Active Learning Strategies

Active Learning Strategies

I think we can all agree that the days of teachers lecturing while silent students sit in rows of desks are far behind us. Well, they should be. Our days should be filled with active learning! This term simply means students are active participants in their learning process. The teacher should be delivering instruction in a way that will increase student motivation and performance. By making your students a part of the lesson, with hands-on activities and higher order questioning, the end result will astound you! This may look a little messy to some, but believe me when I say there is beauty in the chaos. Do we want a stagnant classroom? Most certainly not! The learning environment should be full of life! We want pour students chatting with their peers; make sure you have given them appropriate talking points. Young scholars should be comfortable in their space; flexible seating arrangments with guidelines established can make this possible. Sure, there are times where the whole group will be focused on their teacher speaking. When we are proactive with our strategies, having a goal set, and design lessons with students' needs in mind, we are setting up a recipe for success!

Let's talk about some ways this can be implemented into YOUR classroom. A GRAFFITTI wall is an excellent and cost efficient strategy! I'm not talking about giving your students cans of spray paint and unleash them in your school...although to me that sounds sort of fun. Think more of a bulletin board space or large chart paper. Divide students into small groups and give each group their own individual color marker. (This helps keep track of each group's work.) Present to your students a topic of discussion. Each group takes a few minutes to discuss what they know about that topic and record their thoughts on the chart paper. This is a great pre-assessment tool and can be used in ANY content area!

Signals are a quick way for students to tell their teacher where they stand during a lesson. A stop light template with red, yellow, green, and a clothespin could be used for students to "clip" their current color. Red-I don't understand, Yellow-I'm a little confused, Green-I've got this! Other signal cards could be designed according to your lesson. Students could use the cards to answer questions and reduce the common "shouting out" of answers. 

Walking Tours are something I am so excited to use with my students. This concept is new to me! While I have used stations with students before, I know that I need to really improve my set up and delivery. When presenting a new topic/unit to your class, have a variety of materials prepared. Organize the materials, (photos, texts, anchor charts, hands-on materials, devices to view pre-selected web pages) and divide them into individual stations. Each station should have clear instructions. Students will rotate and walk through the tour of stations while participating in reading, talking with their group and teacher, writing as they take notes or complete activities, and use critical thinking to discuss what they have learned.

The possibilities are endless, so let's get out there and be active with our students!