welcome bringing excitement to the classroom: understanding what motivates and engages today’s...

Excitement to the Classroom

WELCOMEBringing Excitement to the

Classroom:Understanding What Motivates and Engages Today’s Students

DOE: IS 179652Brandman: EDDU 9355


Americans are the most self-centered people in the world!

We don’t care about other people’s pain and suffering.

Per capita, we give less to charities and volunteer less than any other nation in the world!


Did those statements generate any emotion in you?

My hope was that it did.


The concept is to create “curiosity” about the subject you are going to cover by starting out with an outlandish or provocative statement.

The goal would be to get you thinking about how much do the people in the US contribute to charity and volunteer their time.


I want you to be curious about the answer.

I want you to be asking yourself, “I wonder how much we do give and volunteer our time.”

The key word here is “Wonder.”


When you “wonder,” you are engaged and motivated to seek answers.

So do you want to know the research…did I make you at all curious about where we rank in the world?


The answer, like many things in life is not always simple.

Americans are very generous…we gave $335 billion dollars to charities in 2013.

One third of that amount was donations to religious organizations.


By dollar amount, we are the number one giver to charity in the world.


39% of the world’s wealth belongs to Americans. (2010 stat)

That is down from 51% in 2007.

So it only makes sense that we would give the most.

Per capita who gives the most?


Switzerland is #1.

What country has the highest percentage of people who report giving money to charities?


Ireland.


If you calculate the percentage of a countries population that give to charities and exclude those to religious organizations, the number changes again.


60% of our population reports giving money to charitable organizations.

This compares with…Malta 83%Netherlands 77%Thailand 73%Morocco 72%United Kingdom 72%


Those of you who are naturally curious are “wondering” why is the percentage so high in Malta?

Others of you are “wondering,” where the heck is Malta?

And others still are “wondering,” when we are going to take our next break…that coffee is backing up!


The point being…with all the strategies we are going to cover today:

-Some will work with a majority of your students.-Some will work with a few of your students-Some won’t work at all


We are all at different places in our lives at any given moment.

Take for example the percentage of people in the US who say they have volunteered their time in the last year.

What percentage do you think that is?


Strategy number 2 for creating curiosity in the class…

Asking questions.


25%...source, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Dept. of Labor, Feb. 2015

Is that percentage higher or lower than the percentage at your table?

Factors that influence volunteering…


Who volunteers more…

Men or women?

Percentages…

Men ______ Women ________


Men __22%____

Women ___28%_____

Why?


Age group… percentage of that age group

16-24 year olds _____25-34 year olds _____35-44 year olds _____45-54 year olds _____55-64 year olds _____65 & over _____


Age group… percentage of that age group

16-24 year olds 21.8 %25-34 year olds 21.9 %35-44 year olds 30.6 %45-54 year olds 28.2 %55-64 year olds 26.0 %65 & over 24.1 %


Race…

Asian _____Black _____Hispanic _____White _____


Race…

Asian 19.0 %Black 18.5 %Hispanic 15.5 %White 27.1 %


Education attainment

Less than HS _____HS no college _____Some college or 2 yr. _____Bachelor’s and higher _____


Education attainment…does come close to 100%

Less than HS 9.0HS no college 16.7Some college or 2 yr. 27.7Bachelor’s and higher 39.8


Turn to page #3 in your Workbooks.

We have listed 8 factors which increase a student’s excitement and engagement in learning.

The space is for you to take notes if you’d like.


These factors are:1. Curiosity2. Control3. Success4. Relevancy5. Fun6. Speed7. Variety8. Mistakes


Turn to page #6 in your Portfolio.


We are asking you to assess 3 of your existing lessons in relationship to 4 of the 8 engagement factors.

You can pick any 4 of the 8.

I would have you pick the 4 which would allow you for the most improvement in engaging your students.


So for example…

If you are already doing a good job of creating curiosity in the lesson, we would not have you assess that factor.

The goal is always improvement and we encourage you to focus on the factors you can improve the most.


As you assess your lesson, you will also be looking at actions you can take to increase the excitement and engagement of your students in that lesson.

Question #3 of your Portfolio requirements.


You can either create a new lesson using the strategies we will cover today and tomorrow, or modify an existing lesson.

It will be easier to modify an existing lesson, but if you are teaching a new grade level or subject area, that may not be possible.


Please turn to page #4 in your Workbooks.

We have provided you a page to assess your lesson in class today.


What we want to do today is have you complete one of the 3 lessons you have to assess.

After that the other two will be very easy.


Also, we will be giving you ideas about the actions you can for the 4 lessons you need to create/modify.

You should walk out of the class tomorrow with specific ideas about what you will do this coming semester in your class related to this course.


Back to page #4 in your Workbook.

Take a second and write down a description of the lesson.-Goal of the lesson-Any materials you give them-What they are suppose to do-What they create, produce, make-Etc.


A. Description of the lesson.

The goal of this lesson is to….

The students have to ….

They are given….

They must write, build, create, etc…..


B. Assess your lesson on 4 of the 8 dynamics.

Let’s say you are going to use “curiosity” as factor #1 in assessing your lesson.


You would think about how much curiosity, based upon what we will talk about in class, that is in your lesson as you planned on teaching it.


C. Cite specific examples…

NO STUDENT EVIDENCE IS REQUIRED FOR THIS QUESTION.


The examples we want you to make here are from your observations of the work you have seen from your students in the past.


So you might say…

Related to curiosity… “The questions I was posing to my students didn’t create any curiosity on their part. I couldn’t get them to engage in answering the questions or even coming up with their own questions.”



We have created a page for you to take notes and write down ideas of actions you can take.


1. Curiosity

You can create curiosity for your lesson before you start your lesson or during the lesson.

Before you start your lesson is better.

In long assignments, you may need to get the excitement going again.


Creating curiosity is simply using a “hook” to catch and peak the attention of your audience.

Hooks can take many forms. Their goal is to want the person to watch, listen, buy, attend, learn, etc. whatever they are selling.


As educators, we are selling knowledge and skills.

In the best of all worlds, students would come into our classrooms wanting that knowledge and the skills we have to teach them.

We do not live in the best of all worlds, we live in the real world.


In the real world, we have to engage, excite and motivate our students.

Of course, you don’t have to if you are not interested in them learning and you keeping your sanity.


Look at your lesson.

Did you do anything to set it up?

Talk about it before hand?

Do a demonstration?

Create any interest in the lesson by asking a question or making a statement?


Did you create any curiosity on part of the student?

Or did you simply say… “Today we are going to ….”


Hooks to create curiosity and interest are everywhere…

Movie trailers are hooks. They tease you with some of the story so you will go see the movie.

Creating a good trailer is a very important part of marketing a film today.


TV news does it all the time.

They call it a tease. They tell you about what will be coming next so continue watching.


My favorites are those that attempt to scare you into watching their program.

“A common household item you all have in your kitchen that is responsible for thousands of deaths each year in the US. Details at 10:00.”


Hooks can take many forms…


1. Outlandish, thought provoking, challenging or funny statements/questions.

Examples…

-Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?-Can animals commit suicide?-Can a short person "talk down" to a taller person? -If money is the root of all evil, why do they ask for it at church?-Can we tickle ourselves?-Why do they call a building a building when it is already built?


Do you know the 5 qualities all unsuccessful people possess?

What would you be doing with your life right now if you knew you couldn’t fail?


When I was working as a counselor at the high school, I would ask new students what they could do to have their new teachers dislike them.

They were usually taken back a bit and didn’t say anything. I would say something like… “How about coming to class late.”


After they caught on we made a list.

Once finished I would say, “Now that you know what to do to have them dislike you, I suppose if you did the opposite, they would like you. So, I’ll be interested to see what you choose to do.”


Take a minute and think about an outlandish, thought provoking, challenging or funny statement/ question you could use to start your lesson.


Understand that with some grade levels and subject areas this is easier to do than others.


If I had started out the class yesterday by saying…

“Dave and I are the best instructors you will ever have”…I would image you would be listening to the next thing coming out of my mouth.


If you have taken classes from us before, you would be waiting for the hopefully funny “punch line” to that statement.

If you haven’t taken a class from us before, you might be thinking, “Who is this pompous ass!”


Every question is always based upon the context of the situation and the relationship you have with the individual or class.

If a stranger in line at Foodland asks you your most embarrassing moment in life…it won’t work.


2. Videos or demonstrations that catch people’s interest.

For example…say I was going to talk to your staff about the many different styles of teaching. That there are strengths and weaknesses in each style, but bottom line, we all want the best for our students.


A demonstration….

They participate.


A demonstration….

They watch.

2. Pass around a strange object and ask the students to think about what the object is and what it is used for.


The interesting part of this object, is that no one knows what it was used for.

It was found in an old kitchen drawer and the person who had bought it is deceased.


If you are teaching a class on writing, you could give the students these three first sentences of classic novels and have them decide which one they thought was best at getting their attention.


“It was love at first sight.”

"They shoot the white girl first.”

"All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."


3. Model it…

Share what you are curious about in life.

Share what you do with that curiosity.


I love magic…

I’m curious of how they do each trick.

That’s why I really enjoy Penn & Teller.

They show you the trick and then tell you how they did it.


Share your passions…but be very mindful of their interests as well.


4. Make sure you ask questions and do demonstration, etc. that they are interested in.

For example, some of you can care less about magic. I probably didn’t generate any curiosity on your part showing you the Penn & Teller video.


Don’t know what they are curious about…ask them.

Try things…you may be surprised at what they find is interesting.


Tomorrow we are going to talk about divorce.

High interest…for people your age.

You are all from some form of family…or thinking about getting out of a family…or starting a new family.


What three things about divorce would you like to know?

Give examples if needed.


Is the divorce higher now than it was 10 years ago?

Is the divorce higher, lower or the same for second and third marriages?

If people live together before they get married, does that change their divorce rate?


Some of your students may look it up.

Some won’t care.

Again…nothing works all the time and nothing works with all students.


Is the divorce higher now than it was 10 years ago? Lower

Is the divorce higher, lower or the same for second and third marriages? Higher

If people live together before they get married, does that change their divorce rate? No


5. Curiosity takes time.

You have to be open to the fact that they may go in a different direction then you intended.


“I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious”

-Albert Einstein

Help make your students more curious!


2. Control…

As we talked about earlier, we are a society that values control.

We have control over what do in almost all aspects of our lives.


Where and what we eat.

Have you ever eaten at a restaurant where the menu is so large you wish you had taken a speed reading class so you could get through it?


NOVEMBER 2, 2014

NEA Survey: Nearly Half Of Teachers Have Considered Leaving Profession


Reasons given…

Standardized testing was #1

Autonomy over own work #5


Both have to do with control.


The more prescriptive education becomes, the less control you have over your instruction.

And…the more frustrating it can become.

You know more about your students and their needs, than anyone else.


Think of it in terms of someone evaluating your teaching.

Do you want to control….-The lesson you will be teaching-The class they will be observing-The day or time they observe


So how much control in this lesson do your students have?

What aspect of it do they have control over?-The material-The style of presentation-The product-The discussion-The pace


Think of it in terms of this class.

We came up with the 8 factors.

You have control over which 4 you choose to evaluate based upon your specific needs.


We have created the general parameters of the work you need to do in the Portfolio, but you have a lot of control in the direction you take based upon your needs and the needs of your students.


If we had more control, meaning not having to work within the boundaries created by the PDE3 office, we would give you even more control over what we teach and the products you would create.


Obviously there are constraints that exist.-The size of the class-The maturity of the class-Do they have enough base knowledge to make decisions-The physical environment-Time…giving choices takes time


Take a moment and think about what aspects of the lesson you could give your students choices.-The material-The style of presentation-The product they create-The discussion-The groups they work in-Etc.


Share those choices with the people at your table.


3. Success


We all like what we can be successful at.

Success is a very positive feeling…and failure is obviously a very negative feeling.

If I have success at something, I’m more willing to keeping going at it even when I might experience some failure.


There is a saying that states, “Losing hurts more than winning feels good.”

We tend to remember our failures more than we do our successes.


When you do your assessment of the lesson, think about answering the following questions.


1.Was there a way for your students to experience success during the lesson?

2. Was the only success at the end?

3.How did they know they were successful?

4. How did you recognize their success?


Actions you can take…

1. Make sure you have clearly defined to your students what “success” means in relationship to this lesson.

The more you break it down into doable parts, the more the student can experience success.


2. Have each student create their own “success chart.”


You can have them chart anything…-Participation…number of times they raised their hand in class-Test scores-Times you needed to tell them to be quiet, get focused, etc.-Times they helped another student-Homework


What you are attempting to do is create a visual representation of their success.

Either in learning or behavior.


You create a success chart for them that you keep.

Bring them up periodically to encourage them about the success they are having.


If you want students to try more, get them involved by giving them easy answers at first.

Research tells us that when we have success, we are more willing to try more difficult tasks.

Wheel of Fortune…common phrases


FR_ Y _ _ L


_A

AN A LE _

A _ _

_


_M

O _ T _ A

C _ _


D __ N

_ _ T

A _ _


D __ N

_ _ T

A _ _

Think how hard you might have tried if I presented this one first.


When individuals have success early, they tend to stay with the activity longer.

The challenge for teachers is to find that ideal starting point.

Too easy and you lose the top students in the class. Too hard and you lose the low students in your class.


2. Recognize success…celebrations

-As a whole class…class average on quiz for example-Recognize individual success…either with everyone or jus the individual


My son-in-law is president of a small business that imprints restaurant supplies…


The business is small, so the sales office, imprinting machines and warehouse are all together. 14 employees total.

The celebrate every sale by ringing a bell. Every time the bell rings…each employee is gets $5.00 cash at the end of that day.


Hearing that bell go off creates a positive feeling in each of his employees.


What can you do to create success in your lesson?


4. Relevancy

What does this have to do with me?

How does it impact my life in any way?

That being said, it is interesting how much coverage Bruce Jenner is getting in the last couple of months.


His sexual orientation has no bearing on any of our lives, but as a society we seem obsessed with it.

Can you honestly think of a single way your life would be different if Jenner was a man or a woman?


As you assess your lesson…1. Does it apply to directly to

their lives?2. Is it authentic? Driving…3. Did you talk about the

importance of this information and how they will use in their lives prior to the lesson starting?


You all know the concept of a “mission statement.”

Sharing in one sentence or phrase the goal or purpose of a company or organization.

Do you know the DOE mission statement….We serve our community by developing the academic achievement, character and social-emotional well-being of our students to the fullest potential. We work with partners, families and communities to ensure that all students reach their aspirations, from early learning through college, career and citizenship.


Think of it as a mission statement about why your students need to know the information you are presenting.

You should have that statement down and ready to say at any time.


Actions…1. Have former students come

in and talk about how relevant the information you’re teaching is in their lives.

2. Provide examples of how they will use what you’re teaching later in their lives.


3. Use real world examples.

4. Authentic products.

5. Develop a “rationale statement” for the lesson you are going to teach. You could post that statement on your classroom wall.

welcome bringing excitement to the classroom: understanding what motivates and engages today’s...

Documents

volunteering slide

percentage higher

year olds

highest percentage of

age group percentage

selfcentered people

religious organizations

charitable organizations