Engaging Students

In Learning

April K. Nobles

October 7, 2015

Bell Ringer

Think of one of the most memorable learning experiences you had as a student.

What characteristics of the experience made it memorable?

In what situations in your life today is it relevant?

Write your response(s) in your

Professional Growth Journal.

You will have 3 minutes to complete this activity.

Timed Think-Pair-Share

Turn to your shoulder partner and

discuss your response to the journal prompt.

The tallest person of the pair will discuss first.

Each person in the group will have 2 minutes to discuss.

The shortest person will share their response last.

Why Use Think-Pair-Share? This is a great way to motivate students and promote

higher-level thinking. Even though the activity is called

think-"PAIR"-share, this is the term many instructors use for

pairs and small groups (three or four students) alike. Groups

may be formed formally or informally. Often this group

discussion "sharing" is followed up with a larger classroom

discussion.

The instructor can use the student responses as a basis for

discussion, to motivate a lecture segment, and to obtain

feedback about what students know or are thinking.

Student Engagement Video

Agenda

•Bell Ringer

•Video

•Why is Student Engagement important?

•Define Student Engagement

(Consensus Placemat)

•Delivering Engaging Instruction (Strategies)

•Next Steps

Why Is Student Engagement Important?

• After all, isn’t it the student’s job to find

meaning in the content I deliver?

• My job is to teach. It’s my student’s job

to learn. If they’re bored, they must not care about learning.

Student Engagement Is

Important Because… • It enhances the learning process!

• It creates positive emotions—which lead to

greater creativity and complex problem-solving!

• An engaged classroom is more enjoyable for everyone!

• It impacts COMPASS scores!

COMPASS Rubric • Take the COMPASS Rubric packet from your

materials.

• Use a hi-lighter or pen and mark each time the

word engage (engagement, engages, etc.) is

found in the pages of the COMPASS Rubric.

• Write your name and the number on a sticky

note.

• Raise your hand and the teacher will collect

your sticky note.

And the Winner Is…

Component 3B: Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques

• Teacher attempts to engage all students in the

discussion and to encourage them to respond to one

another, with uneven results. (2)

• Teacher successfully engages most students in the discussion, employing a range of strategies to ensure

that most students are heard. (3)

• Many students actively engage in the discussion (3)

Component 3C: Engaging Students

In Learning • Few students are intellectually engaged or interested. (1)

• The pacing of the lesson may not provide students the time

needed to be intellectually engaged. (2)

• The learning tasks and activities are aligned with the instructional

outcomes and are designed to challenge student thinking,

resulting in active intellectual engagement by most students with

important and challenging content, and with teacher scaffolding

to support that engagement. (3)

• The pacing of the lesson is appropriate, providing most students

the time needed to be intellectually engaged. (3)

Component 3C: Engaging Students

In Learning • Virtually all students are intellectually engaged in challenging

content, through well-designed learning tasks, and suitable

scaffolding by the teacher, and fully aligned with the instructional

outcomes. (4)

• The pacing of the lesson provides students the time needed to

intellectually engage with and reflect upon their learning, and to

consolidate their understanding. (4)

• Few students are intellectually engaged in the lesson. (1)

• Some students are intellectually engaged in the lesson. (2)

• Student engagement with the content is largely passive, learning

primarily facts or procedures. (2)

Component 3C: Engaging Students

In Learning • Most students are intellectually engaged in the lesson. (3)

• Materials and resources support the learning goals and

require intellectual engagement, as appropriate. (3)

• The pacing of the lesson provides students the time needed to

be intellectually engaged. (3)

• Virtually all students are highly engaged in the lesson. (4)

Component 3D: Using Assessment

In Instruction • Students do not appear to be aware of the assessment criteria

and do not engage in self-assessment. (1)

• Students appear to be aware of the assessment criteria; some

of them engage in self-assessment. (3)

• The teacher makes only minor attempts to engage students in

self- or peer-assessment. (2)

• The teacher attempts to engage students in self- or peer-

assessment. (3)

Agenda

•Bell Ringer

•Video

•Why is Student Engagement important?

•Define Student Engagement (Consensus Placemat)

•Delivering Engaging Instruction (Strategies)

•Next Steps

Consensus Placemat Activity Each person in the group will separately write their

response to the prompt or question in one

“piece” of the placemat, using a different

colored marker/pen.

Consensus Placemat

Activity

Prompt:

Describe what

student engagement looks like.

You will have 2 minutes to complete this task.

Consensus Placemat Activity As a group, add all of the responses that each

person in the group agreed upon to the middle

circle. Thus, coming up with the group

“consensus.”

Active

participation

More than

compliance

Paying

attention

Eyes on the

teacher

Completion

of assignment

No disciplinary

issues

Participating with

the class and

teacher

Successful

completion of

work

Active

participation

Active

participation

In education, student engagement refers to the degree of

attention, curiosity, interest, optimism, and passion that students

show when they are learning or being taught, which extends to

the level of motivation they have to learn and progress in their

education. Generally speaking, the concept of “student

engagement” is predicated on the belief that learning improves

when students are inquisitive, interested, or inspired, and that

learning tends to suffer when students are bored, dispassionate,

disaffected, or otherwise “disengaged.”

Agenda

•Bell Ringer

•Video

•Why is Student Engagement important?

•Define Student Engagement (Consensus Placemat)

•Delivering Engaging Instruction (Strategies)

•Next Steps

Delivering Engaging Instruction

PINCH CARDS Pinch cards are an excellent way to increase student engagement

and conduct quick student assessment of content knowledge! Print

one set of cards for each student or group, laminate and place on a

ring binder clip.

Teacher presents a multiple choice question and students hold up

their cards and pinch the letter that corresponds with the correct

answer. Teachers can also use to gauge for understanding using the

face cards, like/dislike or question mark.

Pinch cards encourage all students to engage and allows the teacher

to check for comprehension.

Delivering Engaging Instruction

PINCH CARDS Yes or No Think-Pair-Share is a great way to motivate students and promote

higher-level thinking.

A-B-C-D How many times does the word engage appear in the COMPASS

Rubric?

A. 19

B. 20

C. 21

D. 22

Delivering Engaging Instruction

PINCH CARDS Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down Do you feel you can confidently use the Pinch Cards in your

classroom instruction?

Smile/Frown How do you feel about the engagement strategies that we have

covered today?

Question Mark Raise the Question Mark card if you have a question about the

use of Pinch Cards in your classroom.

• Bell Ringer Slide 2

• Think-Pair-Share Slides 3-4

• Video Slide 5

• Placemat

Consensus Slides 17-19

• Pinch Cards Slide 23

Engagement Strategies Used Today

One Size Doesn’t Fit All

“There is no single tip, technique, or strategy

that offers a magic formula or blueprint for

student engagement. What works for one

student doesn't work for another; a

technique that is a guaranteed winner for

one teacher falls miserably flat when tried by

a colleague….”

Agenda

• Bell Ringer

• Video

• Why is Student Engagement important?

• Define Student Engagement (Consensus Placemat)

• Delivering Engaging Instruction (Strategies)

• Next Steps

Next Steps • Select one engagement strategy we have

discussed today that you can use in your

classroom

• Use this strategy in a lesson next week

• Set up an appointment for me to observe your

use of the strategy and record the level of

student engagement

• Complete and submit your Exit Ticket before

you leave