When a popular lake in Arvada, Colorado, was closed to the public because of an algae bloom, a student asked his science teacher what could be done. His question was the catalyst for a deep dive into creative problem solving that engaged 200 sixth-graders, four
Part 2 of the 4-part series on Promising Principles to Enhance Learning. Review part 1: Seven Promising Principles to Enhance Learning in Your School or Classroom Let’s start with a challenge. Once upon a time a local merchant went to a market and purchased a wolf, a goat, and a several heads of cabbage.
The question-and-answer format is a valuable teacher tool. It allows us to check students’ understanding of what they have learned and to probe their thoughts on problem solving, but only if we can limit student call-outs. The goal is to give every student a voice
“Are there any questions?” isn’t a reliable method to check student understanding. Teachers generally intend it to check student understanding, but consider it from a student’s point of view—especially an adolescent student. Here is an invitation to appear ignorant before your classmates. Here is a chance to show the world that whatever
Oxford High School (OHS) has an enrollment of 1223 students grades 9-12. OHS students are 60% white, 27% Black, 12% Hispanic, 1% Asian. Half of the students qualify for free and reduced lunch. In Fall 2019, OHS teachers began a district-wide learning journey focused on classroom questioning. Using Walsh and Sattes’ Quality Questioning, 2nd Edition, as a guide, we
Attention is under siege more than it has ever been in human history, we have more distractions than ever before, we have to be more focused on cultivating the skills of attention. - Daniel Goleman, psychologist, science journalist, author You have probably seen the recent viral video
This blog is part three of a series on learning transfer. For more on teaching for transfer, see this first post and this second post. “Why do we have to know this?” It’s the age-old question students pose when they doubt the importance of the content they’re asked to learn.
This blog is part two of a series on learning transfer. For more on teaching for transfer, see this first post. Every time we poll teachers about their highest priority, student engagement tops the list. How can we move beyond “party tricks” and toward self-directed learning? We’ve found five shifts that
Has the sudden shift to virtual learning sent you searching for motivating, engaging, and challenging activities for your online classroom? More and more, I am hearing teachers and parents lament over students who are logging in but tuning out. And as schools transition back to face-to-face,
Engagement is a fundamental goal for educators. We want our students to be engaged because we know, at an innate level, that if students are not engaged they are not learning – they can't be learning. But what is engagement exactly, and how do we