"Tell me, and I forget. Teach me, and I remember. Involve me, and I learn."
-Benjamin Franklin
Research shows that engaging learning activities must be meaningful and stimulate curiosity, among other characteristics. At Pleasantdale, we are so fortunate to have educators who strive each and every day to pique our students' interest and ignite in them a passion for learning. Below you will find just a few of the ways our educators engage students to maximize their learning and growth.
Collaboration: Humans have an innate desire for social interaction. Collaborative learning activities are wonderful ways to learn, process, and understand academic content while also teaching valuable social/emotional learning lessons about interacting with others and accepting diverse perspectives. Through working with others, students can also experience an increase in retention, self-esteem, and responsibility. In Mrs. Schmager's ELA class, students worked together to write and perform reader's theater skits for Rikki-Tikki-Tavi by Rudyard Kipling to demonstrate their understanding the elements of the story's plot. Mr. Madsen's sixth graders have been working collaboratively to research different Native American tribes. Together they are writing a collaborative paper, creating a presentation, and making a flag in order to represent and communicate their learning in multiple ways.
Technology: Effectively integrating technology into classroom activities is another way to engage students in learning tasks. Our district's C4 Learning Plan and 1:1 device pilot this year provides all fifth graders with an iPad, sixth graders with a Chromebook, and seventh and eighth graders with a Lenovo laptop for daily school use. In addition to using Schoology, our new learning management system, to make students more self-sufficient, teachers are harnessing the possibilities of technology in other ways to engage students in class! Technology provides more options for students, which in turn allows for natural differentiation and the pursuit of student-centered interests related to a topic of study. Mr. Tatina's music students were excited to use their knowledge to create their own audio tracks by mixing sounds online. The fifth grade ELA students in Mrs. Triggs's class are used to using PearDeck to start class, which allows the class to compare and contrast individualized answers to the daily "check in" question. In Mrs. Bubulka's math class, students are learning how to use Noteability to make their math problem solving multi-dimensional, which allows for each student to adapt class activities to best fit his/her own learning style.
Collaboration: Humans have an innate desire for social interaction. Collaborative learning activities are wonderful ways to learn, process, and understand academic content while also teaching valuable social/emotional learning lessons about interacting with others and accepting diverse perspectives. Through working with others, students can also experience an increase in retention, self-esteem, and responsibility. In Mrs. Schmager's ELA class, students worked together to write and perform reader's theater skits for Rikki-Tikki-Tavi by Rudyard Kipling to demonstrate their understanding the elements of the story's plot. Mr. Madsen's sixth graders have been working collaboratively to research different Native American tribes. Together they are writing a collaborative paper, creating a presentation, and making a flag in order to represent and communicate their learning in multiple ways.
Technology: Effectively integrating technology into classroom activities is another way to engage students in learning tasks. Our district's C4 Learning Plan and 1:1 device pilot this year provides all fifth graders with an iPad, sixth graders with a Chromebook, and seventh and eighth graders with a Lenovo laptop for daily school use. In addition to using Schoology, our new learning management system, to make students more self-sufficient, teachers are harnessing the possibilities of technology in other ways to engage students in class! Technology provides more options for students, which in turn allows for natural differentiation and the pursuit of student-centered interests related to a topic of study. Mr. Tatina's music students were excited to use their knowledge to create their own audio tracks by mixing sounds online. The fifth grade ELA students in Mrs. Triggs's class are used to using PearDeck to start class, which allows the class to compare and contrast individualized answers to the daily "check in" question. In Mrs. Bubulka's math class, students are learning how to use Noteability to make their math problem solving multi-dimensional, which allows for each student to adapt class activities to best fit his/her own learning style.
Hands-On: Hands-on learning activities continue to be some of the best ways to engage students. They foster critical-thinking, creativity, and problem-solving while allowing students to connect concepts discussed in class to tangible outcomes. These hands-on activities can be either individual or collaborative in nature, thus providing invaluable opportunities for communication when done collaboratively as well. In Mrs. Kim's science class, students have been learning about solar energy and gears. As a culminating activity, the students are constructing their own solar-powered cars. Mrs. Lewellyan's STEM students have learned a lot about aerodynamics and engineering through the various straw rocket designs they have tested. Similarly, Mr. Reid's science students can tell you all about making weight-bearing structures after creating pillared structures out of only paper, tape, and glue that will hold up to 60 science books!
This is only a small sample of the many exciting activities our students have participated in throughout the first few weeks of the school year. Our district's mission is to "ensure each student becomes a passionate learner empowered with the academic and social skills to responsibly choose and excel in life's pursuits". Our heartfelt thanks go out to our dedicated educators who are committed to engaging our students in exciting learning activities and making this mission into a reality!
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