Student Engagement Strategies
Presentation:
Posters
https://padlet.com/
Allows for students to create a digital poster and then present that presentation. Padlet is great for a classroom that has technology (iPads or Chromebooks), but students with no technology can create a normal poster in "padlet" form. It would be good if you are in a mixed classroom and some students are going to be using the tech and others aren't to have an example of each and adjust your scoring guide so that it works for both technology and hand created posters.
Communication:
Save the last word for me
https://www.facinghistory.org/for-educators/educator-resources/teaching-strategies/save-last-word-me
This strategy is great because it deals with the idea that all students must participate. This is one of my main issues with doing communication type activities. With this activity each student has prepared and question and their response to a question on an index card in response to something they've seen or read. The first student in each group reads the question, then they are able to hear others' opinions on the same topic. After they hear other's responses they read what is on their index card. This gives them the last word. I would probably structure this activity so that the rubric is designed to make sure everyone speaks. Perhaps a recorder that tally's when a person talks.
SPAR
https://www.facinghistory.org/for-educators/educator-resources/teaching-strategies/spar-spontaneous-argumentatio
This website explains a spontaneous debate strategy. Many shy away from a traditional debate because of all of the preparation it takes. While this takes a bit of prep, it does not take as much class time because it is designed to be spontaneous. It is very organized and gives students one minute to prepare and one minute to respond. With younger students, more time may be needed. However, at the end there are great questions for reflection on the activity which would serve as a great formative assessment to see what students got out of the debate and if it were successful.
Organization:
Foldables
http://www.myteacherpages.com/webpages/PLash/files/Foldables.pdf
If you are using interactive notebooks then foldables are really important. This link is really cool because it gives you multiple kinds of foldables. I like them because students can organize the information and it is easy for them to understand what they are looking for and how to organize it. I like to vary foldables, but use the same 6-8 throughout the year so that students are able to get the hang of it.
Mindmoto
https://www.mindomo.com/
Mindmoto is a tool that teachers can use to help students understand information, but also a tool for students to use to organize their own information. It helps them to decide what is general information what is specific information and what is more specific information. This is important especially when they translate information into writing. I think this tool will help them do that.
Interaction:
Civics Games
http://www.csufsocialstudies.com/student-engagement.html
Since I have 1-1 technology in my room I think this website would be great for downtime and still educational. This would be especially useful when teaching the Bill of Rights. There is a great game that allows students to use the Bill of Rights in order to help people who have had their rights violated. I like the idea for review of the Bill of Rights.
Collection:
Analyzing Visual Images
https://www.facinghistory.org/for-educators/educator-resources/teaching-strategies/analyzing-visual-images-stere
This procedure helps students to understand that old phrase a picture is worth a thousand words. It may be helpful to students to have an activity like this because it helps them to think critically about something other than reading. By responding to visual images, students are synthesizing things that they have read and heard in lecture and applying it to a picture. This will help students link ideas.
Collaboration
Google Docs
google.com
I have Chromebooks in my classroom. Google Docs are a tool I use almost every time I open the computer. I also have a database of students email accounts (made this with a google form) so that students can easily find each other and share documents with each other. This is great for me as a teacher because if I push out the documents through google classroom I share the document as well. This is great because while students collaborate I can also be in on the discussion.
Posters
https://padlet.com/
Allows for students to create a digital poster and then present that presentation. Padlet is great for a classroom that has technology (iPads or Chromebooks), but students with no technology can create a normal poster in "padlet" form. It would be good if you are in a mixed classroom and some students are going to be using the tech and others aren't to have an example of each and adjust your scoring guide so that it works for both technology and hand created posters.
Communication:
Save the last word for me
https://www.facinghistory.org/for-educators/educator-resources/teaching-strategies/save-last-word-me
This strategy is great because it deals with the idea that all students must participate. This is one of my main issues with doing communication type activities. With this activity each student has prepared and question and their response to a question on an index card in response to something they've seen or read. The first student in each group reads the question, then they are able to hear others' opinions on the same topic. After they hear other's responses they read what is on their index card. This gives them the last word. I would probably structure this activity so that the rubric is designed to make sure everyone speaks. Perhaps a recorder that tally's when a person talks.
SPAR
https://www.facinghistory.org/for-educators/educator-resources/teaching-strategies/spar-spontaneous-argumentatio
This website explains a spontaneous debate strategy. Many shy away from a traditional debate because of all of the preparation it takes. While this takes a bit of prep, it does not take as much class time because it is designed to be spontaneous. It is very organized and gives students one minute to prepare and one minute to respond. With younger students, more time may be needed. However, at the end there are great questions for reflection on the activity which would serve as a great formative assessment to see what students got out of the debate and if it were successful.
Organization:
Foldables
http://www.myteacherpages.com/webpages/PLash/files/Foldables.pdf
If you are using interactive notebooks then foldables are really important. This link is really cool because it gives you multiple kinds of foldables. I like them because students can organize the information and it is easy for them to understand what they are looking for and how to organize it. I like to vary foldables, but use the same 6-8 throughout the year so that students are able to get the hang of it.
Mindmoto
https://www.mindomo.com/
Mindmoto is a tool that teachers can use to help students understand information, but also a tool for students to use to organize their own information. It helps them to decide what is general information what is specific information and what is more specific information. This is important especially when they translate information into writing. I think this tool will help them do that.
Interaction:
Civics Games
http://www.csufsocialstudies.com/student-engagement.html
Since I have 1-1 technology in my room I think this website would be great for downtime and still educational. This would be especially useful when teaching the Bill of Rights. There is a great game that allows students to use the Bill of Rights in order to help people who have had their rights violated. I like the idea for review of the Bill of Rights.
Collection:
Analyzing Visual Images
https://www.facinghistory.org/for-educators/educator-resources/teaching-strategies/analyzing-visual-images-stere
This procedure helps students to understand that old phrase a picture is worth a thousand words. It may be helpful to students to have an activity like this because it helps them to think critically about something other than reading. By responding to visual images, students are synthesizing things that they have read and heard in lecture and applying it to a picture. This will help students link ideas.
Collaboration
Google Docs
google.com
I have Chromebooks in my classroom. Google Docs are a tool I use almost every time I open the computer. I also have a database of students email accounts (made this with a google form) so that students can easily find each other and share documents with each other. This is great for me as a teacher because if I push out the documents through google classroom I share the document as well. This is great because while students collaborate I can also be in on the discussion.