Eggen, P. Kauchak, D. (2010) Educational Psychology: Windows on Classrooms (8 th Ed.) New Jersey: Pearson

Plan attention-grabbing lessons :  Remember lesson length vs. age group.  Be creative!  Use modern technology. Use students’ names.  “ The use of students’ names is one of the most powerful attention getters that exist, and effective teachers call on individuals instead of directing questions to the class as a whole. When this becomes a pattern, attention and achievement increase significantly.” (Eggen & Kauchak, 2010, p. 208; Eggen & Kauchak 2006; McDougall & Granby, 1996) Have students actively involved in learning activities. You could use: Visual aids Out-of -the ordinary events Real-life problems Demonstrations Thought-provoking questions Computers e.g. online learning with Mathletics etc. Interactive Whiteboards Mind maps Eggen, P., & Kauchak, D. (2010) Educational Psychology: Windows on Classrooms (8 th Ed.) New Jersey: Pearson  Maintain students’ attention “Because attention is where learning begins, attracting and maintaining student attention are essential.” (Eggen & Kauchak,2010, p.207 ; Curtindale et al., 2007 ; Valenzeno, Alibali, & Klatzky, 2003)

 Helps you determine whether students have accurately perceived the information you’ve taught.  Helps to activate students’ prior knowledge. (schema activation)  Use reviews  Ask what they already know on a topic.  Have them share personal experiences relating to the topic.  Places students into cognitively active roles when used to help guide thinking and learning.  Ask questions

 Present information with interconnecting ideas.  Incorporate mind maps, models, demonstration into your lessons.  Teach closely related items together.  Helps to avoid confusion further down the track.  Relevancy  Try to offer real-life and practical experiences in your classroom.  Provide rich learning experiences.  “...providing children with rich learning experiences can amplify their intelligence, and denying them such richness of experience can diminish their intelligence.” (Thomlinson, 1999, p. 18; Caine & Caine, 1991)  Make learning meaningful Thomlinson, C. (1999) The differentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all learners Alexandria, V.a.:ASCD retrieved July 2010 from Curtin University Library Remember students construct their own knowledge based on prior knowledge and experiences.  A student’s mind is like a brick wall. If a row is missing a brick you cannot build the next row on top of it; same as if a student skips learning something, they cannot build on top of it until that brick is put in place.

 Auditory learners:  Learn by listening to verbal instructions; remember by forming the sounds of words.  Lesson ideas: Verbal drills (with a classmate or computer), help them put information into a rhythmic pattern (like a poem, a song, or a rap), YouTube, interactive immersion programs; for reading assignments - let them read aloud, use audio e-books.  Visual learners:  Learn by seeing and watching; use strong visual associations.  Lesson ideas: YouTube clips, interactive immersion programs, powerpoint, wikispaces, blogging; encourage them to take notes or doodle while listening, have them draw their own picture (no matter how bad they think it looks) to associate with facts, letters, or words.  Kinesthetic/Tactile learners:  Learn by becoming physically involved and actually doing something with what’s being learned.  Lesson ideas: Interactive immersion programs, using 3D modelling software, provide them with stories to read that are filled with action, have them listen to audio e-books while they do something physical, instruct them to take notes or highlight information while listening, use activities/play games that involve their whole body, try to provide small “breaks” in class – especially with sit down work.  Understand each students’ natural learning method. “ All students could learn, but we cannot expect them to learn in the same way.” ( Tobias, 1994) Tobias, C. (1994) The way they learn: How to discover and teach to your child’s strengths (pp ) Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Eggen, P., & Kauchak, D. (2010) Educational psychology: Windows on classrooms (8 th Ed.) 207, , New Jersey:Pearson Eggen, P., & Kauchak, D. (2006) Strategies and models for teachers: Teaching content and thinking skills (5 th Ed.) Boston: Allyn & Bacon McDougall, D., & Granby, C. (1996) How expectation of questioning method affects undergraduates’ preparation for class. Journal of Experimental Education, 65, Tobias, C. (1994) The way they learn: How to discover and teach to your child’s strengths (pp ) Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Valenzeno, L., Alibali, M., & Klatzsky, R. (2003). Teachers’ gestures facilitate students’ learning: A lesson in symmetry. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 28, Images: Slide 14 -Teacher and Classroom - Microsoft Clip Art Slide 15– Teacher and Classroom – Microsoft Clip Art Slide 16 – Teacher and Classroom – Microsoft Clip Art - Brick Wall - illustration/ MCT_____MCTILLUS_ _Building_wallhttp:// illustration/ MCT_____MCTILLUS_ _Building_wall Slide 17- Learning Styles Cartoons (3) - Study & Learning Centre, RMIT © 2007 (1) (2) (3)