Google's 80/20 Principle Adopted at New Jersey School Like most schools, teachers at New Milford High School spend time on duty at lunch, in the halls and at in-school suspension rooms. But this year, the 55 teachers from this New Jersey school didn't have to do these duties for two or three 48-minute periods a week. And only one teacher had these duties at a time instead of two. This simple policy change enables what's been called the 80/20 principle, a theory practiced by Google that employees who spend 20 percent of their time on company-related projects that interest them will work better. In similar fashion, New Milford teachers now have more time to follow their work-related passions, Principal Eric Sheninger said. During these professional development periods, the teachers are coming up with interdisciplinary projects, new assessments and ways to integrate technology into their students' learning. "We really want teachers to be innovative and creative," Sheninger said. The teachers also created a portfolio of what they did.
4 Ways to use Online Resources to Keep Advanced Students Engaged and Learning Post collaboratively written with Abbas Hussain. Just yesterday morning, there was an article in USA Today discussing how many of today’s students don’t feel particularly challenged by their school work. In this technology-enabled age, it is easier than ever to give advanced students the opportunity to pursue learning outside of the standard curriculum. Below are a few different ideas for providing direction and resources to advanced students to keep them engaged and let them pursue a higher level of knowledge about the content you’re covering in class. Khan Academy and similar resources A great resource for learning more about an impressively wide range of topics is the Khan Academy. Online Debate Discussion Forums There are a variety of free discussion forums available online, like Proboards.com or QuickTopic.com. MOOCs Online training courses and academic classes have become very popular over the last decade. About Kelly Walsh Print This Post
21 Simple Ideas To Improve Student Motivation - 21 Simple Ideas To Improve Student Motivation by TeachThought Staff The best lessons, books, and materials in the world won’t get students excited about learning and willing to work hard if they’re not motivated. Motivation, both intrinsic and extrinsic, is a key factor in the success of students at all stages of their education, and teachers can play a pivotal role in providing and encouraging that motivation in their students. Even the most well-intentioned and educated teachers sometimes lack the skills to keep kids on track, so whether you’re a new teacher or an experienced one, try using these methods to motivate your students and to encourage them to live up to their true potential. 1. While guidance from a teacher is important to keeping kids on task and motivated, allowing students to have some choice and control over what happens in the classroom is actually one of the best ways to keep them engaged. 2. 3. 4. 5. Not all students will respond to lessons in the same way. 6. 7. 8.
classroom engagement strategies | The LectureTools Blog | LectureTools LectureTools provides an active learning platform that makes it easier for professors to teach more interactively, engaging students with laptops during class. Matt Stearmer, an instructor at Ohio State, however, finds that LectureTools helps engage his students not only during, but also before and after class. Here are the 3 ways Matt uses LectureTools to teach his Introduction to Sociological Theory class: 1. Provide content before class Matt posts the material the class will be covering for the week on LectureTools in advance. Giving students exposure to the concepts for upcoming lectures allows Matt to teach beyond a surface understanding. 2. Matt uses the interactive activities in LectureTools as a way to create times for telling . 3. Because students see changes made to published lectures, Matt also uses activity slides to put practice quizzes online on Friday. Learn How to Improve Engagement in Your Classroom In 2005 Dr. LectureTools: An Active Learning Platform on Vimeo .
Student Engagement and Optimizing Learning Engaging Students Through Social Media: Real World Experience, Creativity & Future Employability By Rob James Social media has become an essential part of most people’s everyday lives, from checking Facebook and Twitter to posting blogs, Pinterest listings, and uploading YouTube videos. However, and with smartphones making it easier than ever to spend time on social media networks, in what ways can these networks be leveraged to engage and build a foundation for future student learning? There is already evidence that teachers are using social media as part of teaching strategies, with the aim of encouraging students to view social networks as less of a pleasurable distraction, and more as something that can be used in projects and for personal expression in a medium they prefer. Some possible strategies for teachers to use social media have been outlined by Adam Renfro who emphasizes the cost effectiveness of using free social networks and the value of incorporating “real-world experiences into your classroom,” as well as the ability to encourage collaboration between students.
Kids Speak Out on Student Engagement A while back, I was asked, "What engages students?" Sure, I could respond, sharing anecdotes about what I believed to be engaging, but I thought it would be so much better to lob that question to my own eighth graders. The responses I received from all 220 of them seemed to fall under 10 categories, representing reoccuring themes that appeared again and again. So, from the mouths of babes, here are my students' answers to the question: "What engages students?" 1. Working with their peers "Middle-school students are growing learners who require and want interaction with other people to fully attain their potential." "Teens find it most interesting and exciting when there is a little bit of talking involved. 2. "I believe that when students participate in "learning by doing" it helps them focus more. "We have entered a digital age of video, Facebook, Twitter, etc., and they [have] become more of a daily thing for teens and students. 3. "I believe that it all boils down to relationships. 4.
What <em>Is</em> Student Engagement, Anyway? (EDUCAUSE Quarterly When EDUCAUSE Quarterly asked me to be a columnist on the topic of student engagement, my first question was, “What is student engagement?” This question seems like a good point of departure for exploring the topic in this first of four columns. To answer this question, I started with the word “engagement.” So let’s turn next to the definition of “student engagement.” The engagement premise is straightforward and easily understood: the more students study a subject, the more they know about it, and the more students practice and get feedback from faculty and staff members on their writing and collaborative problem solving, the deeper they come to understand what they are learning and the more adept they become at managing complexity, tolerating ambiguity, and working with people from different backgrounds or with different views.1 A notable and enduring study of student engagement, the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), has been administered since 1999. Endnotes George D.
26 Keys to Student Engagement My Joyful Jubilant Learning, colleague, David Zinger recently started an Employee Engagement alphabet. Engagement is such a hot topic in education, I thought this was a great idea for educators to follow the lead. So, here it goes: 26 Keys to Student Engagement. Authenticity: We hear it all the time, "Why do we need to know this stuff? When will I ever use this?" Brain: The brain is intimately involved in and connected with everything educators and students do at school. Collaborative: Collaborating with others in solving problems or mastering difficult materials prepares students to deal with the messy, unscripted problems they will encounter in life. Disengagement: Students are sometimes labeled as lazy, unmotivated, off-task, and disrespectful. Environment: Just as architects create the environments in which we live and work, we teachers create the place and space that become home to learning. Feedback: Feedback is a powerful force. Relationships: To grow ‘em you must know ‘em. You.
Simple Student Engagement Strategies - Mr. Guymon's Classroom "I love seeing blank stares from my students after posing a question about what we are learning," said no teacher ever. Still, we have all been there. While many students sit like logs, waiting for someone to act on them, equally discouraging are the hogs, those four or five students who always have their hand up. I'm not immune to the situation, bet here are three strategies that I use in my classroom that help to engage all students in discussions that you might consider using too. House of Cards When students walk into my classroom, I'm always at the door to greet them. "Do I have any 7s?" I have students leave their card face up on their desk so that I know that none of them are trying to go under the radar. Hollywood Mingle Movement is a great way to get students participating. If students are growing restless, or I simply want to shake things up, I'll tell them that we are going to have a "Hollywood Mingle" to discuss this next concept or question. Pirates! Poker Face
The Best Student Engagement Strategies Explained - Paired Response When it comes to teaching, there are really two secrets - relationship and engagement. When it comes to relationship, the recipe is very simple - care about the students and remember that "it is not about you". Student Engagement, on the other hand, is much more challenging. In a series of student engagement articles, I will explore different "best practices" in student engagement. There are some tips and tricks to student engagement, and one of those is the concept of "Paired Response." What is it? What does that look like? What are the steps? Assign partners -Have students paired up in advance to save on time, considering different pairings for different purposes. Peer work shows gains for all students, but it's essential for English language learners and is especially beneficial for these groups as well: Students in grades 1-3 Inner-city settings Low SES Minority students What are the crucial points?
Student Engagement Strategies: Get and Keep Students on Task Keeping students on task is the primary challenge for any teacher. If your high school or middle school students are doing what they should be doing, then you do not have any management problems. Getting Students on Task Classroom procedures and routines are essential for getting students on task. Keeping Students on Task Having lessons that students actually want to learn will be your main tool for keeping students on task. Differentiated Learning Every student is different. Differentiation is not only having multiple learning modalities in one lesson, it is using many lessons that concentrate on different learning modalities. Lesson Plans Inc. strives to create great curriculum. * Disclaimer: Before implementing any ideas from this website, please first consult your principal to make sure they are in compliance with state laws, district and school procedures.
Student Engagement: Resource Roundup Facebook Edutopia on Facebook Twitter Edutopia on Twitter Google+ Pinterest Edutopia on Pinterest WHAT WORKS IN EDUCATION The George Lucas Educational Foundation Tips and Strategies for Keeping Students Engaged Igniting Student Engagement: A Roadmap for Learning, by John McCarthy (2015) McCarthy discusses key strategies to ensure student engagement including being authentic, introducing units with meaningful launch events, and letting students know what outcomes to expect. Back to Top Engagement Through Projects Integrated Learning: One Project, Several Disciplines, by Edutopia Staff (2015) For any project within a vocational major, High Tech High encourages teachers and students to include relevant content from other subject areas to enhance real-world connections. Engagement Through Technology Engagement Through Social and Emotional Learning Getting (and Keeping) Students Engaged Create experiences so students invest in their learning.
Educational Technology and Mobile Learning: 10 Ways to Get Students Engaged Getting students engaged is not an easy task particularly in an age that is full of all kinds of distractions. Some argue that some of the habits that students have developed as a result of their heavy use of emerging technologies and social media have negatively impacted their capacities to concentrate and focus for longer stretches of time. Multitasking in particular is blamed for this and I personally side with the camp that views multitasking as a distractor to productivity and not a positive attribute. Yes multitaskers are hard to hook in and keep their focus on a learning task for longer time but motivation makes a difference. Check out the full graphic from this page.