Active Learning and Student Engagement
Strategies and ideas to keep your online sessions active and engaging (Cliquez ici pour la version en français.)
Brainstorming and Organizing Ideas
Many tools allow for brainstorming ideas as a group online, below we provide a few examples using Jamboard. There are also slides template graphic organizers that can be used with students as a group, in sub-groups or individually to sort ideas, concept or thoughts.
Demonstrate Understanding
As teachers, we constantly ask students to demonstrate their understanding, whether it is through workbooks or online activities. As much as differentiation is encouraged in the classroom, when teaching online, there are even more opportunities for students to show their understanding with various means, and sometimes even combining media. Here the idea is once again to offer choices to students and allowing for their input.
Building a Snowman In edit mode, all participants can move one element of the snowman in order (i.e, head before nose)
Counting - Math In Slides students will have to have access to the file in edit mode to move objects
Water Cycle - In Slides students will have to have access in editing mode to move labels and type in the the box.
Response to Text
Response to Text is often linked to the language domain. Often students will have to understand and analyse various forms of text in other subjects as well. Here are a few examples to keep it active.
Choice Boards
Choice Boards allow for students to make decisions about how they will go through their learning experience. They can be adapted and used at all levels and for all subject-areas.
Brain Breaks and Body Breaks
You probably heard the term Zoom fatigue. Being online for long periods of time, requires more focus and "still" energy than participating to a conference in person. Although conference seats are not usually super comfortable, you can walk around between sessions, and interact with people around you. When sitting at a computer for long periods of time or in videoconference calls, you may start feeling discomfort in different parts of your body and your brain may feel like it's turning into apple sauce. Staring at a small screen, looking at everyone's decor or pet crossing the screen, ends up being more distracting than a conference hall.
In non-pandemic times, on any given day, students will be visiting more than one room or location in the school and interact with multiple other people. They will also get to go outside on most days play and "get some fresh air".
When online and between sessions, it is more difficult to ensure that those "release" times are taken care of. It is therefore important to include "breaks" during online sessions to allow for the body and brain to digest information and refocus.
from Centre of Excellence for Behaviour Management
Entrance and Exit Tickets
Entrance and Exit Tickets can be a form of formative assessment online. They can also be used to inform your teaching. They should be simple, focused on one element of the topic that is being studied.
Using "Question" and "Short answer" in Google Classroom as an Exit or Entrance Ticket
