Ideas to Increase Student Engagement

ActivateEnergize

Summarize

Tenoroc Senior High School

January 25, 2010

WHY?Ideas to increase student engagement help :-promote student learning and academic

achievement-learning becomes active rather than

passive-increase student retention-increase motivation-help students develop oral

communication skills-develop students’ social skills-promote self-esteem

Turn and Talk

Turn to your neighbor and see if he or she agrees with the statement I have written on the board.

If there is a disagreement, how can you use the information in the text (or from homework) to support your thinking.

How you solved a problem/arrived at conclusion, etc.

Think-Pair-Share

Students have individual think time.

Pair up and exchange thoughts.

Share with other pairs, teams or class.

Write-Pair-StrengthenStudents write silently about a

topic.

Pair up and share.

Write how your thinking changed based on your conversation with your partner.

Talk a Mile a Minute

Turn to your partner and tell them

-everything you know about…-everything you heard me say in last 10 minutes-questions you still have about…

Talking ChipsEach student in a group of 4 or 5 receives

one talking chip (pen, pencil, eraser).Students are given an open ended

question/discussion topic.In order to share, the student puts their

talking chip in the center of the group. When first student finishes, next student

puts in talking chip, etc.Cannot speak until everyone has added

to discussion.Start again.

One Minute GameDivide the class into teams of 5 or less.Have each group contemplate answers

to these questions, giving them 1 minute to answer:

-What was the main thing you learned today? from this section of the text?

-Tell me two questions that you have remaining about this lesson.

-What else would you like to know about this topic?

Shape SummaryDone independently firstShared with partner/group

*Write one thing that squared with your beliefs or one thing you reconnected with.

*Questions still “circling” in your head.*Three most important points.

Note Pass

Students write a summary paragraph answering the Essential Question.

Notes are exchanged with a partner.

Partner responds to the accuracy of the answer.

Connect/Exclusion Brainstorming

Teacher writes topic and a series of words/phrases connected to the topic except for one or a few words not related.

Students work in pairs or teams to exclude the words not connected and explain why the words are not related and why other words are connected.

Sample of Exclusion Brainstorming

World War II

Japan PolandHolocaust HiroshimaPearl Harbor NazisGermany Iwo JimaAllies AxisConcentration Camp 1914-1918Battle of Midway HitlerEisenhower Truman

Goal:Get

students engaged

in your content.

References:Prince George County’s Public

Schools

http://www.pgcps.org/~elc/learning1.html

http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/intech/cooperativelearning.htm

http://www.worksheetlibrary.com/teachingtips/cooperativelearningtips.html

Learning Focused Strategies/Solutions