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CARA SAWTELL JAMES MOORE

Angling to Engage

A MIDDLE GRADES INSTITUTE Presentation of a HUNT MIDDLE SCHOOL Action Research Project. Numbers FX by BECH. Music by FABRILICIOUS. Cheerleading by HICKEY. With numerous giving STUDENTS and fellow FACULTY MEMBERS. Happy SATURDAY and THANK YOU for being HERE. 1.11.20

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1.11.20

MIDDLE SCHOOL THEMES, ACADEMIC LANGUAGE, & REFERENCES TO MARZANO

See it in 3D and IMAX.

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How can we increase engagement in the middle school classroom?

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Demographics

Total # Students: 367

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%

#

IEP

25 %

98

EL

12 %

46

Free / Reduced Lunch

54 %

208

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Demographics

Total # Students: 367

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%

#

African American

18 %

61

Asian

10 %

39

Two or More Races

8 %

30

White

63 %

245

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What is Engagement?

  • Tricky to define
    • Behavioral vs. Cognitive� Engagement by Design - Fisher, et al.
    • Short term attention, long term relevance and connection� The Highly Engaged Classroom - Marzano & Pickering

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HMS Definition

Engagement is a sense of purpose for, commitment to, and curiosity about learning. When we are engaged, we see why the work matters and how it connects to us. We persist through challenges.

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Why are we doing this?

We want students to:

  • Make decisions
  • Talk to peers
  • Track their own progress
  • Persist through challenges

But mostly, we want them to:

  • Think “I see how this connects to....”
  • Say “I’m wondering…”
  • Feel “I belong here.”

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Strategies

  • Structure
  • Relevancy
  • Collaboration
  • Curricular

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Structure

  • Opening activity
    • Free write, reading, or circle
    • Friday Boggle
  • Slideshows
  • Cold calling
  • Transition expectations
    • Passing out papers, getting into circles, etc.
  • Best thing that happened to me

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Relevancy

March Book 1

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Relevancy - our learning targets

I can...

    • infer what happens between two frames (or even within a frame)
    • sequence the events of a story.

From a social justice perspective… I can...

    • name some of the people, groups and events in social justice history and the beliefs and ideas that influenced them.
    • know how to stand up for myself and for others when faced with exclusion, prejudice and injustice.

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Sample Activities

  • n-slur Circle
  • Whole and small group reading and discussion of March
  • Practice on summarizing skills
  • Learning the parts and structure of a graphic novel

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Relevancy

Culminating performance

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Collaboration

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Collaboration

What did you like best?

Top three answers from 186 open-ended responses

  • 78 - collaborating with others, especially across teams
  • 44 - creating or performing the rap
  • 10 - researching news items

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“I think the best part was performing it because at first i was scared and i didn't want to do it and when I had to go up there I was still a little scared but when we were all done the rap I felt good and it had to be the best part of this rap project.”

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Curricular

Voice/Choice - options, feedback

Hands On

Change of space

Positive Stress

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Sept.

Dec.

Did you take pride in your ELA schoolwork?

68%

79%

Did you enjoy coming to ELA?

66%

77%

How often does your ELA teacher pay attention to you, your ideas, and your opinions?

72%

85%

Did you feel that your experience outside of school was valued in ELA class?

49%

68%

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What’s next?

  • Aiming for 100%
    • Work completion
    • Relevant connections made
  • Working through obstacles
    • Positive stress
  • Culmination

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What questions �do you have?

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Cara: csawtell@bsdvt.org

James: jmoore@bsdvt.org, (twitter - @jamse)

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