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Engagement Techniques That Work

School Improvement Team

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Best Kind of Pie-Round 1

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Community Agreements

Inclusive - every attendee has a voice
A Shared Experience - everyone has an active role and is contributing
Productive - we get in with a purpose, we get out with action steps toward that purpose
Responsive - the meeting structure evolves based on the needs of the team
Psychological Safety - we can: disagree, ask any kind of question, make mistakes, and express divergent opinions

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Julie Gavin

School Improvement Specialist

(406) 444-0686
Julie.Gavin@mt.gov

Aimee Konzen

Director of School Improvement

(406) 444-3114
Aimee.Konzen@mt.gov

Lindsay Mahoney

School Improvement Specialist

(406) 444-7728
Lindsay.Mahoney@mt.gov

Sara Tiffany

School Improvement Specialist

(406) 444-2051
Sara.Tiffany@mt.gov

Montana Office of Public Instruction: School Engagement & Improvement

http://opi.mt.gov

Claire Mikeson

School Improvement Specialist

(406) 438-0278
Claire.Mikeson@mt.gov

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Student Expectations for Engagement

Lindsay

After watching the video: Use Painter Tape to create a number line on the floor 1-10. Participants rate themselves on the following: Round 1.)Which do you use the most or feel most confident in? Final Round 2.) Redo w/ different color sticky note. Which technique do you want to use or feel you will use the most?

**We talked about needing to narrow this down to maybe 5 questions–maybe we each pick one that most relates to the engagement idea that we are presenting on??

Relationships: I know how to incorporate my students interests and talents in my lessons. LM
Relevance: I know how to make learning relevant to student interests. CM
Time: I know how to allow time for students to learn at their own pace. LM
Timing: (path of learning) I know how to design learning that allows students to learn in the order that fits their learning style. LM
Play: I know how to build opportunities for students to explore and make mistakes and learn from them without feeling like a failure. JG
Practice: I know how to build in opportunities for sustained practice when new skills are learned. ST
Choice: I know how to build in real choices about what, when, and how my students learn and demonstrate their knowledge. ST & CM
Authenticity: I know how to relate learning to its application in the outside world. AK
Challenge: I know how to recognize and create rigorous assignments to encompass, high and meaningful standards. JG
Application: I know how to create opportunities for my students to apply what they are learning in the relation to the real world context. LM

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Purpose

To give school staff tools they can use to increase meaningful student engagement while improving learning opportunities and creating a hope-filled environment through joyful engagement with evidence-based teaching strategies so ALL students are ready to be lifelong learners.

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Outcomes

Participants will be able to model at least one engagement strategy that they will be able to use in their classroom immediately.
Participants will engage in joyful exploration in a safe and comfortable place where mistakes are encouraged and celebrated as part of the learning process.
By incorporating enhanced engagement strategies, your students will delight in learning and exhibit increased excitement for showing up in your classroom each day.

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Collaborating to Engage Children with Disabilities!

The 5-15-45 Tool | TIES Center

Aimee �I wanted us to keep our kids with disabilities at the top of our minds as we move through this training. This tool from the TIES Center is an excellent way to frame concrete conversations for inclusion even if you only have 5 minutes! What if you only have 5 minutes to collaborate with a colleague? What can be accomplished to plan inclusive instruction? What if you have 15 minutes? 45 minutes? Quality planning that leads to meaningful change for student instruction is possible. The TIES Center’s 5-15-45 Tool guides teams to use the time that is available to consider the content, instructional strategies, and barriers to learning for all students in the general education classroom, including students with significant cognitive disabilities. The tool applies whether you are meeting virtually or in-person. Check it out! For ELs this same idea and approach can be used but the focus on looking at your lessons should shift to examining the language that ELs need to engage in the lesson. Think across the 4 domains, what do they need to write, read, speak, listen to engage. Where is your EL currently with each of those domains? How will that impact them in the lesson.

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5 Minutes

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15 Minutes

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45 Minutes

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Relationships: I know how to incorporate my students’ interests and talents in my lessons.

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First 5 minutes Building Relationships

Why?

Connections bring them back everyday. Students want someone to care. When you care about your students, they see it. You might be the only positive adult in their lives. Relationships improve attitudes, knowledge, and expectations.

How?

Virtual Check In

Zones of Regulation

Daily Greeting

Happy Notes (Giveaway)

Fist Bump

Classroom Screen

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ACTIVITY- Build relationships by connecting. Card writing.

“Every child deserves a champion—an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be.” “I gave [my students] a saying to say: 'I am somebody. I was somebody when I came. I'll be a better somebody when I leave.”

-Rita Pierson

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Relevance: I know how to make learning relevant to student interests.

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Steps to a successful Socratic Seminar

Understand the belief. Ask the person to state clearly their belief/argument.
Sum up the person's argument. ...
Ask for evidence. ...
Challenge their assumptions. ...
Repeat the process again, if required.

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Ground Rules for Socratic Seminars

Refer to the text when needed during the discussion. A seminar is not a test of memory. You are not learning a subject; your goal is to understand the ideas, issues, and values reflected in the text.
It’s OK to pass when asked to contribute.
Do not participate if you are not prepared. A seminar should not be a bull session.
Do not stay confused; ask for clarification.
Stick to the point currently under discussion; make notes about ideas you want to revisit.
Don’t raise hands; take turns speaking.
Listen carefully.
Speak up so that all can hear you.
Talk to each other, not just to the leader or teacher.
Discuss ideas rather than each other’s opinions.
You are responsible for the seminar, even if you don’t know it or admit it.

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Questions for Discussion

What do you think the advertisers were trying to evoke in the viewer of the ad?
What role did the music play in this commercial?
Was this commercial effective? Why?
How could you make this commercial more effective? Relevant?

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Brain Break # 1: Wink Snap Brain Break

Wink your right eye while you snap your left finger. ��Then switch to wink your left eye while you snap your right finger. ��Alternate for one minute.

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Wink Snap Brain Break: Let’s try it together!

Wink right & snap left��Then switch: � wink left snap right��Alternate for one minute

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Semi-Finals:

Best Kind of Pie

Bathroom Break

Be back in 5 minutes!

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Time: I know how to allow time for students to learn at their own pace.

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Timing (path of learning): I know how to design learning that allows students to learn in the order that fits their learning style.

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Play: I know how to build opportunities for students to explore and make mistakes and learn from them without feeling like a failure.

Julie

Research shows that hands-on experiences increase student performance and motivation at all ages. Hands-on learning engages both sides of the brain. Listening and analyzing processes occur in the left hemisphere, but visual and spatial processes are handled on the right. By combining multiple styles of learning, the brain forms stronger overall connections and is able to store more relevant information.

�Play-based learning is an emerging field of study in its own right, and so far research has found play-based learning to be particularly effective for early learners. And embedded within the play-based approach is hands-on engagement.

Like our community agreements and the expectations you all likely have in your classroom, part of fostering joy and a love of learning is providing students a safe place to make mistakes, make and test guesses, learn, and grow. Providing an opportunity for students to grapple with a problem or question and explore possible solutions helps them learn in a way that providing the “right answer” never could. Tinkering and testing hypotheses is innate in many children (and human beings in general), but it’s often the step that gets skipped when we feel we must “move on” from a topic.

Play helps facilitate the following in our students:

Imagination

Curiosity

Creative thinking

Creative problem-solving

Joy

Exploration

Emotional / psychological / intellectual safety

And it’s more fun and engaging!

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Cubes in the Classroom - Basic Play

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Cubes in the Classroom

- “Story Cubes”�- “Move it Cubes”�- “Word Cubes”�- “Math Action Cubes”�- “Culture Cubes”�- “Question Cubes”�- “Choice Cubes”�- “Number Cubes” (aka Dice)

Julie

We will each get two wooden cubes with which to create a “starter set” of cubes for your classroom. You’re also welcome to use this idea with your students creating paper cubes with the same purpose (see our resources page for paper cube templates). Students design, decorate, cut, and tape up their paper cubes. Take a few minutes to brainstorm how this could apply to your classroom and what you want to incorporate into your cubes. The sky is the limit, but here are a few ideas on how you might use them and things to consider:

- “Story Cubes” - images of nouns, verbs - like Rory’s originals�- “Move it Cubes” - physical movements�- “Word Cubes” - images or written terms for class�- “Math Action Cubes” - operations, fractions�- “Culture Cubes” - traditional terms, characters�- “Question Cubes” - how, who, where…�- “Choice Cubes” - student choice options�- “Number Cubes” (aka Dice) - traditional numbers

Question or Directional cubes can also contain questions or directions discussed regularly in class such as: �- ELA/ Reading: “Is the story fiction or nonfiction?” “What is the main idea of the story?” �- Science: “What are the steps of the scientific method?” “What have you seen that makes you wonder? (Scientific Method #1)”�- Math (word problems): “Circle the numbers” “Box the key words” “Eliminate what you don’t need”�- SS/ History: “Name a historical figure we discussed this week” “What are the key dates we discussed this week?”�- Culture: “Who is ____?” “Briefly retell the story of ____”

Cubes involve kinesthetic learners with the act of rolling.
Discussing the questions provides a potential auditory competent.
Writing answers to questions may aid visual learners.
Complexity of tasks/questions can involve all levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Cubes can be created for any topic.
Cubes can be created at beginner, developing, competent, accomplish or master levels for the subject.
Cubes may become a “crutch” or busy work unless well designed
Cubes can be used for informal assessment (exit cubes).
Cubes can be used individually or with groups.
Cubes to select tasks for learners or provide choice options.

—-

Low-Tech Options:�- create wooden classroom use cubes�- have students create their own paper cubes (large or small)��Tech Options:�- Roll Dice - Digital dice roller with options for different number of sides and text options�- Rory’s Story Cubes app - (must purchase)�- Create stories with digital story cubes (see this lesson) ��___

Resource: http://www.unm.edu/~unmvclib/gamification/cubes/cubesintheclassroom.pdf

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Practice: I know how to build in opportunities for sustained practice when new skills are learned.

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Dice Practice

Use Dice to Generate Numbers

Math Dice Chase: Multiplication Fact Automaticity
Generate numbers for:

Inequalities
Quadratic equations
Graphing Coordinates
Finding area or volume
Science practice

Can also replace numbers in word problems

Vocabulary Practice

Vocab-Zee (Yahtzee)
You’re On a Roll

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Choice: I know how to build in real choices about what, when, and how my students learn and demonstrate their knowledge.

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Why offer choice?

Increase Motivation
Differentiate Instruction
Different Learning Styles
Increase Student Engagement
Versatile
Students Interact with Peers’ Work

Credit *Link has a great (FREE) choice board resource for Upper Elementary Writing, Reading, & Reading Response

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Novel Project Ideas

We Are Teachers:

35 Ideas

Graphic Novel
Book Snap
Yearbook Entry
Compare with a current Event
Compare book to movie

The Techie Teacher:

15 Digital Ideas

Film a commercial
Character Text Messages
Digital Comic Summary

Novel Cafe

Free on TPT

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Choice Boards

Grade Contracts

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Choice for Older Students

Insert Technology Options

Turn skits into videos, film a news segment

Re-create events

Act it out in class, build 3D models

Choose Your Own Adventure

Website, game board or slides

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Brain Break: Phone Number Trick -

Prepare to be Amazed!

1. Type in the 1^st 3 digits of your phone #, not the area code.

2. Multiply by 80.

3. Add 1.

4. Multiply by 250.

5. Add the last 4 digits of your phone number.

6. Add the last 4 digits of your phone number again.

7. Subtract 250.

8. Divide this number by 2.

� Do you recognize this number?

Can you figure out why it works?

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The Math Behind � this Trick

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Semi-Finals: Best Way to Eat a Potato

Bathroom Break

Be back in 10 minutes!

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Authenticity: I know how to relate learning to its application in the outside world.

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The most engaging thing you can do to a student is to personalize the question or the assessment.

Try it: Take an assessment question that you have and find a way to change it to a personal question.

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Challenge: I know how to recognize and create rigorous assignments to encompass, high and meaningful standards.

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Thinking Tasks!

Random grouping w/popsicle sticks
Go to the boards on the wall in order
One dry erase marker per group/take turns being the scribe
Work as a team, use the dry erase board to work out your problem

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The Thinking Classroom-Peter Liljedahl

What type of tasks we use in a thinking classroom?

How we form collaborative groups in a thinking classroom?

Where students work in a thinking classroom?

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Summary of Thinking Tasks

Macro Move:

Begin the lesson (first 5 minutes) with a thinking task.

Micro Moves:

The first three to five thinking tasks you use should be non-curricular, highly engaging thinking tasks (type 1)

After that, shift to scripted curriculum thinking tasks (Type 2)

Script curricular tasks such that you begin by asking a question about prior knowledge

Then ask a question that is an extension of that prior knowledge, and

Then ask students to do something without telling them how

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Collaboration: Random Groupings

Macro Move:

Frequently form visibly random groups

Micro Moves

Form groups of 3

Set up your method of randomization such that it tells students where to go

Find a way to randomize such that your students think you know what group they are in

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Where Students Work

Macro Move:

Use vertical non-permanent surfaces (VNPSs)

Micro Moves:

Have only one marker per group

Move the marker around within the group

Sometimes have the rule that the person writing cannot write any of their own ideas

Hold groups responsible for the learning of every member of the group.

Have groups in close (but not too close) proximity to each other

Talk to the students about valuing wrong ideas & not erasing others’ work

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Application: I know how to create opportunities for my students to apply what they are learning in the relation to the real world context.

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Brain Break #3: Figure Eight

Stand up and hold a light book in one hand��Stand with feet apart��Squat down��Transfer the book from one hand to the other between the legs, in a figure eight

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Figure Eight Brain Break: Let’s try it together!

Stand up and hold a light �book in one hand��Stand with feet apart��Squat down��Transfer the book from one �hand to the other between the legs, in a figure eight

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Finals:

Best Kind of Pie

Wheel of Names

Picking at random gives each an equal opportunity to respond.

Non Techy Option: Popsicle sticks.

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

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Bad Example

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Rerate yourself at the end of the session.

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Resources

Student Engagement Site- https://tinyurl.com/406engage

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Julie Gavin

School Improvement Specialist

(406) 444-0686
Julie.Gavin@mt.gov

Aimee Konzen

Director of School Improvement

(406) 444-3114
Aimee.Konzen@mt.gov

Lindsay Mahoney

School Improvement Specialist

(406) 444-7728
Lindsay.Mahoney@mt.gov

Sara Tiffany

School Improvement Specialist

(406) 444-2051
Sara.Tiffany@mt.gov

Montana Office of Public Instruction: School Engagement & Improvement

http://opi.mt.gov

Claire Mikeson

School Improvement Specialist

(406) 438-0278
Claire.Mikeson@mt.gov

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Exit Ticket

Bracket Results:

What was your favorite strategy or resource discussed today?