Classroom Engagement Strategies Notes from ARC Meeting, October 17, 2008

Organized by Michele Reich
Notes from meeting
Use name tags!
· Good teachers remember students names
· Making connections w/students and developing relationships
She asked us to jot down what we hope to learn today, how we hope to learn, and how we know we’ll learn what we hope to and demonstrated that our responses are the framework for parts of a curriculum: ask yourself what you want students to know, how they will know and how they will know they know.

Good teaching… includes:
· Caring
· Active/social/interactive, possibly use movement
· teachers who organize and promote learning
· learning by taking action, possibly social interaction
· Students have something to engage with, to build on prior knowledge
· Teachers who walk around classroom, move around room
· Teachers who get to misconceptions b y asking students why they are doing what they are doing

Information vs. Knowledge Literacy
Michele suggests we think of it as “knowledge literacy” and that students are looking for knowledge not information like a phone number or citation. She suggests that subject liaisons get to know the professors and ask them how these particular folks think about knowledge and how it is created in that area. Instruction should be tied to the discipline and that an authenticate task be part. Have students look at research articles to help them understand components of research.

Michele feels that use of PowerPoint does not help students learn, no chance for them to pick out important points.

Review learning theories and pick one “that resonates” with you. For example, Piaget, you take action on a world, that’s how you learn. Another is the “zone of proximal development” by Lev Semenovich Vygotsky.

Michele shared an example she used at UMASS medical center which demonstrated the idea “template of a lesson plan.” She suggests that you give them an agenda for the session and sequence activities. Balance student and teacher talk, with much time for students to think aloud.

MWCC has three hours with their students and they integrate assessment by having the students present during the last hour. There are six that teach and they have standardized their handout and objectives. Ellen asks students for “library horror stories” to get across point. QCC starts with students where they are using Wikipedia, online research, why they may read Rolling Stone, etc. which engages students.

Michele suggests asking a trusted colleague to sit in a specific class with specific questions about your teaching so they can give you feedback. Web Sites on Engaged Learning will be posted soon!

Spring Meeting at Assumption College Library
Tentative Date 3/10 2:00-4:00 Topic: Next Generation Research Guides
Heidi McCann mentioned she could share information on their libguides implementation