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Take a break with a GoNoodle! GoNoodle was created by child development experts. This free website allows students to challenge their energy by getting up, moving, and becoming more mindful.  It benefits kids’ physical wellness, academic success, and social-emotional health.
At our school, PK - grade 1 teachers have been using this website to get students active after being seated for a long period of time. Students needs to take a break, dance and have fun in between their subjects.

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Collaboration is 2 or more students working together, sharing ideas, expertise and skill to fulfill a task. Peers can assist and evaluate one another before seeking the teacher's help.
Collaboration boosts self esteem and allows students to acknowledge the differences of others.

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A classroom is a microcosm of the universe, and a classroom is an excellent space to inculcate practices that can help students throughout their adult lives. As correctly pointed out by Henry Ford, Coming together is the beginning, keeping together is progress. Working together is success Students need to be made comfortable working in groups.
It is true that learning can be meaningful only when the process is attuned to the needs, goals and strengths of a learner. In fact, the focus of the present-day education system has shifted from a teacher-centric approach, where the teacher is the sole holder and diffuser of knowledge, to a more student-centric approach with each student being at the helm of their learning process. However, that in no way tries to promote an isolation of learners from their peers and their teachers. Students ought to understand early in their lives that individual goals fit in well within a larger set up, and can be furthered and enhanced through collaboration and engagement. Learners can critically understand their thoughts in close relation to the world of others to become practical problem solvers of tomorrow.

Thus, adopting a collaborative learning approach could help teachers inculcate life skills and critical thinking skills in learners.
Collaborative Learning
Collaborative learning is an approach that involves two or more individuals coming together to understand a common learning concept and complete a common task. They bank upon each others resources, expertise and skills to fulfil the task. There is joint ownership of responsibilities and failures, if any. They work independently on different parameters and evaluate each others work to improve the quality of output.

In a classroom ecosystem, a learner with a doubt could first approach their peers before going to teachers. Such an exercise is not to keep teachers away from students learning process, but to nudge learners to resort to their own collective wisdom as a community. This would encourage a student to understand and value their neighbours resourcefulness and give proper credit to them. Teachers could give challenging tasks to students in the classroom and ask students to work as a group. Students could see their tasks and thoughts getting challenged, and thus get an opportunity to think through the loopholes.

Lets see how teachers could design an effective curriculum to facilitate collective learning.
How to collaborate in a classroom?
Phenomenon-based learning is a holistic approach that changes the focus of learning from individual subjects to phenomena, topics and events like energy, media and technology. Learning theories could lead to knowledge that is superficial. However, when life practices are within a pedagogical framework, learning could fulfil the purpose of raising responsible citizens.

A teacher could assign a group of learners with an inter-disciplinary topic like the source of drinking and washing water in their area, and ask them to present on it. This would enable students to work independently and collectively. Discussion and collaboration within the team would help them develop their communication skills. Moreover, the benefits of phenomenon-based learning is not limited to collective learning, and is complemented by constructivist approach and enquiry-based learning.

Further, hands-on activities can help students to learn in groups. Sharing equipment and other components could help them develop a sense of sharing resources in real life too. School excursions could help collaborative learning ventures as students interaction with peers would not be limited to academics outside the classroom.
Benefits of Collective Learning
Celebration of Diversity: A small group of students could be culturally and socially very diverse and thus, collaborative learning projects could open up the world to learners as they begin to gain a new perspective on life from their peers. Students also get to reflect upon their lives and values against those of their classmates and learn to acknowledge differences without being critical.

Interpersonal Development: In a group enterprise, it is essential that students learn to work with all types of people and relate to their peers so that the project at hand benefits from their structured interaction.

Confidence, Communication: Collaborative learning projects at an early age can help students boost their confidence and self-esteem, besides improving their sense of ownership at work. The task of presenting their ideas, defending them, and collaborating with others to expand their horizons also requires good communication skills, which also get a boost in these activities.

Establishing a culture of collaborative learning is not difficult. Neither is the process a resource-intensive one nor is assessing collaborative learning work difficult. A teacher needs willingness and an open mind to carry it out. Moreover, the availability of technology only makes collaboration easier. Students can connect with their peers on social media or through a learning management system. Among the many benefits of collective learning, the most important one is that it is able to fulfil the real purpose of education - nurturing responsible citizens who can collaborate with their fellow denizens to solve complex social, economic and political problems.

The author is Beas Dev Ralhan,CEO & co-founder, Next Education India Pvt. Ltd.

Top 10 learning trends of 2019

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Importance of collaborative learning in the classroom - EducationWorld

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A classroom is a microcosm of the universe, and a classroom is an excellent space to inculcate practices that can help students throughout their adult lives. As correctly pointed out by Henry Ford, Coming together is the beginning, keeping together is progress. Working together is success Students need to be made comfortable working in groups.

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Single Point Rubrics are a tool used by teachers to help students understand what they need to do in order to meet the expectations. The use of this single column allows students to monitor if their work is on track, and allows teachers to give more targeted feedback related to where the student needs to grow, and where the student is already glowing. This also allows the teacher to be very specific about the different parts of a learning assessment or task - content, organization, etc.

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The practice of using single point rubrics is slowly but surely catching on. The simplicity of these rubrics - with just a single column of criteria, rather than a full menu of performance levels - offers a whole host of benefits:

Teachers find them easier and faster to create, because they no longer have to spend precious time thinking up all the different ways students could fail to meet expectations.

Students find them easier to read when preparing an assignment. With only the target expectations to focus on, they are more likely to read those expectations.

They allow for higher-quality feedback, because teachers must specify key problem areas and notable areas of excellence for that particular student, rather than choosing from a list of generic descriptions.

Want to Learn More?

I first talked about this type of rubric in an earlier post ( Know Your Terms: Holistic, Analytic, and Single-Point Rubrics). If this is the first time you've encountered this type of rubric, reading this will give you some background knowledge on all the different types of rubrics and why the single-point deserves world domination.

To give credit where it's due, I did not come up with the name single point rubric. Although the idea for a simplified rubric with a single set of criteria came to me independently, when I went looking for academic support for its use, I found that the type of rubric I had in mind was given the name "Single Point Rubric" in 2000 during a conference presentation by someone named Mary Dietz. Attending that conference was a researcher named Jarene Fluckiger, who published a study on its effectiveness in 2010. (The reference to Dietz is in Fluckiger's paper, but no one named Dietz has published anything on the topic.)

Show Us Your Rubrics!

I urge you to take one of your most convoluted rubrics and make a single-point version of it. Then show it to the world, so other teachers can learn: Take a screenshot of it and post the picture on Twitter with the hashtag #singlepointrubric. If you aren't on Twitter or don't feel like doing this, just put a link to your rubric in the comments below. Help us start a movement to rid the world of ineffective rubrics!

Another Variation (Added in 2017)

After considering some of the limitations of this format, I played around with the rubric a bit more and came up with this variation:

The original version of the single point rubric allowed no space for actually pointing out when the student hit the standard, apart from maybe circling or highlighting the middle column. With this format, teachers can pinpoint where the student is on each descriptor, then offer feedback, either constructive, positive, or both.

To grab a copy of this for your own modification, click here.

Need Ready-Made Rubrics?

My Rubric Pack gives you four different designs in Microsoft Word and Google Docs formats. It also comes with video tutorials to show you how to customize them for any need, plus a Teacher's Manual to help you understand the pros and cons of each style. Check it out here:

Stick around.
Join my mailing list and never miss another post. You'll get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration - in quick, bite-sized packages - all geared toward making your teaching more effective and joyful. To thank you, I'll send you a free copy of my new e-booklet, 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half. I look forward to getting to know you better!

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The practice of using single point rubrics is slowly but surely catching on. Try one for yourself and let us see it!

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Google (Drive, Docs, etc) allows students to collaborate in many ways, and according to research, Google has a positive impact on class community.
Peer Review is one of the easiest activities to implement in a literacy class. Students can type their written assignments into a Google Doc, share their work with a classmate, and then their peer can either edit the Doc or suggest changes. This allows students to learn from one another as well as share their own ideas.

References:
Gainer, B. (2010). Using Google Docs as a Teaching Tool. Teaching Professor 24.8: 2.

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How does devoting class time to peer review help student writing?

Peer review builds student investment in writing and helps students understand the relationship between their writing and their coursework in ways that undergraduates sometimes overlook. It forces students to engage with writing and encourages the self-reflexivity that fosters critical thinking skills. Students become lifelong thinkers and writers who learn to question their own work, values, and engagement instead of simply responding well to a prompt.

Making the writing process more collaborative through peer review gives students opportunities to learn from one another and to think carefully about the role of writing in the course at hand. The goals of the assignment are clarified. By assessing whether or not individual student examples meet the requirements, students are forced to focus on goals instead of getting distracted entirely by grammar and mechanics or by their own anxiety.

Studies have shown that even strong writers benefit from the process of peer review: students report that they learn as much or more from identifying and articulating weaknesses in a peer's paper as from incorporating peers' feedback into their own work.

Peer review provides students with contemporary models of disciplinary writing. Because students often learn writing skills in English class, at least in high school, their models for "good writing" might be entirely general or ill-suited to your class. Peer review gives them a communal space to explore writing in the disciplines.

Peer review allows students to clarify their own ideas as they explain them to classmates and as they formulate questions about their classmates' writing. This is helpful to writers at all skill levels, in all classes, and at all stages of the writing process.

Peer review provides professional experience for students having their writing reviewed. Peer review is the process by which professionals in the field publish, it's how managers and co-workers provide feedback in the workplace, and it's a skill with practical application.

Last but not least, peer review minimizes last minute drafting and may cut down on common lower-level writing errors.

Sources:

Cho, Kwangsu, Christian D. Schunn, and Davida Charney. "Commenting on Writing: Typology and Perceived Helpfulness of Comments from Novice Peer Reviewers and Subject Matter Experts." Written Communication 23.3 (2006): 260-294.

Graff, Nelson. "Approaching Authentic Peer Review." The English Journal 95.5 (2009): 81-89.

Nilson, Linda B. "Improving Student Peer Feedback." College Teaching 51.1 (2003): 34-38.

"Using Peer Review to Help Students Improve Writing." The Teaching Center. Washington University in St. Louis. n.d. Web. 1 June 2014.

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How does devoting class time to peer review help student writing? Peer review builds student investment in writing and helps students understand the relationship between their writing and their coursework in ways that undergraduates sometimes overlook. It forces students to engage with writing and encourages the self-reflexivity that fosters critical thinking skills.

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Sitting still isn't always a good thing. Stability balls or "ball chairs" can replace the standard desk chair which allows for increased movement as well as improve attention and behavior, especially for students with ADHD (who require motion to keep their brains engaged). Research has shown that ADHD students were able to sit still, focus, and write more clearly when using "ball chairs".

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by: Karen Lynch
Balance balls were originally developed in the 1960s for physical therapy purposes; who knew that one day they'd be recommended for children who have trouble focusing in school?

But today, that's just what's happening. Balance balls might be just what the doctor ordered to help children reach their full potential in the classroom, especially for those with sensory processing disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or just a strong need to fidget.

Around the same time that fitness fans began using balance balls (also called exercise balls, stability balls or therapy balls) in their exercise regimens as a way to strengthen abdominal and back muscles, ball chairs were developed as a way to strengthen core muscles and improve posture while sitting. During the 1980s, some occupational therapists began recommending them to educators for classroom use, deeming them particularly helpful for children with special learning needs.

Then in 2003, a study was published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy concluding that in students with ADHD, sitting on therapy balls improved behavior and legible word productivity. In other words, students using ball chairs were able to sit still, focus, and write more words clearly.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester seconded those findings in 2007 with a study on the benefits of a chairless classroom. In the Mayo study, which focused on improving learning and reducing obesity by making children more active, researchers found that the ability to move around more while sitting made the students more attentive. Mayo Clinic communications consultant Bob Nellis told the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune that he believes this is because kids are able to burn off excess energy by bouncing on a ball.

"Sitting still" isn't always a good thing

"Generally speaking, people don't sit still," says Diana Henry, an occupational therapist who travels the country in an RV to offer school-based and individual occupational therapy services. "They are always wiggling around. The littlest kids are even more wiggly because their sensory systems are still developing."

That's why children need recess at school. "Running and jumping and spinning and twirling and swinging," says Henry. "Those activities are very important for the development of children's central nervous systems, their brain, and their body."

Some kids need more movement than others. And for some kids with a sensory processing disorder or ADHD, being in motion allows their brains to be engaged. "There is a neurological pathway that goes from your body's balance and movement system to your alert system in your brain. Movement actually allows for alertness and attention," says Henry.

That's where ball chairs come in. In response to the ball's instability and in order to remain balanced while sitting on one, the body instinctively - and continually - engages core muscle groups. Constant movement is required in order to stay seated on the ball. And that movement, however slight, helps them focus.

Parents and teachers put ball chair benefits to the test

"Ball chairs are very good for children who need to move a lot," says Kay Barrows, a retired elementary school teacher from Monument, CO. Barrows had such success in her classroom using a ball chair for one special needs child that she pushed for and was awarded a district grant to get ball chairs for her entire class. "The chairs were helpful for special needs students in particular, but I also saw a big difference in kids who were just always rocking in their chairs and needed to move."

When a child sits on a ball chair, they are able to direct their natural kinesthetic energy and need for movement in a positive way, because the child on a ball chair has to constantly move his body on the chair to maintain his balance.

So rather than squash a child's innate need for movement, ball chairs channel their physical energy in a positive way, allowing them to focus on their work more completely and reach their full potential as learners.

Darcy Lewis, a mother of two sons with ADHD in Riverside, IL, has started using a ball chair at home. "They feel less fidgety and more relaxed when they sit on a ball and, by their own assessment, are more able to concentrate, whether on homework or dinner conversation with the rest of the family," says Lewis.

Parents like Lewis are utilizing the concept of classroom ball chairs and allowing their child to use one in a home setting. To this end, a ball chair can be a great tool for your child, however, it is extremely important that a small child doesn't sit on an adult size ball. "It's important that the ball fits the child," says Henry. Strive for a 90-degree angle in the knee bend when the child is sitting comfortably on the ball. A regular sized chair or ball may be fine for an older or taller child. Or try a child-sized ball chair.

What if your child is just plain fidgety?

You can act on this research whether or not your child has SPD or ADHD. As Henry and Barrows both note above, every kid has a need for movement. With or without a real ball chair, here are some things you can do to give your children more wiggle room while doing homework or other seated activities at home:

If a child-size ball chair isn't in the budget, have your child sit on a Kids Stay-N-Play Ball an appropriate-sized Balance Ball stability ball (just the ball on the floor) while reading, doing homework, even watching educational programming on TV.

Place a resistance band on the legs of a chair so your child can bounce her feet up and down while she works.

Tape sandpaper to the underside of a table or desk so your child can rub his fingers against it while sitting for any task.

Provide a bin filled with objects your children can fidget with during time they are expected to sit still. (Try Koosh balls, squeeze balls, stretchy animals, and other tactile toys.)

UPDATE: Gaiam gives kids the gift of bounce

After reading this article (originally published in September 2010) and reviewing more research recommending balance balls as a strategy to help students focus in school, second-grade teacher Lana Ray in Connelly Springs, N.C., convinced her school's principal to let her purchase six ball chairs for her classroom.

Many of Ray's students have ADD or ADHD; shortly after the chairs arrived, she started noticing marked behavioral improvement from students on the days they got to sit on the ball chairs (Ray rotated the chairs around the classroom so that each of her 16 students got to sit on a ball chair every third day). One student even stuttered less when he sat on the ball. Ray's local paper covered the story, raising awareness among other educators and parents.

When Ray wrote to Gaiam to share her success story and ask if the company would consider selling her additional chairs at a discounted rate so that each student could use one every day, Gaiam responded by donating 11 additional chairs to her classroom - one for each of the remaining students, and one for Ray.

The heartfelt thanks we received, as well as the knowledge that the chairs will continue to help students for years to come, made the donation more than worth it. Ray wrote that "in August, these students came into my classroom 1-2 years below grade level. If they continue to grow in the next semester as much as they have in the first, they will be on or close to grade level at the end of the year."

Also in Blog

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How Sitting on a Ball Helps Kids Focus and Do Better In School

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Learn how sitting on a ball improves focus and helps kids write more clearly. Ball chairs (and balls used as chairs) might be just what the doctor ordered to help fidgety children, especially those with sensory processing disorder or ADHD.

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There are a number of site word chants that allow students to review sight words and be physical at the same time. Dribble Dribble Shoot is one I observed my first grader doing at home. He would stand up, dribble the letters and then shoot the word. Getting students up from their desk and physically involved in the material being taught helps them become active participants in the class.

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Activity 1 - Literature Circles (Betterlesson): 

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Activity 1 - Literature Circles (Betterlesson): 

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Instead of every child reading then summarizing the same material, literature circles creates various roles for students allowing for greater diversity in thought and interpretation, especially when sharing amongst one another in small groups. It also allows the students to focus on their strengths - for example, an artistic child may prefer a more art-driven position in the group.

Example roles -

Summarizer - just as stated, a student summarizes the reading

Questioner - create questions based on the reading

Connector - making connections between the book and yourself/the world around you

Illustrator - creating artwork for the story

Travel tracer - keeping track of scenese/settings and how they change

Vocabulary enricher/Word Wizard - find and keep track of challenging or interesting words

Literary luminary - to find special phrases or quotations that stand out and are unique to the reading

Researcher - to dig up additional information related to the reading but not necessarily found within

With eight roles, eight different students can practice varying styles, finding their strengths and weaknesses, switching in and out of the roles as time goes on.

Related article link from Betterlesson below:

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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.

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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.

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For student-centered approaches or techniques for reading,  we can focus on the following parts:

Questioning – Good readers ask purposeful questions before, during, and after reading to determine meaning or further understanding.

Imaging (Visualizing) - Readers use a variety of sensory and conceptual processes (mental mapping) to understand texts. They imagine the sights, sounds, smells, see motion, hear dialogue and develop meaningful ways to develop their understanding.

Predicting – Predicting involves the use of text clues and the students’ prior knowledge as they make logical forecasts about what will occur next in the text. Use an effective pre-reading strategy to build schema.  One good strategy is “What I know, what I want to know, and what I learned (KWL).  This is useful for tapping into students’ prior knowledge while helping them make connections in learning

Inferring - Inferring is a difficult strategy that separates good readers from poor readers. High-level thinking is needed when students use text clues and prior knowledge to draw conclusions about past and present events.

Making Connections – Good readers use their schema or prior knowledge to help them understand the text. When reading, they make connections to text, experiences or general world knowledge.

Monitoring – Keeping track of comprehension is what monitoring is all about. When students monitor their comprehension, they check to make sure they are visualizing, pay attention to unknown words, and notice when they do not understand text or are even not paying attention to what they are reading.

Summarizing – Summarizing is a difficult and complex strategy for many students. They need to separate the important parts of the text from the unimportant details as they tell the text in sequence. Summarizing is also the big picture, author’s message, theme and main idea all rolled into one.

Evaluating and Reflection – Good readers are like little judges, weighing and evaluating before, during, and after reading. They evaluate whether they liked the text or not and how they did as readers. Reflection allows the student to review the lesson objectives and reflect on things that worked as well as what did not work.

Besides, Variety is the key in reading, providing books in different fields to meet their  different needs. And keep records of the student’s progress, allowing time for independent reading. Moreover, plan units that are product-driven in nature and have an essential question which instruction seeks to answer.

Here is the video link about Learner Centered Literacy: Owning Their Own Reading.

Here is the website link, which has very good examples about Student-Centered Teaching for Reading at Work.

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Betterlesson Sample Worksheet attached

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Learning Stations are a great way to keep students moving as well as implementing different learning strategies. They allow for different types of instruction (visual, auditory, sensory) so if a students don’t benefit at one station, they will benefit from another. Stations keep the students moving, provide different ways of learning, and reduce boredom.

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One of the most important elements of assessing student work (in my opinion and the opinion of many others) is making the shift from points or letter grades to standards based grading.

Standards based grading “measures student progress relative to specific learning standards. This system of evaluation isolates the learning of content and mastery of skills from other factors, such as behavior” (https://www.edsurge.com/news/2020-01-20-standards-based-grading-hope-vs-reality#:~:text=Standards%2Dbased%20grading%20(SBG),other%20factors%2C%20such%20as%20behavior.) This form of grading allows students to see the exact goals they should be working towards, and gives them a benchmark of where they are in reference to the learning goal itself. This takes away the mathematics of calculating a points score or working toward a letter grade, and instead centers the report on the learning that is expected vs the learning that the student demonstrated throughout the semester.

SBG also allows teachers to give feedback on non-academic skills and competencies, like habits of heart (empathy and perspective taking, curiosity, etc.) and habits of mind (metacognition, effective effort, question asking, effective collaboration, etc.)

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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.

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There are many things that we, as teachers, do in an effort to control or monitor student behavior or learning when in fact, these things are harming a student’s motivation and distorting the assessment process. These things might include:

Including behavior and executive functioning skills in a classroom grade

Including penalties for late work, attendance, plagiarism, etc.

Including group grades

We also, as teachers, tend to summarize and average student achievement evidence over time. We discount enormous amounts of progress that happen recently in favor of “accurately representing” the struggle students have at the beginning of the semester. If we are going to truly center the student in our assessment procedures, we must emphasize growth over time and celebrate the successes that our students have, even if it takes all semester long. We also must center summative assessments rather than one single semester formative assessment if we are to accurately represent the work a student did over the course of a semester (Marzano, https://www.marzanoresources.com/resources/tips/fasbg_tips_archive#tip6)

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An important part of students being able to meet learning goals is having clear expectations from their teachers and clear feedback on how they are doing and what they can do to improve their work. However, teachers need to be clear and concise in their feedback so that it is appropriate to the content, and not simply praiseworthy commentary or criticism on behavior or character.

There are four major categories of teacher feedback that help students learn more effectively:

Feedback on Task: This is the feedback that tells a student how they did on a completed product of a task. Oftentimes this feedback focuses too much on specific knowledge or minutiae of a task rather than understanding.

Feedback on Process: This is the most effective form of teacher feedback. It helps students learn how to learn more effectively and deal with their ability to synthesize, summarize, and analyze information.

Feedback on Self-Regulation: This form of feedback is only effective if the student is willing to accept feedback on their ability to self-regulate.

Feedback on Self: This form of feedback is most often negative - it usually relates to who the student is as a person (either in a positive or negative way). Praiseworthy comments are important, but only sparingly and when they are authentic.

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What does student centered learning (CTL) look like?

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What does student centered learning (CTL) look like?

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A visual representation I made of my what I think of CTL looks like.

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UQx Deep Learning through Transformative Pedagogy

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Five Quick Tips SCL tips from Shealynn Fansworth

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Five Quick Tips SCL tips from Shealynn Fansworth

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Eliminate the front desk...YES! YEs!

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How would my classroom look like?

1. Students should be working on assignments with my role as a facilitator.

2. Students should be working in  groups as this enhances cooperative learning & student collaboration in the classroom.

3. Student  &  teachers should be  working together to achieve mutual learning goals,

4. Student work displayed in the classroom - projects, posters, and writing samples - to allow students more ownership of their work.

5. Students should be comfortable using technology in the classroom - This technology should be used to help students solve problems.

6. Arranging Space is a key element.  For students to collaborate in small groups, organize them around tables.
Have enough space for supplies, an area designated for large- and small-group activities. The physical classroom environment itself  can motivate children, enhance learning, and reduce behavior problems, environment really is an extra teacher.

7. Teachers should be moving around the classroom to allow for formative assessment of students' progress in the class.  Asking questions, facilitating higher order thinking, and this is all done without grading the student.

8. Desk placements should be in a way that allows teachers to make eye contact with every student and reach each student easily

https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/classroom-organization-physical-environment/

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Classroom Management - Organize the Physical Classroom

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Physical environments for student based learning

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Physical environments for student based learning

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1.     SCALE-UP Model (Student-Centered Active Learning Environment with Upside-Down Pedagogies). Developed by Robert Beichner in 1995 for North Carolina State University, this is a studio style classroom which includes rounded desks that facilitate groups, plenty of space to facilitate movement, one or more projector screens or smart boards, and well integrated technology that is ideally portable (Beichner, 2008).

1.     See video - https://youtu.be/MdymI61hLPY

2.     Students should have input in the arrangement and design of their classroom including desks and wall space to facilitate collaboration, discussion, and individual work.

3.     The physical layout reflects your teaching style. If you want students to collaborate in small groups, for example, organize them around tables or clusters of desks.

4.     Easily accessible materials and supplies can eliminate delays, disruptions, and confusion as students prepare for activities.

5.     Provide opportunities for children to move around research now proves that many children need extensive mobility while learning. These children learn significantly more if they move from one area to another as they acquire new information.

6.       Establish listening stations with headsets for children who need sound, and quiet study areas for those who work best in silence. Many children disprove another commonly held conception: that silence helps kids concentrate better.

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Activity 2 - Book Clubs (Betterlesson) -

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Activity 2 - Book Clubs (Betterlesson) -

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BetterLesson states "book club discussions should be structured so that students have clear goals for their discussion and roles in their discussion."

1. Decide who will take on which role (sample roles - Team Leader; Allusionator (identify historial/literary references); Style Monster (finding creative word play/diction/devices); Stalker (passages that show character personaility/development); Minister of Propaganda (artwork to promote writer's message/work). ***Obviously adjust role names, numbers, etc. to match corresponding levels & audience

2. Determine if all students will be discussing the same text or if each group will be reading and discussing separate texts.

3. Provide time for students to meet (see resource below for an example of a tool to guide the planning process for students).

4. Before students meet in their book clubs, be sure to review with them what a book club should look like and sound like.

5. Make sure that each group member is participating equally.

6. Provide time for students to reflect on the book club discussion via an exit ticket or whole class discussion.

***The training school I work for has a library that encourages students to check out books as they like, earning stamps with each book read. They are not required to do work related to the reading, but to simply appreciate reading and the stories found within.

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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.

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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.

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Book Clubs (BetterLesson Sample Guide Worksheet)

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Book Clubs (BetterLesson Sample Guide Worksheet)

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BetterLesson sample guide worksheet attached

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Allows students to enhance their vocabulary at their own speed, learning how to use a dictionary to assist when reading. Adds a competitive element that may drive certain students.

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The teacher (or the students) selects a text/short story/etc. which students will read before the class. They are encouraged to use inflection, drama, humor, emotion, which can reflect their own level and personality. It encourages participation and confidence-building (teacher can lead by example).

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Student -Centered Approaches Or Techniques For Reading 

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Student -Centered Approaches Or Techniques For Reading 

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As professional educators, we agree that with student -centered teaching, planning is focused on the student rather than on  school policy or curriculum.  This teaching focuses on the students and their own individual needs, and putting that before anything else.

General approaches to student-centered teaching for reading include:

1. Reading taught both individually and in small groups.

2. Students encouraged to browse the books and make choices on which books to read.

3. Encourage  students to read for pleasure as well as for information.
4. Variety is important. Encourage students to read magazines, textbooks, poems, comic books, etc...
5. Keep records of the student’s progress
6. Allow time for independent reading
7. Plan units that are product-driven in nature and have an essential question which instruction seeks to answer.
8. Use effective pre-reading strategies such as “What I know, what I want to know, and what I learned. This helps students make connections in learning.

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Learner Centered Literacy:  Owning Their Own Reading

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Strategies & Approaches to apply student-centered teaching for reading. 

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Strategies & Approaches to apply student-centered teaching for reading. 

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There are many strategies or approaches to apply student-centered teaching approach for reading. As each student has a different learning preference, it is important to apply  different teaching styles, activities, and games in order to provide students with a variety of unique opportunities. Below are some examples of activities that can be used in a student-centered classroom:

1. The teacher selects text relevant to the topic of the day and assigns students in class to read it out loud.  This strategy encourages students to improve their reading confidence, fluency, and comprehension. This strategy is a great way to start and build discussions.

2.  Teachers ask questions with instructions that students must think independently about their answer. After a few minutes,  students are then asked to to pair up and compare their thoughts/ideas/notes.  Afterward, the students share in providing their responses to the rest of the class. This strategy gives students an opportunity to work in a collaborative manner responding to the question as a group without putting pressure on each student.

3. Another strategy is asking students to work in groups. The teacher instructs students to work together in small groups on a specific question with the goal of creating multiple responses and generating many ideas.

4. Classroom discussions or debate is a powerful tool. Aside from reading comprehension, this activity also helps with presentation and oral communication skills, which are vital skills for students.

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1. Focus On Teaching The Skill Of Listening (yes those A.C.R.O.N.Y.M.S do help).

Break the skill into identifiable components for students and then practice, role play, make posters and dramatize scenarios.

Use positive reinforcement to help with this and/or reward students for using the skill appropriately.

2. Model Good Listening For Your Students.

So often we are thinking about our response to a student rather than really listening to them.

Use the 'counselling' skill of rephrasing or restating what students say to enhance your own listening.

Ask students to restate yours or others points of view.

Insist on one person speaking at a time either in whole class discussions, paired or group work.

Demonstrate the skill to the class by drawing their attention to your listening with younger grades, having older grades deconstruct what effective listening looks like, sounds like, feels like.

3. Get To Know Your Students.

Find out about their interests, hobbies, music and sport, families etc. Kids will listen more to teachers they feel are interested in them and know them.

In high school, where you may teach up to 150 students use memory tricks, refer to school photos or take notes so you can use the knowledge in your conversations with students.

See some of our articles on how to build relationships with students.

4. Use Reflective Listening...

to defuse tricky situations.

Saying 'Joey I can see you are upset (disappointed, frustrated, sad) validates a student's feelings, provides the language to describe the feelings and can help to reduce the intensity of the feelings allowing the student to move forward.

Listening to students can give you insight into their state of mind.

5. Give Students A Voice...

...about the issues that impact them, i.e. their learning, their assessment, their classroom, their school values students need to feel heard and understood.

They will more readily accept the status quo if they feel they have been heard. What About Student Voice?

6. Get Everyone's 'Voice In The Room'.

Give students an opportunity to speak at the beginning of class by having a "check in".

You could use this as an orientation to the lesson e.g in Maths, everyone thinks of the highest number they have seen today or as an emotional check in e.g.use a colour to describe how you are feeling.

7. Talk Less.

As a general rule, kids can effectively listen for about half their age in minutes, so for a child of 10 that's about 5 minutes, for a 15 yr old, that's about 7.5 minutes!

Mix up the activities in the classroom so that they are talking, writing, moving and listening in a variety of ways.

Here are more ideas on how to use variety in the classroom.

8. Use 'Cold Calling'.

Have you noticed that it is usually the same 4 or 5 students who answer questions?

Introduce cold calling (no hands up), where any student may be expected to answer a question or explain a concept to the class.

Dylan William has a simple strategy of writing students' names on paddle pop sticks and then randomly drawing out the name of the lucky person who gets to answer.

If you would prefer a more high tech system, find a list of randomize apps here.

To ensure students feel safe to 'have a go', develop a culture of risk-taking in your class by encouraging thinking rather than expecting the 'correct' answer.

Not sure about how to develop a positive class culture? See 6 Ways to build a positive classroom culture.

(Teaching Strategies to Increase Your Student's Listening Skills)

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Student Centered Learning - Question 6 - (Student Centered Reading, Writing, Listening)

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Student Centered Approaches/Techniques for Reading: Questioning - Good readers ask purposeful questions before, during, and after reading to determine meaning or further understanding. Imaging (Visualizing) - Readers use a variety of sensory and conceptual processes (mental mapping) to

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Research has shown that learning is enhanced when students have the opportunity to discuss and elaborate their ideas.
Think Pair Share is a powerful collaborative strategy that actively involves all students and allows them to communicate their thoughts and opinions. It can be used across many subject areas and built into any lesson.  First they are given a problem and have to THINK about it. Next they have to PAIR up and discuss their thoughts and ideas. Finally, they SHARE their conclusion with the class.

References
Cobb, P., Wood, T., Yackel, E., Nicholls, J., Wheatley, G., Trigatti, B., & Perlwitz, M. (1991). Assessment of a problem-centered second-grade mathematics project. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 22(1).

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Integrating reading as part of the student´s identity. Teacher should help students picture themselves as skilled readers. Then help the student assessing the gap between their current selves and their goal future selves. Train the students in the skills and knowledge to close that gap. Keep updating the goals as the students get better and better. It can be useful the use of official reading proficiency scales as a framework to let the students where they are at.

Pairing Extensive Reading with Intensive Reading. In IR students read materials that may be difficult for them to understand without help. IR sessions tend to be short with an entire class reading the same material at the same time, with the teachers ‘assistance to enhance students´ understanding; using strategies such as guessing word meaning from context, summarizing, and connecting what is being read to one’s own experiences. The goal is to train and improve students reading skills.

In Extensive Reading, the goal is to have the students read as much as possible, increasing the motivation for reading.  Students can select books that are at or slightly below/above their levels. Reading materials below their current reading levels will increase their reading confidence and fluency.  Teachers can facilitate the choice of books by grouping the books available by difficulty level.

Being a role model: teachers should read alongside their students, demonstrating that teachers too read for learning and enjoyment. Teachers may read materials that match students‟ reading levels and interests in order to engage with them, or they may opt to read materials that match their own reading levels and interests.

Students own the task: Student control increases when students have a role in choosing which tasks they will do, developing assessment criteria for those tasks, and assessing themselves. Students can choose what they will read from what is available in their classrooms, in libraries, bookshops, and online. Teachers can help students find materials that match the students´ reality, such as materials created locally, e.g., by teachers and young authors. In addition to students selecting the books they will read, they can also select the books that will make up the pool of materials available. In other words, students can have a role in deciding which books are in their classroom libraries and their school libraries.

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Integrating reading as part of the student´s identity. Teacher should help students picture themselves as skilled readers. Then help the student assessing the gap between their current selves and their goal future selves. Train the students in the skills and knowledge to close that gap. Keep updating the goals as the students get better and better. It can be useful the use of official reading proficiency scales as a framework to let the students where they are at.

Pairing Extensive Reading with Intensive Reading. In IR students read materials that may be difficult for them to understand without help. IR sessions tend to be short with an entire class reading the same material at the same time, with the teachers ‘assistance to enhance students´ understanding; using strategies such as guessing word meaning from context, summarizing, and connecting what is being read to one’s own experiences. The goal is to train and improve students reading skills.

In Extensive Reading, the goal is to have the students read as much as possible, increasing the motivation for reading.  Students can select books that are at or slightly below/above their levels. Reading materials below their current reading levels will increase their reading confidence and fluency.  Teachers can facilitate the choice of books by grouping the books available by difficulty level.

Being a role model: teachers should read alongside their students, demonstrating that teachers too read for learning and enjoyment. Teachers may read materials that match students‟ reading levels and interests in order to engage with them, or they may opt to read materials that match their own reading levels and interests.

Students own the task: Student control increases when students have a role in choosing which tasks they will do, developing assessment criteria for those tasks, and assessing themselves. Students can choose what they will read from what is available in their classrooms, in libraries, bookshops, and online. Teachers can help students find materials that match the students´ reality, such as materials created locally, e.g., by teachers and young authors. In addition to students selecting the books they will read, they can also select the books that will make up the pool of materials available. In other words, students can have a role in deciding which books are in their classroom libraries and their school libraries.

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Activities:

Give a review of the book to convince others to read or not read it.

Role play the story.

Tell about something you learned from the book.

Design front and back covers for the book.

Design a bookmark to suit the book.

Paint a mural/draw illustrations/do a cartoon version of the book.

Draw/use a map to show important places/routes in the book. Explain why they are important.

Draw a mind map or similar graphic organizer to represent what happens in the book. Do a flow chart/story board of the events in the story.

Decorate the outside of a box to go with the book, and put various items related to the story inside.

Compare the book with a movie/TV version of the same book.

Read the same book in another language.

Read another book on the same topic and compare them, e.g., a biography and an autobiography of the same person.

Record an important segment of the book, with sound effects be added.

Write a poem inspired by the book.

Take a well-known song, nursery rhyme, etc. and make new words for it based on the book.

Write an online review of the book for a website such as Amazon.

Write a newspaper article about the events of the book.

Write an outline of a sequel to the story

Write a short note to the next reader of the book; these notes will stay in the book to be read by all future readers.

Write a letter to the author(s) of your book

Students keep a reading diary; in which they reflect on their reactions to what they read.

References

Jacobs, G., & Renandya, W. (2015). MAKING EXTENSIVE READING EVEN MORE STUDENT CENTERED. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 4(2), 102. https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v4i2.691

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Every student is different, we all know this.  They have different needs and different ways of learning. Differentiation is just offering a range of tasks and options to cater to the specific learning needs of each individual student.  When we individualize our lessons, students are more likely to demonstrate creativeness, apply and grow their academic knowledge. And now on to the BIG QUESTION- How is this achieved through student centered learning?

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This is one of my favorite teaching strategies, even for science.  It forces students to be challenged, outside of their comfort zones while at the same allowing them to select their own style of demonstrating that they know they content.  Here is a link to one of my favorite lessons, the student that comes from assignment is ALWAYS beyond my expectation in content and creativity.

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Actually, as a science and math teacher I did not know about strategy until my own child brought this home from school. It is rather interesting and can be tied to subjects like mine.
Basically, The Six Thinking Hats is a systematic method of to help students think in different ways. It allows them look at a problem from six different perspectives.
I have actually started this method with with IB and AP students, sometimes as group activities and sometimes as individual tasks.  The one thing I know, it that this method, ALWAYS creates great dialogue among the students.

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I have this posted in my classroom

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I am a huge fan of stations. It allows for movement in the classroom, it allows for stations designed by readiness, interest, and multiple intelligence. Yes, it requires more set-up time but the student growth is always seen. Immediate feedback is usually given and most importantly, if done correctly there is at least one station where every student shines and feels confident as well as at least station where every student is put out of their comfort zone and challenged. Below is an example of stations in the lower grade levels. In science classes this is done slightly differently, but you get the idea.

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Station Rotation: Differentiating Instruction to Reach All Students

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You can talk about differentiation without discussing Tic Tac Boards.  While I love them, I feel like by the students get to HS to they are sick of them.
Differentiation is achieved as the students are given a chance to present their findings in a strength of their choice, addressing multiple learning styles. The students can also choose just one tile from the tic tac toe board or can complete three in a row to earn extra credit. The Tic Tac Toe board can be designed according to lesson content, it can also be used at an early finisher activity. The board can be designed with assignments that are below level, on level and above. It can also provide activities that encompass all subjects.  The middle tile could even be left blank as a free choice option. Below is example math board.

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See Think Wonder! The answers we get are simply amazing. If you do not already use in your classes, you should start. Linked are few excellent videos that make you think.

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Ever Wonder What They’d Notice?: Annie Fetter

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Writing Around Literature Motfis + See, Think, Wonder for Deeper Understanding

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Writing Around Literature Motfis + See, Think, Wonder for Deeper Understanding

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A great lesson for our English Teacher.

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What Should Students Learn?

Using concrete verbs to clear action steps allow foe effective assessment practices

Students are more likely to reach their intended learning outcomes when instructions are as specific as possible.

Choose Assignments that Measure the Most Important Goals

Works best when teachers have a combined knowledge of the students as an individual and an analysis of their work

Teach students how to complete tasks

Consider creative types of assignments that enhance student performance

Incorporate group assignments that allow for collaboration among peers

Do not focus on small mistakes; help students identify their mistakes and learn from them

Working with Students to Create and Accomplish Goals

The goals of the students are just as important as the goals of the educator

Inquire about their goals early into the school year

Use their goals to create assessment methods that encourage them to learn

Providing Clear and Concise Instructions

Students think and learn differently so they may also process directions differently

Rubrics and checklists give allow for academic ownership among the students

Frequent check ins to ensure students are on the right track

Reference
Learner-Centred Assessment. Centre for Teaching Excellence. (2017, June 27). https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/assessing-student-work/grading-and-feedback/learner-centred-assessment.

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With everything going on in the world and with much of learning happening online, teachers are finding it difficult to integrate online student collaboration.
Being online actually needs more student collaboration as the students get minimal social interaction and teamwork in their day to day activities at home.

The following are a few online collaboration ideas and strategies that could help foster social skills and teamwork at home.

Most resources and references cite the perfect number of group work to be 4-5 students. Groups smaller than 4 are not diverse enough and will miss out on different ideas and brainstorming. They will also not be able to complete larger projects and will be limited. Groups larger than 5 students become too crowded and each student's feeling of responsibility decreases and this can make it easier for students to "free load".

1. Jigsaw Technique
The Jigsaw technique uses a puzzle approach to learning. Each student is required to learn a portion of the concept very well and then in groups of 4-5 students are supposed to teach each other the different parts of the concept and as they each teach their part they build the whole lesson. Then they are required to present their findings and understanding to the rest of the class.
This strategy strengthens interdependence and builds communication skills.
In a jigsaw group, all members have equal importance, as they all must work together to learn the entire concept.
2. Breakout Group Discussions
Since not all students are comfortable sharing and speaking out in class, breakout rooms create smaller environments for students to speak up and get positive feedback on their ideas.
The teacher could give guided discussion questions or small activities for the group to discuss and students can share their knowledge about the subject matter.
3. THINK - PAIR - SHARE ( Explained by Lisa Above)
4. PEER REVIEW ( Explained by Lisa Above)

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Physical Movement in the Classroom and Beyond. 

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Physical Movement in the Classroom and Beyond. 

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Students learn in different ways, and many normalized ways of teaching may not be conducive to them all and leave some left behind in some way or another. One way to cover more ways of learning and help students feeling left behind is to integrate hands-on physical activities into the teaching of lessons. Not only do these activities help those students that would have been feeling left behind, but it can serve to actively engage students of all learning types.

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As a teacher, you are always seeking new ways to keep your students engaged and interested in the classroom. One way to do so is to incorporate lessons that cater to a variety of learning styles, including kinesthetic learners.

What Is Kinesthetic Learning?

There are several different learning styles for both adults and children. Three of the most common are:

Visual learners are taught best through visually processing the information.

Auditory learners learn best when they can listen and re-listen to course material.

Hands-on learners need or prefer to be actively and physically engaged in the course material to truly understand. Hands-on learning is also called kinesthetic learning.

Kinesthetic learners absorb information by doing, rather than by seeing or listening - they need to engage in some physical, tangible learning exercise, whether it be by experimenting, hands-on solving or discovery learning. Kinesthetic learning gets its name from the science of kinesiology, which is the study of human movement. For example, if you're teaching your students about how chemicals react with one another, a kinesthetic learner may remember the terminology and theory, but they will grasp the concept much quicker when you allow them to mix these chemicals and see the reaction for themselves. This is a research-based learning and teaching method with proven results. Several neurophysiological studies have linked physical experiences with strong, active engagement activity in the brain. The kinesthetic system has receptors in both the tendons and the muscles - and that system becomes activated when you move your body. You have probably heard the term "muscle memory" used when describing the body's ability to remember certain physical motions - such as a dance routine or typing on a keyboard - even when the mind does not consciously remember. Muscle memory is a form of kinesthetic learning and application. Kinesthetic learners are very sensory people. Their minds thrive on information input from the things they touch, smell, taste and otherwise experience with their bodies. For this reason, hands-on learning projects are the quickest and most effective way of learning a new skill or grasping a new concept. For example, while a visual learner might learn the basics of a volcanic eruption from watching a film about volcanoes or looking at visual aids, a kinesthetic learner would have an easier time understanding the various processes involved by constructing one out of clay or paper mache and mixing the correct substances to cause an eruption. Kinesthetic learners may have an easier time in classes with hands-on learning built-in to the curriculum, like interactive science labs or art classes, rather than lecture-style activities.
Characteristics of a Kinesthetic Learner

It's important to remember that kinesthetic learners can still learn through audible or visual means. In fact, many people learn through a combination of these three learning styles. Being a hands-on learner simply means that some aspects of learning come more naturally than other tasks and subjects. Some common kinesthetic learner characteristics include:

Tends to gesture while speaking.

Remembers things they have done, rather than things they have seen or heard.

Gets distracted and fidgety during hands-off activities.

Enjoys working with tools, instruments and other supplies.

Often skilled at solving puzzles and completing mazes.

Thinks more clearly when able to move and engage, rather than sitting.

May need frequent study breaks to stay focused.

Likes to construct things with hands, like crafts or DIY projects.

Moves when learning or processing new information, such as foot-tapping.

Many kinesthetic learners go on to have careers in hands-on fields of work, such as physical therapy, carpentry, horticulture, dancing, acting, athletics, farming and more.
Benefits of Hands-On Learning in the Classroom

There are several benefits of hands-on learning for both students and teachers. Students who learn kinesthetically will have the advantage of learning at a pace that is comfortable to them, and they will not feel like they are falling behind their more auditory or visual peers. As a teacher, using multiple different teaching methods gives you a chance to asses what each student's strengths and areas for improvement are, so you can use that information to tailor and personalize future lessons. Additional benefits of kinesthetic learning for students include:

Kinesthetic learners can often grasp the "big picture" of a lesson or activity quickly. Rather than thinking of a presentation as a chore or a task they completed at school, hands-on engagement means they will have a much easier time connecting that presentation to their everyday life.

It encourages students to think outside of normal classroom assignments and seek real-world applications

Fosters a spirit of curiosity and a drive to try new things

Children have an opportunity to fix their mistakes and learn organically through trial and error

For older students, hands-on learning is a chance to explore areas of career interest before committing

Many teachers spend hours perfecting their daily lesson plans, with very little real-time feedback provided during lessons. You might be left wondering if you truly got your message across and whether your students received it in a way that prepares them for their homework assignment, an upcoming test or even their future careers. When you employ kinesthetic learning techniques in the classroom, you have a unique and valuable opportunity to test your teaching methods in real-time. By asking students to get involved with the lesson via an in-class project, you can pinpoint the areas in which your students are struggling and the areas in which they are succeeding. This can help you shape future lessons and gauge whether a certain subject or topic needs a bit more classroom time before moving on.

Tools and Strategies for Kinesthetic Learners

As a teacher, there are several steps you can take to ensure each type of learner in your classroom has an opportunity to engage with the material in a way that is comfortable and natural for them - this might mean stocking up on tools and supplies or learning new kinesthetic teaching techniques.

Tools and Supplies

The classroom supplies you will require for kinesthetic-based lesson plans will vary depending on the subject you teach, the age of your students and the particular lesson you are teaching that day. Some objects teachers often have on-hand for engaged lessons include:

Building blocks

Puzzles

Matching games

Arts and craft supplies

An abacus

Molding clay

Computers or tablets

Puppets

Countable objects, like coins

Index cards

Teaching Strategies

Again, specific teaching strategies will vary between classrooms and depend largely on the age of your students. Some examples of great ways to incorporate kinesthetic learning into the classroom include:

Use charts and presentations: Ask your students to create charts, graphs or poster presentations for a homework assignment. You can try this as an in-class activity, or assign it for the students to do at home. Either way, let your students be as creative as they would like to be - they might just find a new learning technique along the way.

Combine learning styles: Design lessons to include elements of each type of learning style, such as videos with audio, poster presentations and hands-on projects. Although some topics will always require more audible or visual teaching methods, try to incorporate small movements and activities where you can.

Bring lessons to life: Use characters or live presentations to roleplay real-life applications of your lesson. For a younger classroom, puppets or toys will keep your students' attention well. For an older audience, consider working together with the school's theater program to bring lessons to life. You could also put on your own classroom production and let students take on the roles themselves.

Utilize games and activities: Incorporate games and physical activity often. After all, kinesthetic learning is all about body movement. Create your own vocabulary matching games or spelling word scavenger hunts. Don't be afraid to take it outside of the classroom.

Take field trips: Think back to your own time in the classroom. Some of your most memorable learning experiences likely happened during a field trip or class outing to a museum, zoo or another educational resource center. Field trips are an excellent way to help both hands-on learners and the rest of your students gain a more real-world understanding of their homework assignments. As you search for field trip options, focus on those that also offer hands-on activities or demonstrations for students.

Let the students teach: It might sound counterproductive, but sometimes the best way for a student to work through their struggles is by facing them head-on. By assigning your students each a part of the lesson to be responsible for presenting to the class, they can engage with the subject material in a new way.

Bring in the experts: Consider bringing in experts to help attach a face to your lessons. For example, if you are teaching your students about animals, enlist a local zookeeper or veterinarian to speak with your class. This will help frame the relevance of your presentation for your students, and they will see the tactile applications of the lessons they are learning.

Have class discussions: Class discussions allow your students to engage with each other - and with you - about the material they are learning, but in a time designated just for them. Class and small group discussions let your students feel comfortable, and this interaction gives many hands-on students a chance to talk through the assignment in a way they would be unable to do if they were sitting still and quietly listening from their desk.

When in doubt, ask your students for feedback. Ask them which areas are difficult to understand, and what would help them grasp a concept more clearly. If your lesson relies heavily on data, for example, a kinesthetic student might feel overwhelmed by all of the visual information. If this is the case, they might ask you to put those numbers into a more real-world context.

At-Home Tips for Kinesthetic Learners

As a teacher, you may encounter students of all ages who greatly benefit from kinesthetic learning. While you can implement this teaching style in your classroom, it may be challenging for students to continue kinesthetic learning when they are doing homework. Here are some tips you can offer your students, both young and old, to help them practice kinesthetic learning at home:

Create a study space: Advise your students to create a designated study space where they can do their homework each night. Make sure this space is private but spacious enough that they can get up and move around when needed. If they struggle with sitting still, advise them to choose a desk that they can stand and work at instead. Eliminate all external distractions from this area, especially TV and music.

Combine movement with learning: Encourage your kinesthetic students to stay active while they study, even if that means tapping a pencil or pacing the floor as they recite vocabulary words. By combining their studying with physical motions, students are more likely to remember their lessons. They can even try training their brain to associate study materials with movements. For example, if they tap their toes while listing off the U.S. presidents, their brain is more likely to recall that information when they repeat that movement during a test.

Take frequent breaks: All students need a break from studying every once in a while to stay focused. Kinesthetic learners especially require regularly scheduled study breaks to avoid getting too distracted, bored or under-stimulated.

Use different study tools: Advise your students to use a variety of different tools while they study, such as pens, markers, highlighters and sticky notes. The mixture will help keep them engaged with the course material and give their hands something to do.

Be experimental: If your students are struggling to focus while studying at home, encourage them to experiment with new study techniques and methods until they find one that fits their unique learning needs.

How Planners Help With Hands-On Learning

Using a print planner can help kinesthetic learners stay on top of all learning activities, projects and assignments. They also provide a tangible place for hands-on learners to keep track of their notes, write down questions they want to ask and plan their at-home study sessions. You should consider choosing print planners for your students because it allows them to:

Set aside time in their week for extra studying or hands-on engagement.

Get a big-picture look at their week and month, so they never miss an important class, presentation or classroom project.

Have a place to keep track of all the study strategies they have tried and those they hope to experiment with in the future.

Draw their own charts, graphs and diagrams, so they can more easily understand the subject matter you're presenting.

Develop organizational skills that they will carry with them into higher education or the workforce.

Reduce the stress associated with forgotten due dates, crammed study sessions and misplaced assignments.

Choose Success By Design to Find the Best Planners for Your Hands-On Learners

Printed student planners are the perfect way to provide your kinesthetic students with a more tangible way to keep their assignments and thoughts organized. At Success by Design, we offer planners for all students, including elementary, middle and high school ages. We also provide helpful planner accessories that many hands-on learners will find useful, such as fill-in wall charts. Interested in ordering custom planners for your students? Contact us to learn more about how you can get your school's mascot or logo put on the cover.

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What Is Kinesthetic Learning: Benefits of Hands-On Learning

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As a teacher, you are always seeking new ways to keep your students engaged and interested in the classroom. One way to do so is to incorporate lessons that cater to a variety of learning styles, including kinesthetic learners. What Is Kinesthetic Learning? There are several different learning styles for both adults and children.

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Student Centered Learning & Differentiation 

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Student Centered Learning & Differentiation 

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The power of student-driven learning: Shelley Wright at TEDxWestVancouverED

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In short, differentiated instruction means to accommodate or modify instruction in order to meet your students needs.

Teachers can implement this kind of instruction in several ways! It is known that many teachers already differentiate instruction without them knowing!

For example, do you give some students extra time on assessments? Do you give them options to choose how they present/submit their work?

If you answered yes, then that's differentiated instruction!

Integrating technology into your instruction and focusing on student-centered learning (getting to know your students and applying that knowledge to creating content/assignments) are all vital aspects of effective differentiated instruction!

Using Tech. V Integrating Tech.

It's also important to note the differences between using technology and integrating technology in your classroom.

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Student Centered Learning to Address Differentiation 

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Student Centered Learning to Address Differentiation 

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Differentiate through groups/pairs:
Students get the chance to drive their own learning in groups or pairs! From my experience, groups seem to work for shorter learning tasks whereas, pairs tend to work for larger projects! Also, pair works works best for students that may be more shy but it gives them that one-to-one learning environment which works best for them anyway! I've also observed/researched that students with learning differences tend to get along well with other students who share similar behaviors (or learning differences) with them! However, this type of group-work needs to be short with explicit directions.

Reflection:
Reflection can take place in many forms whether you have students create short podcasts, videos, audios etc. with prompting questions! Part of their reflection can be...having students write down anything else they'd like to learn about a subject and then, create some learning tasks for them to find the answers to those questions!

Mini-Lessons & Resources:
Tools like Edpuzzle & Newsela are great for mini-lessons by the way! Or, better yet, have students create mini-lessons on a section of content to present/teach to their peers! Use tools like Padlet for peer feedback (give students a choice to upload photos, videos, audios etc.) I also use Padlet for creating resource pages for their research, essential questions for content, fast facts and more!

Voice & Choice:
This simply reiterates what's been noted above: giving students a choice is essential to their learning!..."Both in terms of what students produce and how they use their time. With choice, you can allow students to show what they know in a variety of ways. From written components to artistic or theatrical, you can differentiate the ways that students are summatively assessed. Their passions actively come into play here." -Andrew Miller, Edutopia

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Assessments:

Poll Everywhere

Quizziz

Nearpod

Flipgrid

Recap App

Content:

Newsela

CK12 Flexbooks

MyOn

The Kid Should See This

Process (of learning):
"The idea of gamifying learning is gaining steam to provide an environment that is familiar to students but also is fun, challenging and rich with varied learning opportunities."

Breakout EDU

Duolingo

CommonLit

Read & Write For Google Chrome

Product (demonstrate learning):

BookCreator

SeeSaw

Canva

Blogger

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According to Teach-hub.com (J. Cox, October, 2019) "classrooms all over the country, Smart Boards (click on 'Smart Boards' to find games that can be played in class using the smart board) are being installed because this amazing technology. It can provide students with an enriched learning experience by projecting visual elements. It also makes differentiated learning much easier because teachers are able to accommodate different learning styles. Visual learners are able to observe the whiteboard, while tactile learners can learn by touching the board. The touchscreen option allows teachers to run programs with the tap of their finger.

A student’s learning experience is enhanced by technology because of its ability for students to view diagrams, charts, videos, and more right on the huge screen in front of them. Their learning comes to life, and many students find it more fun to learn than ever before.

Reference -
Teach-Hub.com, (J. Cox, October, 2019);  Technology in the Classroom: the Benefits of Smart Boards;

https://www.teachhub.com/technology-in-the-classroom/2019/10/technology-in-the-classroom-the-benefits-of-smart-boards/

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Technology in the Classroom: the Benefits of Smart Boards - TeachHUB

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Technology is a great way to engage today’s modern students in learning. Learn about the benefits of Smart Boards in the classroom.

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Personally, speaking- our school provided 'special' tech to all student to use at home.  Items such as tablets, science probes and e-readers. And we pay for all software necessary. We also require, for some classes, the 2-camera zoom set up.  (Students log onto zoom with both their phones and computers) this way teacher can see students work space.  This is great not only for testing (hehe) but also for anything hands-on, like art and math.  Teachers can see exactly what the students are doing at home.  For writing and electronic assignments, of course sharing documents and sharing screens is the best way to incorporate tech while fully online.

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Again, stationed learning would be a great way to incorporate tech in the physical classroom.  Teachers can have computer areas, tablet areas, e-reading area, ect.  For the math and sciences, probes are usually incorporated into classroom and can be permanently set up for ease of use.

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Software based lesson can help with this. Kuto math has differentiated worksheets that are assessible online with lesson videos and hints when students incorrectly answer questions.   There are tons of these, we have list that we made by age level during the VC.  Also, incorporating tech into stations is also helpful...laptop stations, e-reading stations, lab simulations, are all ways to differentiate instruction with tech.

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In learning through reading literature, not all students may fully be able to grasp the concepts, or even quite what is meant to be being portrayed, especially when not in the students first language. A wonderful way to both get students actively involved with the content they are learning in the classroom and to help them more fully understand the material is to have the students act out what they are learning in the literature. This is not only limited to acting written plays, but in order to learn languages better students can create their own stories shaped by the new words they are learning and understand them through the application of that story through play acting.

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​Sociodramatic play is where children act out imaginary situations and stories, become different characters, and pretend they are in different locations and times.

When imaginative/dramatic play is shared with others, this becomes sociodramatic play. It can involve the use of props, costumes, and scenery, but this isn't a requirement. It is possible for sociodramatic play to make use of nothing but children's imagination.

Sociodramatic play is the most advanced form of play, and constantly changes (is fluid and dynamic) according to the interests and ideas of children.

Sociodramatic play allows children to explore and create new worlds. The possibilities of children's sociodramatic play are endless. This teaching practice can be a powerful tool for learning language, as children take on roles/characters, act out various scenarios and stories, and solve problems using language and movement.

Sociodramatic play usually involves children:

developing roles

creating their own storylines

making up their own spoken lines (dialogue)

interacting with each other

directing each other in play.

(Dinham & Chalk, 2018)

Children use play to practice important language and social skills, including:

joining in

sharing and taking turns

ways of interacting through different relationships (parent/child, brother/sister, doctor/patient)

negotiating with each other about how the play will go.

(Dinham & Chalk, 2018)

Educators can take on many different roles during sociodramatic play. How involved educators are will depend on what the learning intention of the experience is, and how children are interacting.

Continuum of adult involvement

Onlooker:

appreciates ongoing drama

nods, smiles, and so forth.

Store manager:

gathers materials

makes props

constructs costumes

organises set

makes script suggestions.

Co-player:

assumes role

mediates dialogue

guide split

defines roles and responsibilities of characters.

Play leader:

Adapted from Enz (1995). Educators can be more or less involved in sociodramatic play, depending on the learning intentions. Also see Jones and Reynolds (2011).

The framework above links to the VEYLDF (2016) Practice Principle: Integrated Teaching and Learning Approaches, which draws distinctions between:

The VEYLDF emphasises that:

Integrated teaching and learning approaches involve adults drawing on and moving between the three approaches in an interweaving way.

Note: In the performing arts section, the use of drama for interacting with others is explored further.

General principles:

When setting up play experiences, think about what language concepts, words, sentences, stories, and discussions could be embedded.

Demonstrate to children how props, costumes, and spaces can be used in sociodramatic play.

Encourage children to imagine what a particular prop or costume could symbolise (e.g. using a block as a phone).

Think about what role you will play in the experience (e.g. the onlooker, stage manager, co-player, or play leader).

When using play as a teaching practice for interacting with others, there are a range of learning foci that educators can embed. See the experience plans for more information.

Some brief examples include:

Concept development and vocabulary

Conversation and social skills

Stories and narratives

Provide children with prompts, props, costumes and pictures to help stimulate re-enacting of stories from books or storytelling experiences.

Encourage children to create their own stories, including new characters and new actions/events.

Explanations and sharing information

Higher order language

Model and prompt children to come up with their own names for characters, places, and things during sociodramatic play. This shows children how they can use language creatively during their play.

For example: call the place you are visiting "wavy pavy land", make a new dish called "ice-cream bolognaise", meet a strange animal called a "squirrelly lizard", or create a flying boat called a "boat-a-fly".

Sociodramatic play is a way for children to develop social and language skills, by creating imaginary worlds, characters, and scenarios, which relate to the real world (Smilansky, 1968).

Children use play to re-create [the] world and model the social behaviour they see in it. In this way they can experience the world without risking the consequences. - Toye & Prendiville (2013, p. 11)

Like oral language, sociodramatic play is learnt through social interaction and modelling of play in context (Toye & Prendiville, 2013).

In line with Vygotsky's (1967) socio-cultural learning, play allows children to be supported by a more capable "player". For sociodramatic play, this means that older peers and educators can model more advanced play using elements of drama teaching. This will then allow children to learn collaboratively, and eventually be able to engage in more advanced sociodramatic play by themselves.

It is important for educators to model and extend upon children's play (Smilansky, 1968; Fleer, 2016), so that children are challenged to continue building upon their own independent play experiences.

Because play can take many forms as a teaching practice, it is difficult to measure its impact on language learning.

Some reviews of research indicate that play (in general) is associated with the development of language and literacy skills, but it is not always possible to say that play itself has caused these changes in development (Lillard et al., 2013).

In one study (Nicolopoulou, Cortina, Ilgaz, Cates, & de Sá, 2015), the researchers found that children who participated in a storytelling and sociodramatic play program had improved language, emergent literacy, play, and self-regulation abilities.

Myck-Wayne's (2010) study of dramatic play areas provided evidence that setting up these areas allows children to practise functional uses of language and literacy in context.

Also, in a review by Weisberg, Zosh and Hirsh-Pasek (2013) the following conclusions are made about the links between language and play:

play allows children to practice using symbols and understanding symbolic relationships (a key part of using language)

play encourages children to use more advanced language that is specific to certain scenarios or social roles

during play, there is a significant amount of language used by children, their peers, and adults, providing numerous opportunities for children to hear, practice, and learn language

play allows children to be in control and engaged in the interaction, and when adults follow this lead, children are likely to learn more language (compared to an adult-led experience).

Outcome 1: identity

Children feel safe, secure and supported

Children develop knowledgeable and confident self-identities

explore different identities and points of view in dramatic play

engage in and contribute to shared play experiences.

Outcome 2: community

Children develop a sense of belonging to groups and communities and an understanding of the reciprocal rights and responsibilities necessary for active civic participation

cooperate with others and negotiate roles and relationships in play episodes and group experiences

build on their own social experiences to explore other ways of being

understand different ways of contributing through play and projects

are playful and respond positively to others, reaching out for company and friendship.

Children become socially responsible and show respect for the environment

use play to investigate, project and explore new ideas.

Outcome 4: learning

Children develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity

use play to investigate, imagine and explore ideas

initiate and contribute to play experiences emerging from their own ideas.

Children transfer and adapt what they have learnt from one context to another

use the processes of play, reflection and investigation to problem-solve.

Children resource their own learning through connecting with people, place, technologies and natural and processed materials

explore ideas and theories using imagination, creativity and play.

Outcome 5: communication

Children interact verbally and non-verbally with others for a range of purposes

Children express ideas and make meaning using a range of media

Children begin to understand how symbols and pattern systems work

use symbols in play to represent and make meaning

Children use information and communication technologies to access information, investigate ideas and represent their thinking

identify the uses of technologies in everyday life and use real or imaginary technologies as props in their play.

For age groups: early communicators (birth - 18 months); early language users (12 - 36 months).

For age groups: language and emergent literacy learners (30 - 60 months).

Dinham, J., & Chalk, B. (2018). It's arts play: Young children belonging, being and becoming through the arts. Sydney, Australia: Oxford University Press.

Enz, B. J. (1995) Adult roles in supporting children's literacy. In C. A. Kempers & A. L. Trefsger Miles (Eds.), Linking literacy and play (pp.18-22). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Fleer, M. (2013). Play in the early years. Melbourne, Australia: Cambridge University Press.

Fleer, M. (2016). Play in the early years (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

Jones, E., & Reynolds, G. (2011). The play's the thing: Teachers' roles in children's play (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Lillard, A. S., Lerner, M. D., Hopkins, E. J., Dore, R. A., Smith, E. D., & Palmquist, C. M. (2013). The impact of pretend play on children's development: A review of the evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 139(1), 1-34.

Myck-Wayne, J. (2010). In defence of play: Beginning the dialogue about the power of play. Young Exceptional Children, 13(4), 14-23.

Nicolopoulou, A., Cortina, K. S., Ilgaz, H., Cates, C. B., & de Sá, A. B. (2015). Using a narrative- and play-based activity to promote low-income preschoolers' oral language, emergent literacy, and social competence. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 31, 147-162.

Smilansky, S. (1968). The effects of sociodramatic play on disadvantaged preschool children. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Toye, N., & Prendiville, F. (2013). Drama and traditional story for the early years. New York, NY: Routledge Falmer.

Victorian State Government Department of Education and Training (2016) Victorian early years learning and development framework (VEYLDF).

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (2016) Illustrative Maps from the VEYLDF to the Victorian Curriculum F-10.

Vygotsky, Lev S. (1967). Play and its role in the mental development of the child. Soviet Psychology, 5(3), 6-18.

Weisberg, D. S., Zosh, J. M., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2013). Talking it up: Play, language development, and the role of adult support. American Journal of Play, 6(1), 39-54.

Further reading:

Cremin, T., Flewitt, R., Mardell, B., & Swann, J. (2016). Storytelling in early childhood: enriching language, literacy and classroom culture. London and New York: Routledge.

Storytelling in Early Childhood is a captivating book which explores the multiple dimensions of storytelling and story acting and shows how they enrich language and literacy learning in the early years.

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Sociodramatic play (interacting with others)

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​Sociodramatic play is where children act out imaginary situations and stories, become different characters, and pretend they are in different locations and times. When imaginative/dramatic play is shared with others, this becomes sociodramatic play. It can involve the use of props, costumes, and scenery, but this isn't a requirement.

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Assessments can be used to discover passions, interests, individual needs for instruction, and success skills.

Use of the following types of assessments can be applied to all students

Assessing Learning Styles and Student Passions

Knowing the passions and interests of students creates a classroom designed for them

Allow for differentiation

Pushes students to learn in different ways

Formative Assessments

Low-stakes assessments to analyze student skills and content knowledge

Never graded

Data used to create a more student-focused environment

On-the-Spot Assessments

Informs immediate rerouting during instruction

Increase student engagement

Can occur during whole-group instruction, but more often in small groups and individually

Reference
Miller, A. (2015, September 2). Using Assessment to Create Student-Centered Learning. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/assessment-create-student-centered-learning-andrew-miller.

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Student centered approaches that contain physical movement are essential and extremely effective.
Research has shown that physical activity increases blood flow, and more blood flow means more oxygen to the brain.
Physical activity in the classroom can benefit students by:

Improving student concentration and ability to stay on task

Reducing disruptive behavior

Improving engagement

Improving academic performance

Physical activity can be integrated into planned academic instruction or can be spontaneously added to sedentary time.

References:

Jensen, E. (2005). Teaching with the brain in mind. (2nd edition). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.