Module 1A

In researching engaged learning, I have found that most would describe it as hands on and students actively participating. When I completed the warm-up activity last week I had said just that. In researching this topic, I also found indicators to help teachers. This way, when a teacher is creating a lesson plan, they can look at the indicators and make sure that they are incorporating engaged learning into the lesson. With the way that technology is ever changing, and now teaching ever changing, it is important that we as teachers meet the needs of our technologically savvy students. By incorporating engaged learning into our lessons, we are making sure we are teaching to these students. Our students are different from us. When we were growing up, we played outside and with dolls, toy guns, cowboys and Indians, etc. Today’s kids are busy playing with interactive video games, computers, smart phones, and TV’s. If we do not teach to these kids, we are not doing our job. As teachers, we are to prepare our youth for the world.
The indicators of engaged learning that I discovered include: vision of learning, tasks, assessment, instructional models, learning context, grouping, teacher roles and student roles. I know that these are just indicators but it would be nice if there were actual ideas or actual lesson plans that show examples of how this is done in the classroom. For example, in my county, many of the schools are now using interactive white boards. These are a great way to include all students in the class and get them involved in what they are learning. That is an example of engaged learning.
I also came across another website that is from the University of Maine. They are doing research about meaningful engaged learning. Their essential elements or indicators are: positive relationships, feedback and helping students succeed, hands-on active work, variety and attention to learning styles, tying learning into interests and making it interesting, avoiding bribery rewards, giving students voice and choice, making connections with higher order thinking, and putting learning into context and making real world connections. These are different from the indicators I mentioned previously, but are more specific.
In all, my group last week was correct about what we thought were the best practices compared to engaged learning. We had said the best practices for teaching include: making connections with students, student-centered learning is a priority, high expectations for our students, lessons should be engaging and apply to real life situations, and technology needs to be infused in lessons as much as possible.