In our staff meeting, I shared the Active Engagement Checklist with you. Throughout the month, I'll be digging into Active Engagement with you by breaking down the checklist and will highlight examples of the parts as I find them throughout the school. I recognize that this checklist oversimplifies, to some extent, this complex issue of classroom practice. A student's true active cognitive engagement in learning will require more of the student and the teacher than just checking off the boxes on the checklist. First, the student must have his attention directed to the activity.
Get your Students' Attention on the Learning Activity
According to Spencer Kagan in Brain-Friendly teaching, exercise has a direct and immediate impact on attention. Incorporating movement into teaching is a great way to provide students with exercise. Check out how Ms. Elmore does that as her students review definitions for their science vocabulary words:
According to brain science, all movement is beneficial to learning. Movement improves cognition. It nourishes the brain, improves focus and concentration, and reduces stress. When you go into Ms. Coleman's class you will always see task cards posted around the room. Often during her station teaching, she will have students walk around the room to complete the task cards instead of doing them at their seats. What a great way to incorporate movement!
As we continue to dig further into active engagement I'll be posting resources on a new page on our blog. At the top menu bar, click on the Instructional Focus of the Month Tab to easy access the checklist and future resources.
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