Increasing Student Involvement & Active Participation Jill Moses EDU 582

Objectives By the end of today’s session, you will be able to: Describe the benefits of active participation and feedback in the classroom Identify ways to increase student engagement & build interpersonal skills Demonstrate examples of positive verbal and non-verbal communication with kids Plan opportunities for academic communication through formative assessments, goal setting and conferencing

Think, Pair & Share How do you know students are learning? What opportunities have you created for them to communicate their understanding? In what ways are your students active participants in their own learning process? How do you create opportunities for open, positive communication (verbal and non-verbal) with your students? How often are they able to develop and practice interpersonal skills in the classroom?

Getting Kids Actively Involved Benefits of a Student-Centered Classroom Kids develop ownership over their learning Increased motivation, participation, and engagement Opportunities to check in & adjust course Positive interpersonal relationships among peers & with teacher Students learn to work with others & communicate effectively

The Pitfalls of a Passive Classroom One-Dimensional Classroom Teacher lectures, students memorize Decreased engagement and motivation Low levels of attention Basic, surface level understanding & limited communication Students feel disconnected & bored

Student Conferencing One-on-One Conversations Opportunity to communicate fully & effectively with each child Ongoing qualitative data Positive rapport & trust built Student can reflect on academic & behavioral progress

Tracking Scores & Grades Show Progress Throughout the Year Students track their test scores, grades, assignments, etc. Visual evidence of growth (i.e. bar graph) Excellent communication tool with parents & during student conferences Increases student ownership & self efficacy Opportunity for continued reflection on progress

Student Goal Setting Academic Goals Gives students the power to plan and steer their own path Opportunity to practice effective speaking, academic language & writing Teaches students real world lessons Long-term planning Reflection of strengths and weaknesses Creating tangible action steps

Assessing Formatively Checks for Understanding Opportunity for student to reflect on their own comprehension Concrete evidence of learning Formative assessments = communication tools Can be used during conferences Communicates strengths, weaknesses, and holes in understanding

Students Create Their Own Meaning Increasing Communication Through Collaboration Create opportunities for kids to build their own unique understanding & work together Teacher = facilitator Group work, peer discussions & collaboration Active involvement  high-level critical thinking and building interpersonal skills

Engagement Strategies QuickWrite Think/Pair/Share Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down Fishbowl Popsicle Sticks Cold Call Jigsaw 4 Corners

More Ideas for Active Participation Stations Around the Room Chalkboard Splash Act It Out Exit Ticket Individual White Boards Hot Seat Round Robin

Differentiation Identify students’ needs  adjust instruction Flexible groupings Give choices in authentic assessments “How do you want to demonstrate your understanding?” “What interests and motivates you?” “Through what channels can you communicate what you’ve learned?”

Verbal Communication with Students Tips to Maintain Positive Daily Interactions Calm, level tone of voice Kind encouragement & praise Purposeful word choice Ask questions to show interest & build rapport

Questioning / Prompting Reflecting / Paraphrasing Response Styles Questioning / Prompting Reflecting / Paraphrasing Give reassurance, support & encouragement Listen actively to the student speaking Ask open-ended questions to open up discussion Reinforce what he/she is saying with head nods and smiles Seek to understand & send & receive messages effectively Restate what you heard them say or can observe

Non-Verbal Communication Tips Sending The Right Message Without Words Smile! Open, relaxed body language Appropriate distance / personal space Consistent eye contact Silent signals of encouragement  thumbs up, high five, etc.

Technology as a Communication Tool ClassDojo App created to communicate student behavior, class rewards and directly message with families Newsletters Send news home regularly to share classroom updates Open up line of communication with students and their families Class Wikis, Blogs, and apps like Remind101 Digital scores & other data Share achievements & milestones, demonstrate growth

Reflect & Share Engage more fully? Take charge of their own learning? How can you create opportunities in your own classroom for students to… Learn to communicate their needs, strengths, and weaknesses? Engage more fully? Take charge of their own learning?