Excellence in Education: Active Learning Through Writing
Students need opportunities to talk, listen, write, think and reflect in order to truly learn. Active learning shifts the focus from teacher-led instruction to student-oriented learning, resulting in greater student accountability and improve learning. One of the best ways to actively engage students in learning and making is through writing.
Like all maker activities, writing is a process that requires students to see what they understand and where they fall short. It requires students to organize information in a logical manner, examining relationships, similarities and differences. Like a maker activity, students should be encouraged to write for a specific audience, a specific situation and a specific purpose while constantly reflecting on the process.
Some individual activities that engage students in writing:
- Introduction: To start class, provide students with an open-ended question or a scenario and ask them to write their answer. The more novel, the better. This is a great way to prime the brain for learning.
- Quick writes: These can be quick summaries or better yet, have students write and submit questions at the end of a lesson. The summaries or questions can be used to gauge student understanding and can be used as a leaping point for the next lesson. Quick writes are also a great way to break-up direct instruction. Halfway through a lecture or after a key concept, have students create a quick-write.
- Summarization: Have students write a one or two paragraph summary following a lesson or assignment. Then ask students to exchange summaries with a partner and discuss them. Then have students re-write their individual summaries. These can be presented to the class.
What are some ways that your students actively write in your class?
Tech Tip: Quizlet Adds Interactive Diagrams
Many of you already use and love Quizlet for flashcards and more. Recently, they announced that they are adding the ability to use interactive diagrams or annotated images!
They’re super easy to create and use and can even include audio. There’s probably not a class that can’t make use of these. Obvious uses include all sciences, maps, PE classes (playing fields), geometry, and the arts. But it’s also a great way to help ELLs visualize and learn vocabulary.
Useful Links:
Technology / Website Permission Request Form http://go.shr.lc/1HovEA6 Please use this form to request use of a website that requires student log-in if the site is not already on the approved list. DART approved list
Morning Announcement Stream: http://streaming.k12albemarle.org/ACPS/links.htm Please be sure to have announcements cued and ready to go at 8:55 every morning.
Announcement Request: http://tinyurl.com/requestannouncement
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