Engaging Them All

Active Participation Strategiesmore students responding more often!

September 7, 2010

What is the difference between engaging students and entertaining students?

Engage All Students in Every Lesson

• “to attract and maintain a learner’s interest and active involvement in all lesson content and related tasks with clearly articulated ‘evidence checks’…”

• Goal: increase academic discourse/activity for every student, every day

• I do it. We do it. You do it.

(Feldman, presentation, 2009)

Determining Our Focus

• Rate your understanding/use:

1 It’s not familiar.

2 It’s familiar, but not a regular part of my professional practice.

3 It’s a regular part of my professional practice.

What will I do to engage students?• Scans the room making note of when students are not

engaged and takes overt action.• Uses academic games…• Uses response rate techniques…• Uses physical movement…• Uses pacing techniques…• Demonstrates intensity and enthusiasm…• Uses friendly controversy…• Provides opportunities to relate content with personal

interests• Uses unusual/intriguing information about the content…

(Marzano, presentation, 2010)

Essential Questions & Objective• What will I do to help

students interact with new knowledge?

• What will I do to engage students?

• What will I do to establish and maintain effective relationships with students?

• Identify multiple ways to maximize student focus and engagement.– Clear Objectives– Frequent Checks for Understanding– Increasing responses of all students

during academic discourse• Choral Response• Written Response

– Quick Summary Techniques• Partner Response• Individual Response• Pass Option• Structured Academic Language

Yes – No - Why

• I share clear objectives with my students for every lesson, every day.

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Activity: Fill in the Blanks

The questions that p____________ face as they raisech_______ from in________ to adult life are not easy to an______. Both fa________ and m_________ can becomeconcerned when health problems such asco___________ arise any time after the e__________stage to later life. Experts recommend that youngch_________ should have plenty of s__________ andNutritious food for healthy growth. B________ and g _______should not share the same b__________ or even sleep in thesame r__________.

Now try this...

• Objective: – Identify issues that poultry farmers face.

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Activity: Fill in the Blanks

The questions that p____________ face as they raisech_______ from in________ to adult life are not easy to an______. Both fa________ and m_________ can becomeconcerned when health problems such asco___________ arise any time after the e__________stage to later life. Experts recommend that youngch_________ should have plenty of s__________ andNutritious food for healthy growth. B________ and g _______should not share the same b__________ or even sleep in thesame r__________.

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Answers

The questions that poultrymen face as they raise chickens

from incubation to adult life are not easy to answer. Both farmers

and merchants can become concerned when health problems

such as coccidiosis may arise any time after the egg stage to later

life. Experts recommend that young chicks get plenty of sunshine

and nutritious food for healthy growth. Banties and geese should

not share the same barnyard or even sleep in the same roost.

Sharing ObjectivesWhat:• explanation and display of clear descriptions of what students

will know and/or be able to do as a result of instruction – Identify multiple ways to maximize student focus and engagement.

When: • beginning of lesson (segment)

Why:• requires clarity of instruction• increase accurate focus and retention

Essential Questions & Objective• What will I do to help

students interact with new knowledge?

• What will I do to engage students?

• What will I do to establish and maintain effective relationships with students?

• Identify multiple ways to maximize student focus and engagement.– Clear Objectives– Frequent Checks for

Understanding– Increasing responses of all

students during academic discourse

• Choral Response• Written Response• Partner Response• Individual Response• Pass Option• Structured Academic Language

Frequent Checks for UnderstandingWhat:• teacher solicited, observable evidence of student understanding or

processing of new information• student response to instruction (must say, write, do)

When:• after every 5 to 10 minutes of instruction

Why:• appropriate adjustment of instruction (differentiation)• increase focus• long-term memory requires reorganization / accurate practice of new

information

Essential Questions & Objective• What will I do to help

students interact with new knowledge?

• What will I do to engage students?

• What will I do to establish and maintain effective relationships with students?

• Identify multiple ways to maximize student focus and engagement.– Clear Objectives– Frequent Checks for

Understanding– Increasing responses of all

students during academic discourse

• Choral Response• Written Response• Partner Response• Individual Response• Pass Option• Structured Academic Language

Yes - No - Why

• Having students raise their hands to respond to questions/prompts is an effective way of checking for understanding and increasing student engagement.

Unstructured Classroom Discussions

“…unstructured discussions characteristically elicit learner passivity, default conversational register, selective listening and off-task behavior…all of which keep the status quo, the Mathew Effect, firmly in place…” (Feldman, 2009).

“Merely tossing out provocative questions to the classroom stratosphere and inviting responses will not support these fragile readers and language users in responding competently and confidently...”

“unintentional inequity”

Responding Methods

• Checks for understanding• Provide rote / elaborative rehearsal

• choral, partner, individual response• intentional, random, volunteer selection• perception checks

– cell phone reception check, oil check, windshield check, weather report, thumbs up, fist of five, etc.

Choral / Unison ResponseWhat: respond together on cue

When: • answers are short and same (recall)• repetition of important terms/concepts• frequently

Why:• focus tool• provides thinking time• all students responding• students using academic language (vs. teacher-talk)

How: Explain, Model, Prompt, Practice

Good Stuff & Missed Opportunities

• What instructional techniques are likely to have positive results on competency and engagement?

• What instructional missed opportunities do you notice?

Individual Responses

What: calling on individual students

When:• (best) after written/structured partner response

Why:• voice (rehearse) accurate information• voice multiple perspectives

Individual Responses

How:– purposeful selection vs. hand raising– ALL students think, write, do…

• Intentional (or Purposeful) Selection– students with accurate answer (partners, writing, interview)– accurate rehearsal

• Random Selection (or “faux random”)– teacher calls on students– focus (everyone is on-the-hook)

• Volunteer Selection– students volunteer– opportunity for elaboration, more voices in the room

Written Response

What: brief responses during instruction

When:• elaborative response• initial individual response required

Why:• writing first increases thinking, accountability, focus• provides teacher with concrete feedback• connects written language to oral language

Summary Frames Marzano, 2001, p. 35-42

• Frameworks of questions (provided in advance by the teacher) to highlight critical elements

• Different for various types of information and purposes– Narrative– Topic-Restriction-Illustration– Definition– Argumentation– Problem-Solution– Conversation

The Topic-Restriction-Illustration Frame

• Topic: What is the general statement or topic?

• Restriction: What information does the author give that narrows or restricts the general statement or topic?

• Illustration: What examples does the author give to illustrate the topic or restriction?

The Definition Frame• What is being defined?

• To which general category does the item belong?

• What characteristics separate the item from the other items in the general category?

• What are some types or classes of the item being defined?

The Argumentation Frame• Evidence: What information does the author present that

leads to a claim?

• Claim: What does the author assert is true? What basic statement or claim is the focus of the information?

• Support: What examples or explanations support the claim?

• Qualifier: What restrictions on the claim, or evidence counter to the claim, are presented?

The Problem/Solution Frame Questions

• What is the problem?

• What is a possible solution?

• Are there any other solutions?

• Which solution has the best chance of succeeding?

Statements of Learning• In one sentence and in your own words, explain what you learned about ___

as a result of our lesson.

• Specify that students must include what they learned about the specific concept– Not: I learned how to summarize.– Instead: (I learned that) to summarize I should keep important information, get rid

of unimportant stuff, and replace specific lists with general words.

• Monitor and provide feedback! – Use quick desk checks, listen to groups– Address misconceptions– Model, provide examples– Use as exit ticket

Topic Sentences• What is it about?• What was the author trying to tell you about it?

TS = subject + author’s claim about subject

Subject: DogsClaim: make great pets if well-trainedTS: Well-trained dogs make great pets.

Write A Headline

1. Consider a chunk of information.

2. Write a short headline to summarize the information.

Write News Article Beginning

• Most information in first two paragraphs– Who?– What?– When?– Where?– Why?– How?

R.A.F.T Response• Use writing to help students explore a concept from different perspectives and through

different formats.

– Role– Audience– Format– Topic

• Differentiate:– Let students choose one or more components.– Raise Complexity – choose items farther from natural fit– Moderate/Lower Complexity – choose items closer to natural fit

(Wormelli, R.)

Example:

Role: Barack Obama Audience: high school students Format: text message

Topic: Obama’s economic plan

Role Audience Format Topic

Semicolon Middle Schoolers Diary entry I Wish You ReallyUnderstood Where I Belong

N.Y.Times public Op Ed piece How our Language DefinesWho We Are

Huck Finn Tom Sawyer Note hidden in a tree knot A Few Things You Should Know

Rain Drop Future Droplets Advice Column The Beauty of Cycles

Lung Owner Owner’s Guide To Maximize Product Life

Rain Forest John Q. Citizen Paste Up “Ransom” Note Before It’s Too Late

Reporter Public Obituary Hitler is Dead

Martin Luther King

TV audience of 2010 Speech The Dream Revisited

Thomas Jefferson

Current Residents of Virginia

Full page Newspaper Ad If I Could Talk to You Now

Fractions Whole Numbers Petition To Be Considered A Part of the Family

A word problem Students in your class Set of Directions How to Get to Know Me

RAFT Examples

One-Word Summary1. Identify one word that sums up a particular concept or

lesson

2. Explain your choice in writing to a partner in a picture

Most Important Step!

• isolation of critical attributes

• relevance, validity

Sentence Strings

Somebody (people)…wanted (motivation)…but (conflict)…so (resolution)…

Something (independent var.)…

happened (change)…

and (affect on dependent var.)…

then (conclusion)…

The purpose of (source) is to _(inform, persuade, etc.) (audience) about (topic) by (methods—examples, description, facts, etc.)

Teacher provided frames to help students pick out important information

Nonlinguistic Representation

1. Draw or find a picture, diagram, or chart to represent the new information or concept.

2. Explain your choice in writing to a partner or group

Most Important Step!

• isolation of critical attributes

• relevance, validity

Kinesthetic Activity:Tableau

• Students pose (freeze) in a position that represents the new information/concept.

– Prompt students to pose in a formation that represents the concept. (Provide only a limited amount of time, 5 minutes, for brainstorming & formation.)

– Require students to explain (speak or write) their tableau

Graphic Organizer:Concept Map

Learner Summary:Mosaic

• Draw a window with 5 panes.

• Write a single word or short phrase in each pane representing the most important ideas

• Connect these ideas/concepts in (1-3) sentences.

Lotus Notes

                 

                 

                 

                 

                 

                 

                 

                 

                 

Summary Cubes

• Record one important idea or concept per side.

• Emphasize Bloom’s Taxonomy levels (one per side)

• Use as a manipulative review stimulus

• Try the biocube at www.readwritethink.org

Frayer Model

topic

Essential characteristics or definition in your own words.

Non-Essential Characteristics

Examples

(from own life)

Non-Examples

(from own life)

Geometric Check

This (These) ideas square with my

beliefs or current practice.

three points I want to remember

These are the ideas going around in my head.

This made me wriggle in my seat.

This is an action I will take.

Structured Partner ResponseWhat: • teacher-structured activity• student pairs share/discuss specific information

When:• elaborative response• review recently learned information• before whole-class discussions

Why:• increase focus, attention, academic language use, etc.• provides scaffold • increases opportunity for students to look good

Structured Partner ResponseHow:• teacher-selected partners

– gracious middle with low– alternate ranking (readiness, social skills)– use base groups / assign roles (A and B / 1 and 2)

• specific topic or task– structured academic language (i.e. sentence starters)

• clear expectations– on-the-clock– monitor, provide scaffolding and feedback

Structured Academic Language

What: • teacher prompt to use specific academic language or syntax

When:• any discussion questions or prompts

Why:• beyond chatting• accurate rehearsal• students using academic language and syntax• provides scaffold to competently discuss topic

Structured Academic LanguageHow:• Provide initial phrasing of response or key terms expected in

response• Model and practice (i.e. with choral response)• Require use in response (with partner, in writing, when selected)

Sounds like:• I predict ___ because ___.• One consequence of the invention was a rise in __.• Two potential motives behind an author’s use of roman à clef

include ___.• …your response must include the words “function” and “variable.”

Interaction Sequence• Ask all student the

question.• Pause (3+ seconds).• Put students on-the-clock.

– “You have 30 seconds to share your answer with your partner.”

• Students share their thoughts with a partner.

• Select student(s) to respond.

Conference with 1 or 2 pairs• Check student answers• Probe• Provide answers when missing

1. Intentional Selection: Call on a student visited

2. Random Selection: Call on one or two more

3. Volunteer Selection: Allow volunteer responses

(Sharer, Anastasio, & Perry, 2007, p. 80-85)

Time and Dignity:Pass Option

• Best as temporary exit – “Tell me one thing you heard _(the previous

responder)_ say.”

• Allows time– Gather thoughts, composure– Refocus / re-engage

• Requires teaching– Explain why– Teach what it looks like / sounds like– Communicate its temporary nature

(Sharer, Anastasio, & Perry, 2007, p. 32-34)

Essential Questions & Objective• What will I do to help

students interact with new knowledge?

• What will I do to engage students?

• What will I do to establish and maintain effective relationships with students?

• Identify multiple ways to maximize student focus and engagement.– Clear Objectives– Frequent Checks for

Understanding– Increasing responses of all

students during academic discourse

• Choral Response• Written Response• Partner Response• Individual Response• Pass Option• Structured Academic Language

How do you maximize student engagement?

Run the Tournament:Most relevant, interesting to learn

• Use a “tournament bracket” to decide which characteristic is most relevant or interesting.

1. Line up items (randomly).2. For each pair, decide which should advance.3. Once a winner is decided, choose one

consolation item from any of the others.

Musical Cards

• Trade cards while the music plays.

• When the music stops, partner with the person currently trading with you.

• Read each card and together distribute 7 points between the two cards to represent the degree of importance and relevance toward the question: Why should I teach some words explicitly?

• In order to augment my professional practice…• In order to engage more students, more often,

I will…