# data[].attributes.body
Summative assignments or assessments can stifle creativity and may challenge a student's test taking abilities rather than their understanding of material. Tools like Canva allow students to demonstrate their learning in new ways.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Canva is a free-to-use online graphic design tool. Use it to create social media posts, presentations, posters, videos, logos and more.

# data[].attributes.body
Gamification of learning is one way to differentiate the process of learning and stimulate learners where other methods of teaching are ineffective.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Breakout EDU - Educational Games for the Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Breakout EDU gamifies learning to create an engaging and empowering experience for students of all grade levels.

# data[].attributes.body
The same content can be delivered to students in multiple ways to suit different learning styles, from more videos and visuals, to graded readings and more.

# data[].attributes.body
Formative assessment tools allow you poll or ask open-ended questions of students and adjust instruction based on results and needs.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Nearpod: Foster a love of learning in every student

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Create active learning experiences students can’t wait to be a part of.

# data[].attributes.body
https://teacherblog.ef.com/total-physical-response-efl-classroom/

# data[].attributes.body
This is something I used all the time with students, especially with EFL students. The children learn to understand the meaning with movements and imagery. These act as important memory aids.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Total Physical Response (TPR) - Teacher Training film no. 8

# data[].attributes.headline
21st Century Dream Classroom Encourages Movement and Collaboration

# data[].attributes.subject
21st Century Dream Classroom Encourages Movement and Collaboration

# data[].attributes.body
https://math-reality.eu/what-21st-century-dream-classroom-could-look-like/

# data[].attributes.headline
The Theatre of the Oppressed chooses to fight fear by teaching others about social-triggers and trauma through movement and theatre. 

# data[].attributes.subject
The Theatre of the Oppressed chooses to fight fear by teaching others about social-triggers and trauma through movement and theatre. 

# data[].attributes.body
"T.O. is used in classrooms throughout the world and can be an effective and interactive way to build community and tackle challenging and vulnerable topics using movement and theatre"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhH3r_xklYA&t=70s
http://teachnowaug15c4.pbworks.com/w/page/100890727/5%29%20Student-centered%20approaches%20or%20techniques%20that%20include%20physical%20movement%20as%20a%20central%20element#:~:text=Student%2Dcentered%20approaches%20that%20include,especially%20when%20introducing%20new%20concepts.

# data[].attributes.headline
An interesting look into High Tech High Chula Vista in Texas, USA

# data[].attributes.subject
An interesting look into High Tech High Chula Vista in Texas, USA

# data[].attributes.body
Here is the list of projects from High Tech High: http://www.hightechhigh.org/projects/

Independent projects

Group discussion

Peer mentoring of other students

Debates

Field-trips

Practical/ Rehearsals

Computer learning

Portfolio development

Poster presentations

Mind maps

Role play

Writing newspaper/ blog articles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOVm7zBHJJY

# data[].attributes.body
STREAM Learning

"If you’ve not heard of STREAM, it adds reading to STEAM (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics). Libraries and schools use makerspaces for three purposes: to explore, learn skills, and provide a space for teachers to implement project-based learning (PBL) activities that connect the real world to the curriculum. Makerspace research highlights the importance of taking a holistic approach to learning and using a range of activities and learning environments. Connecting maker education to the curriculum builds opportunities to improve fluency and encourages readers to think deeply about texts."

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
This is a model structure for the ILE classroom.  This model was used in a study compared to the traditional classroom.

# data[].attributes.body
Click here to see the results from an actual study on the performance of and the understanding of various subjects related to the ILE.

The 'student-centered learning experiences' and 'spatial effect on engagement' improved after the use of an ILE model classroom.

This type of classroom is conducive for group-work, collaboration, student-paced learning, s-s learning, and differentiated learning.

It's the future of what our classrooms should look like in order to prepare students for 21st century workforce and new think-tank corporations.  The classroom should encourage project-based learning and 'makerspace'.  It also allows for a universal design style for all students to feel comfortable learning.

# data[].attributes.headline
4 Tips To Build A Student and Tech-Centric Classroom

# data[].attributes.subject
4 Tips To Build A Student and Tech-Centric Classroom

# data[].attributes.body
1. Understanding the 21st century workforce.
2. Making Education More Personalized
3. Adopting the Flipped Classroom Model
4. Teach Them to Create & Let Them Innovate

https://elearningindustry.com/how-to-build-a-student-and-tech-centric-classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In 1985, ACOT (Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow™) was initiated to find out if readily available technology-computers-can make an impact on the education sector. They collaborated with several school districts and selected the classrooms for the pilot program. Apple provided computers to both teachers and students-one at school and at home-and logged their observation. At that time, the researchers wanted to know if a technology-driven classroom can affect the teaching and learning experience. Although, some experts feared that teachers are "too old for technology" and students will turn into "social isolates," the experiment itself was a success. Teachers and students learned to collaborate more effectively, and became independent learners and self-starters. ACOT proved that if technology is used properly, both educators and learners can develop a positive orientation for the future.

Thanks to the initiatives of the ACOT project, we're slowly building better technology-centric schools. In an interview with O2, Ronan Dunne, Telefónica UK's CEO said that "digital literacy is fast becoming a minimum standard in the same way as English and Maths and UK millennials are in a unique position to capitalize on the opportunities the digital economy presents." With schools adopting BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) and 1:1 Technology programs, how can we build a student and tech-centric classroom?

4 Tips To Build A Student and Tech-Centric Classroom

1. Understanding the 21st Century Workforce
Most businesses today are requiring their employees to be 21st -ready. However, MathMovesU's study revealed that only 42% of new graduates were adequately prepared by their schools to join the current workforce. Entrepreneurs believe that students should develop skills like problem-solving, critical-thinking, work ethic, collaboration, and being socially responsible. Aside from these skills, another area of concern is STEM (Science Technology Engineering & Math), which poses as a serious challenge for educators. To date, 67% of manufacturing companies are experiencing a shortage of qualified workers, and it may increase within the next 5 years. Several Fortune 500 companies have initiated programs to help train the future workforce. Programs like FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) and Engineering is Elementary are geared towards encouraging the next generation of innovators to turn the tide. Leaders, visionaries, entrepreneurs, and educators must work together to help train the 21st century workforce.

2. Making Education More Personalized
With almost 51% of students using their tablets to search the Internet, educators must be ready for a more personalized approach to teaching. Learning isn't limited to the school's academic goals, rather, it should be holistic, and it should be universal. UDLs (Universal Designs for Learning) was designed to meet the needs of every type of student: from the critical-thinkers to the kinesthetic learners. To add a personalized touch to their lessons, some teachers include songs, embedded vocabulary, large prints, or even videos to engage the different types of learners. This also helps teachers connect with students from different cultures. Once they feel that these lessons are relevant to their own culture, they begin to engage and participate in class. As long as the students feel that their teachers are meeting their needs, they will excel and strive to understand what they're learning in class.

3. Adopting the Flipped Classroom Model
Flipping the classroom is an innovative way of teaching and learning. Departing from the traditional vein of teaching, students learn their lessons through videos or social media, and work on their "homework" inside the classroom. Now, teachers can create videos, post them online, and let the students watch them. Then, students come to class, discuss the online lesson, and do their activities in class. This benefits both teachers and students: teachers can focus on creating lessons and focusing on their students, while students learn at their own pace. It also challenges teachers to create innovative content for their students.

4. Teach Them to Create & Let Them Innovate
The future workforce is expected to innovate again and again, within a given environment. Now, the challenge for educators is to create an environment which will nurture creativity, innovation, and learning. Although, some experts believe that new technologies can disrupt the learning process, the next generation of workers must be tech-savvy for the digital age. We need to encourage students to create and innovate. Give them the necessary tools, devices, and best practices to foster these skills. On the other hand, teachers should train them to think critically, make complex decisions, and explore radical ideas. This will also help them become confident and tolerant of failure.

The evolving nature of technology requires all teachers to become lifelong learners with the ability to change in order to design and deliver a curriculum that prepares students not only to survive but also thrive in the classroom and in a globalized world.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How To Build A Student And Tech-Centric Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As technology continues to evolve, the education sector must cope with it. Teachers must continue to learn and adapt to the changes, to create a curriculum fit for the next generation. Students must be ready to survive, thrive, and innovate in a global classroom without walls.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Designing Technology-Enhanced Learning Experiences - Design for Learning 

# data[].attributes.headline
21st century design ideals for hard and soft technologies in the classroom. 

# data[].attributes.subject
21st century design ideals for hard and soft technologies in the classroom. 

# data[].attributes.body
"Technologies as mindtools support learners as they interpret and organize their knowledge, engage in critical thinking about the content, and actively participate in knowledge construction."

https://edtechbooks.org/id/designing_technology

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Designing Technology-Enhanced Learning Experiences - Design for Learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Your browser does not support the audio tag.

# data[].attributes.body
Students become teachers in a small
reading group. Students are guided to
summarize, ask questions, clarify ideas,
and predict the answer regarding the
reading material.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Reciprocal Teaching: Why, How, & Examples

# data[].attributes.body
Project-based learning allows student to actively engage with the real world. Students work together on a project over a period of time to think and solve a problem in the real world. As a result, students developed deep content knowledge as well as the critical thinking skills and collaborating skills.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Project Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects.

# data[].attributes.body
Flipped classroom strategy is to move the delivery of the content outside of the classroom (e.g. pre-recorded videos, pre-class reading) and emphasis on the active learning, discussion, and problem-based learning in the classroom.

Advantages:
- Students have more control of their learning
- It promotes student-centered learning and collaborations

Disadvantages:
- It requires more work on the front-end
- Highly relying on preparation and trust

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Flipped Classroom: A Student-Centered Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Flipping the classroom or inverted teaching is a response to the idea that class time can be used to engage students in learning through active learning techniques, rather than through delivering lectures along. Flipping the classroom is the process

# data[].attributes.headline
Allow student to share in decision making

# data[].attributes.subject
Allow student to share in decision making

# data[].attributes.body
Allow student to share their opinions on:
WHY do we learn?
WHAT kind of learning activities are suitable?
HOW learning will be demonstrated? HOW to evaluate the learning outcome?
Include student's opinion in the important decisions about their learning and we have to show them we belief in their capacity to lead.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Teachers encourage student-centered learning by allowing students to share in decisions, believing in their capacity to lead, and remembering how it feels to learn.

Photo credit: US Department of Education via flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Have you ever attended a conference session and seen groups of teachers leave in the middle? It's painful to watch, yet completely understandable. Often, they leave because the session was not what they expected. Let's be honest: when teachers and/or administrators attend learning experiences, what is the one non-negotiable expectation -- without which the session is deemed a failure?

Answer: Leaving with skills and strategies that can be used immediately to impact instruction and work-related responsibilities.

Achieving this goal means understanding what the participants value, and engaging them in those areas. Effective professional development caters to what teachers think will help them become more effective. This also applies to their students. The learners may not be allowed to leave the classroom when the instruction doesn't involve them, but there are many other ways that they check out.

Student-centered classrooms include students in planning, implementation, and assessments. Involving the learners in these decisions will place more work on them, which can be a good thing. Teachers must become comfortable with changing their leadership style from directive to consultative -- from "Do as I say" to "Based on your needs, let's co-develop and implement a plan of action."

This first of my three posts on student-centered classrooms starts with the educator. As the authority, teachers decide if they will "share" power by empowering learners.

Allow Students to Share in Decision Making

Placing students at the center of their own learning requires their collaboration. They need a voice in why, what, and how learning experiences take shape.

Why is about relevance. Learners need to understand the value of the subject, vocabulary, and skills before they are willing to invest effort. The answers "It's required curriculum," "You need it for the test," or "Because I say it's important" are intended to save time, but they only result in students giving lip service to the rest of instruction. Showing relevance from students' perspective is similar to teachers experiencing professional development that is job-embedded.

What is learned involves students choosing the focus of content. Let their interests drive the content that teaches skills and concepts. For example, when learning how to write persuasively, some students may want to deconstruct commercials, product reviews, op-eds, and/or social issue points of view. The best strategy is simply asking what students want to explore. Start with a brainstorm of what they like to do, and dialog together to match their interests with the skills and concepts.

How learning will be demonstrated depends on the different ways that students processes understanding. Offer a variety of product options based on what you know about your students. A safe approach is to offer three options. The teacher designs two options based on what most students may like to do. The third choice is a blank check -- students propose their own product or performance. If a proposal meets the academic requirements, perhaps with some negotiation, the student gets a green light. Some examples include using Minecraft to design models and prototypes, presenting through social media tools, or writing in a professional medium.

Believe in Students' Capacity to Lead

Give students the chance to take charge of activities, even when they may not quite have all the content skills. Students are accomplished education consumers. The child in third grade knows three years of teaching and learning, and the high school sophomore has experienced ten years.

While content increases in complexity, the school environment does not change dramatically. Students experience math, science, English, and history, plus other subjects, and interact with education experts (teachers). Veteran students, like experienced teachers, know what types of learning experiences work best for themselves.

Reduce teacher direct instruction by increasing student-led learning activities. Some approaches include:

Recognize That Students Are Reflections of Us as Learners

When educators feel that their professional experiences are respected during workshops and courses, their buy-in and involvement increases. Confidence rises as they understand how their existing expertise fits into the new concepts being taught.
Image credit: John McCarthy (Click image to enlarge.)
Children and teens have the same need for curriculum to be presented in a context that's meaningful to them. They need to understand how their existing talents fit and how they can confidently apply the skills in a meaningful way to their lives outside of school. Show real-world relationships where possible in lessons. For a deeper experience, have students apply the skills in ways that support or enhance their current "real world." This can be approached in individual lessons or as a unit. For example, Loudoun County (Virginia) teachers, led by Dr. Eric Williams, launched One to World, which provides student-centered learning experiences.

Give Up Need for Control

My fifth-grade son shared these words of wisdom regarding school vs. home activities: "Why do they (teachers) keep talking about the real world out there? This is my real world."

Children and teens produce volumes of content through social media, such as YouTube, podcasts, Minecraft, and Twitch. Some earn money in the process. For their passions, these youths generate a following and join others as they establish and extend social networks. When these same content authors and entrepreneurs enter schools, all that they know and can produce is set aside. Yet when they leave school, they collect skills left outside and reconnect with their real-world networks.

Students bring much to the table that would engage and deepen their learning journey. My next two posts will delve into empowering learners in a student-centered classroom. The difficult challenge -- and first step -- is teacher commitment to reflect on practices that support students taking the lead.

Embrace the possibilities.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Student-Centered Learning: It Starts With the Teacher

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teachers encourage student-centered learning by allowing students to share in decisions, believing in their capacity to lead, and remembering how it feels to learn. Photo credit: US Department of Education via flickr (CC BY 2.0) Have you ever attended a conference session and seen groups of teachers leave in the middle?

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
10 Hands-on strategies to promote student collaboration in classrooms

# data[].attributes.headline
10 Strategies to Build on Student Collaboration in the Classroom

# data[].attributes.subject
10 Strategies to Build on Student Collaboration in the Classroom

# data[].attributes.body
1. Deliberately select which students will work together
2. Size the groups for maximum effectiveness
3. Teach your students how to listen to one another
4. Set the rules of language and collaboration
5. Make goals and expectations clear
6. Assign roles to the members of each group
7. Use real-world problems, not imaginary ones
8. Consider giving each group a different task
9. Play a game to get students warmed up
10. Evaluate each group on its own merit
Collaborative learning – the practice of breaking students into small groups to answer questions, work on projects and learn from one another – has become one of the strongest core philosophies operating in classrooms today.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
The Graduate School of Education and Human Development

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Collaborative learning - the practice of breaking students into small groups to answer questions, work on projects and learn from one another - has become one of the strongest core philosophies operating in classrooms today.

The concept is not new; much of the early research on collaborative learning (also called cooperative learning) was done in the 1980s and 1990s when most classrooms favored the traditional teacher lectures and individual student work. But with the growth of technology and the increasing value society places on the ability to work in teams, collaborative learning has become more common. Here are 10 strategies for encouraging the success of collaborative learning:

1. Deliberately select which students will work together

Left to their own devices, students will sort themselves into groups of friends who share common bonds. However, when a teacher creates the groupings, he or she can match students by strengths and weaknesses, deliberately mixing ability, diversity and social capability.

2. Size the groups for maximum effectiveness

If a group is too small, ideas and discussion may not be diverse or energetic enough; if too large, some students won't get involved. Optimum group size tends to be four to five.

3. Teach your students how to listen to one another

Among young learners, active listening isn't a natural skill. Taking time to discuss and practice listening skills with your students - teaching them to make eye contact, avoid interruption and repeat important points - has both short and long term benefits.

4. Set the rules of language and collaboration

There will always be one or two students in each group who will be more likely to take the lead - or take over. Take the time to teach students how to clarify issues, how to paraphrase, how to disagree constructively and how to build on what others have contributed.

5. Make goals and expectations clear

Specific goals and expectations are important. If students are not clear on the goals they are expected to meet, group work has the potential to trail off into socialization or apathy.

6. Assign roles to the members of each group

With roles delineated, students are able to better understand what is expected of them. With roles like leader (directs the group's actions for the day), recorder (takes notes and does all writing), encourager (enables discussion and gives positive feedback) and checker (checks the work and hands it in), its clear how each student needs to fulfill his or her responsibilities.

7. Use real-world problems, not imaginary ones

With practical, real-world assignments, students find information through research and forming real opinions. If you find a scenario that they feel involved in - an environmental issue, a recent Supreme Court case, a complicated social issue - they will take more ownership of the project. Even better, select a problem from the students' own community and challenge them to solve it.

8. Consider giving each group a different task

Delegating tasks gives each group a sense of importance and emphasizes the fact that large problems are solved by people working together. By solving different pieces of an issue, your student groups will have a more personalized learning experience and will better refrain from ill-spirited competition or "borrowing" each other's work.

9. Play a game to get students warmed up

This is particularly helpful for younger students, who may not be sure of their roles in the group or the classroom. Cooperative games require children to use the same skills that they do in collaborative schoolwork, and they can see results quickly. For example, Teach Hub offers cooperative classroom games that are appropriate for grades 1-3, grades 4-6 and grades 7-8.

10. Evaluate each group on its own merit

If you judge groups in relation to each other, students will feel like their success or failure is not entirely in their own hands. Try a system where you can give grades per how well each group met its goals, and/or how each student performed the duties of their assigned role. You can also reward by category, as in best discussions, best research or most original solution.

The Changing Trends of Education

Collaborative learning is just one of the countless ways in which education is changing today. To learn more about how you can develop your leadership potential and enhance your career with a Master's in Educational Leadership and Administration, Education Specialist (EdS) and Post-Master's Certificate from the George Washington University, request information or call 202-994-9283.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 Strategies to Build on Student Collaboration in the Classroom | The Graduate School of Education and Human Development | The George Washington University

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Collaborative learning, breaking students into groups to work on projects and learn from one another, has become ! of the core philosophies in classrooms today.

# data[].attributes.headline
Schoolyard Blog: Collaborative Learning Is Critical for Student Success

# data[].attributes.subject
Schoolyard Blog: Collaborative Learning Is Critical for Student Success

# data[].attributes.body
Given the importance of collaborative learning to students’ development. When students discuss ideas, develop solutions, and create new products in cooperation with their peers, they take their learning to a deeper level—while acquiring skills that are critical for success in work and life.

-Collaborative learning helps students learn and practice social and emotional learning (SEL) skills such as listening, empathy, teamwork, and communication.
-It fosters essential workplace skills.
-It helps students learn the content more effectively.

* Study of collaborative learning in four high schools by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) found that students who had opportunities for high-quality collaboration reported higher levels of engagement, motivation, and self-efficacy. For black students in particular, high-quality collaboration also correlated with higher grades, regardless of their prior academic performance—suggesting that this learning strategy can help close racial achievement gaps.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Schoolyard Blog | Teacher Resources | School Specialty

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Learning Spaces Deanna Marie Lock *

Take a look inside the typical K-12 classroom, and you're as likely to find students huddled together in small groups, engaged in solving a problem or working on a project collaboratively, as you are to see them listening to their teacher or completing tasks by themselves.

This isn't surprising, given the importance of collaborative learning to students' development. When students discuss ideas, develop solutions, and create new products in cooperation with their peers, they take their learning to a deeper level-while acquiring skills that are critical for success in work and life.

Here are three key reasons why student collaboration is an important active-learning strategy:

It helps students learn valuable social and emotional skills

Collaborative learning helps students learn and practice social and emotional learning (SEL) skills such as listening, empathy, teamwork, and communication. These skills are critical for so many reasons: Research shows they can have a positive effect on school climate and lead to improved attitudes and behaviors, fewer disciplinary problems, reduced emotional distress, and better academic achievement.

It fosters essential workplace skills

Working with others to solve problems or accomplish a collective goal is standard practice for nearly every job you can think of. There are very few professional roles today in which employees don't have some kind of interaction with colleagues. And this is why the ability to work well with others is a highly coveted workplace skill.

Each year, the National Association of Colleges and Employers asks hiring managers to identify which skills are most important to them in the candidates they hire, beyond a strong GPA and the technical knowledge required for the job. Problem solving and the ability to work in a team consistently rank among the top responses, and that was no different in last year's survey -as teamwork scored as the third-most desirable trait employers look for.

It helps students learn the content more effectively

Perhaps most importantly, collaborative learning is an effective strategy for learning the actual content that's being taught.

Learning is inherently a social activity. When we talk about ideas with others, we're exposed to new theories and perspectives that we hadn't considered ourselves. Collectively, we can co-construct new knowledge and arrive at a deeper level of understanding of the topic at hand.

Student collaboration benefits those who are struggling to understand a concept, because they can hear it explained by their peers. It also benefits the students who are doing the explaining: Research suggests that when students present their ideas to help fellow students master content, they often end up understanding the material more thoroughly themselves.

A study of collaborative learning in four high schools by the American Institutes for Research (AIR) found that students who had opportunities for high-quality collaboration reported higher levels of engagement, motivation, and self-efficacy. For black students in particular, high-quality collaboration also correlated with higher grades, regardless of their prior academic performance-suggesting that this learning strategy can help close racial achievement gaps.

While student collaboration is important, implementing it successfully can be challenging. For instance, teachers often need guidance and support in fostering collaborative learning in such a way that all students share equally in the work and gain benefits as a result. It can also be hard to assess student outcomes and ensure proper behavior.
Download the Free Guide
For more collaborative learning advice-including key insights for creating the right kind of learning environment that will enable student collaboration to thrive-download our FREE guide, " The Secrets to Successful Student Collaboration"

Deanna Marie Lock

Deanna Marie Lock is a reputable educational leader with a multifaceted background as an elementary school teacher, assistant principal and principal, Instructional Solutions consultant, Instruction and Intervention Subject Matter Expert, and today as the Director of Category Expertise and Support across all of School Specialty's target curriculum solutions and widespread product categories. With 18 years spent specifically in the public education sphere, Deanna now uses this in-classroom expertise to add a personalized, intentional approach when professionally advising to an audience she herself had been a part of for nearly two decades. Deanna is passionate about building purposeful long-term internal and external customer connections, and helping students find their passion and highest potential, too!
Read more by Deanna Marie Lock->

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Collaborative Learning Is Critical for Student Success - Here's Why

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Take a look inside the typical K-12 classroom, and you're as likely to find students huddled together in small groups, engaged in solving a problem or working on a project collaboratively, as you are to see them listening to their teacher or completing tasks by themselves.

# data[].attributes.headline
5 Keys to Successful Student Collaborations

# data[].attributes.subject
5 Keys to Successful Student Collaborations

# data[].attributes.body
Successful group works may need more detailed planning such as written planning sheets, rubrics, group/individual expectations defined.

When set up well, though, group work taps into the power of collaboration.
Define individual success. The whole group succeeds or fails together, yes, but you should also establish expectations for individual contributions.
Teach students how to plan. Help students learn that planning involves setting a goal, listing tasks that need to be done, scheduling tasks, dividing labor, and gathering tools.
Teach students to self-evaluate. The group's plan helps the members stay on task.
Assess collaborative skills. When you assess group work, don't grade just the final product. Also grade the process that groups used to reach that outcome. Each of the expectations you established before the collaboration can play into assessment afterward.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As you know, group work can give teachers headaches and students nightmares. If set up poorly, collaborative projects often result in one person doing all of the work, while others contribute minimally or actually disrupt. Arguments, inefficiency, mess, and chaos follow closely.

When set up well, though, group work taps into the power of collaboration. Here are 5 keys to setting up successful student collaborations.

Download a free Word template.

Define individual success. The whole group succeeds or fails together, yes, but you should also establish expectations for individual contributions. For quick collaborations, specify what individual success is: "Each person needs to contribute one answer, and each person will report a different person's answer to the whole class." For larger-scale collaborations, write out what you expect of each group member:

Download a free Word template.

Teach students how to plan. Help students learn that planning involves setting a goal, listing tasks that need to be done, scheduling tasks, dividing labor, and gathering tools. For small-scale collaborations, teach students to use your instructions to state their goal and list tasks: "All right, so we're supposed to write a summary of this page. First, we should all read it. Then we can write down the main details and decide on a summary statement. . . ." For large-scale collaborations, students will need to create a written plan:

See page 261 in Inquire: A Guide to 21st Century Learning.
Download a free planning sheet Word template.

Teach students to self-evaluate. The group's plan helps the members stay on task. For everyday collaborations, teach students to focus on their goal, the tasks, and the time: "We have just three more minutes, and we still need to write a summary statement." For bigger collaborations, have the group use its plan to create a rubric for self-assessment. The goal and objectives from the planning sheet appear in the first column of a rubric sheet, allowing students to evaluate their work.

See page 303 in Inquire: A Guide to 21st Century Learning.
Download a free rubric sheet Word template

Assess collaborative skills. When you assess group work, don't grade just the final product. Also grade the process that groups used to reach that outcome. Each of the expectations you established before the collaboration can play into assessment afterward. For everyday collaborations, give verbal praise or correction by reminding students of your expectations: "Remember, I said each person needed to contribute at least one answer. In your group, it seems like most of the answers were coming from Susan." For large-scale collaborations, include key expectations in your rubric.

Collaboration in Class and Beyond

We live in a web of collaboration. The simple act of getting into a car and driving to work requires not just your collaboration with other drivers, but also the collaboration of the people who built and sold the car and those who drilled and pumped and refined the gas, not to mention those who paved and maintained the road, and those who generated the electricity to run the traffic lights-and on and on. When human beings combine their labors, there is very little we cannot accomplish. Help your students learn to collaborate, and you will help all of us.

We want to hear from you! How does collaboration work in your classroom? What keys or tips can you share to help other teachers make student collaboration successful? Please enter your comments below.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Blog post: 5 Keys to Successful Student Collaborations

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As you know, group work can give teachers headaches and students nightmares. If set up poorly, collaborative projects often result in one person doing all of the work, while others contribute minimally or actually disrupt. Arguments, inefficiency, mess, and chaos follow closely. When set up well, though, group work taps into the power of collaboration.

# data[].attributes.headline
5 strategies to deepen student collaboration

# data[].attributes.subject
5 strategies to deepen student collaboration

# data[].attributes.body
The article explains more thorough descriptions of student collaboration under 5 following strategies.
1. CREATE LEARNING ACTIVITIES THAT ARE COMPLEX
2. PREPARE STUDENTS TO BE PART OF A TEAM
3. MINIMIZE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FREE RIDING
4. BUILD IN MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR DISCUSSION AND CONSENSUS
5. FOCUS ON STRENGTHENING AND STRETCHING EXPERTISE

The challenge of designing good collaborative activities is ensuring that all students, even those who struggle, play an important role.
In collaborative activities, we want to ensure that students don’t just occupy the same physical space but that they share an intellectual space—that they learn more, do more, and experience more together than they would alone. As teachers, we can promote real collaboration by shifting our role from instructor to coach—promoting team autonomy, checking in on students and providing instant feedback, and helping them increasingly learn to work together productively to attain a common goal.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Use these five best practices to help your students build a valuable 21st-century skill.

iStock.com/Christopher Futcher

Most of us who teach believe in the power of collaboration and frequently engage our students in collaborative activities. But how many times have we put students in groups only to watch them interact with their laptops instead of each other? Or pursue their own individual goals instead of consult with one another? Or complain about a lazy teammate?

Promoting real collaboration is hard to do well-and it doesn't just happen on its own. If we want real collaboration, we need to intentionally design it as part of our learning activity. These are five strategies to encourage effective collaboration.

Create Learning Activities That Are Complex

Students need a reason to collaborate. If the assignment is too simple, they can more easily do it alone. At most, they may check in with each other or interact in superficial ways. The real reason to collaborate is because the task is complex-it is too difficult and has too many pieces to complete alone.

Complex activities are challenging, engaging, stimulating, and multilayered. Complex activities require "positive interdependence" (Johnson, Johnson & Holubec, 2008), a situation in which attaining the goal, completing the task, being successful, and getting a good grade require that the team work together and share knowledge.

One way to do this is through rigorous projects that require students to identify a problem (for example, balancing population growth in their city with protection of existing green spaces) and agree-through research, discussion, debate, and time to develop their ideas-on a solution which they must then propose together.

Prepare Students to Be Part of a Team

Help students understand the benefits of collaboration and what successful collaboration looks like.

Guide students through the stages of team building (forming, storming, norming, and performing).

Give students time and opportunities within the activity to develop leadership, decision-making, trust-building, communication, and conflict-management skills.

Establish expectations and norms for working together.

Design, or have students design, protocols for handling conflict disagreement so they can resolve issues within their teams.

Teach students active listening skills.

Collaborative groups can't be assigned-they have to be built and nurtured. Students often need to learn how to work effectively with others and as part of a team. We have to help students understand the what, why, and how of collaboration. We can do this in several ways:

Minimize Opportunities for Free Riding

Create small groups of no more than four or five people. When there is less room to hide, nonparticipation is more difficult.

Ensure a high degree of individual accountability (Johnson, Johnson & Holubec, 2008) by assessing students both individually and as a group. For example, at the end of the day give students an individual quiz based on the intended outcome of their collaborative activity.

Design meaningful team roles that relate to the content and to the task. Roles like time keeper are episodic and don't intellectually engage students in the content, and this can encourage free riding. In contrast, more meaningful roles such as manager, monitor, and leaders for each subtask of the activity give students ownership in the process and allow the teacher to assess students based on successful completion of these roles.

Have students evaluate their own participation and effort and that of each team member and triangulate those assessments with your own

When students complain about collaborative groups, it often has to do with the free riding of one member who lets others do all the work and then benefits from the group grade. We can eliminate free riding in a number of ways:

Build in Many Opportunities for Discussion and Consensus

Many group projects are based on efficiency, dividing labor to create a product in the most effective way possible. This focus on the product means that we often ignore the process of collaboration. Rich discussions that connect students with the experiences of others, that engage them deeply in a shared intellectual experience, and that promote coming to consensus are essential to collaboration.

For instance, students can come to consensus around a solution or decision where they must defend or propose a common vision or develop a set of beliefs or principles. This focus on discussion and consensus builds both academic and social skills-students learn to defend their ideas through evidence and analytical reasoning, to negotiate meaning, and to argue constructively.

Focus on Strengthening and Stretching Expertise

The challenge of designing good collaborative activities is ensuring that all students, even those who struggle, play an important role. Collaboration should not just strengthen students' existing skills but ensure that their interactions stretch existing knowledge and expand one another's expertise. If, for example, a student is much stronger in one skill than her peers in her group, she can teach others and her grade can be contingent upon how much her peers learn.

In collaborative activities, we want to ensure that students don't just occupy the same physical space but that they share an intellectual space-that they learn more, do more, and experience more together than they would alone. As teachers, we can promote real collaboration by shifting our role from instructor to coach-promoting team autonomy, checking in on students and providing instant feedback, and helping them increasingly learn to work together productively to attain a common goal.

Reference:

Johnson, D.W., Johnson, R., & Holubec, E. (2008). Cooperation in the Classroom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Strategies to Deepen Student Collaboration

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Use these five best practices to help your students build a valuable 21st-century skill.

# data[].attributes.body
This link discusses the 4 key areas of student-centered assessments including:

- self-assessment
- peer-assessment
- process portfolios
- exhibitions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Try out some of these four student-centered assessment practices: self-assessment, peer assessment, exhibitions, and process portfolios.

# data[].attributes.body
This link introduces apps that can help in formative assessments, including:

- Padlet
- Schoology
- Seesaw
- Jamboard
- Lumio
- Nearpod
- Pear Deck
- Mentimeter

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Adding simple tech options to boost formative assessment activities can help ensure that every student is getting the most from the lesson.

Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock

When you think of assessment, what's the first thing that comes to mind? I started teaching before iPads came on the scene, and the introduction of technology had a profound effect on the way I think about formative assessment. Digital tools are more than a quick way to review quiz responses amid instruction, although that's indeed a plus. Digital tools can help more students reach you and also enable you to gather higher-quality information.

Below are some tips to help you check for understanding in the middle of a lesson. You'll notice how these strategies build upon traditional best practices. For example, while a turn-and-talk strategy doesn't need to include technology, the benefit or value that tech adds to this interaction is that students can share more widely and let you hear from every partnership.

Check for Comprehension During a Lesson

In the middle of a lesson, pausing to check for student understanding can be a strategic and purposeful part of your goal to make sure instruction is meeting students' needs. What might this look like in a tech-friendly classroom? Here are four options:

Turn-and-talk: Students chat with a classmate and then submit their responses to a shared space. This could include a discussion board like Schoology where students post their thoughts to a discussion thread. You might also try a collaborative board like Padlet that offers a few choices like adding a voice note, link, or several sentences to their post.

Stop-and-jot: With this strategy, students pause to capture their thinking in various ways-drawing a picture in a space like Seesaw or adding a virtual sticky note to a collaborative space such as Jamboard. During a stop-and-jot you can choose a space that gives students choice on how they'd like to capture their thinking. Options could include a text, sketch, or even audio recording.

Quick question: Students reply to an open-ended, short-response question, which can give you a sense of their current level of understanding. An interactive tool like Lumio, Nearpod, or Pear Deck lets teachers insert a question into a teacher-led or self-paced lesson to check for understanding with a quick response.

Pulse check: With a pulse check, students share their confidence level, how they're feeling, or an indication of what more they might need to succeed with the lesson. You can use options such as a word cloud, a scale, or ranking with a free tool like Mentimeter). To set up students for a pulse check, you can ask a question of the entire class, with students responding anonymously. This can give you a read of the room. Alternatively, you can ask students to share a response tagged to their name so that you can follow up with them one-on-one.

Making a Formative Assessment Plan

When planning mid-lesson moments to check for understanding, first determine the direction and intended outcomes of the lesson. Know where you're headed and what you'd like to see students accomplish by the end of the lesson or activity. Identifying success criteria is helpful during all phases of formative assessment, including in the middle of a lesson.

For example, if you poll the class and find that student confidence is low, or you ask students to post a response to a question in a collaborative space and their answers raise concerns, you might decide to pivot your instruction based on their responses. Mid-lesson checks offer an opportunity to bring the class together for a reset. The information you gather may lead you to take immediate action, such as asking a small group of students who have shown they need more support to review a concept or making you aware of what to look out for during the remainder of the lesson.

Putting Ideas Into Action

What's the best way to put these strategies into action? Choose one of the tactics listed above to plug into your weekly routine. You might decide to use a tool that students are already familiar with to start. This way, you can easily shift how you use it during other parts of the day to gather actionable formative assessment data in the midst of a lesson. For example, if you already use a tool like Mentimeter to create word clouds when kicking off a new unit of study, try the scale feature in the middle of an upcoming lesson for a pulse check.

As you review the ways you currently check for understanding, choose just one idea from the list. Try it out and see if it sticks. If it doesn't provide value or match your goals for formative assessment, switch it up, try another idea, and pick one to build into your routine.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Using Popular Apps for Formative Assessment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Adding simple tech options to boost formative assessment activities can help ensure that every student is getting the most from the lesson. Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock When you think of assessment, what's the first thing that comes to mind?

# data[].attributes.body
This link contains research-based rubrics in the following areas:

- presentation
- self-directed learning
- critical thinking
- creativity
- complex communication
- collaboration

# data[].attributes.body
Learning Profile Cards are great for:

- teachers to collect perceptual data about students’ strengths in subjects and approaches to learning
- students to self-evaluate
- teachers to add information about the students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Students need opportunities to practice Global Competencies like Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, Innovation, and Influencing across networks. This is why working in teams gives them the opportunities to practice these skills and to get coaching by the teacher and others. Yet one challenge with teams is the fear that some students will dominate, while others will stand aside while the others do all of the work. While supporting teachers at a Project Based Learning school in Michigan, this challenge came to a head when a teacher team wanted to abandon using student teams altogether. "It doesn't work!" They stated with a look of determination that one gets from being an eyewitness to seeing something go wrong in action.

I started to suggest that each student needed a role, like project manager, editor, and-but the team leader cut me off by saying that they already did this, and it did not help. So, I asked them to describe what does a class session look like from the beginning to end. The leader sighed, but decided to indulge me. At the beginning of class the students gather in their teams for the initial instruction. When they start working on their project, one person gathers the necessary materials and brings them to the team.

"Is that a role or responsibility?" I asked.

"It's one of the team roles," was the response. "That's the Logistics person."

"Are the people in this role typically the ones not helping with the project work?" I asked.

The teacher team looked at me with astonishment. The leader asked, "How did you know?"

Once the logistics person brings the materials. Their job is done until the end of class, when they must return the materials. Each team member needs an academic responsibility. This gives them value and purpose throughout the learning and product work within the project.

How do you ensure that every student on a team will be active and contribute to the ongoing work and final outcome?

One part of the equation is to ensure that every student has an academic responsibility, or a qualitative role. Whether the learner is gifted, struggles with the subject matter, or has an IEP for Special Education support, they need to believe that they can contribute. Also within the team, the students have to believe that each person has something academically to contribute.

Learning Preferences Cards ( PDF handout link) is a great strategy for collecting perceptual data about students' strengths in subjects and approaches to learning. Students self-evaluate so that their perspective is recorded about themselves as learners. Once completed, teachers can add annotated information about the students that further informs them on team formations that can lead to success with Global Competencies and learning standards.
Learning Profile Cards

Target Grades: All

Applicable: Differentiated Instruction, Project Based Learning, and Team Formation

Activity Time: 15-20 minutes

Materials: index cards and a pen or pencil (one per student)

Activity Steps

1. After passing out the index cards to each student, have them write on the back of the card their contact information. At a minimum, this would include their name and personal phone number.Figure 1: Back of the Card
Sometimes the phone number the student provides is not the one on file with the school, and is usually a more reliable connection. The purpose of this information is for when student teams need to contact an absent member about work that needs to be submitted. Since it appears that students use email far less, having other means of contact is important within Social Media.Figure 2: Front of the Card

2. The next steps will occur on thefront of the card. In the center, students list 3 to 4 interests that they have outside of school. This could range from recording themselves as they play video games to talking or texting with friends. This information helps for showing context of subject matter to things that matter to students. Also, when designing projects and lessons, I've created learning experiences around the interests of 1-2 students in the class. There are those "Triage Patients" who if we do not make learning meaningful, they will fall further and further behind, until they eventually lose faith in the education system and stop trying.

3. In the top left corner, students list the subjects and skills. For each, rate them from a 4-I'm great at this skill/subject and I love it-to a 1-I'm not very good at this skill/subject and I do not like it. Some teachers use a wider range such as an 8 pt or 10 pt scale. That's fine so long as the range is an even number. Otherwise, students tend to choose the middle number such as 3 out of 5, or 5 out of 9.It's also important to note that the score is far less important than if the student rated themselves in the top half or bottom half. This speaks volumes about their perception of themselves, which we'll see repeated with the other categories to follow. When I learned that some of my students rated themselves low in my content area, that indicated that I would need to mediate their self-perception of their skills if I hoped for them to make a strong effort.Saving the best for last, this information informs on what academic strengths students may have. A student who struggles in Science or Math, but is average to good at writing, becomes the Writing Editor. Their job is not to write the papers or scripts. It is to facilitate the reflection and revision process that each person must do on their own work. Someone who knows social media or video recording becomes the Media Editor. Their job, through facilitation, is to help teammates evaluate how messaging is being effectively done of content to media. As you can see, each role has an academic responsibility. Their role is one of facilitation-monitoring and tracking their team's work using the academic criteria list and/or guidelines (ex. rubric).

4. The other corners are for tracking learning styles and personality inventories. Students use the 4 pt scale to self assess for each category. Teachers can choose any style/inventory that they find to best meet the learning needs of their students. It's important to track at least two. This helps to avoid typecasting students into one learning container. Such as, John is a Visual learner. Well...that probably depends on the situation. More importantly, how would John rate himself. For each learning styles/inventory categories used, the teacher needs to describe them in terms that relates to students. For example, if I asked for directions to the nearest coffee shop, a visual learner would give directions as they saw themselves making the trip.I strongly recommend using the Internal and External reflection styles listed in the bottom right corner. Some people need to process their thinking along before they are ready to share or act. While others need to think aloud their ideas as means to make connections. The team make-up between these two styles can have positive implications when deliberately included in formation decisions.

Once the students complete the cards, the teacher collects them to use for making teams and differentiating lessons and projects. Because the students completed them, teachers may add or update information on the cards based on observations.

For early elementary students, teachers might bring in parents or student buddies from an upper grade level who acts as the younger students' secretaries, and transcribe their answers. Thus saving time.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Students need opportunities to practice Global Competencies like Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, Innovation, and Influencing across networks. This is why working in teams gives them the opportunities to practice these skills and to get coaching by the teacher and others.

# data[].attributes.body
Some examples of student centered literacy include: literature circles and book clubs, self evaluating reading fluency, socratic seminar discussion.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Student-centered literacy instruction emphasizes student choice and ownership of their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.

This focus area provides educators with the strategies and tools to create a student-centered literacy classroom that focuses on choice, collaboration, and ownership in order to increase student engagement and improve literacy outcomes.

Focus Area

Student-Centered Literacy

Components of Student-Centered Literacy

Student-centered literacy empowers students to practice literacy skills at their own pace as they encounter increasingly complex texts. We support skill development through personalized pathways built from BL Connect , Workshops , 1:1 Coaching , and Learning Walks to achieve clear outcomes.

Student-Centered Literacy in a Flexible Learning Environment

Outcome: I can implement student-centered literacy practices in a flexible learning environment by adjusting instruction and deliberately selecting strategies that work in synchronous and asynchronous learning environments.

Tech Tools for Literacy

Outcome: I can identify and implement specific tech tools that focus on organization, collaboration and feedback in order to create student-centered literacy lessons.

Student-Driven Writing Systems

Outcome: I can implement student-driven writing systems in my classroom by providing students with opportunities to own the writing process, provide meaningful feedback, and engage in collaboration.

Oral Language Skills in Early Literacy

Outcome: I can leverage early learners' oral language development in order to support reading and writing skills.

"It is worthwhile to take a step back from the day-to-day routine to visit classes with colleagues and share what we are seeing, ensure that we have a common language and vision of teaching, identify trends, and develop schoolwide action plans."

"This was one of the best PD experiences I have been to. The facilitators were very knowledgeable and made me think differently about my practices. I know I have grown as an educator."

Learning Strategies From Our Library

Literature Circles and Book Clubs

Increase student reading and engagement with literature circles.
Learn More

Practicing and Self-Evaluating Reading Fluency

Support students in practicing reading fluently, assessing their own fluency, and reflecting on their reading with their teacher.
Learn More

Socratic Seminar Discussion

Teach students to discuss complex texts or topics and build their speaking and listening skills with Socratic Seminars.
Learn More

A Focus on Student-Centered Teaching and Learning

We've identified four elements that are key for academic success and for building student-centered classrooms. BetterLesson guides teachers, instructional coaches, and leaders through focus areas within each element to lead their professional development journey.

Instructional Leadership Focus Areas

Improve instruction and learning for teachers and students by building your skills as an instructional leader.

Leading Through Change: Lead the improvement of teaching, learning, and overall school climate to enhance student achievement and success. Learn More

Flexible Instructional Models Focus Areas

Find unique ways for all students to learn, communicate, and solve meaningful problems.

Instructional Leadership Focus Areas

Improve instruction and learning for teachers and students by building your skills as an instructional leader.

Leading Through Change: Lead the improvement of teaching, learning, and overall school climate to enhance student achievement and success. Learn More

Flexible Instructional Models Focus Areas

Find unique ways for all students to learn, communicate, and solve meaningful problems.

Let's Connect

Turn strategies into outcomes. Our team is here to help.
Get in Touch

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

The Learning Curve

Accelerate growth in your schools and stay ahead of the curve.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Student-centered literacy instruction emphasizes student choice and ownership of their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. This focus area provides educators with the strategies and tools to create a student-centered literacy classroom that focuses on choice, collaboration, and ownership in order to increase student engagement and improve literacy outcomes.

# data[].attributes.headline
"When children are physically overstimulated, their reading often suffers. They may rush their reading and skip lines. They might have difficulty decoding and have decreased comprehension, visual focus, and reading stamina"

# data[].attributes.subject
"When children are physically overstimulated, their reading often suffers. They may rush their reading and skip lines. They might have difficulty decoding and have decreased comprehension, visual focus, and reading stamina"

# data[].attributes.body
. Different  movement strategies include
*crossing midline
*tactile
*visual input
*proprioception

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
An occupational therapist shares movement breaks and simple tools that help elementary students focus on the written word.

When children are physically overstimulated, their reading often suffers. They may rush their reading and skip lines. They might have difficulty decoding and have decreased comprehension, visual focus, and reading stamina. The good news is that there are many small and large movement strategies and supports that can address overstimulation and assist students with the underlying developmental components of reading.

I've put together several easy exercises that students can do in class. I've also included some simple but effective tools to help them focus on their reading.

The movement strategies incorporate crossing midline (where one side of the body crosses to the other side, leading to cross-hemispheric integration), tactile (touch), visual input, and proprioception (deep pressure to the joints to improve body awareness).

Students can do these strategies as stand-alone movements or as a sequence before reading as a preparatory activity, as well as during the reading process as a break to ensure that their pace and attention are extended through the resulting sensory feedback.

Consider creating a visual of these strategies to place near reading areas to remind students to do the exercise sequences during the reading period to maximize sustained reading and regulation and to improve stamina.

Small Movement Exercises

Temple taps: Students gently tap the sides of their head in a brisk and steady manner, repeating five to 10 times.

Eye break: Students rub their palms together until they feel warm. Have them close their eyes and gently place their warmed palms over their eyes for 10 to 20 seconds. This is a great exercise to use both before reading and when students' eyes begin to lose focus during reading.

During school-based tasks involving sustained visual focus (e.g., near and far point copying, reading from a book and from the board), students may experience eye muscle fatigue. Utilizing an eye break at regular intervals or whenever the eyes start to experience fatigue can give tired eye muscles a brief rest and can improve stamina as well as performance in related tasks.

Whole-body tap-rub-squeeze combo: Have students stand up with their feet flat on the floor and cross their arms, bringing palms to opposite shoulders. Then, beginning at the shoulders and moving down to the wrist, they quickly tap up and down. Next, keeping arms crossed at the shoulders, students firmly rub the arms up and down in a steady manner, going up and down from the shoulder to the wrists. Finally, students firmly squeeze the arms up and down in a steady manner from the shoulder to the wrists.

Make an 8: Tell your students the following: "Picture an 8 on its side. Pretend that you've drawn it. Picture how it looks and imagine that it's right in front of you. Take your right hand (moving the shoulder along as well) and trace it carefully. Now, trace over it with your left hand. Now, take both hands together (one fist on top of the other) and trace over the 8 together."

Note: The make-an-8 activity, while for the whole body, also works on visual attention and acts as an eye break, so it may be a good strategy to utilize when engaging in activities that have significant visual motor and visual perceptual components, such as reading, writing, drawing, copying from the board, and sustaining visual attention during instruction.

Helpful Tools

Textured bookmark: Ask your students if they ever feel as if it's hard to keep their eyes on the page, or if they often find themselves having to read the same word or sentence over and over again. A bright, plain bookmark to track each sentence during reading may help to keep their eyes on the page for longer periods of time and ensure concentration.

Note: The bookmark goes above the words.

Students can make their own bookmarks (younger grades may need help). Cut out sheets of paper in the shape of bookmarks. Any type of available paper will work, such as construction paper or lined paper.

An alternative is to use already-made bookmarks. Try placing textured Velcro or stickers on the bookmarks to increase sensory feedback. Students can fidget with the Velcro while reading.

Colored overlay: A colored overlay is a colorful see-through sheet that has a narrow window that students can read through, one sentence at a time. The window should be approximately ¾ inch wide, depending on the size of the letters and words the students will be reading. This can make it easier for students to keep their eyes on their reading, because the words are tracked within the window.

DIY: To do it yourself, buy a see-through folder (the brighter and more lightweight ones usually work better). You should be able to get about eight windows from each folder. Cut a thin strip out (approximately the size of a sentence). Students can use it as a bookmark as well.

Alternative DIY: The color of an overlay can assist with visual tracking and decoding skills. Test out what color students read through with the most fluidity. Next, cut a transparent folder of that color in half. Have them read materials through that lens. It's important that you use a folder that is transparent and thin for this strategy.

Using these exercises as reading preparation activities and as breaks during reading and adding simple tools can help make reading go more smoothly for students.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Exercises That Help Students Focus on Reading

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
An occupational therapist shares movement breaks and simple tools that help elementary students focus on the written word.

# data[].attributes.body
Instructor Presence

Establish teaching presence early and often:

Post announcements, appear on video and participate in discussions.

Show your personality, passion, and expertise.

Real World Applications

Motivate students by making a real-world connection:

Show students how they will apply what they are learning.

Teach for Online Students

Orient students to the online course:

Break learning into smaller chunks. Establish a pattern of activity and due dates.

Describe expectations for online participation, communication, and netiquette.

Provide technical support information.

Clear Expectations

Help students dive straight into the content by providing them with:

Detailed syllabus.

Due dates and schedule.

Clear assignment directions.

Learning Objectives

Alignment matters! Be sure that:

Course content aligns with objectives and assessments.

Extra content not directly supporting the learning objectives is removed or made optional.

Prompt Feedback

Provide feedback to improve student outcomes:

Reinforce important materials, concepts, and skills.

Provide timely feedback students can apply during the course.

Engage Students

The quality of interaction between students is a sign of a successful class:

Create educational experiences for students that are challenging, enriching, and that extend their academic abilities.

Provide students with opportunities to interact with peers, such as through discussion and group work.

https://teachonline.asu.edu/2018/09/best-practices-for-teaching-online/

# data[].attributes.headline
A Beginner’s Toolkit for Teaching Remotely

# data[].attributes.subject
A Beginner’s Toolkit for Teaching Remotely

# data[].attributes.body
https://hookedoninnovation.com/2020/03/19/a-beginners-toolkit-to-teaching-remotely/

# data[].attributes.headline
Implementing competitiveness in a classroom can be done through a leader board encouraging students to actively participate in their learning.

# data[].attributes.subject
Implementing competitiveness in a classroom can be done through a leader board encouraging students to actively participate in their learning.

# data[].attributes.body
In gamification, the end result (the points, rewards, being first place, completing as much as possible, not being last place) can easily become the focus, rather than the learning. Gamification can cause learners to rely on extrinsic motivation. This is the mental condition that drives a person to behave a certain way or engage in an activity to win a reward or avoid a punishment.

Research around game-based learning shows this correlation between motivation, engagement, complex problem solving and other social and emotional skills. One of the more popular investigations is that of learning through failure and the shift from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. A student with a fixed mindset believes that intelligence is inherent and unchanging. A student with a growth mindset believes that they can change and improve their knowledge with effortful learning (Carol Dweck, et al.)

The nature of learning through failure and mastery in game naturally lends itself to developing a growth mindset.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Game-based learning and gamification at immediate glance may seem like similar and interchangeable terms. While both terms combine games and learning, the difference lies in how game elements are integrated into the learning experience. This distinction leads to a larger difference in learning outcomes when comparing game-based learning vs. gamification.

What is Game-based Learning?
A type of active learning experience within a game framework, which has specific learning objectives and measurable outcomes.
The learning experience gives a student clear and challenging goals within a virtual game framework, requires a high-degree of student interaction and offers informative feedback on student performance. Many times, the games are designed to allow the player to understand the subject matter within a real world context.

What is Gamification?
The process of adding game elements or mechanics to an experience to increase engagement or enjoyment.
These game elements are usually separated from the actual learning content. Gamified lessons or activities may include elements such as badges, leaderboards, timed activities, rewards or points.

Examples of gamification in the classroom include:

Separating students into groups to compete on assignments or activities.

Enabling students to earn points for behavior or completion of assignments and allowing them to spend the points on rewards.

Timed flash cards or worksheets.

Badges to show completion of work or mastery of skills.

Listening for certain keywords or situations to complete a bingo-type sheet.

Using dice to generate random numbers for a worksheet activity.

Game-based Learning vs. Gamification

In game-based learning, the game is the learning experience, whereas in gamification, the game components are added to the traditional instruction method.

In gamification, the end result (the points, rewards, being first place, completing as much as possible, not being last place) can easily become the focus, rather than the learning. Gamification can cause learners to rely on extrinsic motivation. This is the mental condition that drives a person to behave a certain way or engage in an activity to win a reward or avoid a punishment.

But what happens when the reward is no longer relevant or removed?

In addition, a number of studies have shown that offering excessive external rewards for an internally satisfying behavior can lead to a reduction in intrinsic motivation ( Deci et al., 1999). Intrinsic motivation is a type of internal desire that is based on the satisfactions of behaving "for its own sake."

If designed well, game-based learning has the capacity to harness students' intrinsic motivation and love for play and lead them toward complex problem solving.

Game-based Learning Research

Research around game-based learning shows this correlation between motivation, engagement, complex problem solving and other social and emotional skills.

One of the more popular investigations is that of learning through failure and the shift from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. A student with a fixed mindset believes that intelligence is inherent and unchanging. A student with a growth mindset believes that they can change and improve their knowledge with effortful learning ( Carol Dweck, et al.)

The nature of learning through failure and mastery in games naturally lends itself to developing a growth mindset.
Explore more resources and research on the game-based learning infographic.
Links to game-based learning research:

Game-based Learning in the Classroom

How are educators using this research to improve student outcomes in their classrooms?

Ryan Reed shares some game-based learning examples and how to help other educators get started with game-based learning.

With game-based learning, students become more engaged with their learning. They go from struggling to finding a way to overcome that struggle and start looking for solutions and innovating strategies on their learning.
-Ryan Reed, Business & Technology Teacher at Stillman Valley High School

In this video, MIND's content director Ki Karou shares some game-based learning strategies that can develop students' capacity for productive struggle.
Video: Using Game-based Learning in the Classroom by MIND Research Institute
How are you using game-based learning in your classroom? Leave us a comment and don't forget to subscribe to the blog for the latest news and insights on STEM education, research and more!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Game-based Learning vs Gamification: What's the Difference?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What are the definitions and differences between game-based learning and gamification? An examination of the research and examples that show the benefits of game-based learning vs. gamification.

# data[].attributes.headline
An American educational publishing company, McGraw Hill's column on how to implement technology to create student-centered learning environment. 

# data[].attributes.subject
An American educational publishing company, McGraw Hill's column on how to implement technology to create student-centered learning environment. 

# data[].attributes.body
https://medium.com/inspired-ideas-prek-12/3-ways-to-create-a-student-centered-learning-environment-using-technology-2ba9dce92682

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Imagine a classroom where every student is actively engaged in the progression of a lesson, where students take ownership over their own learning, and where critical thinking skills are in constant development. What you're imagining is a student-centered learning environment, an approach to instruction that flips the traditional "sage-on-the-stage" teaching model on its head. This vision might seem idealistic - to cultivate that level of student agency, engagement, and intrinsic motivation is almost utopian. It is an ambitious goal: but a worthwhile one. With the right tools and the right mindset, it's totally possible. In this blog, we'll show you three ways to create a student-centered learning environment, using technology, project-based learning, and print resources.

1. Lead with Digital Instruction to Individualize Learning

According to ISTE, technology plays a key role in personalizing learning and enables teachers to closely monitor and respond to student engagement. When creating a student-centered learning environment, you should seek to incorporate technology that individualizes instruction based on student needs. You should also look for digital programs that focus on gradual skill development through scaffolded instruction, ongoing assessments, and even games or activities. Ultimately, once you've implemented the right technology in your classroom, it's key that you strike a balance between student, teacher, and tech where the students' academic needs are always at the forefront of instruction.

2. Use Print and Digital Resources to Reach Every Learner

Perhaps the most difficult part of creating a truly student-centered learning environment is engaging all students proactively in the lesson. You'll always have some students who light up when discussing a certain subject, but how can you consistently reach each one of them? Consider: if you want students to take ownership of their learning, it may also make sense to allow them to take ownership of their learning modality. By offering a variety and blend of print and digital learning resources, students can experiment with the best fit for their preferences and strengths. Print also offers unique opportunities for teacher-led lessons, group discussions, and shared reading experiences. So, while you should lead with digital instruction, don't forget other modalities. Agency can start with the power to influence how learning happens.

3. Integrate Project-Based Learning to Make Real World Connections

To keep students engaged, construct opportunities for them to apply what they've learned to real-world problems in a group setting. Project-based learning activities will allow students to collaborate with peers while exercising critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, and even social emotional skills. Allow students to pursue topics that are relevant and interesting to them, while still providing a framework for the project, such as conducting research and giving presentations. It's crucial that this element of a lesson is rooted in real world problem-solving and practical application. Part of creating a student-centered learning environment isn't just about making sure instruction is individualized to student needs, but that students understand why they need this instruction to begin with, and stay more invested and engaged in the learning process throughout the school year.

Fostering a student-centered learning environment using technology, print, and projects from scratch won't be easy. But if you're armed with the right resources and approach the task with a growth mindset of your own, the results will be worth it.

For more on student-centered learning using technology, see what resources and support your district might find from Future Ready Schools:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
3 Ways to Create a Student-Centered Learning Environment Using Technology

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Imagine a classroom where every student is actively engaged in the progression of a lesson, where students take ownership over their own learning, and where critical thinking skills are in constant development. What you're imagining is a student-centered learning environment, an approach to instruction that flips the traditional "sage-on-the-stage" teaching model on its head.

# data[].attributes.headline
Physical conditions of a classroom. Research about dynamic elements promoting mental health and conducive learning in students

# data[].attributes.subject
Physical conditions of a classroom. Research about dynamic elements promoting mental health and conducive learning in students

# data[].attributes.body
www.researchgate.net/publication/327221861_Physical_conditions_of_a_classroom_-_Dynamic_elements_promoting_mental_health_and_conducive_learning_in_stude

# data[].attributes.body
In this strategy, students record themselves reading and then listen to the recording while evaluating their fluency using a student-friendly fluency evaluation tool.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Practicing and Self-Evaluating Reading Fluency

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Support students to practice reading fluently, assess their own fluency, and then reflect on it with their teacher

# data[].attributes.body
Readers Theater is an integrated approach for involving students in reading, writing, listening, and speaking activities.  It involves children in….

sharing literature,

reading aloud,

writing scripts,

performing with a purpose, and

working collaboratively.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Readers Theater is an integrated approach for involving students in reading, writing, listening, and speaking activities. It involves children in....

sharing literature,

reading aloud,

writing scripts,

performing with a purpose, and

working collaboratively.

Readers Theater is readers reading a script adapted from literature, and the audience picturing the action from hearing the script being read aloud. It requires no sets, costumes, props, or memorized lines. Instead of acting out literature as in a play, the performer's goal is to read a script aloud effectively, enabling the audience to visualize the action. Performers bring the text alive by using voice, facial expressions, and some gestures
Benefits of Using Readers Theater in the Classroom or Library?
Readers Theater helps to....

develop fluency through repeated exposure to text.

increase comprehension.

integrate reading, writing, speaking, listening in an authentic context.

engage students.

increase reading motivation.

create confidence and improve the self-image of students.

provide a real purpose for reading.

provide opportunities for cooperative learning.

Tips for Implementing Readers Theater

Model expressive reading often.

Introduce Readers Theater using pre-prepared scripts. Students need to grasp the concept of Readers Theater and become familiar with the format of a script before writing their own.

Teach the basic steps of performance: how to use highlighters to mark the parts, how to interpret the part and read expressively, how to hold the script, and when to assume various stage positions.

Give the students lots of time to prepare. Emphasize practice. Readers should practice their roles in different ways: individually and in small groups, privately and in front of others.

Keep a copy of the marked script at school and send one home for parents to read and practice with their children.

Rehearse with the readers, providing needed direction and support regarding their interpretation, pacing, expression, volume, positions, and motions.

Begin with short presentations.

Perform for an audience as often as possible.

Use props sparingly.

Selecting Text for a Readers Theater Script
Readers Theater may be performed with many kinds of literature: picture books, short stories, parts of novels, poetry, folk tales, works of non-fiction, newspaper or magazine articles. Not all literature, however, makes a good Readers Theater script. Look for literature that ....

is interesting or has compelling content.

has a strong story line, interesting characters, conflict, plot action, humor.

uses dialogue.

is not filled with descriptive passages.

flows at a steady pace.

Tips for Creating a Readers Theater Script
It is not necessary to use a piece of literature in its entirety. Excepts can be used very effectively. Be sure to keep in mind the reading level of the readers in selecting a piece of text. Choose text that is within the reach of your readers and that they can read aloud successfully, given repeated practice.

Start with picture books. Model how to create a script and create several scripts as a class before asking the students to create their own scripts in small, cooperative groups. Once you have selected the piece of text you wish to adapt to script form, show the students how to ....

determine what portions of the text to leave in to be true to the story line, characters, or topic and which portions can be deleted.

delete the less critical passages: descriptions, transitions, etc.

rewrite or modify those passages that need to be included but require adaptation.

keep speeches and narrative passages short.

divide the parts for the readers.

Characteristics of an Effective Readers Theater Reader
An effective reader....

Reads with expression, proper emphasis, and clear enunciation, using his/her voice effectively to convey meaning.

Projects to the audience.

Is familiar with the part and is able to read it with fluency.

Paces himself/herself effectively.

Uses props, when employed, effectively (the script is a prop).

Demonstrates poise and self-confidence.

Linda Cornwell currently serves as the national literacy specialist for the Paperbacks and Classroom Library group of Scholastic, Inc. She is listed in Who's Who in American Education and Who's Who in America. Ms Cornwell earned a BS and an MS degree in education from Butler University

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Scholastic.com for Librarians | What Is Readers Theater

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Readers Theater is an integrated approach for involving students in reading, writing, listening, and speaking activities. It involves children in.... sharing literature, reading aloud, writing scripts, performing with a purpose, and working collaboratively. Readers Theater is readers reading a script adapted from literature, and the audience picturing the action from hearing the script being read aloud.

# data[].attributes.body
"Pairing older elementary students with younger ones for community reading time has benefits for both groups."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Pairing older elementary students with younger ones for community reading time has benefits for both groups.

©Shutterstock/Anna Nahabed

Peer mentoring is a powerful, underused tool in schools. One study suggests that partnering with higher achieving peers can have a positive influence on a student's learning, and students who are older, more capable readers can be these peers for young students. With this in mind, I have used a practice called Reading Buddies in elementary schools to great effect.

Reading Buddies is a concept that pairs different grade-level classrooms for community reading time-an upper-grade classroom connects with a lower-grade one, and students partner for time with books.

Establishing a Reading Buddies Program

The structure is simple: Pair upper-grade classes with lower-grade ones. Ideally, in a pre-K through fifth grade elementary school, third graders pair with prekindergartners or kindergartners, fourth graders with first graders, and fifth graders with second graders. It's best to have students work in pairs, but groups of three are fine as well. Set aside at least one 30-minute session per month for the students to read together.

Gather the students in a classroom, the library, the cafeteria, or even outside on a sunny afternoon. Let the younger students pick the books at first so they get hooked with an interesting read. Later you can have the older students share some of their favorites. As the year progresses and the skills of the younger readers increase, you can have the students take turns reading to each other, giving everyone a chance to show off.

The benefits are profound. Reading Buddies allows younger readers to see what being fluent looks like as they have a peer model demonstrating reading skills; they can also acquire a positive role model with some intentional pairing. The older students develop social and emotional skills like patience and empathy as they work with their littler buddies.

Additionally, for upper elementary students who are struggling with grade-level reading, the opportunity to access easier reading material without stigma or shame while sharing with a novice reader can create a positive experience with an activity that may otherwise be less than enjoyable. And the roots of the school community deepen as classes across campus work and share together.

Social and Emotional Benefits

You might be worried about the reading level or the behavior of the older students, for good reason. But this opportunity could be just what they need: When students are given the freedom to be better, to work for something bigger than themselves, and to mentor others, they can thrive. Those who are not reading on grade level will have a chance to practice with picture books that they wouldn't otherwise pick up and to increase their confidence as they read to a mesmerized kindergartner.

I've seen this success for students with behavior difficulties. Let me tell you about a student I'll call Marcus, a fifth grader with attention issues who read at a first-grade level and was often in trouble, but who had an amazing heart. His teacher, who was justifiably worried about his progress, partnered with a kindergarten class for Reading Buddies. Marcus was paired with Tony, a little guy with his own set of difficulties, such as defiance, use of profanity, and physical aggression.

They got on fine, but the relationship didn't blossom until after a few sessions. While walking to meet the kinder class, Marcus saw Tony talking to his teacher outside the classroom and being less than respectful. When Tony belatedly made it to Reading Buddies, Marcus put his arm around him and began to mentor him. Marcus gave him the old "Don't be like me, kid" speech. Tony looked at Marcus with an expression of embarrassment and respect for someone who had had similar difficulties through the years.

Over time, the teachers worked out an intervention where Marcus could go spend time with Tony outside of Reading Buddies both as a reward and as an intervention when Tony's day started getting hard. As part of a token reward system, Tony could request that Marcus join him for lunch or recess. For the intervention, Marcus would sometimes come down to the kinder classroom to give Tony a pep talk. This was a positive relationship for both students as Tony had a role model and Marcus had someone to mentor, which helped him grow.

This program of cooperative learning is a great way to build community in the school and to promote reading, which are goals for nearly every school. Both sets of students get excited about Reading Buddies time because it's a chance to get out of class, have fun, and make a friend. I've seen kindergarten and first grade classes deliver letters of encouragement to their partners before the scary state assessments.

With thoughtfulness, the relationships can extend beyond just one school year and carry over beyond reading books. Powerful moments of connection can happen, and social and emotional lessons are inevitable. These are some wonderful outcomes, all from just sharing a book.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Pairing older elementary students with younger ones for community reading time has benefits for both groups.

# data[].attributes.body
Purpose: To help students read with understanding and fluency. It allows teachers to work with students in small groups to facilitate their common needs.

# data[].attributes.body
A novelty approach to reading centers, that fosters independent reading skills.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Learner Centered Literacy:  Owning Their Own Reading

# data[].attributes.body
An effective tool that supports student-led facilitation and discussion in small groups.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Literature Circles and Book Clubs For Distance Learning

Students can engage in literature circles and book clubs in distance learning either synchronously or asynchronously.
Implementation Steps:

1. Consider what text(s) students will read and how they will access this text in a distance learning setting. Some resources and ideas to consider:

Many books are available online through Epic books, the National Emergency Library, CommonLit, or Open Library. In addition, Audible is offering students many free books.

Consider a nonfiction book club based on texts from a variety of online sources. Resources like Newsela, Tween Tribune, and Breaking News English make it easy to assign texts using students' individual reading levels, including by their Lexile level.

Consider having students choose their books or text topics and create online literature circles based on student interest. Students can read a series of nonfiction texts on a theme or topic of their choice.

Consider having students listen to a series podcast or watch a few videos as the "text" that they will discuss.

2. Establish norms, expectations, and student roles for the literature circle. See the BetterLesson strategy "Developing Norms to Support Productive Group Work in Distance Learning" and "Student Roles during Distance Learning." For distance learning some ideas include:

Norms and Expectations: All participants read the agreed upon text, all participants approach the text with an open mind, all participants have their video on during live meetings etc.

Student Roles: Student facilitator/discussion director, notetaker, "chat monitor" (if using Zoom for synchronous meetings), timekeeper etc. For asynchronous meetings, you might designate a student to reach out to all students in the book club to remind them to post by their deadlines.

3. Determine if you want students to participate in a book club/literature circle that meets synchronously or asynchronously. Consult the resource below to help inform your decision.

4. For synchronous book club/literature circles:

Consider using the breakout room feature in Zoom to place students manually into their book clubs. For a tutorial, see the Zoom Breakout resource in the resource section below.

Use the initial meeting to develop familiarity with the video platform (use of video, microphone, mute, and chat feature if available).

If students are responsible for developing their own discussion questions, make sure they have done this. Ask students to share questions into the chat feature, into a shared Google document, or have a student share his or her screen with the questions.

Give students an allotted period of time in their literature circles and use an online timer. Consider giving each student a certain amount of time in their role before moving on to the next person in the group to share out on his or her role.

5. For an asynchronous book club or literature circle:

Create a shared Google document for students to reference that includes the norms and expectations, student roles, number of pages to read, due dates, etc.

Consider using the Google document for students to share their reactions to the book or answer questions. Students could also post on FlipGrid, Padlet, or Verso. Also, consider giving students deadlines to post and requiring students to respond to peers' comments.

6. Consider providing a video model using Loom or Screencastify of a good book club discussion. Students can watch the video and reflect on what makes the discussion successful. Use the Y-Chart for clear expectations strategy found below. The Y-Chart can be a shared Google document that students add to as they watch the model discussion.

7. For students with limited technology, you can modify either a synchronous or asynchronous discussion by holding a 1:1 phone conversation with the student. If the book club is synchronous, the student can be on speakerphone or call in, if you are using Zoom. If the book club is asynchronous, after talking with the student, you can post what the student said.

8. After each meeting of the book club or when the book culminates, have students reflect on the process. Use a Google Form or Survey Monkey to gather feedback from students.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Literature Circles and Book Clubs For Distance Learning Students can engage in literature circles and book clubs in distance learning either synchronously or asynchronously. Implementation Steps: Consider what text(s) students will read and how they will access this text in a distance learning setting.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.duolingo.com/

This can help as positive reinforcement for student learning at a pace that may be more appropriate for different students.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Duolingo is the world's most popular way to learn a language. It's 100% free, fun and science-based. Practice online on duolingo.com or on the apps!

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ0BGXMf83U

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.jigsaw.org/

It is a cooperative learning technique that reduces racial conflict among school children, promotes better learning, improves student motivation, and increases enjoyment of the learning experience.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
OVERVIEW

The jigsaw classroom is a research-based cooperative learning technique invented and developed in the early 1970s by Elliot Aronson and his students at the University of Texas and the University of California. Since 1971, thousands of classrooms have used jigsaw with great success.

The jigsaw classroom has a four-decade track record of successfully reducing racial conflict and increasing positive educational outcomes such as improved test performance, reduced absenteeism, and greater liking for school.

Just as in a jigsaw puzzle, each piece - each student's part - is essential for the completion and full understanding of the final product.

If each student's part is essential, then each student is essential; and that is precisely what makes this strategy so effective.

JIGSAW IN 10 EASY STEPS

The jigsaw classroom is very simple to use. If you're a teacher, just follow these steps:

STEP SEVEN

Bring the students back into their jigsaw groups.

STEP EIGHT

Ask each student to present her or his segment to the group.

Encourage others in the group to ask questions for clarification.

STEP NINE

Float from group to group, observing the process.

If any group is having trouble (e.g., a member is dominating or disruptive), make an appropriate intervention. Eventually, it's best for the group leader to handle this task. Leaders can be trained by whispering an instruction on how to intervene, until the leader gets the hang of it.

STEP TEN

At the end of the session, give a quiz on the material.

Students quickly come to realize that these sessions are not just fun and games but really count.

ABOUT ELLIOT ARONSON

Elliot Aronson is currently Professor Emeritus at the University of California in Santa Cruz. He has long-standing research interests in social influence and attitude change, cognitive dissonance, research methodology, and interpersonal attraction. Professor Aronson's experiments are aimed both at testing theory and at improving the human condition by influencing people to change dysfunctional attitudes and behaviors.

Professor Aronson received his B.A. from Brandeis University in 1954, his M.A. from Wesleyan University in 1956, and his Ph.D. in psychology from Stanford University in 1959. He has taught at Harvard University, the University of Minnesota, the University of Texas, and the University of California. In 1999, he won the American Psychological Association's Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award, making him the only psychologist to have won APA's highest awards in all three major academic categories: distinguished writing (1973), distinguished teaching (1980), and distinguished research (1999).

MORE ABOUT
ELLIOT ARONSON

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The jigsaw technique is a cooperative learning approach that reduces racial conflict among school children, promotes better learning, improves student motivation, and increases enjoyment of the learning experience.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.pblworks.org/what-is-pbl

Students work on a project over an extended period of time – from a week up to a semester – that engages them in solving a real-world problem or answering a complex question. They demonstrate their knowledge and skills by creating a public product or presentation for a real audience.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Project Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.inklestudios.com/
It is a software and creative design company that lets students write and share interactive stories on mobile devices.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Independent developer of narrative games and interactive stories.

# data[].attributes.headline
Some active strategies for student-centered learning

# data[].attributes.subject
Some active strategies for student-centered learning

# data[].attributes.body
1. Gallery walks/chalk talks: Texts are posted at stations around a classroom and students are expected to visit each station to read and analyze these texts. Students will do this in small groups. This type of physical activity encourages collaboration and discussion.
2. White board meetings: Students have the ability to use personal white boards to discuss and display solutions to different problems. I have used this with my kindergartens as a way to practice their listening and writing skills.
3. North Pole-South Pole/Continuum: "This strategy is great for formative assessment or assessing background knowledge. Essentially, one side of the room represents one idea, and the other side of the room represents an opposing idea."
4. Musical Mingle: A game similar to musical chairs but instead when the music stops t  students must discuss questions with peers who they are standing closest too. This game is good to have students learn how to share ideas with their peers.
5. Stations: "Stations can be utilized for differentiation. For example, based upon students’ current writing trends, a teacher could place students at stations based upon areas they need to practice. Activities can be on paper, or they can be embedded digitally using QR Codes"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
contributed by Kenny McKee

Each day more research confirms the link between movement and learning.

Brain researcher David Sousa claims that physical activity increases the amount of oxygen in our blood, and this oxygen is related to enhanced learning and memory. A Washington Post article suggests that many student behaviors we associate with ADHD may stem from an overall lack of physical movement - both in and out of school. In addition, a phenomenally popular blog post by Alexis Wiggins touched upon how much sitting students actually do every day, and how all that sitting affects energy levels and learning.

However, many secondary teachers struggle to integrate movement into the classroom. I know that as a former English teacher, movement found its way into many of my "special" lessons, but it was often a missing ingredient of daily instruction. For example, when students created commercials, searched for books in the library, or carried out debates, movement was inevitable. However, when the main focus of a lesson was reading and writing (as many are in the English classroom), movement was minimal.

I've included some strategies that teachers of any content area can use to integrate movement into lessons. When you have a lesson that looks "sedentary," integrating one of these strategies will surely increase students' learning and engagement.
1. Gallery Walks/Chalk Talks
In some lessons, students may need to analyze multiple texts. Why not post those texts on the walls, and have students rotate through them in small groups? I have used this strategy with students analyzing primary and secondary documents for DBQ's (document-based questions) in history classes. One colleague has students analyze magazine ads for rhetorical techniques in her English class.

Gallery walks can also feature student-created texts, even digital ones. A colleague who teaches earth science once had student groups create informational Animoto videos on different geographic formations. She then had students participate in a digital gallery walk where they watched the student-created videos on laptops, and took notes on each geographic formation.

Chalk Talks are gallery walks where students are asked to respond to texts. For example, quotes could be posted, and student could post their reactions to them. In a math class, students could solve a problem on chart paper, and explain their process. Other students could then use Post-Its to write comments or critiques of their solution and process.
2. White Board Meetings
White Board Meetings are a strategy I have seen two science teachers use often. Essentially, students will investigate a situation (often using a data set). Students will then make sense of the problem in a group. They will display their findings on a mini-whiteboard. Usually, students are required to show information in graphs, pictures, mathematics, and writing. Once students post their information on whiteboards, they present their findings. Students can then receive feedback and answer questions about their information.
3. North Pole-South Pole/Continuum
This strategy is great for formative assessment or assessing background knowledge. Essentially, one side of the room represents one idea, and the other side of the room represents an opposing idea.

For example, I used the strategy while teaching in a statistics class recently. My "North Pole" was "I feel extremely confident in how well I can comprehend and remember information in the statistics textbook." My "South Pole" was "I feel NO confidence in how well I can comprehend and remember information in the statistics textbook." Students were asked to align themselves with how they felt. If they had a more moderate response, they positioned themselves more closely to the center of the room, showing a continuum of student confidence. Their responses affected how I presented an array of note-taking strategies and which students I worked with more closely during the lesson.
4. Musical Mingle
This strategy works along the same lines as Musical Chairs, but you simply ask students to stand. I often develop a series of questions that I want to ask students before the lesson begins (to assess background knowledge) or after the lesson (to assess learning). I ask all of the students to stand. When I play the music, they will meander around. When the music stops, I announce a question and they will discuss responses with a person close to them. Once students have had the opportunity to talk, we then repeat the process.

One caveat to this strategy is limiting your questions. Generally, any more than three or four questions results in diminished focus. Once the activity is completed, students to share some of their discussion points with the whole class. Most students feel confident sharing in the whole class because they have had an opportunity to clarify their thinking with a partner earlier.
5. Stations
Most educators view stations as a staple of the elementary school classroom, but they are also extremely effective in middle and high schools. Stations can be utilized for differentiation. For example, based upon students' current writing trends, a teacher could place students at stations based upon areas they need to practice. Activities can be on paper, or they can be embedded digitally using QR Codes. Other stations may be rotational, such as short writing prompts, differing math problems, selected poems to analyze, or different activities for new vocabulary or concepts.
Kenneth McKee is a high school literacy coach for Buncombe County Schools in Asheville, NC. His interests include teacher leadership, disciplinary literacies, and partnership approaches to instructional coaching. He is a 2014 ASCD Emerging Leader. Connect with him on his blog (kennycmckee.com) or on Twitter (@kennycmckee); image attribution flickr user flickeringbrad; Too Much Sitting? 5 Movement Strategies That Get Students Thinking

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Movement Strategies That Get Students Thinking

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
contributed by Kenny McKee Each day more research confirms the link between movement and learning. Brain researcher David Sousa claims that physical activity increases the amount of oxygen in our blood, and this oxygen is related to enhanced learning and memory.

# data[].attributes.headline
Why students need physical movement in the classroom: "Letting kids move in class isn't a break from learning. It is learning."

# data[].attributes.subject
Why students need physical movement in the classroom: "Letting kids move in class isn't a break from learning. It is learning."

# data[].attributes.body
Students now have a much shorter attention span and so they require different approaches to learning than previous generations. "...by having the students physically doing something, it creates more of an understanding of that particular process than if they were just passively learning about it..."
For young learners (prek and kindergarten for example) should focus on physical activities that work on motor skills. Games like Simon says or types of obstacle courses can allow students to follow processes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Student-Centered World: A Student-Centered Learning Resource

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Here at Student-Centered World, we are HUGE promoters in flexible seating. The whole idea behind flexible seating is that a student will put forth their best work if they are in a position that they are the most productive. For some students, this is still at a traditional desk. For others, this could be standing, sitting on the floor, or laying down.

Allowing this movement in the classroom will help a student (no matter what age) determine how they work best.

We are always so concerned about finding learning styles so they know how they LEARN best, but what about how they WORK best? Giving them this autonomy (with guidelines, for sure....certainly not a free-for-all!) allows them to learn more about themselves and how they will perform at their peak.

Even as adults, we do this. My husband, for instance, needs to sit at a table with all his belonging placed accordingly around him. Me? I work best propped up against 105 pillows....neither of us can concentrate well in the other scenario, but why do we require this of our students when it's so easy to, well, NOT?

Movement in the Classroom

Today I came across two amazing articles that explain the science behind why traditional seating isn't the best for our Generation Z students who sit in front of us (or around us in an actual student-centered classroom).

The first article is from Valerie Strauss, with a focus piece from Aleta Margolis, in the Washington Post titled Letting kids move in class isn't a break from learning. It IS learning. I think that title in and of itself is so telling. We have been trained to believe that a student sits quietly until they are given a break.

This is the INDUSTRIAL MODEL, we are no longer an industrial society! We are turning into a hands-on society of entrepreneurs.

Will that be everyone? Of course not....but it will be a bigger majority of our students than before. As a matter of fact, we are preparing today's students for jobs that don't even exist yet.

Seem far-fetched? How many people that you went to high school with wanted to be a social media manager as a job? What about work for Uber? We take jobs for granted now that didn't exist all too long ago.
Chew on that one for a minute.
Ms. Margolis brings up an excellent point in her article. When it comes to student movement in the classroom, she says by having the students physically doing something, it creates more of an understanding of that particular process than if they were just passively learning about it, which makes complete and total sense.

My son just took his training wheels off his bike and even though he mentally knew how to ride, he physically couldn't until he went through the motions enough times that it clicked. ALL learning is like this! My favorite line from the piece is this:

Incorporating movement-based activities can help learners of all ages articulate and internalize new ideas, and this process invites adult participants to leave their comfort zone and reexamine their roles as both teachers and learners. They explore the relief that students feel at being invited to move, as well as the uncertainty and shyness that can arise when something new and unexpected is introduced.

Truer words have never been spoken. Still many people balk at the idea of the normalcy of movement in the classroom because it's not traditional. Why can't kids today sit still long enough to learn...WE did it, why can't they? A few reasons.

Number one, the average attention span has dropped DRASTICALLY since we have become a society of instant gratification. Know how long it was when public education was created? About 20 minutes. Know how long it is now? Approximately 7 SECONDS. SECONDS. #notatypo.

We literally cannot expect the students in front of us to learn the way other generations have. You will be fighting a losing battle if you think you're going to overcome the odds here. Movement in the classroom is now essential to learning.

It's legitimately a vicious cycle.

As a matter of fact, another article from the Washington Post by Mrs. Strauss and Angela Hanscom titled, A therapist goes to middle school and tries to sit still and focus. She can't. Neither can the kids, may just be the most eye-opening article you will ever read about movement in the classroom (seriously...click on that link and read it...I won't be offended if you're taken off track for a few minutes).

The teachers know students should move, but they feel locked into cramming a ton of information into their brains (more than again, you guessed it, previous generations were required) and don't see a choice. With this, students are losing focus, developing sedentary lifestyle habits, and not actually acquiring the learning that the teacher is trying their hardest to accomplish.

Recess is being cut shorter and shorter and the society of fear we have grown into is preventing these kids from running around and playing outside after school (not to mention, there is often homework to "reinforce" what was "learned" that day in a state of unfocused cramming).

To quote her, after 90 minutes of being in the classroom,

I'm mentally exhausted and the day has just begun. I was planning on observing the whole day. I just can't do it. I decide to leave right after lunch.

This is why "traditional" learning without movement in the classroom just isn't the best method of instruction for our students anymore. It's not.

With the requirements to learn more and more and the time to simply "be a kid" becoming less and less, something needs to change. We need to incorporate student movement in the classroom without it being a special treat. The students need to move for not only their physical and mental wellbeing but also so they actually learn.

Plain and simple...where will they learn more: actively trying to solve a problem or actively trying to stay awake?

Friends, incorporating student-centered learning isn't difficult. It's different.

Encouraging student movement in the classroom is not difficult. It's different.

Switching teaching styles just go against the grain of how so many people view what education is supposed to be. But tell me....what is education SUPPOSED to be?

It is supposed to be students going to school and learning. It doesn't HAVE to look like anything in particular, so why can't it be a model that today's students will actually get more out of?

The most intimidating part of student-centered learning is that there really isn't much out there that truly explains HOW to do it. There's a ton of information about how relevant it is and there is data that shows how much it works, but there isn't much that says, "here, try this".

Being afraid of change is no excuse to not give it a try. We teach so we can help our future leaders learn.

Coming up with ideas for movement in the classroom can seem overwhelming, but take a deep breath because it doesn't have to when you're focusing on the right pieces to this puzzle.

Here are some ideas for physical movement in the classroom and ways to encourage students to be more active.

To begin, let's consider age level. The activities will vary depending on what grade or level you teach. Some activities can be used with all ages, so it's always good to have a few in your repertoire that you can pull out when the moment is right.

Preschool and Kindergarten

You can incorporate basic coordination activities such as relay races, obstacle courses, and "Simon Says". The basic rules of those games can be adapted to fit your setting. If children are too young for those games, try something simple like Simon says shadow. Have the children stand in front of a mirror and play Simon Says with their reflection, trying to mimic every movement they see.

One idea for an obstacle course is having balloons taped or tied to different parts of the room that the students have to run to first before coming back through other obstacles, such as by crawling under a table, hopping like a rabbit, or jumping like a frog.

Here's another idea: blow bubbles to the children and have them try to pop as many as they can using different parts of their body, but telling them that they may not use any part of their body more than once.

For this activity, you can blow bubbles on one side of the room for the children to run to one side of the room, pop them with their hands or feet, and run back. You can either do this on both sides of the room, or you can blow the bubbles at random throughout the course so that they don't know where they will be coming from next. Or if they are too young to do the popping, have them punch the bubbles without popping them.

Elementary School

Incorporating movement in the classroom for elementary students can include activities such as :

Bounce a ball with them as they hop on one foot or jump rope. You can also use this for those students who need to maintain movement in the classroom during seatwork such as textbook reading. Have them bounce the ball while they read so that they keep their eyes moving and don't lose interest in sitting still at a desk for long periods of time.

For reading activities, keeping track of how many times the student touches the ball while they are reading can be a way to encourage them to read more often and with purpose. After a certain amount of time has passed, you can have them stop and tally their total for that session. If they reach or exceed their target number, reward them with a prize.

If they don't reach their target, you can either end the session or let them keep going until they meet their goal or exceed it. If this is your objective (to get students reading more) then you will go with one of the latter options. For instance, if reaching five touches while reading motivates them to read more, then they will just need to continue reading until they reach five touches for this session.

This can also encourage students who aren't as motivated about reading because you are offering them an incentive. It may not be a tangible reward such as stickers or candy (you know what age we're talking about), but it could be something like drawing a picture, free time at the end of the day, or maybe even get to go out for recess before anyone else. These are just ideas to get you thinking about how movement in the classroom can be incorporated.

If it is an extra incentive that they need, then this activity will work well too. Have students stand up and move around for a certain amount of time (maybe during language arts or science class), then tell them that they can sit down, but anyone sitting down will be out of the game. If sitting is their choice, let it be; however, you might want to make this an activity worth playing if it's not something everyone does all the time. Competition between teams or with the class as a whole is sometimes what you need to get students motivated.

The game can be played with about four or five players per team, and there are no wrong answers, so you will want to make sure that everyone gets a turn. You could even have extra players on each team who don't participate in the actual activity but just run back and forth to switch teams.

When it's time for the game to begin, you say the number of seconds that they need to stay standing in place once they are tagged or hit by someone else. You can either play this game in a straight line so that there is only one way out, or you can have them move around in a circle so that they can go out any way they want and the game is more challenging.

Middle School

For middle school-aged students, it is a bit trickier since they are in that "too cool for school" phase, but you can still get some movement in the classroom in unique ways. They might be a little more interested in having a dance party with their friends rather than doing activities at the board, but if you offer this as an alternative or make it a requirement - they will participate.

There are many fun and engaging songs that you can play for students to do something different from what they normally would be doing in class. You can even make it a contest to see who can stay in rhythm the longest, and for every correct answer they get, they can move one step forward. But if they break out of the rhythm or stop moving altogether, then you need to start over from where everyone is standing.

This is a great way for students to release some energy when they don't have the time to take a break and play a physical game. You decide the length of the song and how many times it needs to be played before everyone can sit down and get back to business.

You can also incorporate movement in the classroom as a way to transition from one activity to another, such as sitting down or getting ready for a test. If you normally do this with students lined up and walking in quietly, try having them crawl around the room like they're animals instead.

If your students are working on writing an essay, there is no need to sit there the entire time. Give them ten minutes to work on it, then have them stand up and walk around for three minutes while they brainstorm their ideas. Then you can give them another five or ten minutes to write an outline or first draft before they go back to walking again.

You can even use physical responses to help students learn new material or concepts. If you tell them they are going to do a certain activity, such as jumping jacks, they need to stand up and do it with you before everyone sits down. For a math teacher, have the class clap three times when he or she says something that relates to addition, then stop when they say another number word. Make it a race among teams if you have multiple classes in one day, so if they get it wrong, the other class gets to move forward.

This is a great way for students to use their minds and bodies simultaneously, so they get more out of learning than just the facts you are trying to convey. They can even practice test-taking by having them stand up and walk around when you mention certain topics on the exam that will appear later on.

There are many different ways to get your students to embrace movement in the classroom, and you can make it an everyday part of your lesson plan for any grade level. It will help them focus, give them more energy which can boost their academic success, and even get their creative juices flowing since they are thinking outside of the box.

High School and Beyond

High school is also its own unique beast when it comes to appropriate movement in the classroom. For older students, you can use activities that are used for fitness tests in schools, such as sit-ups, squats, jump rope skipping for distance or time, push-ups, etc. The goal is to perform these activities within a certain amount of time. For example, have students do as many sit-ups as they can within a minute. For every ten correct reps, you give them a chance to take a break before starting again at zero.

If PhysEd is not your cup of tea, there are other movement in the classroom activities that could work ranging from permanent flexible seating to actual games that high schoolers would absolutely buy into.

The flexible seating idea is great because students can move any time they feel like it, be it to get more focused, release some energy or even take care of a wiggly body. It also helps them with movement breaks throughout the day for their minds to rest while still getting out some physical activity.

Physical movement in the classroom during teaching time is a great way to get the students more engaged in what they are learning. They can make connections, react to stimuli and practice anything from memorization to problem-solving by playing games. The best part is that no matter what age you teach or how long you've been teaching, there are ways for everyone to get involved and benefit from movement in the classroom.

The idea of using games for academic purposes is not only fun but also something that students are likely to buy into immediately because they enjoy playing games. You can create the game yourself (which usually works best) or there are plenty of online resources to check out for ideas, too (Pinterest is your friend!).

The list of games that can be played to teach academic subjects is practically endless. They are great for review before an assessment, especially if they are timed so students have to move quickly between topics. You can also do a group activity where there are several small games with movement questions per round. It's easy enough to infuse movement in the classroom activities into a normal class period to get students up and moving around. Whether you're a grade-school teacher, a junior high/middle school instructor, or even an adult instructor in higher education, there are ways that everyone can have fun while getting the most out of their classes.

Movement in the Classroom and the 4 Keys

Finding effective ways to allow movement in the classroom isn't difficult, it just needs to ebb and flow with the students and where they are (physically, mentally, and emotionally). Being flexible is the key to making all of this work. The key is engagement. There are four keys to student engagement that I discuss in my video training challenge called "Finding Your Student Engagement Formula" and it walks you through those four keys and how to implement them in the classroom.

If you are interested in registering (it's totally free), visit the Finding Your Student Engagement Formula Challenge registration page and you will be notified the next time the series is available.

After moving from a teacher-dominated classroom to a truly student-centered one, Jenn found herself helping colleagues who wanted to follow her lead. In 2018 she decided to expand outside of her school walls and help those out there who were also trying to figure out this fantastic method of instruction to ignite intrinsic motivation in their students. Read more about her journey with Student-Centered World at studentcenteredworld.com/about

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Need for Movement in the Classroom | Student-Centered World

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Here at Student-Centered World, we are HUGE promoters in flexible seating . The whole idea behind flexible seating is that a student will put forth their best work if they are in a position that they are the most productive. For some students, this is still at a traditional desk.

# data[].attributes.body
Completed by: Stephanie

# data[].attributes.body
Completed by: Liz

# data[].attributes.body
Completed by: Stephanie

# data[].attributes.body
Completed by: Alyssa

# data[].attributes.body
Completed by: Ian

# data[].attributes.body
Completed by: Tom

# data[].attributes.body
Completed by: Tina

# data[].attributes.body
Completed by: Stephen

# data[].attributes.body
Completed by: Diane

# data[].attributes.body
Completed by: Linda

# data[].attributes.headline
What are some student-centered approaches or techniques for reading?

# data[].attributes.subject
What are some student-centered approaches or techniques for reading?

# data[].attributes.headline
What student-centered approaches or techniques include physical movement as a central element?

# data[].attributes.subject
What student-centered approaches or techniques include physical movement as a central element?

# data[].attributes.headline
What student-centered approaches or techniques can you use to address differentiation?

# data[].attributes.subject
What student-centered approaches or techniques can you use to address differentiation?

# data[].attributes.headline
How can you implement assessment so that it enhances student-centered learning?                                                       

# data[].attributes.subject
How can you implement assessment so that it enhances student-centered learning?                                                       

# data[].attributes.headline
How could you design the physical environment of the classroom, including technology, to be conducive to student-centered learning?

# data[].attributes.subject
How could you design the physical environment of the classroom, including technology, to be conducive to student-centered learning?

# data[].attributes.body
Completed by: Sasha

# data[].attributes.body
Completed by: Alyssa

# data[].attributes.headline
What are some student-centered approaches or techniques that are based on or require collaboration? 

# data[].attributes.subject
What are some student-centered approaches or techniques that are based on or require collaboration? 

# data[].attributes.headline
Alternately, how would  you design the learning tool kit of your students’ online learning environment?

# data[].attributes.subject
Alternately, how would  you design the learning tool kit of your students’ online learning environment?

# data[].attributes.body
"There's more to assessment than test scores. By assessing students' passions, learning styles, success skills, and levels of rigor, teachers can create a student-centered classroom."

This article discusses the various options available to assess the above. These include rubrics, learning profile cards and formative assessments.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

# data[].attributes.headline
Ways to differentiate in a student-centered classroom

# data[].attributes.subject
Ways to differentiate in a student-centered classroom

# data[].attributes.body
The authors state that teachers can differentiate across four classroom components: assessment, content, process, and products.