
5- Encourage and reward student achievement and learning efforts continuously.
6- Use many and varied activities including groups and pairs where students are required to manipulate information physically and mentally.
7- Give students plenty of opportunities to practice and share what they know.
8- Frequently monitor progress, providing positive help, guidance and feedback.
9- Always have high expectations and students will meet the demand.
10- Be enthusiastic. Make the learning interesting and joyful.
11- Most important of all, show the students every single day, just how much you care about them.
In the coming weeks, I will discuss many of these elements in greater detail.
Looking forward to delivering another posting next weekend.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Creatively "Tweaking" Your Teaching to Engage Students
Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #16 – June 20, 2009
Students are naturally engaged when they participate in learning which requires them to manipulate information physically and mentally. Think of creating “active” rather than “passive” learning activities. Reading along, taking notes, listening to a lecture, or copying vocabulary words are all passive learning activities. To the contrary, you want to get your students actively thinking and moving. How can you accomplish this? You just need to start thinking “out of the box.”
Here are a few simple techniques to attain your goal, involving some minor adjustments to typical classroom activities:
1.-Do you tend to use a lot of worksheets? How could they best be used to gain student engagement? Break students into groups and give each group different questions from the worksheet. Each group must answer their questions, create a half-poster that illustrates the answers, and then present the information to the class. Other options include: students using graphic organizers such as a web, Venn Diagram, or T-chart to present the information. Your students can even create a rhyme, poem, or song to help other students remember the information.
2.-Are students expected to remember chronological information? Produce the information and cut it up into strips. Give each group an envelope with the strips. Have them work as a team to put the events in order. This can also be applied to steps of a math problem or science experiment or story plot. Let students paste the strips onto bright construction paper.
3.-Do you want your students to learn concepts or main events? After students have read a novel or a section in the textbook, have them draw pictures to illustrate the concept or events and hang it on a mobile. Another activity is to have each student write one fact on a strip of construction paper. Each student reads their strip, and then folds it in a circle, which you staple. Together, you have created a class paper chain of information.
These are just a few ideas to get you going. These kinds of activities get students moving mentally and physically. It isn’t always easy to create these activities and plan out the details. You will have to provide the structure and constantly monitor and guide students as they work. Your hard work will pay off. Soon you will be hearing “complaints” like, “Is it time to go already?” and “Can we do this again?”
More to come next weekend.
Students are naturally engaged when they participate in learning which requires them to manipulate information physically and mentally. Think of creating “active” rather than “passive” learning activities. Reading along, taking notes, listening to a lecture, or copying vocabulary words are all passive learning activities. To the contrary, you want to get your students actively thinking and moving. How can you accomplish this? You just need to start thinking “out of the box.”
Here are a few simple techniques to attain your goal, involving some minor adjustments to typical classroom activities:
1.-Do you tend to use a lot of worksheets? How could they best be used to gain student engagement? Break students into groups and give each group different questions from the worksheet. Each group must answer their questions, create a half-poster that illustrates the answers, and then present the information to the class. Other options include: students using graphic organizers such as a web, Venn Diagram, or T-chart to present the information. Your students can even create a rhyme, poem, or song to help other students remember the information.
2.-Are students expected to remember chronological information? Produce the information and cut it up into strips. Give each group an envelope with the strips. Have them work as a team to put the events in order. This can also be applied to steps of a math problem or science experiment or story plot. Let students paste the strips onto bright construction paper.
3.-Do you want your students to learn concepts or main events? After students have read a novel or a section in the textbook, have them draw pictures to illustrate the concept or events and hang it on a mobile. Another activity is to have each student write one fact on a strip of construction paper. Each student reads their strip, and then folds it in a circle, which you staple. Together, you have created a class paper chain of information.
These are just a few ideas to get you going. These kinds of activities get students moving mentally and physically. It isn’t always easy to create these activities and plan out the details. You will have to provide the structure and constantly monitor and guide students as they work. Your hard work will pay off. Soon you will be hearing “complaints” like, “Is it time to go already?” and “Can we do this again?”
More to come next weekend.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
End of Year Reflections on Teaching
Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #15 – June 13, 2009
It’s the end of the year. Do you want next year to be better? Reflection is your best ally. This the perfect time to reflect on what you've done if you want to improve. For any teacher (and probably many other professions), reflection is the most important part of one’s growth. I have divided this into two areas: First, I listed questions to reflect upon. Then, I listed resolutions made as a result of reflections throughout the school year.
Questions
1.Were the instructional objectives met?
A. Which ones were not met and why?
B. Did students learn what was intended? How do I know?
2. Were the students productively engaged? How do I know?
3. Did I alter my instructional plan as I taught the lesson? Why?
4. What specific things do I need to change to get better results next year?
5. What accomplishments can I be proud of this year? Celebrate and strengthen these!
Resolutions
1. Jettison anyone or anything that does not promote a good, safe and nurturing classroom environment.
2. Hold yourself and your students accountable for what they say and what they do. Implement rewards and consequences fairly and consistently.
3. Make spending time with your kids individually in the classroom a priority. They grow and flourish from the interactions, support, encouragement and caring you give them.
4. Be a superb role model. Due to the widespread growth of dysfunctional families, as far as role models for the kids go, you may be the only one. Keep this in mind in every aspect of your behavior, your words and your being. It’s okay to be a surrogate parent to some of these kids. In many instances, the pulling at your heartstrings won’t give you a choice.
5. Light the way for your shining stars. As a teacher, realize you are in the spotlight much of the time. Find the balance between being yourself and being the teacher. The more authentic enthusiasm you display, the more your star power will reel in the kids to join in the fun of discovery and creativity.
I hope you will use these suggestions as a springboard for your personal reflections as you end off the school year. Next week, my posting will include more ideas on enriching your magic teaching toolbox.
It’s the end of the year. Do you want next year to be better? Reflection is your best ally. This the perfect time to reflect on what you've done if you want to improve. For any teacher (and probably many other professions), reflection is the most important part of one’s growth. I have divided this into two areas: First, I listed questions to reflect upon. Then, I listed resolutions made as a result of reflections throughout the school year.
Questions
1.Were the instructional objectives met?
A. Which ones were not met and why?
B. Did students learn what was intended? How do I know?
2. Were the students productively engaged? How do I know?
3. Did I alter my instructional plan as I taught the lesson? Why?
4. What specific things do I need to change to get better results next year?
5. What accomplishments can I be proud of this year? Celebrate and strengthen these!
Resolutions
1. Jettison anyone or anything that does not promote a good, safe and nurturing classroom environment.
2. Hold yourself and your students accountable for what they say and what they do. Implement rewards and consequences fairly and consistently.
3. Make spending time with your kids individually in the classroom a priority. They grow and flourish from the interactions, support, encouragement and caring you give them.
4. Be a superb role model. Due to the widespread growth of dysfunctional families, as far as role models for the kids go, you may be the only one. Keep this in mind in every aspect of your behavior, your words and your being. It’s okay to be a surrogate parent to some of these kids. In many instances, the pulling at your heartstrings won’t give you a choice.
5. Light the way for your shining stars. As a teacher, realize you are in the spotlight much of the time. Find the balance between being yourself and being the teacher. The more authentic enthusiasm you display, the more your star power will reel in the kids to join in the fun of discovery and creativity.
I hope you will use these suggestions as a springboard for your personal reflections as you end off the school year. Next week, my posting will include more ideas on enriching your magic teaching toolbox.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Student Engagement Arsenal
Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #14 June 6, 2009
I am excited to share the following description of student engagement I recently found:
“Engagement happens when a lesson captures students’ imaginations, snares their curiosity, ignites their opinions, or taps into their souls. Engagement is the magnet that attracts learners’ meandering attention and holds it so that enduring learning can occur.” (Tomlinson)
The preceding is precisely the type of learning we all strive for. It can and should be the reality in our classrooms. Try adding the following proven ammunition to your teaching arsenal and be prepared for some dynamite results.
1.-Students need to know we really do care. Students of all ages work harder if they know their learning progress matters to us. When students are given the value and respect they deserve, they become willing to invest their interest and energy in the learning process. We perform each day as “experts” in the topics we teach. But why not present ourselves as learners? How would that affect engagement? What if we described a difficult learning challenge we had to face, how we conquered that challenge, and more importantly, how we can help them accomplish the same? Show students you care and that you will help them achieve their goals. Teachers who can identify themselves as learners, before their students, have the greatest success because of it.
2.- Be willing to try something new. Think outside the box. The old saying:
“Variety is the spice of life,” is true in teaching as well. We must endeavor to use a variety of teaching methods. Even the most gifted, experienced teachers know that using the same teaching method every day can become monotonous drudgery, for teacher and students alike.
3.-Lest we not forget the all important “joy of learning.” Little children learn all the time as they experience hours of play, joy and bliss. This goes on until they are “educated” to do otherwise. If we want to produce innovative thinkers, people with curiosity and creativity, we must bring “fun” back into the classroom. Create situations where discovery and creativity are the rule, not the exception to it. We need laughter, enthusiasm and excitement. Learning can feel joyous!
You can create a classroom filled with highly engaged and motivated students. You can empower your students to experience the joy of discovery and the pride of a job well done. The first time a student sees the silk spun by a silkworm, or measures the plant that grew from seeds he planted, or hears the first musical note he plays on a violin; all are examples of unparalleled joy that can be experienced in your classroom each and every day. These children have been placed in your capable hands for that very reason. Great teachers help create great students. In fact, research shows that an inspiring and informed teacher is the most important school-related factor influencing student achievement. Try implementing these ideas. You have nothing to lose, and think of all your students can gain.
“A teacher is a compass that activates the magnets of curiosity, knowledge, and wisdom in the pupils.” ~Ever Garrison
I am excited to share the following description of student engagement I recently found:
“Engagement happens when a lesson captures students’ imaginations, snares their curiosity, ignites their opinions, or taps into their souls. Engagement is the magnet that attracts learners’ meandering attention and holds it so that enduring learning can occur.” (Tomlinson)
The preceding is precisely the type of learning we all strive for. It can and should be the reality in our classrooms. Try adding the following proven ammunition to your teaching arsenal and be prepared for some dynamite results.
1.-Students need to know we really do care. Students of all ages work harder if they know their learning progress matters to us. When students are given the value and respect they deserve, they become willing to invest their interest and energy in the learning process. We perform each day as “experts” in the topics we teach. But why not present ourselves as learners? How would that affect engagement? What if we described a difficult learning challenge we had to face, how we conquered that challenge, and more importantly, how we can help them accomplish the same? Show students you care and that you will help them achieve their goals. Teachers who can identify themselves as learners, before their students, have the greatest success because of it.
2.- Be willing to try something new. Think outside the box. The old saying:
“Variety is the spice of life,” is true in teaching as well. We must endeavor to use a variety of teaching methods. Even the most gifted, experienced teachers know that using the same teaching method every day can become monotonous drudgery, for teacher and students alike.
3.-Lest we not forget the all important “joy of learning.” Little children learn all the time as they experience hours of play, joy and bliss. This goes on until they are “educated” to do otherwise. If we want to produce innovative thinkers, people with curiosity and creativity, we must bring “fun” back into the classroom. Create situations where discovery and creativity are the rule, not the exception to it. We need laughter, enthusiasm and excitement. Learning can feel joyous!
You can create a classroom filled with highly engaged and motivated students. You can empower your students to experience the joy of discovery and the pride of a job well done. The first time a student sees the silk spun by a silkworm, or measures the plant that grew from seeds he planted, or hears the first musical note he plays on a violin; all are examples of unparalleled joy that can be experienced in your classroom each and every day. These children have been placed in your capable hands for that very reason. Great teachers help create great students. In fact, research shows that an inspiring and informed teacher is the most important school-related factor influencing student achievement. Try implementing these ideas. You have nothing to lose, and think of all your students can gain.
“A teacher is a compass that activates the magnets of curiosity, knowledge, and wisdom in the pupils.” ~Ever Garrison
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