Engaging Students \ Mitzi Hoback & Suzanne Whisler Ellen Stokebrand Gregg Robke New Teacher Workshop ESU 4 August 5, 2010

Are Our Students Engaged?

What will I do to engage students? " Education is not filling a bucket but lighting a fire.” William Butler Yeats

What Does Research Tell Us About Engaging Students? Engaging can be a combination of behavior, emotional and cognitive factors. Reeves (2006) explains engagement the following way Engagement includes on-task behavior, but it further highlights the central role of students’ emotion, cognition, and voice. When engagement is characterized by the full range of on-task behavior, positive emotions, invested cognition, and personal voice, it functions as the engine for learning and development.

5 Factors That Contribute to Student Engagement High Energy – Opportunities for physical activity, good pacing, and teacher enthusiasm and intensity. Missing Information – Tapping into students’ curiosity and anticipation Games Puzzles Self-System - Appealing to students’ enduring values and beliefs. The “I” self is the composite of everything we find personally interesting and valuable. The “I” self is the focal point of human attention.

5 Factors That Contribute to Student Engagement Mild Pressure – Ensuring that pressure is at the right level of intensity and for the right duration of time (e.g., wait time, random calling) Random ways to call on students Mild Controversy and Competition – Jensen (2005) calls this component “engineered controversy.” It can be engendered through such processes as: Structure debate Comparison & Contrast of competing perspectives about a controversial issue or topic Games and tournaments

The Art and Science of Teaching Chapter 5: What will I do to engage students? 9 Action Steps 1.Use games that focus on academic content. 2.Use inconsequential competition. 3.Manage questions and response rates. 4.Use physical movement. 5.Use appropriate pacing.

6.Demonstrate intensity and enthusiasm for content. 7.Engage students in friendly controversy. 8.Provide opportunities for students to talk about themselves. 9.Provide unusual information. Action Steps for Question Five What will I do to engage students?

Using Games Games stimulate attention because they involve missing information Games should focus on academic content so that they represent a form of review Let’s play!

Talk a Mile a Minute Students are given a list of terms that have been organized into categories. Each team designates a talker. The talker tries to get the team to say each of the words by quickly describing them. The talker is allowed to say anything about the terms while talking but may not use any words in the category title or any rhyming words. The talker keeps talking until the team members identify all terms in the category. If members of the team are having difficulty with a particular term, the talker skips it and comes back to it later.

Things associated with weather Tornado Hurricane Cold front Cumulus clouds Sleet Barometer El Nino

Things associated with oceans Waves Moon Algae Pacific Ships Tropical fish George Clooney

Play Charades Each team designates an actor The actor tries to get the team to say each of the words by acting them out. The actor keeps acting until the team members identify all terms in the category. If members of the team are having difficulty with a particular term, the actor skips it and comes back to it later.

Charades- Science Oxygen Carbon Monoxide Helium Neon Rotate Revolve Atom

$100,000 Pyramid One player on each team, the clue giver, is able to see the game board. Other students, the guessers, cannot see the game board. As the teacher reveals the first category, clue givers begin to list terms that pertain to that category until the guessers name the category. The teacher reveals the next category as soon as she sees that a team has correctly identified the first category and is ready to move to the next.

100 POINTS Things that are living Liquids Prime numbers Parts of the digestive system Things that conduct heat 50 POINTS50 POINTS50 POINTS 200 POINTS Vocabulary Terms & Phrases Adverbs 100 POINTS

Synonyms for “happy” Titles of plays Things that happened in the 1970’s Shapes Things associated with Harry Truman Amphibians 50 POINTS50 POINTS50 POINTS 100 POINTS 200 POINTS Vocabulary Terms & Phrases

Jeopardy Planet Jeopardy Vocabulary Jeopardy

Classroom Feud 1.Students form teams (on the spot or ongoing). 2.The number of questions should be even and based on how many students are in the class. 3.Questions are asked of each team in alternating patterns. 4.Teacher is questioner and judge of correctness. 5.One student from each team serves as responder, with students taking turns systematically. 6.Teacher presents a question to responder, who shares his or her answer with team members.

Classroom Feud 7.Team members decide if the answer is or is not correct. If they disagree with responder, they offer alternatives. 8.Responder has 15 seconds to decide which answer to present. 9.If answer is correct, team receives a point. If incorrect, opposite team can give an alternative answer. (Most recent responder acts as team responder.) 10.When every student on both teams has served as responder, the team with the most points wins.

Don’t forget to use physical movement. (the oxygen effect) Stand up and stretch (the oxygen effect) (acting out important content) Body representations (acting out important content) (standing, students compare notes and identify additions) Give one, get one (standing, students compare notes and identify additions) (Correct? Partially correct? Incorrect?) Vote with your feet (Correct? Partially correct? Incorrect?)

Six Word Summary Use six words to write a summary about engaging students Share your summary with your group Make one summary for your group

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