SPCLC Meetup: Student Engagement and Community Building (1/14/2025) by

Dictation

2025-01-14 20:50:11 UTC

One routine I like to use good old-fashioned dictation for reviewing any grammar item or vocabulary. After saying out loud a few sentences for students to write, I like to have them get into small groups and be in charge of writing one on the board. It doesn't sound like fun (even to my ears), but it is one of those things I can do in a pinch to create immediate engagement.

tell us your "name story"

2025-01-14 20:50:26 UTC

Icebreaker: "Find Someone Who"

2025-01-14 20:51:10 UTC

"Find Someone Who" Bingo - I do this on the first day of class. Students have to interact with each other to fill out their grid. Example: "Find someone who..." "Likes math." "Likes to cook." "Speaks at least three languages." - Jamie (IIMN)

2025-01-14 20:53:09 UTC

We have started using AI to level texts and teach students how to level texts themselves in order to gain comprehension to texts that are more difficult than they can handle.

Magic School

2025-01-14 20:55:04 UTC

Math Community Building

2025-01-14 21:11:15 UTC

These math warm-ups are designed to build community by having the full class or small groups work on the same warm-up and share ideas, encourage a variety of problem-solving methods, and to provide application to students’ real lives. Great for multi-leveled groups.

-Natalie

Old Adobe Reader

khatlestadneighborg — 2025-01-14 21:14:37 UTC

When teaching online, use Adobe Reader to write on the PDF so you can scroll up and down. In a Word Doc - File - Export to PDF

Fill and Sign doc. You may need to revert to the old version of Adobe.

Line Summary

2025-01-14 21:14:51 UTC

After reading a challenging passage, have students stand in two lines facing each other. One side is the speakers and the other side is the listeners. The speaker side has to speak for 1 whole minute about what they read, and then they move to the next person and have to summarize what they read in 45 seconds and then 30 seconds and then 15 seconds. When done, students sit down and write what they think the main idea is and usually even if they didn't understand everything, they get the main idea. This can be repeated with the other side being the speaker and so on.

Spotify

2025-01-14 21:14:53 UTC

Using Spotify to create music playlists based on themes (healthcare, relationships, work, etc.) or grammar (simple past, future tense, etc.)

Main Idea/ Summary

khatlestadneighborg — 2025-01-14 21:19:27 UTC

While chain reading (one person - one paragraph), stop after each paragraph to assess the main idea and summarize the paragraph. This helps learners process the text and helps them find the main idea. I don't recommend putting the reader on the spot. It should be a collective class summary.

Conversation Circles

2025-01-14 21:19:49 UTC

I have used this in College Readiness Academy class to engage students around specific topics in our Goal 7 curriculum, usually once per unit. I am planning to adapt this for a weekly warm up routine in our Spring semester starting next week.

Laughing Yoga!

2025-01-14 21:32:54 UTC

Saying "welcome home" when returning to main room after a breakout session

2025-01-14 21:33:19 UTC

3 minute break

2025-01-14 21:34:30 UTC

Meditation or stretching. The link is a breathing meditation I have used before to break up our 3-hour online college readiness class.

Virtual Calming Room

markclues — 2025-01-14 21:35:13 UTC

Padlet

2025-01-14 21:39:09 UTC

I find Padlet a very interesting tool to teach writing

Energizing Brain Breaks (Movement)

2025-01-14 22:01:28 UTC

I have a few copies of this book available for SPCLC programs to borrow. It is filled with quick movement challenges and games (individual, partner, and group) intended to refocus/ engage the brain so that your students can better stay engaged in class. Great for online and in-person classes.

This link has a couple of the ideas and there are a bunch of videos on YouTube of the Brain Breaks in action. They can be challenging, fun, and some will likely get students and you laughing!