Design Question 5 What Will I Do to Engage Students? (p. 155 to 196)

Design Question 5 What Will I Do to Engage Students? (p. 155 to 196)

Module 13 (p. 157) Using Games and Inconsequential Competition to Promote Student Engagement

Reflecting on Current Beliefs and Practices. Please answer the following questions from page 158 on your index card. To what extent does your unit and lesson planning incorporate strategies designed to promote and enhance student engagement? How do you use games to reinforce student retention of key information and skills? How do you use various types of inconsequential competition to help students extend and refine their learning? How do you try to engage in “flow” activities – challenging activities that are compelling but not threatening to learners?

Today’s scale 4= I understand and already fully implement this strategy in my classroom. 3=I understand this strategy, but I need to practice using it in my classroom. 2=I can explain this strategy, but I am no fully confident that I can use it. 1=I do not understand this strategy, and I do not currently use it in my classroom.

Recommendations for classroom practice Using games that focus on academic content Using inconsequential competition

Using Games and Competition • In order to ensure student engagement during an activity or lesson, there need to be 5 factors: • High Energy – communicate enthusiasm and intensity when working with students • Missing Information – asking students to supply and discover missing information • The Self-System – incorporate topics that are interesting to the students. • Mild Pressure – use of questioning, games and competition. • Mild Controversy and Competition – nonthreatening through debates & tournaments

Using Games – Example 1 Game Based Learning tasks can help students deepen their understanding This is a Jeopardy style game where students have to phrase their answer in the form of a question. PowerPoint versions are available online, or through colleagues. • What is the Question?

Using Games – Example 2 Game Based Learning tasks can help students deepen their understanding Modeled after $1,000,000 Pyramid Students are given a list of terms and try to identify the common thread. • Name That Category

Using Games – Example 3 Game Based Learning tasks can help students deepen their understanding Students are given a list of related terms. Each team designates someone as the “talker”. Talker tries to get teammates to say the words without reading off of the list. This is a verbal form of Pictionary or charades. • Talk a mile a Minute

Using Games – Example 4 Game Based Learning tasks can help students deepen their understanding Similar to Family Feud Students are given a question and work together with their “family” group to come up with the answer in 15 seconds. • Classroom Feud

Inconsequential Competition Increases Engagement Useful Reviewing Tool Students have more fun reviewing when using games such as the 4 previous examples due to the high energy and fun nature. Greatly enhances students’ understanding of what information is worth retaining. • A combination of mild pressure, high energy and activation of the self-system. • Students work in cooperative groups. • Tangible prizes for the winners increase the desire to participate.

Time to write! On your index card, describe one possible positive consequence of inconsequential competition in your classroom.

Let’s evaluate. Here’s a handout! 4= I understand and already fully implement this strategy in my classroom. 3=I understand this strategy, but I need to practice using it in my classroom. 2=I can explain this strategy, but I am no fully confident that I can use it. 1=I do not understand this strategy, and I do not currently use it in my classroom.

Checking for Understanding Using games that focus on academic content Using inconsequential competition

Module 14 (p. 167) Rules of Engagement: Questioning, Physical Movement, and Pacing

Reflecting on current beliefs and practices How does your approach to questioning students and engaging in follow-up probes influence your students’ achievement? To what extent do you help students respond to various types of questions with appropriate evidence and supporting details? How do you make certain that all your students are participating and engaged when responding to higher-order questions? To what extent do you incorporate opportunities for physical movement into your lesson? How does this enhance student learning, motivation and engagement? How do you pace your lessons and units? To what extent does your pacing support or work against student learning?

Recommendations for classroom practice Using a variety of question structures Using wait-time strategies Using follow-up questioning and respond strategies Using physical movement Promoting engagement through pacing

Using a Variety of Questioning Structures • Questions can activate student engagement through two pathways: • Encouraging the learner to investigate missing information • Providing mild pressure for the learner. • Question structures teachers can use include: • Retrieval • Analytical • Predicative • Interpretive • Evaluative

Retrieval Questions • These types of questions ask students to recognize, recall, and execute knowledge that was directly taught. • While some consider these to be “low order” they have an important place in the teaching-learning process, as they help students acquire and integrate new knowledge. • These types of questions can help students: • Construct meaning about new knowledge • Revisit and store that knowledge • Discover connections and patterns relating new knowledge to previous content.

Analytical Questions Require students to take apart information and determine how parts relate to the whole. These are most effective when students are asked about complex content they have just learned.

Predictive Questions Ask students to form conjectures and hypotheses about what will happen next in a series. Most effective when students are required to explain and defend their predictions.

Interpretive Questions Require students to make and defend inferences These can often elicit a range of viable responses, and because of this students need to present textual support and related evidence to confirm their conclusions.

Evaluative Questions As students to use identified criteria to make judgments and assessments of something. Effective responses to evaluative questions require students to provide evidence to justify their conclusions based upon clearly articulated evaluation standards.

Activity Box Which of the types of questions described in this section do you use or might you use? What are some specific examples?

Using Wait-Time Strategies Well documented strategy that works as a catalyst for student engagement. Allow at least 3 seconds for students to respond to a question.

Using Wait-Time Strategies • This gives time to: • Greatly expand the number of students who both hear the question and who cognitively process it. • Gives students time to pause and reflect on what they have said in response to a question. • Encourages learners to process ideas and formulate follow up questions.

5 Types of Wait-Time Strategies • Post-Teacher-Question Wait Time • Within-Student Pause Time • Post-Student-Response Wait Time • Teacher Pause Time • Impact Pause Time

Post-Teacher-Question Wait Time After asking a question, the teacher waits at least 3 seconds before calling on someone to answer.

Within-Student Pause Time Allow students time to think during pauses while they are answering or asking a question. Again, 3 seconds is ideal. This also gives students time to formulate self-initiated questions.

Post-Student-Response Wait Time Pause a few seconds after the first student has responded to the question before calling on other students. This helps students to process what was said, to focus their attention, and to sharpen their thinking processes.

Teacher Pause Time When presenting content, the teacher should pause to allow students to process and formulate thoughts and questions regarding new information. Especially useful when students are studying difficult or complex information for the first time.

Impact Pause Time Having uninterrupted silence during a lesson to create a sense of anticipation about what will occur next. This anticipation contributes to students’ interest in the material and augments their engagement in the learning process.

Formal techniques for CIE Reciprocal teaching-small groups of students are responsible for discussing and analyzing key sections of text. Then they take turns as the discussion leader who guides the conversation. Jigsaw Cooperative Learning Tasks- four-person group wherein each person becomes an expert on their assigned topic. They return to their group and teach their fellow group members. Concept Attainment-students respond to examples and non-examples of a concept.

Activity Box Which of the wait-time strategies described in this section has the greatest potential to enhance student engagement in your classroom? Explain why.

Using Follow-Up Questioning and Response Strategies • Teachers can enhance student engagement by using a variety of follow-up questioning and student-response strategies. • Follow-up probes require students to justify or defend their responses with evidence. • Question-based response strategies that promote engagement include: • Response cards • Choral responses • Response chaining • Hand signals

Response Cards Students are given something to write on, like a 12”X12” piece of whiteboard. When asked a question, students record their answers on individual response cards. Questions that can be answered with multiple choice, true/false, one word answers or short phrases are ideal for response cards. When the teacher signals, all students hold up their cards for the teacher to see. The teacher can then provide feedback based on the responses.

Choral Responses Engage students in reviewing and repeating key information, especially content that they are finding difficult. The teacher provides students with the target information and asks students to repeat the information as a group multiple times. The intent is to provide an “imprint” of important information that all students are finding difficult.

Response Chaining Involves linking or chaining student responses. Begins with asking a question to which a specific student responds. The class then votes on the accuracy of that response by voting the answer as “correct”, “partially correct”, or “incorrect”. Students who vote “correct” are asked to explain why and to add to the previous students’ answer. Students who vote “partially correct” they have to explain what part was wrong and why. Students who vote “incorrect” are asked to explain what was wrong and to provide the correct answer.

Hand Signals • Students hold up hand signals to indicate how well they understand key content. • Common hand signals include: • Thumbs-up: I understand the content • Palm flat: I understand some, but am confused about some of the content • Thumbs-down: I don’t understand any of the content.

Activity Box Describe a specific situation for which you could use one of the strategies described in this section.

Using Physical Movement Research on brain-based teaching and learning highlights the importance of incorporating physical activity and movement in the classroom. Physical movement increases students’ energy and ability to concentrate. Productive physical movement in the classroom can take a variety of forms.

Examples of Physical Movement • Stand Up and Stretch - giving students a short break • Body Representations – allow students to use motion to demonstrate a concept (e.g. – having students move around the class to model motion of the planets) • Give One, Get One – students move around the room forming pairs which share new content information with each other before moving on to new pairs. • Vote With Your Feet – having students move to a designated corner to vote for a particular answer. (e.g. – everyone who says “yes” move to the front, and if you think “no” move to the back) • Corner Activities – students gather in different sections of the classroom to discuss a relevant question to key content. Each corner or section has a different question to consider. • Stand and Be Counted – Having students stand to give their answer. (e.g. – stand up if you are a level 3 on the learning goal.)

Activity Box How have you used physical movement to enhance student engagement in your class? What are some new ideas you have about the use of physical movement?

Promoting Engagement Through Pacing Pacing and flow are essential ingredients in promoting high levels of student engagement. Effective pacing requires effective classroom managementas well as having a procedure for transitioning from one activity to another.

Procedures for Administrative Tasks Teachers should develop and clearly communicate well-established procedures for common administrative tasks like sharpening pencils, distributing materials and handing in assignments. When participating in a new activity, take time to remind students about the procedures in place for these administrative tasks to help eliminate unwanted distractions.

Transitions • Effective transitions between activities involves at least 3 components: • Signaling the end of the previous activity. • Announcing the next activity. • Moving quickly to the next activity.

Understanding the purpose of Lesson Segments • One way to enhance effective pacing is to make sure students understand which of the following types of lesson segments are occurring at any point in time: • Administrative segments • Segments that introduce students to new knowledge via critical-input experiences • Segments that help students practice and deepen their understanding of key knowledge and skills. • Segments designed to help students deepen their understanding via complex reasoning processes like problem solving or decision making.

Activity Box How well do you think you use effective pacing strategies as described in this section? What are your strength? What are your weaknesses?

Checking for Understanding Using Physical Movement Scale Concept Use a variety of question structures Use wait-time structures Using follow-up questions and respond strategies Using physical movement Using appropriate pacing 4= I understand and already fully implement this strategy in my classroom. (Walk to the left-side of the room) 3=I understand this strategy, but I need to practice using it in my classroom. (Walk to the right side of the room) 2=I can explain this strategy, but I am no fully confident that I can use it. (Walk to the front of the room) 1=I do not understand this strategy, and I do not currently use it in my classroom. (Walk to the back of the room)

Module 15 (p. 187) Additional Cognitive, Affective, and Social Interaction Strategies for Promoting Student Engagement

Design Question 5 What Will I Do to Engage Students? (p. 155 to 196)