strategies for keeping students engaged in learning is important because for the most part if you lose the attention of one student you might lose the rest of the class. It is very important to keep it interesting and flowing.
i think give to the students positive and negative feed back will make the student more confident of what he can do and can not do and keeping them engage to do it right every time
Hands on, getting involved with what they are doing and what you expect from them always wanting to know what is going on with them
My goal is to show excitement about the topic I'm covering each time I enter the classroom. I also express excitement for the students because they are about to learn life-changing information. They usually ascribe to this methodology.
Chrystal,
Variety and change of pace are two components of engaged learning. You are doing both with your approach. Keep up the good work because I know your students are learning a lot while enjoying your classes.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I like to vary what I do as well as what the students do. In my classes, I lecture sometimes but then I have students work in small groups or partnerships to present some of the information to the class. They are the "expert" of that material and expected to give the "meat and potatoes" of the information. It engages that students by making them pull out the most relevant information. I may also have "stations" which will be short demonstrations of a concept or small packets of information that will be presented in a visual or tactile way. Sometimes it is a powerpoint slide and a labeled model but it get the students up out of their seats and thinking about the material in a different way.
Each student will go as far as you take him or her.
Kristi,
This is a very effective instructional model to follow. It keeps the students engaged as you know so keep bringing this strategy into your classroom.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I recommend the use of mini-lectures lasting about 15 minutes since most adults have an attention span that lasts that amount of time. I also believe that using hands-on activities will also be effective in the learning process. I find that students who not only engage their eyes and ears but also their hands retain more knowledge of what is needed.
asking questions of the students asking of their experiences
I also have found that using the varied learning styles throught a lecture helps all students become engaged.
Diane Frickey
A strategy I have found effective is going over content that was covered in the last lecture, so that students will connect new and old material, and keep them interested in the course content.
Keep students engaged by breaking up into groups to do mini projects really helps
I try to keep the students engaged in learning by forming groups during class and have them work together.
This seems to help when each student has input into what they are learning.
After each quiz they do better when they think back and remember the discussions they had during class time.
This has worked very well for the five years I have been teaching
Norman McWhorter
Jessica,
I commend you for the use of different strategies and deliveries with your students. Often as you well know students do not appreciate foundational or core courses. Finding ways to get them engaged and focused on the content is always a challenge. Looks like you have found a formula that is really working for you.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Keeping students engaged throughout class can be particularly challenging in my current situation. I am presently teaching remedial English (grammar and basic writing) with a 2 hour class length. Needless to say lectures can quickly become stale and students can, and will, zone out. I find it helpful to hold lectures to about 10 minutes and then ask them to immediately apply what they've learned in varied exercises. We will usually have a matching exercise, followed by a fill-in-the-blank exercise, and wrap things up with a paragraph writing exercise. For those who like to write on the board, I usually have one or two volunteers write the correct answers on the board when we check our work.
Aside from these strategies, I like to develop journal-writing prompts that are specifically tailored to the students in the class room. This means that they usually won't get their journal assignments until 3 weeks or more after the class has commenced. I find that students put forth their best efforts when they are genuinely interested in the topic about which they are writing.
Kimberly,
I think you will really like the results you will get from using mini-lectures.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
First you need to be willing to learn about each of your students way of learning. Take that information and build your lecture that will benefit each student. Paying close attention and listening are keys to keeping your students engages
Keeping my students engaged is very important part of the lab component of my class. Studying the adult attention span portion of this module and understanding how mini lectures will aid me with this fact. The mini lectures will appropriately benefit me with a noticeable attention span problem in the class.
Asking questions about the material during the presentation and encouraging participation from all students. Knowing they will be asked to participate causes most to be better prepared and more attentive.
