STRATEGIES TO ENGAGE STUDENTS
BELIZE LITERACY PROGRAM
SUMMER 2011
Objectives
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Expand awareness of good teaching strategies
Explore possibilities for use of Bloom’s
Consider impact of brain research strategies
Consider use of co operative
learning strategies
Safe Environment
 Schools supporting a climate for learning that is
supportive and meets individual needs of students.
 Safe and Caring Schools
Knowing the Learner
 Role of the Teacher
 My vocation is to teach
 Self efficacy: You can learn, and from me. I know what I
teach. I am well trained.
 I make differences one student at a time.
 Strategies exist for me to effectively.
Knowing the Learner
 Role of the student
 My teacher likes me and believes I can succeed.
 I want to learn. I want to succeed.
 My teacher will take effort to get to know about me
personally.
 My teacher is important to my learning.
LEARNING ACTIVITY
 SHIFT AND SHARE………..
Talk to an elbow partner and identify SPECIFIC teacher
behaviors that ensure students know the role of the
teacher..
LIST TWO EXAMPLES AND WRITE DOWN FOR SHARING
Instructional Strategies
 Brain research and teaching
I Hear and I Forget,
I See and I Remember
I DO and I UNDERSTAND.
Brain research……..
 We learn and retain:
10% of what we hear
15% of what we see,
20% of what we both hear and see
80% of what we experience directly or
practice
90% of what we attempt to teach
others.
LEARNING ACTIVITY
Research is all fine and dandy ……………. But:
FIND A NEW PARTICIPANT YOU HAVE NOT WORKED
WITH TODAY AND USING A MATH CLASS AS AN
EXAMPLE:
IDENTIFY TWO TEACHING APPROACHES
THAT HONOR BRAIN RESEARCH AND
MAXIMIZE STUDENT LEARNING………
GROUP INPUT
 Have a student explain/teach to the class a math
problem solving concept.
 Have student who know the concept well teach it to
another student..
 Others….
LESSON PLANNING TIPS
FACT:
MOST GOOD TEACHING LESSON PLANS HAVE COMMON
COMPONENTS. YOU CAN TAKE PAGES TO EXPLAIN
THEM OR GET TO THE POINT AND CAPTURE THE MAIN
IDEAS THAT WILL IMPACT LEARNING.
Discuss: What are the essential components of a
lesson where a new concept is being taught?
Planning for Instruction..
 The Lesson
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Opener
Teaching ‘stuff’
Student ‘learning stuff’
Closure
Tell them what you are going to tell them,
Tell them,
Tell them what you told them.
Bloom’s Taxonomy – POWER TOOL
Have a copy with you when planning lessons.
Excellent resource for:
 Objective/outcome writing
 Class discussions
 Developing test, quiz questions
 Developing projects to support learning
REALLY LOOK AT BLOOM’S..
DECONSTRUCT AND APPLY
 Look at the various levels of Bloom’s.
 Identify a discussion question, a
project activity and a quiz question for
each level.
 Context: Standard three Math or
Science Class.
SO WHAT DID YOU LEARN..
HANDY PLANNING TOOL?
CONFUSED?
EXEMPLARY TEACHERS KNOW..
SUPER SECRET…
EXEMPLARY TEACHERS KNOW THAT:
School is first a social endeavor and that if you address
socialization in teaching your students
….. love you and LEARN MORE!
Utilize the Power of Peer….
Social Dimensions of Learning
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School as social
Actively engaged students
Engaging power of peer
Learning teams, Co op learning
Variation, choice and repetition
Clear tasks, accountability, presentation
Teacher as facilitator
Learning about each other
 TEACH students strategies to work together
 Design activities that build trust between peers
 Always have an activity where all students have
something to contribute and make time for them to
write down or think about their contribution
 Use safe topics for discussion until trust is strong
 Provide conversation starters, enders, timelines.
SAFE ENTRY INTO CO 0P LEARNING
 THINK, PAIR AND SHARE ACTIVITIES
 1. GIVE A TASK (simple – everyone can answer)
 2. After naming task have all individuals silently think
about their response and write it down.
 3. Invite the group to share their contribution with a
partner. Then, have everyone find another partner to
share with. I tell you mine, then you tell me yours…
 4. Settle group: Who would like to share one or two of
their findings today?
TRY A THINK, PAIR, SHARE
REVIEW THE COMPONENTS OF THINK, PAIR AND
SHARE.
WHAT PROTECTION EXISTS FOR ALL LEARNERS?
WHAT ELEMENTS OF THE PROCESS MIGHT
INCREASE STUDENT COLLABORATION SKILLS WITH
PEERS?
MODEL THE TEACHING PROCESS
Look below
 Identify a favorite Hero who has lived in the past
twenty years? Why is that entity a Hero?
Sample Activities
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Special place you go to unwind
Favorite books
Best fast food chain
How you celebrate your birthday
Most memorable Christmas
Advice to ‘tourist’ to your city
Favorite hero
Most dangerous situation
Something others don’t know about you
Favorite sports team
Co op Learning Caution
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Start small (beginner methods)
Informal vs formal
Emphasize group goals
System for accountability (behavior and learning)
Guard against hitch hiking
LEARNING IS EXTRENCHED IN
OUR EXPERIENCES…
-important in valuing the role of educators in one country and the
role in another
-importance of involving the key stakeholders at the local level with
projects at the national and international leel.
Celebrate the journey