Active Learning: Empowering Students to Take Charge of Their Education

1. Active Learning Overview

2. Our aims today

4. Active Learning – What do you know? Students do most of the work Students use their brains more Study ideas together Solve problems Apply what they learn Fast paced Fun and interactive Students out of their seats Thinking aloud

5. The student as active agent It is an underlying principle of all curricula that our students should be an active agent in his or her own learning. The structure and content of the curricula are designed to provide opportunities for active engagement in a wide range of learning experiences. What do the aims and objectives of your curriculum say about active learning?

6. Defining active learning Does active learning have to involve physical activity/movement? What do you think? Instructional activities where students are doing things and thinking about what they are doing (Bonwell and Eison, 1991)

7. Active learning – not just doing! • Places students at the centre of the learning process by providing relevant and engaging content • Engages children physically, cognitively, and emotionally • Promotes action, students learn to recognise their own capacity • Requires an atmosphere of trust and support in order to ensure that students feel secure in expressing their own views or in trying out new skills.

8. Some Learning Activities • Think-pair-share • Try-talk-try again • One-minute paper • Cooperative note-taking pairs • Question-and-answer pairs

9. A Rationale for Active Learning Silberman (1996): • What I hear, I forget. • What I hear and see, I remember a little. • What I hear, see, and ask questions about or discuss with someone else, I begin to understand. • What I hear, see, discuss and do, I acquire knowledge and skill. • What I teach to another, I master.

10. Why active learning? (Dochy 2000)

11. Five Common Elements of Active Learning (Bonwell & Eison, 1991)

12. Active Learning in the Classroom

13. Teaching Methods that Support Learning Learn Most Doing Seeing Listening Learn Least

14. 4 Myths of Learning My little book technique

15. Myth 1: Some portion of our anatomy must be in contact with a chair at all times in order to learn • Fact: • Our ability to learn by experience diminishes in direct proportion to the amount of time we spend sitting and just listening

16. Myth 2: “ If wewould only listen, wewould remember more” The person who does the most listening does the most learning Fact: We learn and remember 80% to 90% of what we do and say. In order to learn anything well, we need to talk about it with each other and do it a number of times ourselves.

17. Myth 3: The best way to teach is to be a “sage on the stage” and give information in a well planned lecture. Fact: We remember 10-20% of what we hear. If we want someone to “hear” something, we lecture. If we want students to ‘learn’ it we need to be the ‘guide on the side’ and involve them. We are all in the process of becoming experts in something. The more of our knowledge we share with others, the more we learn

18. Myth 4: The more “serious” the learning is, the more we will remember. Fun is marginal to learning. Fact: We learn and remember best when we are engaged and enjoying what we are doing. We learn best and remember more when we enjoy success at an appropriately challenging level.

19. Reflection.. What concerns do you currently have about planning for and implementation of active learning in your school?

20. Barriers • Time • Noise level • Loss of control • Resources • Physical environment/space • Reluctance to take risks • Over-reliance on textbooks • Parental expectations • Experience of learning : I teach as I was taught

21. Task : Divide and conquer! 3 6 7 Inquiry Learning Role Play Talk and discussion Guided discovery Skills through content Problem solving Co-operative /collaborative learning

22. Managing Myself Key Skills Methods • Knowing myself • Making personal decisions • Setting and achieving personal goals • Being flexible and being assertive • Learning how to direct my own learning • Using ICT to manage myself • Learning Logs/Journals • Success Criteria • Self Assessment • Discussion • Card Ranking • 6 thinking hats • CAF – consider all factors • Goal setting • One minute paper • KWL • 3B4Me

23. Staying Well Key Skills Methods • Reflective journal • 6 thinking hats • Co operative learning • Critical Thinking • Discussion • Group Work • Experiential Learning • Field Trips • Being healthy, physical and active • Being social and safe • Being spiritual • Being confident • Being positive about learning • Using ICT safely and ethically

24. Communicating Key Skills Methods • Listening and expressing myself • Using language • Using number • Discussing and debating • Communicating my learning • Using ICT to confidently communicate • Reading • Writing • Video • Audio • Posters • Graphic Organisers • Drama • Mind Maps • Concept Maps • Digital Stories • E Portfolios

25. Being Creative Key Skills Methods • Imagining • Exploring options and alternatives • Implementing ideas and taking action • Changing and taking risks • Learning creatively • Being creative through ICT • Inquiry based learning • Model Making • Role Plays • Drama • Songs/Raps • Creative Story Writing • Digital Stories • Podcasts • Videos • Debating • Mind Maps • Concept Maps • Diamond Ranking • In the hot seat

26. Working With Others Key Skills Methods • Jigsaw • Brainstorming • Fish bowl listening • Think pair share • Square • Snowball • Placemats • My little book • Student generated questions for test • Quizzes and Games • Using Video • Using Podcasts • Using Blogs/Websites • Relating effectively and resolving conflict • Co-operating • Respecting difference • Contributing • Learning with others • Using ICT to work with others

27. Managing Information and Thinking Key Skills Methods • Scientific Method • Questioning • Walking Debate • Creating alternative answers • Graphic Organisers • Skimming / Scanning • WWW – who –what –when to evaluate websites • Q notes • Tagxedo /Wordle • Learning Logs • KWL • Being curious • Gathering, recording, organising, and evaluating information • Using information to solve problems and • create new ideas • Thinking creatively and critically • Reflecting on and evaluating my learning • Using ICT to access, manage and share knowledge

28. Some active methods for AFL • Learning Logs • Success • Criteria • Card Ranking • Journaling • Self Assessment • C-A-F • Backwards Test • Graphic Organisers • Mind Maps • Placemats

29. Some active methods for Questioning • Wait Time • Thunks • Brainstorm • Bloom’s Taxonomy • Think Pair Share • C-A-F • Hinge Questions • 6 thinking hats • Placemats • Socratic Circles

30. Some Active Methods for Cooperative Learning

31. Some Active Methodologies for Literacy

32. Activity: Have you used any of these strategies? In Subject departments at your subject meetings For each strategy on the sheet discuss the following • Have you heard of it? • Have you used it? • Where would you use it?

33. Types of Learners • Linguistic • Logical/mathematical • Spatial • Musical • Bodily • Kinaesthetic • Interpersonal • Intrapersonal

34. Influences on Achievement The main contributors that influence achievement are : • Student • The teacher (including strategies) • Peers • Home • School • (including the principal)

35. What Influences Student Learning Most? Mastery Learning Ability Grouping • Teacher • Student • Relationships • Feedback • Homework • Peer Tutoring • School Aims and • Policies • Challenge of • Goals • Expectations

36. Diamond Nine Activity • With a partner discuss the nine factors on your flashcards that influence student achievement • Place them in a diamond shape, in order of how great you think their positive influence is (on average) • Think about why they have this effect

37. Influences on student learning 0.73 0.72 0.58 0.56 0.55 0.43 0.29 0.24 0.12 Feedback Teacher-Student Relationships/ Mastery Learning Challenge of Goals Peer Tutoring Expectations Homework / Aims & Policies of the School Ability Grouping Effect Size John Hattie Visible Learning

39. Only One Correct Way? “….teaching demands that the teacher have available a number of techniques to use at the proper time and in the proper situation to maximise learning.” Welty, Discussion method teaching: How to make it work. Change 41-49, 1989

40. Scaffolding Active Learning

41. Learning as a group develops… Sense of purpose Learning from/with others Language skills Sense of democracy Interpersonal skills Higher-order thinking skills Ability to operate as a social unit Accountability / responsibility Acceptance of others Respect for individual difference

42. Successful Learning Learning is situated in physical, social, and interactive contexts, and is best achieved when learners have varied and multiple opportunities to engage in inquiry at many different levels (Henderson & Antencio, 2007).

43. Successful Learning in the Classroom Miller, Groccia and Wilkes (1996) • Structuring the intellectual environment. • Communicate the learning outcomes • Show your enthusiasm for the subject • Be open to shared inquiry • Structuring the curriculum flow and tasks. • Give step by step instructions to help beginning students • Structuring the lesson • Quizzes, group discussion, cooperative learning opportunities • Helps students learn form interactions • Structuring the assessment process. • Share the success criteria – Use of rubrics • Consider i) prevailing grading policies of the school, and ii) problems in grading group-based assignments

44. Numbered Heads Together • Look at each of the teaching strategies on the pages provided • In the rectangle on your place mat write the words: “Active Learning” and leave space for agreed strategies • On you own, identify the 3 worst teaching strategies and the best three strategies in terms of active learning • As a group agree on the three best and the 3 worst strategies.

45. 10 Benefits of Active Learning

46. Identify a goal with regard to active learning G What is the reality of my current practice? R What could I do? List all possible options O Prioritise options. What will I do? W What /Who can help me? When will I do it by? Is it linked to my original goal ?

47. Suggested Classroom Strategies • Students are involved in goal setting • Activities are problem- centered and student- driven • Teaching is developmental rather than directive • Teacher does less than 50% of talking and no more than 75% of the decision making • Positive feedback from teacher and student

48. Key messages • Variety of methodologies needed • Balance between content and skills • Flexibility to plan for balance