Engaging Studentsin the Classroom

RACG Conference

March 2010

Active, Social, Creative Engagement

• Students are actively involved in learning.

• Students are socially involved with others.

• Students are creating …– Solutions, Possibilities, Questions.

• Goal: For students to play with ideas by– Doing, Thinking, Connecting

Identify the “Father of the Constitution”

Thomas Jefferson

George Washington

James Madison

John Adams

Checker Sheet SampleWORK THESE PROBLEMS IN YOUR NOTEBOOK.

Sketch a graph of the equation.1] y = 3 2] y = x 3] y = 2x - 1 4] y = -3x + 2

***** STOP! Check these problems with a GREEN checker. *****

Find the coordinates of the x- and y-intercepts for the lines.5] x = 2 6] y = -x 7] y = 2x + 1 8] y = -3x - 2

***** STOP! Check these problems with a PURPLE checker. *****

Find the equations for the lines containing the indicated point and having the given slope.

9] m=2 ; (4, -5) 10] m=3/4 ; (-1, -3) 11] m=-2; (-6, 2) 12] m=0 ; (-3, 7)

***** STOP! Check these problems with a YELLOW checker. *****

Card Activities

• Matching Cards– Simply have students organize 20 cards into sets– Memory in sets of two– Rummy in sets of four– Old Maid in sets of two– Group up with sets of four

• Sequencing Cards– Play Chronology– Human Time Line finding links between items

THINK, SHARE, WRITEWrite a system of equations

for solving this:

Quarfot’s Hockey Shop sells all kinds of hockey supplies. Quality sticks sell for $44 each while cheap sticks sell for $21 each. If receipts for the sale of 23 sticks total $667, how many of each type did he sell?

30 Seconds to Tell a Neighbor…

• Ask any question and have students discuss with their neighbors

• Some examples:– How are these three things related?– Identify two things from the reading.– What is the next step in this problem?

• Use whenever the lesson is going flat

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Act I Act II Act III Act IV Act V

Soccer

Red/Black GameRED/

Solution

Question BLACK/

Solution

Question

2

B4

2

D1

3

B6

3

A3

4

C1

4

D5

5

B2

5

A5

63 603

1035

82

183

754

Silent Discussion Test

• Before class, the teacher writes discussion questions on the top of six sheets of chart paper.

• The teacher then posts the sheets on the walls around the room.

• Students must write answers to the questions, signing their names, but they must not talk.

• Subsequent students respond to both the original question and the comments by other students.

• Students must write on at least four sheets.• The teacher then grades students both on the quantity

and quality of their responses during the silent discussion.

Discussion Quiz

• Before class, the teacher designs a ten-question quiz for a homework reading.

• When students come to class, have them take out blank paper.• Give three minutes to write five good statements about the reading.• Students should draw a line under these statements. They cannot

write above the line.• Then, students have 1.5 minutes to talk with their neighbors and

add two more statements. Again, they draw a line for separation.• For exactly four minutes, ask students to share their statements

while you write an abbreviated list of these on the board.• Students may add three statements to their papers as you write on

the board.• Give them the original quiz, and they may use the note sheet as

they work on the quiz.

Group Storytelling:Write a story to go with the graph

Creating Dialogue – With Teacher and Students

• Establishing Relationships– More trust, more likely to learn

• Create Questioning Climate– Teachers must fight the culture of compliant

students.

• Goal: To encourage them to care and try.

Attaching to the Student’s Scaffold of Knowledge

• Provide a reference point for making connections

• Build on Known– Review previous topic and expand on it

• Attach with Application– Motivate with real world. – Otherwise, who cares?

• Goal: To build on what has come before.

Reinforcing the Scaffold – Addressing Long-Term Memory

• Short-Term vs. Long-Term Memory

• Cumulative Work and Testing– Create “Course Pack” with daily review – Every test reviews all year

• Attach everything to a “hook” for memory

• Goal: To have real learning take place.

Raleigh Charter and ASC

• Buy In – Big part of positives at RCHS (testing, college placement, happy families, students who feel empowered) is ASC learning.

• Student Growth – Probably cover LESS material in many classes, but students retain more with ASC and grow more as learners with ASC.

• Long-Term Learning – Exposure is great, but without retention, there is no learning. Focus has to be on connections.