In your table groups, diamond rank your cards according to what are the most important constituents of an outstanding lesson.OR.. Arrange the cards on your A3 paper and draw ‘linking lines’ to show which aspects of a lesson have the most influence over each of the others.

Arrange your cards in order of which you think is the most effective method of learning.

NQT +1 Teachers: Session 1. Active Active Engagement Session Objective: Understand how to apply & integrate active engagement into lessons.

In your groups you have 8 minutes to discuss and write a quick lesson plan to achieve your chosen objective!

TIME IS UP!

6 Tell me, I forget. Show me, I remember. Involve me, I understand.

A study completed by the National Training Laboratories in the USA found that the most effective methods of learning are as follows.. Active Learning / Engagement!

8 What is Active Engagement? “Active engagement refers to the joint functioning of motivation, conceptual knowledge, cognitive strategies, and social interactions in literacy activities”. (Guthrie & Anderson, 1999) “Active learning involves providing opportunities for students to meaningfully talk and listen, write, read, and reflect on the content, ideas, issues and concerns of an academic subject”. (Meyers & Jones, 1993)

9 Active Engagement and Social Interaction “Design where possible activities that involve students in physical doing as well as speaking, listening, reading and looking… create experiences that really are experiences”. (Ginnis, 2002) “High levels of active engagement during lessons are associated with higher levels of achievement and student motivation”. (Ryan and Deci, 2000)

Impact of Active Engagement In a study examining the achievement of 792 students in 88 classrooms (grades 1-5) in nine high-poverty schools the researchers found: A significant, positive correlation between active learning environments and growth in reading comprehension, whereas the correlation was negative in passive learning environments. (Taylor, Pearson, Peterson, & Rodriguez, 2003)

Basics to develop active engagement 1) Explore prior knowledge 2) Challenge 3) Cooperative group work 4) Metacognition – Regular feedback, reassess and re learn 5) Converting information – music to picture 6) Scaffolds - BUT support is temporary 2 key principles before you try any techniques: 1)Good teacher – pupil relationships 2)Physical environment that is organised and has colourful displays

12 Examples of Active Engagement Students have to learn definitions of key words – write the key word and definition on stickers, put the stickers on students’ backs (or foreheads) they have to find their partners! Students need to learn the sequence in which a process occurs – within a group can they freeze frame each aspects or model it and other groups have to guess which it is! Students use the equipment they have on the desk or in their back (including their lunch!) to make a model of something they have learnt – then peer evaluate? Students stop halfway through a creative task, and their peer continues the work!

13 “ Who can tell me…?” WARNING! Avoid Recitation

Time to put it to the test.. You should now have a different group’s lesson plan from earlier. Using the active engagement ideas sheet reflect upon the lesson plan you now have: Identify periods of active engagement? Modify any areas you feel could be changed to be more active.

15 Examples of Active Engagement Students have to learn definitions of key words – write the key word and definition on stickers, put the stickers on students’ backs (or foreheads) they have to find their partners! Students need to learn the sequence in which a process occurs – within a group can they freeze frame each aspects or model it and other groups have to guess which it is! Students use the equipment they have on the desk or in their back (including their lunch!) to make a model of something they have learnt – then peer evaluate? Students stop halfway through a creative task, and their peer continues the work!

Over to you.. Think of a lesson you have coming up (possibly not tomorrow!). What steps are the students taking towards achieving the objective? Are these actively engaging? (are the students going to be actively learning or is it more passive? Can you think of an alternative ? Spend 2 mins thinking about your prospective lesson, then share your ideas for active engagement with your neighbour.

“Are they Actively Engaging?” Please don’t forget your USB with today’s session handouts and information on. Thanks.