Total
Participation
Techniques
Making Every Student an Active Learner
Persida Himmele & William Himmele
Total Participation Techniques
(TPTs)
Implementation and Field-testing:
Manheim Central Middle School
8 teachers: novice to experienced
 from 2-16 years of teaching experience
1 Millersville Student Teacher in 5th grade
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“Stand and Deliver”
Professional Development
Quick-Write
“What implications does this type of
teaching have on student learning?”
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SO WHY?
There are No implications: The problem is that too
many students sit, disengaged, giving no indication
that they are thinking or learning and the teacher
only knows that 2-3 students understand the
concept.
 If “Stand and Deliver” teaching isn't good
enough for our professional development
seminars, why would it be good enough for
our children?
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Himmele & Himmele’s
GOAL
To provide ways to
ACTIVELY and COGNITIVELY
engage students in the learning process,
by creating classrooms where content is
RELEVANT and DEEP.
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WHY TPTs?
Chapters 1 and 2
People at any age need to pause and process
what they are learning.
 They need to think about the concepts,
jot their thoughts down,
compare understandings with peers,
and ask questions.
Learning is a Social Experience
What do you need to do to learn new concepts?
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The High Cost of Disengagement
 At least a quarter of students drop out of school.
 Every 9 seconds a student drops out.
(Leher, Johnson, Bremer, Cosio & Thompson, 2004).
 The most at risk students are African American,
Latino, and Native American; their drop out rate
is twice that of their white peers (Balfanz et al., 2010).
 Three-quarters of state prison inmates are
dropouts (Martin & Halperin, 2006).
 Illiteracy is rampant among inmates.
What does this mean to us?
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Multiple Choice Hold-Up
What do you think is the number ONE reason
students give for dropping out of school?
A. They were failing and the requirements
were difficult
B. Left for personal reasons (pregnancy, to
get a job to help support family)
C. Boredom, classes were not interesting
D. Too many missed days and could not
make up all the work
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Make a Difference
 Number one reason Drop Outs give is
BOREDOM!
 Students want engagement, hands-on learning,
and the opportunity to debate and discuss.
 TPTs force students to be actively and cognitively
engaged, they can no longer hide behind the 3-4
students who always raise their hand.
 BEWARE – disengagement is a learned
behavior, but effective teaching can make the
difference by cognitively engaging students.
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Total Participation Techniques
 are the quickest, simplest, most effective tools
that can dramatically improve teaching and
learning.
 ensure that students are actively, cognitively,
and emotionally engaged in the content being
taught.
 take the focus off the teaching and place it on
what, and to what extent, your students are
learning.
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So What Can We Do?
Plan for and require students to
demonstrate active
participation and cognitive
engagement, or you have no
way of knowing what students
have learned until it’s too late.
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Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)
 Classrooms need to provide opportunities for
students to develop higher-order thinking skills in
order for them to become
 Critical Thinkers
 Problem Solvers
 Innovators
 Change Makers
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How to Ensure HOTS
 Student interactions are only as powerful as the
prompts.
 Develop prompts and activities that require
students to reflect and use analysis, synthesis, and
evaluation.
 Think through the big idea and know what is
most important for students to walk away with.
 Focus on deep meaning.
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The Ultimate Goal
 Using HOTS teaches kids HOW TO THINK,
not what to think.
 When lessons are structured to ensure active
participation and cognitive engagement by
every learner, it makes learning lasting and
meaningful.
 We need to teach students how to think!
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HOW?
Chapter 3
 Require students to “Show you” their learning, by
expecting them to participate and by providing
you with evidence of cognitive engagement.
 Write TPTs in your lessons plans or Post directions
for some TPTs around the room to prompt you
to use them consistently.
 Have TPT folders or envelopes to store materials
they will need for TPTs (See pages 28-29)
 Have “resource boxes” to hold supplies needed
for TPTs. (scissors, glue sticks, highlighters, etc.)
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Formative Assessment
Chapter 8
 The purpose is to ultimately influence learning.
 Formative assessments help teachers EVALUATE
students’ knowledge and understanding and
then ADJUST their teaching to produce
improved student learning.
 Contrast with summative assessments, which are
done at the end only to summarize what the
students have learned.
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Formative Assessments
 Teachers have to use their professional expertise
on a daily, hourly, and minute by minute basis.
 It is the informed judgments that the teacher
gathers and uses within the classroom to move
students along the continuum.
 TPTs can be used as formative assessments by
providing teachers with ongoing data about
what students understand and what they need.
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TPTs as Assessments
 TPTs are assessments because they provide an
accurate picture of what the students know.
 Keep Anecdotal Records of student progress,
keep samples that show the child’s
understanding, record notes on participation and
concept development.
 TPTs Inform your teaching: If you get a test
grade that does not match what the child has
been doing, you many need to evaluate your
lesson and/or the test.
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Main Concepts
Similes as a Formative Assessment
1. Total Participation Techniques (TPTs) are like
_________ in that _________.
St. Joan of Arc, Seven Sorrows, Heritage Christian
2. Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) are like
_________ in that __________.
Good Shepherd, Londonderry, St. Joseph’s
3.
Formative Assessments are like _________ in
that _________.
Holy Name of Jesus and St. Margaret Mary
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Text Rendering
 Chapters 4 On-the Spot TPTS (10) & 5 TPT
Hold-Ups (5)
 Chapter 6 TPTS Involving Movement (11)
 Chapter 7: TPTs to Guide Note-Taking and
Concept Analysis (11)
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Most TPTs include 4 Sections
 When we break into groups you will read about
one type of TPT.
 You should be prepared to
1.
2.
3.
4.
Identify the TPT.
Describe the steps for using the technique.
Tell how to ensure Higher-Order Thinking.
Explain how it might be used as a formative
assessment.
5. Share any interesting tips, suggestions or ways
you would apply it in your classroom.
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Thoughts to Ponder
1. Which of your students would have benefitted
from the consistent use of TPTs?
2. How can implementing Total Participation
Techniques make you a better teacher?
3. In what ways can you see TPTs being used in
your classroom?
4. How will you use TPTs as formative
assessments?
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