1. Promoting Student Engagement

2. Total Participation Techniques Persida and William Himmele
What are TPTs?
teaching techniques that allow for all students
to demonstrate at the same time,
active participation and cognitive engagement
on the topic being studied.
Goal: Making every student an ACTIVE learner

3. Categorized into
On-the-Spot TPTs
TPT Hold-ups
TPTs Involving movement
TPTs to Guide note-taking/Concept Analysis

4. Similes
Compare two unrelated items using like/as - teacher/student created
Can provide opportunities for abstractly portraying the big picture of concepts in a way that sums up their meaning
Teacher-created – teacher provides simile and asks students to formulate an explanation for how the simile might be true
Example: Adaptations are like bank accounts in that ________________
Student-created - Ask students to make a connection between the topic they are studying and something unrelated
Example: We’ve been talking about solving quadratics.
“Solving quadratics is like ______ in that ________________.”
Ensuring H-O Thinking – Asking students to create and provide rationales for similes is, itself, HO in nature because in asking them to examine components within the items being compared, they are indeed analyzing the concepts taught, thus engaging in HO thinking.

5. Quick Write Brief activity inserted at almost any point
Doesn’t take long, just enough time for students to stop and and reflect in writing on what they are learning – 3 mins. is usually sufficient
Example: For the next three minutes, jot down your reflections on how the Earth’s shifting plates may have directly affected the landscape where you live.
Can make use of word blanks to ensure students address important concepts learned. Teachers can identify a handful of words that they would like students to use within their QWs. For example, how might the argument be different if the author were speaking to someone else? Use the following words in your response: counterclaim, ethos, pathos, logos.
Follow up with Pair & Share or Chalkboard Splash
Ensuring H-O Thinking – go beyond asking students to explain concepts…instead, ask them to make connections between concepts and their effect(s) on world around them by asking questions that begin with phrases like “In what ways..” and “How might things be different if…”

6. Chalkboard Splash
Use when you want the entire class to see the collective responses of their peers-great for addressing the “big picture” and/or relevance factor of whatever topic you are teaching
What have you noticed about yourself as a reader because of this unit?
What do you think the main character will wish for? What makes you think that?
What is the most important thing you learned about today’s topic?
Which of the these forms of ---- is/are best? Why?
How to Implement: Have all students record their responses onto random/assigned spots on the room’s chalk/whiteboard or on chart paper.
After recording their responses, ask students to analyze peer responses for three things: similarities, differences, and surprises (graphic organizer available for this).
Ensuring H-O Thinking – “So what? Why is this important?” or “What is the purpose for learning about ----?” AND guide students to analyze their peers entries and see what new questions/insights emerge from the similarities, differences, and surprises.

8. Picture Notes
A way for students to stop and process what they have learned
Meant to accompany written notes, not to replace them
How to Implement: During selected pause points, students create a picture that illustrates concept(s) being learned. To draw their picture, students have to effectively consolidate the concepts presented and then be able to explain their picture to a peer. Picture-pause and the sharing can be limited to about 4 mins.
Example: During first “picture-pause,” students might be asked to illustrate the first of three theories on what causes inflation OR to draw a picture/illustration that helps them remember the first part of the Townshend Acts.
The sharing component is especially helpful for students who have only a partial understanding because students get to add to each other’s understandings in between each picture-pause.
Toward the end of the lesson, ask students to consolidate what they’ve learned into a final drawing that captures the “big picture,” along with a summary statement below the picture. Debrief “big picture” portion with Chalkboard Splash and search for similarities, differences, and surprises or with small-group discussion. (graphic organizer available for this)

10. Ranking
Requires students to analyze components of the concepts they are learning and then justify reasons for assigning them a specific ranking
How To Implement: Select items/concepts/steps/events/etc. to be analyzed. Have students rank according to a specified criteria (most/least important, influential, essential, changed, affected, likeable, etc.) and provide justification for their ranking.
Follow up by allowing students to pair & share to see how their rankings and justifications compare/contrast to their peers, and then allow them to change their order if they have a change of heart based on new information.
Examples: Ask students to rank causes in order of most important to least important in leading to the American Revolution OR ask students to rank quotes from story in order of most descriptive to least descriptive in describing a developing relationship/character and provide rationale for their ranking.
Ensuring H-O Thinking – another that is HO in nature because the actual process, itself, of analyzing the specifics of each choice, determining its weight, and providing rationale for its ranking requires analysis and evaluation

11. Debate Team Carousel
Students debate a position from various angles as prompted on a template
Allows students to see various aspects of an issue and consider what the opposing and supporting arguments for a certain position might be
Example: An art teacher might ask, “Do you think Picasso was a more skilled painter before or after he discovered cubism?” or another teacher might ask, “Do you think the first or second author provided the best argument for/against _________?”
How to Implement:
Create a prompt that requires students to use their judgement and content presented to take a position. Provide template for each student, so that all are responding at the same time. Place students in groups of four. Ask all students to record their judgement and a rationale for what they believe in the first box.
Ask them to pass their papers to the right, read and add a supporting rationale that goes along with their peer’s judgement (even if they don’t agree).
Ask them to all pass their papers to the right, and read what is in both of their peers’ boxes and add something that might be used as an opposing rationale (whether they agree or not).
Ask them all to pass their paper to the right and add their own opinion, supporting it with rationale, in the final box. Then students give papers back to the original owners.
Ask volunteers to share out some of the arguments for and against.
Ensuring H-O Thinking – another that is HO in nature because the actual process lends itself to the analysis and evaluation of a topic.

13. Foldables… GC has book on it.
-are interactive, 3-D graphic organizers -are student-constructed visual displays used to organize information -engage students in active learning -create student-ownership -are ideal for diverse learners
GC has book on it.

14. Appointment Agendas/ Clock Partners
Get students out of their seats and interacting with others
How To Implement: Provide students with an Appointment Agenda/Clock Partner Sheet with various time-slot options. Have student walk around the room and make “appointments” with various partners. Both partners select time that is open and write each other’s name in slot. Caution: partners should appear only once on an agenda. Once agendas are filled in, it can be used a pairing tool to have students share their QWs/reflections/etc. (graphic organizers available for this).

16. In every lesson you teach,
look for multiple opportunities and various ways to actively and cognitively engage your students in learning!