5 ways to gauge student engagement: #edchat

Student engagement... a topic that is commonplace in schools and school districts around the world. The goal being that we want to have highly engaging classrooms where our students are intimately and passionately engaged in whatever task they are working on.

Engaged classrooms are where learning occurs and one of the defining characteristics of a great teacher is the ability to have his/her students engaged in learning.

But...I find student engagement to be a tricky and slippery slope at times because how we define student engagement can vary from educator to educator.

For example, when looking at a student who is working and doing what they are supposed to be doing, can we automatically assume they are engaged? Are they cognitively engaged or are they merely compliant and obedient? What about the kid who is passionately doodling and completely ignoring whatever the rest of the students and class are doing? Do we assume the student is not cognitively engaged because the student isn't compliant and obedient?

My point is simple... student engagement and the gauging of student engagement really aren't as easy or straightforward as some would think.

Also worth noting... I believe most of our kids are truly engaged at most times during the day. The question is... are they engaged in what we are wanting them to be engaged in...

Having said all that, here are 5 ways I feel pretty confident about in terms of knowing if your students are truly cognitively engaged in the learning occurring in your class.


1). Your students are asking in-depth questions that are specific and relevant to the learning occurring in your class and the questions go beyond simple yes and no answers.

2). Your students are curious about the topic and are expressing an interest in exploring the topic further beyond even your original intent.

3). Your students are taking the initial and baseline information and are creating and designing something completely different and completely new.

4). Your students are able to explain the purpose and reasoning behind learning what they are currently learning and see how it relates to their lives and the bigger picture.

5). Your students can clearly explain and articulate where they are in terms of their learning progression... they know where they are doing well and they know where they are still struggling.


What other signs and indicators would you say constitute true student engagement?

The engaged student vs. the compliant student

The engaged student knows exactly why they are doing what they are doing while the compliant student is unable to connect the learning to anything meaningful.

The engaged student is asking questions while the compliant student is simply receiving instructions and direction from the teacher.

The engaged student is focused on learning while the compliant student wants to know how many points the activity is worth.

The engaged student is able to track, monitor, and self-evaluate their learning while the compliant student is reliant upon the teacher to know where he/she is with their learning.

The engaged student is making connections to the material and information beyond the four walls of the classroom while the compliant student is unable to see beyond the actual task itself.

The engaged student doesn't have time to misbehave or make poor choices while the compliant student is one turn of the back by the teacher away from making a poor decision.

The engaged student is empowered and is in control of their learning while the compliant student needs to wait for the teacher to know what he/she is to do next.

The engaged student is creating something new or thinking about something differently while the compliant student is merely consuming what has already been created or thinking about what has already been thought of.

Let's ensure our kids aren't just being compliant robots...

5 ways to gauge student engagement

Student engagement... a topic that is commonplace in schools and school districts around the world. The goal being that we want to have highly engaging classrooms where our students are intimately and passionately engaged in whatever task they are working on.

Engaged classrooms are where learning occurs and one of the defining characteristics of a great teacher is the ability to have his/her students engaged in learning.

But...I find student engagement to be a tricky and slippery slope at times because how we define student engagement can vary from educator to educator.

For example, when looking at a student who is working and doing what they are supposed to be doing, can we automatically assume they are engaged? Are they cognitively engaged or are they merely compliant and obedient? What about the kid who is passionately doodling and completely ignoring whatever the rest of the students and class are doing? Do we assume the student is not cognitively engaged because the student isn't compliant and obedient?

My point is simple... student engagement and the gauging of student engagement really aren't as easy or straightforward as some would think.

Also worth noting... I believe most of our kids are truly engaged at most times during the day. The question is... are they engaged in what we are wanting them to be engaged in...

Having said all that, here are 5 ways I feel pretty confident about in terms of knowing if your students are truly cognitively engaged in the learning occurring in your class.


1). Your students are asking in-depth questions that are specific and relevant to the learning occurring in your class and the questions go beyond simple yes and no answers.

2). Your students are curious about the topic and are expressing an interest in exploring the topic further beyond even your original intent.

3). Your students are taking the initial and baseline information and are creating and designing something completely different and completely new.

4). Your students are able to explain the purpose and reasoning behind learning what they are currently learning and see how it relates to their lives and the bigger picture.

5). Your students can clearly explain and articulate where they are in terms of their learning progression... they know where they are doing well and they know where they are still struggling.


What other signs and indicators would you say constitute true student engagement?

8 ways to spruce up that classroom activity

1). Make sure the activity has relevance and purpose beyond 'it's on the test.' We live in a world full of problems that could use improvement and solving, give learning a purpose beyond your classroom and beyond your influence.

2). Give students voice in the activity. Part of empowering students is giving them a voice in the learning process. We should be shifting our focus away from doing education to our students and double-down on doing education with our students.

http://goo.gl/pDkhjP

3). Ensure students have an authentic and preferably a global audience in which to share their learning journey. We the educators are important, but we want our students to showcase and demonstrate their genius with the world. The world is hungry to hear from our students and if our students aren't doing work worthy of sharing with the world, then we need to change what we are doing.

4). Encourage and provide students the opportunity to work collaboratively. The world is going to require and ask our students to work collaboratively and work in teams. Our students not only need these experiences for life, but also when brains are combined the levels of learning are limitless.

5). Don't inadvertently put 'limiters' on student learning, discovery, and exploration by making the activity too specific and too detailed. It's easy to have rubrics and expectations that end up restricting possibility and limiting creativity. Be sure you have some structure and guidance for those who need it, but make sure it's not so limiting to those who need less structure.

6). Get your kids up and moving! The research is quite clear on the effects of activity on the brain and cognitive processes. Instead of confining students to their desks because that will help maintain order in a low level engagement environment, encourage movement and action for a high level engagement environment.

7). Don't hog the stage by doing all the talking and allow your kids to do the talking. The person who does all the talking is the person who will do all the learning. As educators we naturally love to talk, but step aside and allow our kids to lead the action and their learning will go up significantly based on their level of involvement in the learning process.

8). End the activity with a survey getting feedback and input from your students. Students will appreciate the opportunity to provide honest feedback and they will appreciate that you care what they think and what they have to say. The feedback you get will also help in making future activities even better.

What would you add to this list to 'spruce' up that classroom activity?

Who determines what is 'relevant?'

We hear so often that we need to make education relevant.

We hear kids saying they aren't engaged in learning because they don't see any relevance to what is being taught.

We hear educators saying that traditional PD isn't a good use of time because it's not relevant to them.

We would all agree that a little relevance can go a long way when it comes to interest and engagement.

Here's the tricky part...

Who determines and decides what is relevant?

Who is in charge of telling a student what is relevant to them?

Who is in charge of telling a professional educator what is relevant to them?

Marbles rolling around in my head...

7 proven strategies that WILL help you engage your students...

1.  Don't just care...really care!

It is so easy to get wrapped up in our own little worlds, but we have got to remember that whatever is going on in our world, is 100 times simpler and less complicated than that of our students.  If a student is having a bad day, or if a student is having a great day, give them the opportunity to tell you about it.  Be interested and actually listen to their stories, because if you can show the students you care, they will trust you, and when they trust you, magical things can happen in an educational setting.  Take an interest in their music, their hobbies, their triumphs and struggles, and use that information to help them.  IF THE STUDENTS DON'T THINK YOU CARE, YOU WILL NEVER MAKE A MEANINGFUL CONNECTION WITH THEM!!

2.  Speak to every student at least once every class period - the more the better!

Try very hard to make sure this is common practice in your classroom.  Even if it is a simple "hello" or "how are you doing?" it can mean a ton to the student.  Additionally, making that early connection in the class period allows that student to feel more comfortable, which as we all know, students must be comfortable for learning to take place.  STUDENTS DON'T LEARN WHEN THEY ARE STRESSED AND UNCOMFORTABLE!!

3.  Meet your students where they are; not where they are supposed to be, or where you want them to be...

This strategy can be really difficult, but if you can master it, it can pay huge dividends in the long run.  Every year you start with new students, with different ability levels, different learning styles, and different attitudes toward education.  We have to meet each student on their level.  Their level means their ability, their learning style, and their attitude toward education.  If we treat every student the same, we CANNOT expect the same results!  Just as a doctor evaluates all of a patient's symptoms and treats the patient accordingly, we must evaluate each student and approach the learning process in a manner which is best suited for that individual student.  FORGET ABOUT USING ONE STRATEGY TO TEACH ALL OF YOUR STUDENTS!!

4.  Have high expectations, and expect the best from every single student every single day!

This is probably one of the toughest in terms of increasing student engagement.  I have found that when you push the students and they know you are pushing them, they engage themselves and respond at a much higher level than if you were giving them review work over and over.  Human nature is to enjoy a challenge and a task that requires more than the minimum.  If your students are disengaged and non-attentive, perhaps they are bored, and they need a challenge to get them going.  Let your students know you have high expectations for yourself, and consequently you expect the best from them too.  NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF A CHALLENGE WHEN IT COMES TO STUDENT ENGAGEMENT!! 

5.  Do whatever it takes to get your students out of their desks, and give them every opportunity to be actively moving ! 

Organized chaos is how we should describe our classrooms.  Students need to move, and sitting for 7 hours a day is frankly torture.  Would you want to sit for 7 hours a day and listen to people talk at you...no, I think not.  Try to get your students up and moving every single day.  I am talking about relay races, group work, activities that require building things with their hands, an activity where unused fly swatters are used, and lastly skits and reenactments that make everybody laugh.  THE HUMAN BODY WAS NOT DESIGNED TO SIT ALL DAY!!  

6.  Focus on the three R's - rigor, relationships, and relevance... 

I already talked about rigor (4) and relationships (1), but I wanted to keep all three Rs together.  If the students see no relevance and value in education, then how can we expect them to learn?  We have got to make sure what they are doing in school is practical and relevant, because if we don't we have no shot at engaging them.  Show students the connections to what they are learning and the world in which they live.  Also, use resources to make what they are learning applicable in their current lives, and show them ways to use what they've learned in class.  IF THEY SEE NO VALUE, THEY WILL NEVER BE TRULY ENGAGED!!     

7.  Most importantly...give your students a voice and involve them in the educational process!

Unfortunately, this is one of the most difficult things to do in an educational setting, and because it is one of the most difficult, it is one of the most important.  The students know how they learn, they know what they like and dislike, and they hold the key to getting them interested and engaged.  Every day is an opportunity to learn from your students how to do your job more effectively and efficiently.  Students are a free resource that most educators ignore.  Include them in making assignments, teaching lessons, designing rubrics and designing assessments.  What do you have to lose?  They will provide you with a wealth of knowledge, and most importantly, they will be engaged because they are a part of the process.  They now have a voice in how they are educated, as well as how they are assessed...STUDENT INVOLVEMENT = AWESOME!!

Please respond with any additional strategies you use to engage your students.  I would love to add to this list and compile a much larger list to use with new and experienced teachers, as well as teacher growth and development programs.  Thank you in advance for your help!

Increasing student engagement

If you've worked in education for more than 5 minutes, you've probably had a conversation about ways and strategies to increase student engagement. For the record, I applaud all efforts and all initiatives that assist our schools in becoming more engaging. I think it's also safe to say that increases in student engagement are directly related to a more relevant and more purposeful learning environment for our students.

Perhaps I'm wrong and totally going in the wrong direction here, but I feel we aren't making nearly as much progress as we could be...

What I mean by this is that I think we have too many varying definitions of what 'engagement' actually looks like. I also think we are too varied in our beliefs about what 'relevant' and 'purposeful' really mean in the classroom setting.

via +John Spencer (@edrethink)

I have no doubt that educators are all committed to doing what's best for our students. My only concern is that since we all have varying and different definitions of what engaging, purposeful, and relevant mean, we are having difficulty moving forward with these initiatives and at times are spinning our wheels.

Now, one of the beauties of education is all the varying backgrounds and experiences that educators have that ultimately enrich and strengthen learning opportunities for students. We all bring a certain 'flavor' to the classroom and it's because of that unique flavor and perspective, we avoid possibly being replaced by robots!

So, when we sit down to talk about increasing student engagement, when we talk about making education more purposeful, and when we talk about making education more relevant, we first need to discuss what we as educators mean by engagement, purpose, and relevance.

We need to actually describe what we believe student engagement looks like in a classroom. We need to agree upon what a purposeful education actually means for students in the 21st century. Lastly, we need to come to some kind of a consensus of what is relevant for our students when it comes to preparing them for a successful life.

So, before we talk about strategies to increase engagement, strategies to make education more purposeful, and strategies to make education more relevant, we all need to agree upon what we believe they mean and what we believe they will ultimately look like.

Agree upon a mutual meaning and definition and then begin the strategies discussion... if we don't all agree upon a meaning, then the strategies aren't going to have much meaning and they will have a very inconsistent impact on student engagement.

  

Motivating the unmotivated student...

In Union we've started to host professional development sessions every other week on a predetermined topic. These sessions are completely voluntary, and are open to all content areas and all grade levels. The first topic we are discussing is, "Motivating the unmotivated student."

Check out all of our upcoming sessions here: Union PD sessions

We then created this Google Form for our staff to sign up: PD sign-up

Depth of Knowledge & Student Engagement

Karin Hess on Depth of Knowledge (3 minute video)
*Click on Karin's name for the Cognitive Rigor Matrix

"Whether you realize it or not, all your students are engaged all the time. The important question is, what are they engaged in?"

How can we continue making this shift in our classrooms? Shifting away from a teacher-centered classroom to a student-centered classroom. It's not about doing less work, it's about making education more purposeful, more relevant, and more engaging for our students.

It's all about the approach for our students... how can you help guide and direct them to the right approach?

These might not show up on a standardized test, but nevertheless they are extremely important. How do we and how are we teaching this...?

Because of the time of the year, you probably need a little encouragement to smile, laugh, or cry... or perhaps all three at the same time; watch this 4 minute video to kick start your week!

Increasing rigor in schools...

"As we continue to focus on increasing the level of rigor in our schools, it is important to first agree on what rigor is. Rigor is more than just the content of the lesson or even what we expect our students to do. Too often, we simply raise expectations without providing appropriate support for our students to succeed. 

True rigor means creating an environment in which each student is expected to learn at high levels, each student is supported so that he or she can learn at high levels, and each student demonstrates learning at high levels. 

Only by creating a culture of high expectations and providing support so that students can truly succeed does one have a rigorous classroom. Supporting our students so that they can learn at high levels is central to the definition of rigor. It is essential that we craft lessons that move students toward challenging work while providing scaffolding to support them as they learn. To simply increase expectations without helping students achieve at higher levels is futile."

~ At the end of the day, who is more exhausted and tired... you or the students? Don't always work harder, work more efficiently and effectively.

~ Assigning more homework & classwork more frequently does not mean we are increasing rigor.

~ Where do a majority of your class activities fall in regard to the Depth of Knowledge wheel? Make it a priority to shift at least one activity per week to a higher level.

Doing lots of worksheets and learning from the textbook can be really hard; not hard because it's difficult or challenging, but hard because they serve no purpose and have very little relevance to actual learning.

Schools become rigorous when students are pushed not only to know information but also to apply and demonstrate their understanding of that information. Requiring students to reflect on and analyze their thinking and learning might be the most challenging task you can require of any student.

Increasing student engagement...

~ Don't confuse high levels of student engagement with compliance... these are two very different things.

"Drive" by Daniel Pink - The surprising truth about what motivates us

10 simple strategies to increase student engagement by Chris McGee

Fighting engagement deficit disorder by Catlin Tucker