Student Engagement Strategies
Student Engagement
Strategy
Brief Description
Type(s) of Engagement
| Chalkboard Splash | This technique is a quick way to allow the entire class to see everyone’s responses to address ‘big picture’ ideas and questions, and to do assessment for or as learning. |
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| No Hands Up (unless You Have a Question) | The teacher establishes a “No Hands Up unless You Have a Question” policy. In doing so, teachers let students know that they may be called upon to contribute their thinking at any time; they can no longer expect that someone else will answer if they wait (or look down) long enough. It also ensures that classrooms are not dominated by the few students who tend to answer all the questions. As a result, students who start to perceive that everyone can and should have a voice in learning. |
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| Multiple-gist | This technique measures students ability to interpret and synthesize informational texts. Multiple-gist is easily adaptable to suit a variety of subject areas. |
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| “Headbanz” Game-Option 1“Headbanz” Game-Option 2 | This technique is a way to check for understanding of key terms in the class. |
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| Gallery Walk | This technique is a quick way to allow the entire class to address project critique and questions, and to do assessment for learning and understanding. |
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| Claim, Evidence, Reasoning | The Claim, Evidence, Reasoning strategy (C-E-R) requires students to apply scientific type thinking to all content areas. It is a strategy that can be used to help students develop processes and skills through inquiry. This approach requires students to weigh evidence, interpret text, and evaluate claims. Having students engage in these types of scientific explanations helps make their thinking visible, enhances their understanding of the content, and improves their reasoning skills. | Primarily IndividualCritical ThinkingCheck for Understanding |
| Stem, Branch, & Cross-Pollinate | Students experience a classroom activity with a partner. Partners are given different follow up analysis activities. Pairs are shuffled several times to give students a chance to view the activity through several filters. |
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Menu #2: September 28, 2015 (10:15 - 11:00 a.m.)
Strategy
Brief Description
Type(s) of Engagement
| Foldables | This is a quick collaborative strategy that can be used in a variety of ways in the classroom. Using a “Foldable,” students make appointments with four of their classmates to discuss possible responses to a variety of prompts. Following the discussions, students can synthesize their discussion and make a final conclusion. |
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| Tug of War | Presents both sides of an issues by requiring students to come up with answers or descriptions for each side of an issue. It can also be used as a pro and con discussions too. |
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| The Hook | Use of attention grabbing questions to draw students into the lesson, to generate discussion within a lesson, and to connect key content throughout the lesson |
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| Tableau or Tableaux | This technique allows students to interpret a task or piece of information and then dramaticize their interpretation. Technology can be used to create a finished piece of the interpretation. |
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| 3-2-1 | This technique is a quick way to allow the entire class a chance to process the material though recording facts, posing question and forming opinions. This is also an opportunity to assessment for learning and understanding. |
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| Relay Race | The activity shared in this session will give you ideas on how to make skill building and practice more engaging for students. We will be focusing on one (possibly two) simple strategies - Relay Race and scavenger hunt. The goal of the session is to show how these simple strategies can be implemented into any subject area. |
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| Switch It Up | This technique helps students think through their answers before sharing--and helps them share comfortably because they switch papers/seats and share what that other person has written. |
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Menu #3: December 9, 2015 (2:20 - 2:55 p.m.)
Strategy
Brief Description
Type(s) of Engagement
| 3-3s BINGO Style | This activity is a modification of the 3-3’s board that we received at an earlier PD session. It has been converted to a BINGO board which gives students the opportunity to choose between activities as well as work alone and with a partner. |
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| Connection Puzzle | Students read an article or take a concept discussed and depict it through drawing a puzzle. Students pick out key points, create puzzle pieces (with drawings) for those key points, and make the connection between each of the pieces. |
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| Mini Lesson Shuffle |
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| Card Circles Activity | The purpose of this activity is to get students talking, guided by *cards that you have pre prepared. You will need one question/answer card per student in the class. Index cards work well, small or large. |
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| 4 Corners | The strategy requires students to work and think togetherand gets students moving. Students take a position on a particular topic, and move to one of four corners of the room to collaborate with other studentshaving similar views. Each corner constructs an argument to present to the class. Students listen to each other’s arguments and thenhave the chance to change their opinions and move to another corner. |
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| Silent Debate | This is a strategy that can be used to show different points of view on the same topic. This process engages all students for the entire duration of the debate and nobody raises their voice to emphasize a point. |
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| 5 card draw | Students work in groups to work with content. Prepare cards with vocabulary words, geographic locations, components of mathematical equations, etc. Students take a card as they enter the room. They find four other students who “fit” their category to form a group of 5. They begin working once the group is formed. The number of students per group can be adjusted as necessary. | small groupcritical thinkingformative assessment |