EDUC5309f

Engaging Students in Learning

The effective teacher engages students in learning by connecting to their interests, appealing to intrinsic motivational factors, building a community of practice, and stimulating higher-order thinking.

The Stories in History unit study invites students to engage by surveying their interests, giving them many opportunities for choice, accessing a variety of technology tools, kindling multiple facets of understanding, and building a stronger learning community in their virtual world. See Rationale on the TEACHER INFORMATION page for a further explanation.

The students are introduced to the task, given the criteria and resources they need to achieve the task, and led through a series of four steps that sequenced, scaffolded and structured in a way that transfers responsibility for investigation and learning to the students. The teacher is able to remain in the shadows, assuming the role of a facilitating coach who monitors the student products for concept and process development, providing assistance as requested and redirecting with questions or direct instruction when needed.

Standard III- The teacher promotes student learning by providing responsive instruction that makes use of effective communication techniques, instructional strategies that actively engage students in the learning process, and timely, high-quality feedback.

The beginning teacher knows and understands:
3.5k criteria for selecting appropriate instructional activities and assignments for students with varied characteristics and needs;
3.6k how to present content to students in relevant and meaningful ways;
3.7k the use of instructional materials, resources, and technologies that are appropriate and engaging for students in varied learning situations;
3.8k the importance of promoting students� intellectual involvement with content and their active development of understanding;
3.9k strategies and techniques for using instructional groupings to promote student learning;
3.10k different types of motivation, factors affecting student motivation, and effective motivational strategies in varied learning contexts; and
3.11k techniques for structuring and pacing lessons in ways that promote student engagement and learning.

The beginning teacher is able to:
3.7s create lessons with a clearly defined structure around which activities are organized;
3.8s create activities and assignments that are appropriate for students and that actively engage them in the learning process;
3.9s select and use instructional materials, resources, and technologies that are suitable for instructional goals and that engage students cognitively;
3.10s represent content effectively and in ways that link with students� prior knowledge and experience;
3.11s use flexible grouping to promote productive student interactions and enhance learning;
3.12s pace lessons appropriately and flexibly in response to student needs;
3.13s engage students intellectually by teaching meaningful content in ways that promote all students� active and invested participation in the learning process; and
3.14s encourage students� self-motivation and active engagement in learning.

Reflection and Evidence