Engagement & the Brain

Engagement & the Brain Jen Madison, ESU 6

Fact / Myth Game • While we wait for everyone to arrive, please work with a colleague to sort the statements into the best category: fact or myth.

Hello! Please share: name teaching assignment …one other thing!

Objectives You will be able to… Key Concepts: verbal responses structured partners/groups written responses • Apply active participation techniques to engage students and boost retention

Objectives You will be able to… Key Concepts Clear Objectives Information Processing Model Primacy-Recency Sense & Meaning VAK Rehearsal Closure • Identify and explain research-based ways to boost retention

The questions that p____________ face as they raise ch_______ from in________ to adult life are not easy to an______. Both fa________ and m_________ can become concerned when health problems such as co___________ arise any time after the e__________ stage to later life. Experts recommend that young ch_________ should have plenty of s__________ and Nutritious food for healthy growth. B________ and g _______ should not share the same b__________ or even sleep in the same r__________.

Now try this... • Objective: • Identify issues that poultry farmers face.

The questions that p____________ face as they raise ch_______ from in________ to adult life are not easy to an______. Both fa________ and m_________ can become concerned when health problems such as co___________ arise any time after the e__________ stage to later life. Experts recommend that young ch_________ should have plenty of s__________ and Nutritious food for healthy growth. B________ and g _______ should not share the same b__________ or even sleep in the same r__________.

The questions that poultrymen face as they raise chickensfrom incubation to adult life are not easy to answer. Both farmers and merchants can become concerned when health problems such as coccidiosisarise any time after the egg stage to later life. Experts recommend that young chicksshould have plenty of sunshineand Nutritious food for healthy growth. Banties and geese should not share the same barnyard or even sleep in the same roost.

Objectives(learning targets, outcomes, learning goals, benchmarks, goals, purpose) • Express what students should know (declarative) or be able to do (procedural) at the end of a learning episode • What should they know / be able to do? • How will they show me their learning?

Sharing Objectives(learning targets, learning goals, benchmarks, goals, purpose) • Stated explicitly very early in the lesson • Feedback tied closely to objectives • Clear purpose explained to students • relevance to students previous or future learning, current experience (sense & meaning) • Extensions: • students prioritize, set personal goals, paraphrase, etc.

Partners A & B • Discuss why sharing clear objectives with students is important.

Write – Pair - Share • Write • Record “sharing objectives” on your craft knowledge record (name it, describe it, say why it’s good). • Pair • Find a new partner • Share • Compare your descriptions, check for accuracy and thoroughness, revise as necessary

(Sousa, How the Brain Learns, 2007, p. 39) Information Processing Model

Does this new learning make sense? Does this new learning have meaning? My brain asks…

Limbic System memory formation & storage regulating emotion processing smells arousal

Why should I be interested…? • Limbic system usually trumps frontal lobes (part of cerebral cortex) • reasoning & rational thought impaired • Help! • time • movement • deep, controlled breathing

Think-Ink-Link What are some manifestations OR implications of this model in your classroom? • Think - Prompt all and provide time to think. • Ink - Direct students to write; provide a structure. • Link - Provide structured opportunities to share. • Sentence Stem Options: • One manifestation in my classroom is____. For example… • One implication in my classroom is ____, because…

Pause Procedure • Present information (~ 10 minutes) • Pause & Process (~2+ minutes) • discuss & revise notes • summarize • answer focus question • predict • share own related experiences • Also 10/2 or 5/1 Ratio

Changing States the intentional teaching action of periodically varying the students’ mode, task, or focus • content related • non-content related (brief, occasional)

Primacy-Recency Effect “During a learning episode we remember best that which comes first, second best that which comes last, and least that which comes just past the middle.” (Sousa, How the Brain Learns, 90)

Memory Task

Paper clips • Stapler • Marker • Sticky notes • Notepad • Pencil • Ruler • Calculator • White out • Glue

Primacy-Recency (Sousa, How the Brain Learns, 2007, p. 90)

Boosting Retention Average Retention Rate after 24 hours (adapted from David Sousa, How the Brain Learns, p. 95)

Trumps • Movement – Sitting • Talking – Listening • Images – Words • Writing – Reading • Shorter – Longer • Different -- Same (Bowman, “The Six Trumps Slide Set” available 8.15.12 from http://bowperson.com)/

VAKMatch to what you’re teaching! • Visual • Primary source of input • More developed in digital natives • Auditory • Both listening and speaking • e.g., choral response • Kinesthetic • Can be “small” movements • E.g., acute & obtuse angles

Rehearsal • rote, elaborative • increase accurate student responses in class • provide quality feedback • distributed & cumulative! Practice Makes Permanent!

VAKCloze Review • V__________ • Primary source of i___________ • More developed in digital natives • A__________ • Both ____________and ___________ • e.g., choral response • K__________ • Can be s__________ movements • E.g., acute & obtuse angles

Closure • Sense and meaning attached to new learning • Occurs at end of lesson or after sequence of instruction for an objective (3-7 minutes) • Directly involves learner processing • Relates directly to objective

ClosureTalk a Mile a Minute / Name that Concept / Password Goal: Successfully communicate all items in one minute. Partner A: • Provide clues to your partner without using the actual words, derivatives, or rhymes. • definitions, examples, descriptions, contexts Partner B: • Name the concept or component or say “pass” to move on to the next item.

Ways to Boost Retention • (Sharing) Objectives • Information Processing Model • Sense & Meaning • Primacy-Recency • VAK • Closure

Active Participation Structures • Cloze Review • State Change (Changing States) • Think – Ink -- Link • Choral Response • Partners A & B • Pause Procedure (or 10/2, 5/1)

Think-Ink-Link What the name of the system governing emotions, memory, and arousal & what helps “get out” of it? • Think - Prompt all and provide time to think. • Ink - Direct students to write; provide a structure. • Link - Provide structured opportunities to share. • Sentence Stem Options: • The system governing emotions, memory, and arousal is called the ___________.

(Study) Tell – Help – Check Study: optional • each studies topic/question for a few minutes Tell: • teacher designates partner to recall information Help: (other partner) • assists (asks questions, gives hints, tells more) • respectfully agrees or disagree with reasons, confidence level Check: • together check notes / display, each corrects written record

Objectives You will be able to… Key Concepts: verbal responses structured partners/groups written responses • Apply active participation techniques to engage students and boost retention

Checking for UnderstandingYes - No – Why? & Sentence Stems Yes, I agree with this assertion because… or No, I don’t agree with this assertion because… • Having students raise their hands to respond to questions/prompts is an effective and efficient teaching behavior.

Yes - No – Why? • posing a stimulating question or statement for which students must take a position and formulate reasoning

Why Active Participation? • Opportunities to respond related to • increased academic achievement • increased on-task behavior • decreased behavioral challenges • Caveat • only successful responding brings these results • initial instruction (80% accuracy) • practice/review (90% or higher accuracy)

Reception CheckCell Phone Reception Check Full Bars… or No Signal? Can you hear me now?

Show Me! • Augment effectiveness of perception check • How well do you know…? • perception check (e.g., Fist to Five) • Show Me! • each student demonstrates • response boards, written response

Ways Students Can Respond more students responding accurately more often Say Write Do

Choral / Unison Response • prompting students to respond together on cue when answers are short and the same • Why? • focus tool • provides thinking time • all students responding • students using academic language (vs. teacher-talk) • repetition of important terms/concepts • accurate pronunciation (safe rehearsal) • provides feedback for teacher

Response Slates/Cards • Prompting students to write responses on “slates” (personal whiteboard) or point to responses on prepared cards • Why? • Monitor ALL student responses • Reusable materials • Slates: longer, divergent answers • Cards: limited answers, quick probes

Structured Partner Response • teacher-structured activity when student pairs share/discuss specific information • Why? • elaborative response or to review recently learned information • increase focus, attention, academic language use, etc. • provides scaffold • Increases opportunity for students to look good

Structured Partner Response How? • teacher-selected partners • gracious middle with low • alternate ranking (readiness, social skills) • use base groups / assign roles (A and B / 1 and 2) • clear expectations • specific prompt/task • structured academic language (i.e. sentence starters) • on-the-clock • monitor, provide scaffolding and feedback

Tips for Structured Partners • “If you want it, teach it!” (APL) • Look – Lean – Whisper • tape numbers on tables (#1, #2 with arrows pointing to partners) • change partnerships occasionally (3-6 weeks)

Engagement & the Brain