Albert Einstein once said, “the only source of knowledge is experience.” We all know that we learn best by doing. When we “do things” instead of just listening, it is more fun too. When students actively participate in class, they are more likely to take on leadership opportunities.
In this section of the book, Solarz discusses various activities he uses to get students actively involved in class. These are just a few of the things he talks about:
1. Simulations - Have students act out personalities from a history lesson or a character in a book. Solar suggests a great resource so you do not have to create your own simulations. Interact is a company that has written and published dozens of simulations to help provide opportunities for students to experience every subject rather than or than just read or hear lessons about them. CLICK HERE to check it out.
2. Debates - Debates are a great way to get students researching, planning and speaking in front of others. It also increases student engagement and their motivation increases in kind. Solar uses debates to teach students the important of not lying, exaggerating, or providing misinformation. It also is a great way for students to learn how to accept constructive criticism. Students are often asked to find photos and videos to support their opinions. This can often be used in conjunction with or in place of persuasive essays. Debates are also a way to involve many students in the learning. Some students work on research and actively debate, others act as judges and another can be the time keeper.
3. Fairs - Some schools have moved away from Science Fairs, Solarz is a huge fan of fairs. When done right, they give students the opportunity to explore, experiment and report their findings. In Solarz’s classroom, science fair work is all done in class with the teacher and students as assistants. This allows for the teacher to really see each student’s abilities and provide meaningful feedback. To infuse some technology that allows for reflection, the students are asked to record themselves the day before the fair and again immediately after the fair. They upload both videos to their Youtube channel, embed them into a blog entry and reflect on how their presentations changed.
4. Technology - A student-led classroom is ripe for using educational technology tools. Before election day, have students create a campaign ad to show their knowledge of each candidate. Virtual field trips is a great way to see places around the world that we used to only be able to see by actually visiting the places. Use Google Docs to allow students to collaborate in real time to create graphic organizers or graphs.
CLICK HERE to go to Solarz’s website for more info on Active Learning.
Links to Interesting Articles:
1. What the Heck is Project Based Learning?
2. 4 Tips for Planning Successful PBL
3. 9 Steps to a Perfect Apology
1. What the Heck is Project Based Learning?
2. 4 Tips for Planning Successful PBL
3. 9 Steps to a Perfect Apology
Links to Interesting Web Tools:
1. Don't Ever Give Up....
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