Classroom Engagement

I know I keep harping on brain research but it is a topic that fascinates me. One of the key elements of having information “stick” in a learner’s brain is the level of engagement the learner has in the learning process. As I work with teachers, the motto that I usually share with them is, “whoever does the work does the learning.” What I mean by that is if a teacher does all of the research in preparation for a class, the teacher does most of the learning. Whereas if a teacher assigns the topic research to the learners, then the learners are actively participating in the learning process.

So what are some innovative ways to engage students?

Learner-generated content. User-generated content is a big buzz-word these days, especially with the explosion of web applications like YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/) and MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/) . Young learners love the opportunity to create their own content. Encourage learners to participate in the subject matter by recording videos on a handheld camcorder, or voice recordings on their cell phones. Traditional media works too. Provide them with information on how to use paints, pencils, cameras, and clay to explain or represent information.

Role playing. Get your students up and moving. Have them role play historical events. Have them interview each other playing specific roles in government, industry, history, or future. You could invite a student to come back from the year 2030 and let the class know what the world is like!

Imagination. Albert Einstein was quoted as saying “Imagination is more important than Knowledge.” http://thinkexist.com/quotes/albert_einstein/ and another favorite: “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” Ask your students topic-related questions that will get their imaginations working. Remember, if the brain is engaged in the process, learning is more likely to “stick.” Here are some sample questions:

• If the world were flat, what changes would we have to make?
• If dolphins (input any animal) ran the world instead of humans, what would our world be like?
• If children made all of the rules, what would our homes, schools, communities be like?
• What would it be like if we had eyes in the back of our heads (input any biological different)?
• What if we could fly?

There are an unlimited number of questions you can ask to get their imaginations going!

Use the comment field to ask for suggestions to get your students engaged on a specific topic!