engagement vs. interaction

Session 2 – December 16, 2010

GPAEA Burlington Office

Structured School ImprovementComponents

Critical Attributes of Staff Development for

Student Achievement

Developing Culture

• As a team…

– Review Current Reality

– Review Ideal World

– Principals share walk-through

– Determine Brief to Read – write on chart

– Read & Discuss brief

– Gather resources to study

– Share learning in team & chart

Gallery Walk

Reflection Guide

Of team charts to see what was

studied and learned

Models of Good Instruction

What is Effective Instruction?

How do we know it when we see it?

What does it look like? Sound like?

30 min. - As a team, create a rubric that would

reflect effective instructional practices

Classroom Example

View the following clip using the rubric to determine the effectiveness of the

instruction

Content Purpose: to identify components that are present in an interactive task

Language Purpose: to explain the art of argumentation to a peer

Social Purpose: to discuss components of an interactive task with a professional colleague

Engagement vs. Interaction

Engagementto engage: to attract, hold fast, occupy attention

of another or oneself

en:

• to cause a person to be in… (a state, condition, place)

Synonyms: captivate, enthrall, involve,

gage: (archaic)

• a pledge, a challenge, deposit

charm, employ,

join, practice

Interactioninteract: to act one upon another, to

have some effect on each other

inter:

• among, between, mutually, reciprocally

Synonyms: communicate,

act:

• to do something, exert energy or force, produce an effect

Collaborate, cooperate

combine, connect

… they’reinteracting

What do you see? Engaged or Interacting? Justify your answer.

Why Interaction Matters

• Students learn more, and retain information longer, when they work in small groups.

• Students who work in collaborative groups also appear more satisfied with their classes, complete more assignments, and generally like school better.

May 22-23, 2006Sousa, D.A. (2000)

What does it take to make a task engaging andinteractive?

What does it take to make a task engaging andinteractive?

• Enough background knowledge to have something to say.

• Language support to know how to say it.

• Topic of interest.

• An authentic reason to interact.

• Expectation of interaction.

• Accountability for interaction.

• Established community of learners that encourage and support each other.

• Understanding of the task.

• Knowledge of the norms of interaction.

Conversation Roundtable

Use the Conversation

Roundtable

List 3 other ways you check for

understanding

Share with 3 partners

List their ideas on your paper

In terms of Productive Group Work

• Argumentation not arguing: Student use

accountable talk to persuade, provide

evidence, ask questions of one another, and

disagree without being disagreeable.

Learning is not a

spectator sport.

- D. Blocher

Thank You!