Active Learning

 Active Learning

What is Active Learning?

Active learning is when students are engaged in their own learning. This type of learning requires students to do meaningful learning activities and think about what they are doing. Using active learning in your classroom can engage, empower, and put students at the center of learning. 

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Benefits of Active Learning

Active learning should be a continued practice for all educators to use in their own teaching. Cornell University's Center for Teaching Innovation lists many benefits to use active learning in your own classrooms: 

• Active learning gives students multiple ways to access the material through writing, talking, or problem solving
• Student motivation is increased when they are able to create personal connections with the material
• Students are able to receive immediate feedback
• Teachers can learn more about their students through observations and discussions
• When teachers know how their students learn best, they can target their teaching in future lessons

Blog Review

This week I looked at a blog from a classroom that used active learning to explain what their code of conduct looks like throughout the school. The teacher from the blog Cougar Code learned that most of her students are visual learners and created and activity where students explored their code of conduct (Be Safe, Be Respectful, and Be Responsible) and how they can visually represent it throughout the school. The teacher first used active learning during the lesson in the introduction. Students took turns going to the SmartBoard to list specific examples of ways they can be safe, respectful, and responsible. Next, students use an iPad app, PicCollage, to take pictures in the classroom and around the school demonstrating what the code of conduct looks like.  

Another teacher used active learning in her class for this same activity. However, instead of students taking pictures of themselves they drew pictures and wrote examples of being safe, respectful, and responsible in different areas of the school. The class then used Educreations to record themselves while sharing their drawings. 

Author's Padlet

Personal Active Learning

After reading more about active learning I thought about my own classroom and how I incorporate active learning in my teaching. The majority of my day I am working with students in small groups and I never want to spend a lot of time talking at them. I want to make sure I have a variety of activities that meet multiple learning styles to keep students engaged throughout the lesson. I include opportunities for think and shares, whole class discussions, and technology resources like Zearn and Nearpod. From the blog review and reading about ways to incorporate active learning in the classroom I know there are still more opportunities to for students to engage in active learning.