What will I do to engage students?By: Courtney & Amanda

5 area’s for useful insight

How teachers might increase student engagement:

• High Energy• Missing Information as a Stimulus for Engagement• The Self-System• Mild Pressure• Mind Controversy and Competition

High Energy• Physical activity helps to boost energy• Jensen states “ Amazingly, the part of the brain that processes

movement is the same part of the brain that processes learning”• Pacing instruction also affects energy in the classroom• Emmer and Gerwels states “the teacher needs to keep the activity

moving and avoid interruptions to the activity by using good pacing.”• Pacing is important to transitions• Poor or slow transitions make it difficult for students to stay engaged• Teacher enthusiasm and intensity affects the energy level of student• Rosenshine reports that “positive associations between teacher

enthusiasm and student achievement”

Missing Information as a Stimulus for Engagement

Bill went to the ____ to buy some ___ to put on his cereal ___ they were out of stock.

• Humans minds naturally fill in the words (store, milk, but)

• This principle is known as cybernetic theory, which states that seeking mechanisms such as human beings are always trying to lessen the discrepancy between what they predict will occur and what is actually occurring (Weiner, 1967).

The Self- System

• It is the system that controls what we decide to attend to

• Consists of “me” and “I”• “Me”- working self concept and specific to situation • Example: Student thinks low of herself in a math class• “I”- source of enduring, natural and higher-order self

concept. What we find personally interesting and valuable

• Example: a student might consider physical prowess as an “I” self along with honesty and integrity

Mild Pressure….can have a positive influence on learning!

• Pressure should be at the right level of intensity and for the right duration of time

Or…• If pressure becomes to intense or prolonged,

thinking and learning are inhibitied

ExampleQuestioning in the classroom…

• If students realize that there is a moderate chance of being called on to answer a question, it will likely raise their level of attention

• Even after a question has been asked, the teacher can employ techniques that help hold students’ attention

Mind Controversy and Competition

• When controversy is not too strong, such as a debate can enhance learning

ACTION STEPS

1. Use games that focus on academic content2. Use inconsequential Competition3. Manage Questions and Response Rates4. Use Physical Movement5. Use Appropriate Pacing6. Demonstrate Intensity and Enthusiasm for Content7. Engage Students in friendly controversy8. Provide Opportunities for Students to Talk About

Themselves9. Provide Unusual Information

Use games that focus on academic content

• Jeopardy• Family Feud • Name that Category – The $100,000 Pyramid• Talk a Mile a Minute

Use inconsequential Competition

• Students compete in the spirit of fun• Students are organized in small groups by the

teacher, some who exhibit a high mastery of content are matched with those who do not

• Everyone at some point will be on a winning/losing team

Manage Questions and Response Rates

• Four aspects of effective questions1. Wait time – Post-Teacher Question/Within-Student Pause/Post-Student

Response/Teacher Pause/Impact Pause

2. Response Cards – White boards for each student/Multiple choice questions(vote for a response)

3. Choral Response- Having the students repeat information you said

4. Response Chaining- Asking a question to a student, class votes on accuracy, select a student who has voted correctly. If the first students response was incorrect, the correct student makes necessary corrections. New question is asked.

Use Physical Movement

• Stand up and stretch: Allowing the students time to stand and stretch during long periods of sitting

• Body representations: students acting out important content

• Give one, get one: Students stand and find a partner to compare notes

• Vote with your feet: The teachers put up three answers and the students stand under the sign that they think it correct

Use Appropriate Pacing

• Pacing will not be negatively affected if teacher has well established procedures for common administrative tasks (handing out assignments etc)

• Involves transitioning from one activity to another

• Broken into segments: administrative, content segments, activities

Demonstrate Intensity and Enthusiasm for Content

• Important to stress the importance of verbal and nonverbal behavior to communication enthusiasm and intensity

• Example of intensity: “I am going to show you how to invert fractions-now pay close attention and make sure you understand these procedures” Then the message is shown with nonverbal and verbal cues

• Only should be used when it is critical to student learning• Example: a history teacher using detailed knowledge, and

use of anecdotes and stories not in the text (shows enthusiasm)

Engage Students in friendly controversy

• Engaging students in dialogue regarding topics about which they have different opinions

• Emphasize Friendly

Provide Opportunities for Students to Talk About Themselves

• Ask students to relate academic content to their interests

• Allow students to discuss something of personal interest

Provide Unusual Information

• Use interesting facts to capture students attention

• Fill in information for the reader that is unexpected