Appreciative Inquiry is a technique that utilizes questions to guide learners in uncovering strengths and opportunities as a group. By recognizing these strengths, students are empowered to take on a sense of ownership in their learning environment, thereby creating a student-centered classroom with increased learner engagement working collaboratively toward a common goal.
Roses and thorns can be used as a student reflection strategy but also as a formative assessment tool. When needing to check in formatively with students, prompt them to write or tell about something they liked or understood about the topic (the rose). Then, ask them to share new information about the topic (the bud). Finally, ask students to share something they are still unsure about or have questions about in regard to the topic (the thorn).
As the school year starts to come to an end, educators and students often spend a lot of time reflecting. This week’s challenge is to reflect on your own growth this year! Share this post with how you have grown in your professional practice.
Cooperative Learning Structures provide a system for teachers to organize students so they can interact collaboratively in authentic ways. Structures range in size from pairs, teams, to whole group and can be used to introduce, review, or brainstorm content. They also speak to a variety of learning styles and encourage students to work together.
Your district’s standards are a great starting point, and using learning taxonomies can help add rigor and variety to your curriculum. After identifying the specific verb from the standard, map it to the appropriate level in the learning taxonomy you are using to find an objective that fits well with the subject and content you are working with.
Participation in the classroom can take many forms and can vary from student to student. By encouraging participation and sharing different options for doing so, we can collect more feedback from students and better gauge their understanding. From whole group methods to hand signals, or building off of peer responses, letting students know their participation isn’t limited to answering teacher-directed questions opens up many more lines of communication.
