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Engaging Students Padlet

Tanner Marttala

Spe 222

Dr. Wolpinsky

10/2/2024

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The article I chose was Whole-Group Response Strategies to Promote Student Engagement in Inclusive Classrooms, written by Sarah A. Nagro, Sara D. Hooks, Dawn W. Fraser, and Kyena E. Cornelius. I chose this article because I am in an internship where my teacher has a silent classroom and forces engagement among her students. I am hoping to learn and relate this into the classroom to possibly teach my Mentor on the importance of engaging students in ways they want to learn.

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Students with learning disabilities are often placed in inclusive classrooms with their typically developing peers, but they face challenges in engaging with whole-group instruction, which is the predominant teaching model. While small-group instruction is more effective for these students, whole-group strategies can help accommodate diverse needs. Teachers can enhance engagement by using proactive strategies during whole-group instruction, such as proximity, high rates of opportunities to respond, and choice-making. These methods encourage participation and self-evaluation, fostering a sense of belonging among students with learning disabilities. Whole-group response strategies, like hand signals, response cards, and written responses, can be effective in promoting engagement and assessing comprehension. Hand signals can guide discussions and check understanding, while response cards allow for anonymous participation and help students who struggle with verbal responses. Written responses, such as exit tickets or use of dry-erase boards, can capture student understanding more accurately. Collecting formative assessment data during these activities informs instructional decisions and helps identify areas where students need additional support. Teachers can track participation and comprehension, enabling tailored instruction based on individual student needs. Overall, proactive whole-group strategies paired with formative assessments enhance the learning experience for students with learning disabilities, fostering deeper engagement and improved interactions within the classroom. These approaches are adaptable across various subjects and grade levels, making them valuable tools for educators.

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Response Cards:

Use response cards to allow all students to participate actively and provide a quick way to assess understanding.

Encourage peer interactions through think-pair-share activities to enhance critical thinking and communication skills.

Fun and easy to customize for students

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Written Responses:

Incorporate written responses (e.g., exit tickets, dry-erase boards) to gauge student understanding more accurately.

Use structured prompts and sentence starters to assist students in organizing their thoughts before writing.

Although not always as fun it is an easy/honest way a teacher can check for students understanding.

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Creating a Positive Learning Environment:

Foster a sense of belonging among students with learning disabilities to enhance participation and peer interaction.

Build a classroom culture that supports risk-taking and perseverance in learning tasks.

Use hand signals for comprehension checks, allowing students to self-evaluate their understanding without fear of being called out individually.

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Promoting Inclusion and Equitable Practices

1. Creating a Sense of Belonging: The text underscores the need for students with learning disabilities to feel included. By implementing whole-group response strategies, teachers can ensure that all students, regardless of ability, participate actively in lessons. This promotes a sense of belonging, which is crucial for their self-esteem and academic success.

2. Culturally Responsive Practices: The proactive strategies mentioned—like using response cards or hand signals—can be adapted to meet the diverse cultural backgrounds of students. Culturally responsive teaching requires understanding students' unique contexts and fostering an environment where all voices are valued.

3. Data-Driven Decisions: By collecting formative assessment data, teachers can identify areas of strength and need among all students, allowing for tailored instructional practices that respect individual differences. This data-driven approach promotes equity by ensuring that every student's needs are met based on evidence rather than assumptions.

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Importance of Evidence-Based, Inclusive Teaching Practices

Effectiveness: Evidence-based practices ensure that the strategies used have been proven to enhance learning outcomes for all students, including those with disabilities. This is critical for fostering an inclusive environment where every student can thrive.

Engagement and Participation: Inclusive practices, particularly those grounded in research, encourage engagement among all students. Students with learning disabilities often face challenges in participation; thus, utilizing proven strategies can help mitigate these barriers.

Building Skills: Evidence-based methods not only support academic learning but also teach important life skills, such as self-advocacy and collaboration. This is essential for preparing students for success beyond the classroom.

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Has learning about instruction changed my thinking about students with disabilities?

I would say Yes it has changed my mind in the sense that I would need to mentally prepare more for it. I believe When teachers have large classes and kids with learning disabilities it's important to shrink the student to staff ratio as much as possible. By getting more 1 on 1 time and small group instruction students will feel more valued and helped meaning they can do their work and continue to learn.

How does this information relate to my experience in school, for my career?

As an education major I have a couple choices on what I can do with my career. After learning of the importance of engagement I will focus my research and observations on how to get students engaged. Students are often compared to plants because there are many things needed for a plant to grow and succeed like a student. Engaging the students is the act of watering the plant. Without student engagement there is no learning happening. It is crucial to me to get my students excited and engaged in class. Everyones had teachers that got the class excited and there are other teachers who just make you read and work individually. When the students feel engaged and that they are the ones leading then the teacher has succeeded at their job.

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follows: Nagro, S. A., Hooks, S. D., Fraser, D. W., & Cornelius, K. E. (2016).TEACHING Exceptional Children,

Vol. 50, No. 4, pp. 243–249. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EiZDiFAZxjK1v1kjULM-mn1y51K8c11e/view

Turnbull, A., Turnbull, R., Wehmeyer, M. L., Shogren, K. A., & Burke, M., (2024). ​Exceptional lives: Practice, progress & dignity in today’s schools​ (10th ed.). Pearson Education Inc., Hoboken, NJ:

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Whole-Group Response Strategies to Promote Student Engagement in Inclusive Classrooms (1).pdf

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Can you think of a way a teacher got you engaged in a lesson?