today’s goal: deepen our understanding of the effects of engagement on the brain and student...
TRANSCRIPT
Today’s Goal:
Deepen our understanding of the effects of ENGAGEMENTon the brain and student achievement.
Brain-Based Teaching?It’s E-S-P !
the purposeful
ENGAGEMENT
of effective
STRATEGIES
derived from
PRINCIPLESof cognitive neuroscience.
• Will I get something practical…today?
• What is the link between Brain-based learning theory and ENGAGEMENT?
• What’s the science behind the theory?
• How do I get the students to buy-in?
• What tools will help me better engage students?
The Secret to ENGAGEMENT is 1 Big Idea with many facets:
• Start noticing what works in your classroom like timing, word choice, what was done before and after the activity,…
•Most of what works is often invisible.
•Take some time to notice the little things, like the human head in the next slide!
Why?1.Why do some students participate in
classrooms while others do not?
2.What responsibility do you have in the process?
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
3 reasons kids do not participate in class
3 reasons kids participate in class
3 examples of teacher’s responsibility in the process of ENGAGEMENT.
You have muchmore capacity to
influence your students than you
may have previously thought.
Good News!
More Good News…
• Having an engaging classroom DOES NOT mean you must entertain.
• You’ll become more efficient at engagement if you work smarter, not harder.
• Your students will enjoy learning more, you’ll reduce burnout (for you and them).
• Everything that we offer you today can be used with just a little practice.
Defining “ENGAGEMENT”…It is active participation, by choice, in a cognitive, physical, and emotional way.
It requires the ABCDE’s!
1. Att__________ (look & listen)
2. Bu___________ (emotionally sold)
3. Cho__________ (willingness to do)
4. Decis_________ made (mind activated)
5. Empowered actions (equals a b________ in motion)
The Foundation of Engagement is Relationship
All Successful Engagement is Based on These 3 Rules
1. RespectYou show respect _____ ____ they give it to you; You cannot ______ respect, only earn it.
2. RelationshipShow _______ ______ about them, first, before they’ll _______about you.
3. HopeYou must never, ever, give up on them; they’ll sense it and ____ _____ on you, too.
Purposes of ENGAGEMENT…• Promote student learning• Increase understanding• Boost motivation• Reduce boredom• Strengthen memory• Enhance self-concept• Make school fun• Increase self-control
Possibilities for ENGAGEMENT:
INSTRUCTION
environment
curriculum
assessment
ENGAGEMENT
The Brain’s
Response
Systems
Moving On!
MYTH:Learning about the brain is for science geeks. TRUTH:We are all in the learning and brain profession.
What do we know about the brain?
• Talk to your table group about…– Size, shape– Made of…– Types of cells…– How does learning work?
How many neurons do you think humans have?
This is a visual representation. Can you represent this kinesthetically?
Which lobe of the brain is responsible for vision?
A. Parietal C. OccipitalB. Frontal D. Temporal
Mid-brain Structures
Which structure organizes explicit
learning and causes it to be stored in the
cortex?
How sure are you?
How do we learn?
• Input from senses, imagination, reflection• “Sorting out” – needs immediate attention,
further processing, ignoring• Important things to ________________, later
stored in appropriate lobe• Time frame ________________________!
Once the brain is overloaded…
• It doesn’t have the working memory to store new thoughts
It doesn’t have the physical resources to make new memories (glucose,
acetylcholine, etc.)• It doesn’t have the space in the hippocampus to
even a temporary memory.
3 Important Ideas
• Adaptability• Integration• Sophistication
The human brain is dynamic, not fixed.The brain (depending on your age) is:• making connections • adding new neurons • pruning excess neurons • changing its chemistry • re-organizing itself every single day!
A New View of the Human Brain
Can Brains Change? If so…
How Much Capacity for Change is Built into Student’s Brains?
Greater Time in School Environment Means Longer Dendrites
Integration
• Left brain/right brain?• Corpus callosum• Cross control• Trained musicians vs. novice• Left-handers use right for language
Sophistication
• Electrical-chemical-electrical signal• Synapses formed and “pruned”• Protein fibers hold neurons together• Neurons learn!!
Break!
Be back in 10 minutes
It’s time for a little dissection…
…of your book!
Jigsaw Activity – Chapter 2
• Preparing the brain for school– Brain development
• Count off into 3 groups…– Conception to age 2– Ages 2 to 5 – Age 5 through teen years
Tell your tablemates…
• Read, discuss with age group buddies, then share with table–3 to 5 most important things about your age
group
ENGAGEMENT
STATES
The Brain’s
Response
Systems
Moving On!
States
What are “States”?They are bodily responses
created by a 1) momentary aggregate
of signals from emotional, cognitive and
sensory neurons AND2) a corresponding chemical signature.
How the brain’s response systems work
1. All behaviors are dependent onthe state that one is in.
2. The path to engagement isthrough reading and managing states
3. The longer anyone is is any state, the more stable it becomes.
Our “hardwired” built-in states, that are global and universalare anger, sadness, fear, surprise, joy, and disgust. All other states are learned from the culture you’re raised in.
There’s a Wide Range of
Potential States
Can You Identify These CommonSix States in Your Class?
• Confusion • Fear/Distress • Anticipation/Curiosity • Frustration • Apathy/Boredom
• Self-Convincer/Pride
Which states are positive for learning? Which are a high concern?
Can You Identify These CommonSix States in Your Class?
• Confusion • Fear/Distress • Anticipation/Curiosity • Frustration • Apathy/Boredom
• Self-Convincer/Pride
Red = states of high concern Green = positive states
States1. States usually last for seconds or
minutes, moods last for hours or days. 2. States are self-reinforcing; the longer
you’re in a state, the more comfortable it becomes.
3. We experience 100’s of states every day.
4. More states impair learning than help it.
There’s No Such Thing as an
Unmotivated Student… Only
Students in Unmotivated
States!
Engage with Open States
In closed states, behavior is predictable; it’s usually “No way” or “Whatever.”
To get a more positive response,
shift the state first.Always think...
“Better states get better results!”
Open or Closed State?
How the brain’s response systems work
1. All behaviors are dependent onthe state that one is in.
2. The path to engagement isthrough reading and managing states
3. The longer anyone is is any state, the more stable it becomes.
What Successful Teachers Do…• Read states
quickly• Read states
accurately• Respond to
“states of concern”• Manage
states proactively
To Succeed with ALL Students, Learn to Manage
Emotional States
Managing Student StatesTake on the role of
proactively managing your student’s states.
Your students will learn more and misbehave
less. The feeling of having more control
over your day lowers your own stress. Now,
let’s explore some strategies!
Herding Cats
Template Name:Sample
Category:________________________Description:______________________Examples:________________________
What’s in a Template?
1. Process-driven (it’s a structure for growth)2. Flexibility (always have a “plan B”)3. Clear directions4. Participant choice (or the perception of
choice)5. Students engage more than the teacher6. End point (on “up” emotion)
Strategies have “specific use” features guided by a goal andare good for a specific time, age, background andmoment.
Templatesare defined by the “features” of a process. They have “broad ranges” of applications. They can bevaried to reach objectives for any age or learnerbackground.
Let’s Use an Example
• If you say, “Turn to your neighbor and say, “Great job,” then you are using a stategy.
• The larger class of action sets (templates) that it “belongs to” might be called “social prompts” or “turn-tos.”
• Build out from the template, and you’ll have 3-10 strategies from every template, not just 1.
Why Our Templates and Strategies Will Work for You
• Superb teaching means you are in a partnership with the students
• Partnership means that you are supporting their own goals
• That can happen more easily if you know what their “drivers” are and
• You have the strategies to provide solutions to their “drivers”
Hard-Wired in Our DNA
• Survival-the quest to stay alive and protect who/what is valuable
• Bonding-to be accepted, loved and valued• Meaning-the quest to make sense out of
experiences and answer the “why?” question
• Status-social importance among peers-to “be somebody”Q: “What do these mean at school and how do each of them play out each day?”
Tie Strategies into the Drivers
1. Acting out in class2. Joining a gang or team sport3. Trying to cheat on a test4. Being a teacher’s “pet”5. Studying for a good grade6. Following directions7. Applying for college8. Talking back to teacher9. Being late for class10. Asking Qs in class11. Bullying another student
•Bonding•Meaning•Survival•Status
Template Name:Herding Cats
Category: Mass social energizer mixersDescription: Teacher (or students) gives
instructions to the group that re-mix the students based on new variable.
Examples: Each corner of the room is for each of 4 seasons. Go to the corner that matches your birthday, your favorite season, etc. Do, “I like people who…” Or, “all my neighbors with…” Also musical chairs, too.
Secrets to Herding Cats
1. Always be inclusive—never leave anyone out
2. Music helps the movement3. This activity works best when
done quickly4. Never place a value (or priority
or special judgment) on a particular group
5. Use the new grouping for something useful
Herding Ideas
1. Walk until the music stops2. Touch 7 tables3. Use birth month number (July = 7), walk that many
steps X 34. Walk until you’ve circled the room 1X and music
stops5. Walk until the vocals come up on the music6. ID a close friend, touch and take 25 steps away from
friend7. Walk for so much time…go exactly 22 seconds
Herding Ideas
1. Touch the shoulders of 11 people2. Change how you walk—salsa, shuffle or skip until music
stops3. Become more kinesthetic—walk until you touch 21 chairs4. Walk until you shake hands with 10 people then stop and
wait5. Walk for next 25 seconds giving everyone you meet an
affirmation6. Touch a chair in each corner of the room7. Find partner with same birth month
Time for a Brief Partner walk…Share the answers to ”G-N-L”
G - Grateful for?N - New Learning?L - Looking Forward to?
Four-Minute GNL Walk
With someone you don’t know well
Keep moving--no standing
Enjoy--4 minutes!
Template Name:POW: Progress on Walks
Category: Partner walks for movement, cognitive or social time
Description: Students get 3-5 minute walk indoors or out with specific verbal task
Examples: GNL, GLP, dream and scheme, dump and dig out, gallery walks, meet a new person (ask preset questions)
Why Go For Walks?
• Many students will talk more while walking than seated
• It gives students a chance to socialize and bond• Many students get restless from too much
sitting• Memory improves while walking • Walking releases useful brain chemicals for
learning
Stand and Deliver
Template Name:AIA: Arts in Action
Category: Use of arts to activate learningDescription: Students may use visual, kinesthetic
or musical arts to show, highlight or satirize a concept. Do short commercial to “sell us” on the idea. Demo X and Y axis or angles.
Examples: Acting out, using body to demo (neurons) or the whole world on your body
Arts in Action Examples
• At your table, discuss some examples of AIA that you already use in your classroom.
Break!
Be back in 15 minutes
Template Name:Effort First
Category: Front of the room interactionsDescription: Affirm effortExamples: “Thanks for jumping in.”
NOTE: Use raised hands as a formative assessment and relationship building, not a scavenger hunt for correct answers.
Reinforce Effort--not Accuracy• Thank you• Good effort• Thanks for jumping in• Nice effort, now, who else?• Let’s grab some more…• I appreciate your jumping in…
(What do all these have in common? No judging!)
Class Rules
1. If you don’t know the answer to a question, it’s okay to guess.
2. If you don’t know the answer, and you have no clue, just say, “I don’t know, but I’d like to know.”
3. If you guess and you are wrong, you’ll be thanked for your participation and effort.
4. If you answer correctly, you’ll be thanked for your participation and effort.
5. In this class, you’ll get further by a good effort, then you will by having the correct answer.
Better Questioning Tools1. Appreciate and acknowledge verbally every
single response2. Thank students for their effort, not their
accuracy--sort that out later3. Give questions, then give individual or
partner think time4. Use comments to help extend their answers
(“Tell me how you arrived at that answer.” Or, “Could you say more please?”)
Model the Response
• Show the hand raised, OR
• Show and say if your students can
shout out• Be consistent
Bus Ride
• Look around your table and choose the person who you think is the craziest driver.
Template Name:STRETCH Breaks
Category: Cognitive builder or body breakDescription: Allows for structured consolidation
time to deepen learning and reflect upon it. Or, it gives the learner time for the body.
Examples: The brain break can use the word “STRETCH” as a way to strengthen the learning. The body breaks may be simple movement activities.
STRETCH the Body Breaks
1. Cross laterals (5+)2. Partners four do hi-fives3. Stretching4. Swim motions5. Back pat lines6. Creative handshakes7. Lazy 8s8. Writing circles, feet moving9. Bicycle/tricycle riding
Template Name:Social Prompts
Category: Social engagers or activatorsDescription: Discover, identify or affirm others
while forwarding the class actionExamples: “Before you have a seat, please thank
your neighbor.” Or, “Identify the person in your group who you think is most likely to do yoga on the weekends.”
NOTE: Social prompts promote inclusion and build relationships.
Social Prompts
• Help people feel part of a group• Support greater camaraderie• Help others feel noticed• Boost feelings of others
Examples of Social Prompts
1. Who has laughed the most2. Quick draw – (hands behind back, draw, whoever draws
highest number is it)3. Shortest (or longest) first name4. Tallest5. Most organized each day6. Wearing most # of, or most varied colors7. Has the curliest, waviest hair8. Who has taken the most detailed notes9. Messiest desk area10. Sitting closest to door ( window, exit sign, etc.)
Template Name:3 – By – 3
Category: Cognitive or social strengthenerDescription: A grid of nine squares (3x3) is used
as a template. Students respond to what’s asked for and put it in the boxes.
Example: Teacher uses it for pre-test or mid-unit assessment with Qs to gather info about other students. Or, use for processing in-depth concept or unit. Use to create 9 (not 6 ) hats of understanding.
Herding Cats
• Stand up. Touch 2 walls and find the members of your department. Wait for further instructions.
Templates
• Write this Way• Active Listening Response• Herding Cats Mixer• Think-Choose-Act• Arts in Action• Stretch Breaks • Scavenger Hunt• 3 x 3
Templates (cont.)
• POWs• Graphic Organizers• Rapid Review• Case Studies• Social Prompts• Effort First
• Class Jobs• Peer Teach and Learn• Cut ‘n Paste• Peer Edit• Nudges
Template Name:Write this Way
Category: Cognitive enhancer
Description: Short, thoughtful, structured writing activity
Examples: Daily journaling, instant content summary, weekly gratitudes, or personal reflections
Template Name:ALR-Active Listening Responses
• Category: Content-driven mind-body activators
• Description: Text, song or story is delivered. Students respond verbally or physically to key words. Includes “ripple call” and military calls.
• Examples: Tony Chestnut (songs). Stories read with active words like L-R (teacher or student-written stories).
Template Name:TCA: Think-Choose-Act
Category: Cognitive engagersDescription: Students observe options and make
decisionsExamples: Give a quiz Q on screen (multiple choice, T-F
or fill-in). Voting w/ hands or feet. Do brain illusions, problems to solve, Stroop (L-R brain activators) or finding lost items. Give 3 lists, students take one from each to form a ___? “How are you” words. Analyze quotes and share meaning.
Template Name:Scavenger Hunts
Category: Cognitive, Social or Physical “hunt” for objects or persons
Description: Teacher (or students) sets targets and students “collect” them
Examples: “Find and touch things in the room that start with the letter ___.” Or, “Locate 3 persons with a birthday in the same month or year.” Or, “Find your handouts and pass them to others on your team.”
Template Name:Graphic Organizers
Category: Cognitive skill builderDescription: Provide skeleton or final samples.
Students build variety over time to discover favorite.
Examples: Students begin each day with “skeleton mind map” of the day’s content. They fill it in as the class progresses. Use for pre, post, group work and active learning.
Template Name:Rapid Review
Category: Quick reinforcement of learningDescription: content available to individuals.
Time for recall and processing. Group time for discussion possible.
Examples: Students write a question on one side of 3x5 index card, with the answer on the other side. Stand up, mix and ask others their Q, then exchange cards. Repeat.
Template Name:Case Studies
Category: Problem-solving in social contextDescription: content available to individuals. Time for
reading and processing. Group time for discussion and possibly action plans.
Examples: Students do case study on a student who was a significant discipline issue at another school. Questions are raised and values are discussed. Other studies can be text content or local issues.
Template Name:Class Jobs
Category: Activity builderDescription: Students have relevant jobsExamples: Student in charge of stretch breaks,
one in charge of plants or animals, etc.
Template Name:PTL: Peer Teach (and Learn)
Category: Cognitive enhancerDescription: Partner and small group processes
to build or review content understanding and memory
Examples: Expert interviews
Template Name:Cut and Paste
Category: Cognitive skill builderDescription: Students create the pieces to make the
whole. Great for sequencing and processing skills. Works as a relay, solo or with partners. Music moves it along.
Examples: Students put their lists of story items in key areas. Once the activity starts, students collect one piece of a whole from each of lists, either verbally or writing.
Template Name:Peer Edit
Category: Cognitive skill builderDescription: Students show their work to others
to be editedExamples: Students put their work on the wall
and allow others to attach Post-its with comments on them, as directed by teacher
Template Name:“Nudges”
Category: Accountability boostersDescription: Simple, small, direct “nudges” to
move things along. Never a big deal.Examples: “Turn to your partner and if they have
not yet completed part one, raise your hand.”
NOTE: They keep students “in the game.”
Facing the Giants