Socratic seminars, fish bowls, and computers October 6, 2011 by mrkaiser208 The concept of a fish bowl or Socratic seminar is not new. Just Google it and see how many hits come up. This learning method has been used for years by numerous teachers. However, this doesn’t mean that everyone knows about it. Instead of using the typical Socratic seminar format, I decided to try the fish bowl technique that was posted several years ago on the Learning and Laptops blog. What I want to talk about is my observations on how this worked with my classes. One of the biggest challenges that we had today was hearing the conversation in the middle of the room. The other problem with the inner circle was keeping the discussion going. Where the inner circle struggled with their discussion, the outer circle discussion flourished on the computers. Thinking on this, though, I still think there were some mental gains from the inner circle. Now I am heading into controversial territory. Like this: Like Loading...
Memory Improvement Techniques - Improve Your Memory with MindToo © VeerPRZEMYSLAW PRZYBYLSKI Use these techniques to improve your memory. The tools in this section help you to improve your memory. They help you both to remember facts accurately and to remember the structure of information. The tools are split into two sections. As with other mind tools, the more practice you give yourself with these techniques, the more effectively you will use them. Mnemonics 'Mnemonic' is another word for memory tool. The idea behind using mnemonics is to encode difficult-to-remember information in a way that is much easier to remember. Our brains evolved to code and interpret complex stimuli such as images, colors, structures, sounds, smells, tastes, touch, positions, emotions and language. Unfortunately, a lot of the information we have to remember in modern life is presented differently – as words printed on a page. This section of Mind Tools shows you how to use all the memory resources available to you to remember information in a highly efficient way.
The Student Engagement Policy What is a Student Engagement Policy? Every school is required to have a Student Engagement Policy that articulates the expectations and aspirations of the school community in relation to student engagement, including strategies to address bullying, school attendance and behaviour. Given that students have varied needs and vulnerabilities a high quality Student Engagement Policy should incorporate a range of universal (school-wide), targeted (population-specific) and individual (student-specific) strategies needed to positively engage students in learning and engage them in the school community. A high quality policy should also be built on the knowledge that student engagement is influenced by a wide range of factors. While it is not necessary to detail specific teaching and learning strategies within a Student Engagement Policy, it is good practice to highlight the role that effective individualised teaching, and learning practices play in improving engagement.
Using Whiteboards in the Chemistry Classroom & Beyond One of the most fascinating aspects of student learning is the way in which information is processed in a student's mind. Teachers, and students alike, cannot fully appreciate how a student ascertains a set of given facts, a new concept, or solves a problem. This is because thinking takes place 'behind the scenes' in the human brain. When a student demonstrates that they have learned something, or comprehend an idea, it almost seems magical how the learning took place. Essential to improving teaching is an understanding of student learning; similarly, essential to student learning is an understanding of how students themselves perceive and process information. Each of these modes of making thinking visible help students to develop expert strategies for thinking about subject area content and problem solving within a subject area. When a teacher asks students to "show their work," this is an attempt to peek 'behind the scenes' of student thinking. Techniques References
Making Study Plan, Study Schedule A very well-known saying is, “He who fails to plan, he plans to fail”. Planning is very much important, if you want to be a successful student. A schedule helps you in utilizing your time more productively. A schedule is made on weekly or monthly or daily basis. Count the number of subjects included in your course. Example. • Book-1 = 15 chapters = 185 topics • Book-2 = 20 chapters = 200 topics • Book-3 = 13 chapters = 145 topics • Book-4 = 16 chapters = 190 topics His entire course comprises of 185+200+145+190 = 720 Topics He has 6 month for preparation or 30x6 = 180 Days Divide total topics by total days you have for preparation, 720 topics/180 days = 4 topic/per day. After this calculation he shall make a table (having rows and column) on paper with the help of ruler and pen.
#noivogliamocontare – partecipazione e rappresentanza studentesca | UDS - Unione Degli Studenti #noivogliamocontare è il titolo del blog realizzato dall’Unione degli Studenti con lo scopo di mettere in rete i rappresentanti d’istituto e di consulta di tutta Italia e per fare da supporto ai rappresentanti spesso “in crisi” perchè sanno cosa fare ma non sanno come farlo, o perchè i presidi e i docenti non gli permettono di mettere in pratica l’alternativa. #noivogliamocontare nasce dalla volontà di provare a ridare un senso alla rappresentanza studentesca, in un momento storico in cui le fondamenta della stessa vengono minate con progetti come quello del PdL Aprea, con il preciso intento di portare la partecipazione studentesca ai minimi storici. #noivogliamocontare vuole essere una rete di rappresentanti che credono realmente nella missione politica della rappresentanza, che hanno voglia di cambiare le cose partendo dalle scuole, che vogliono essere la forza del cambiamento ogni giorno nelle classi, nei comitati studenteschi e nei consigli d’istituto.
Upgrade your KWL Chart to the 21st Century One of the take aways from the Curriculum Mapping Institute this past week was that it brought an upgrade to THE trusted KWL (Know, What to Know and Learned) Chart to the forefront. It seems a no brainer…one of those things… “I should have thought about it”… So what is this upgrade all about? An “H” snuck into the Acronym! What does this “H” stand for”? I started out by searching Google, which immediately wanted to correct my search term and showed me the traditional “KWL chart” results. The top search results turned out mostly downloadable files for templates, which was quiet interesting as there were several explanations in these tutorials what the “H” could stand for: HOW can we find the answers to these questions? In direct relation to our quest to bring Information literacy in the 21st century to our teachers and students, the “HOW will we find the information” sticks out right away for me. My Twitter network was much better in helping me extend my search for KWHL. Related 12. 8. 29.
Flashcards: The worlds largest online library of printable flash cards - StumbleUpon Student engagement Student engagement occurs when "students make a psychological investment in learning. They try hard to learn what school offers. They take pride not simply in earning the formal indicators of success (grades and qualifications), but in understanding the material and incorporating or internalizing it in their lives. Since the U.S. college dropout rate for first-time-in college degree-seeking students is nearly 50%,[2] it is increasingly seen as an indicator of successful classroom instruction, and as a valued outcome of school reform.[3][clarification needed] The phrase was identified in 1996 as "the latest buzzword in education circles Student engagement is frequently used to, "depict students' willingness to participate in routine school activities, such as attending class, submitting required work, and following teachers' directions in class Student engagement requires that teachers actively seek to create the conditions that foster this reaction. Factors Influencing Student Engagement
Using Quizzes to Promote Student Engagement and Collaboration January 26, 2012 By: Audrey Deterding, Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning Quizzes are standard in many college classrooms, and determining how to best use this learning format generates a variety of discussion and suggestions. First, the chalkboard or whiteboard in the classroom becomes what I call a “community space.” Whatever information is put up on the board can be used by the rest of the class on the quiz. When I first introduced this idea to the class, there were some reservations, especially about my being “fair” when selecting the students. Although students have the opportunity to decline to write, I have yet to have a student do so. Audrey Deterding Ph.D. is an assistant professor of communication at Indiana University Southeast. Reprinted from Deterding, A. (2010) A New Kind of “Space” for Quizzes. Recent Trackbacks Around the Web: New Frontiers « the Bok Blog
Born to Learn ~ You are Born to Learn Using Positive Student Engagement to Increase Student Achievement Teachers and school-based administrators alike have searched to find ways to increase student achievement in their schools. Several widely known and discussed strategies include using data to drive instruction, employing highly qualified teachers, and improving school leadership. Additionally, positive student engagement in the classroom is another compelling factor—but not as widely discussed—that research has reported to be critical in enhancing student achievement (Akey, 2006; Heller, Calderon, & Medrich, 2003; Garcia-Reid, Reid, & Peterson, 2005). Positive student engagement is not an easy term to define, yet we know it when we see it. Students are engaged when they “devote substantial time and effort to a task, when they care about the quality of their work, and when they commit themselves because the work seems to have significance beyond its personal instrumental value” (Newmann, 1986, p. 242). Engaged students also are more likely to perform well academically. Conclusion
Blended Learning: Adding Asynchronous Discussions to Your F2F Classrooms This post was co-authored with Elizabeth Alderton, Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. --------- We have all done it: "participated" in a face-to-face discussion, nodding along in agreement, but not really present. Many of us have sat in discussions, afraid to throw in our two cents because we might sound silly. On other occasions, we have had a fantastic idea to share, but the conversation passed by before we had a chance to contribute. If it happens to us, it also must be happening to students in our classroom discussions. Blending online social learning opportunities, like asynchronous online discussions, into your traditional face-to-face classes can be beneficial to your students. The following common themes related to asynchronous discussions were found in five different action research projects in blended classrooms. Theme One: Processing Time Synchronous conversations are often fast-paced. Theme Two: Anxiety Reduction Theme Three: Size Matters Conclusion