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Academic engaged time refers to the amount of time students are actively engaged in responding to academic content. Research shows that there is a direct relationship between the amount of time students are actively engaged in learning and their achievement levels. The extent to which students profit from instruction is directly related to the degree to which they are actively engaged in learning. However, not to be overlooked is the importance of students being engaged in the right kinds of activities. Students learn more when they are provided with multiple opportunities to respond because they practice skills more and participate in discussions and answer more questions during instruction. Effective instructors monitor the extent to which students are actively engaged in the learning process.
Documenting student performance and progress can be an overwhelming and time-consuming task. Effective instructors teach students to monitor their own participation by using a number of tactics. And, effective instructors are vigilant. They continually scan and move about the room in a random manner to rein force students and spot others who are not actively engaged. Taking steps to reengage students who are not participating can be unobtrusive and relatively easy.
issue red flag alets
This tactic simply involves making a miniature flag pole and placing it in an accessible and clearly visible place. To use the Red Flag Alert, the teacher begins classroom instruction. Upon noting that a student or students are not engaged in the lesson, the teacher simply walks over to the flag pole and hoists the flag to the top of the pole. The teacher then states, “Someone in this room is not engaged with our lesson,” or, being more specific, “Someone in row three is not paying attention.” The wording is up to you. The students will automatically check themselves and others around for the noted off-task behavior. The teacher says no more and returns to instructing. Upon noting the correction of the student’s behavior, the teacher lowers the flag, without missing a beat of instruction. The students are taken off red alert. Often a sense of success comes over the class when the flag is lowered, as they have all worked together worked to lower the flag. Some teachers combine time intervals with the red alerts. For example, if the flag is not lowered within one minute, the class is delivered a consequence-loss of talk time at the end of class, etc. This contingency motivates students to assist each other in getting back to task and monitoring their own participation. Other teachers raise the flag without saying a word, leaving students to do a quick monitor and check of their behavior. Once the flag is raised students know someone is off-task. Scapegoating, as always, is not tolerated and is proactively man aged by instructing the boundaries of the tactic.
use public display participation
A variation of the Red Flag Alert, the teacher, at random intervals, scans the room and counts the number of students who are on-task and writes the number on the board. One teacher puts a masking tape square on the board and titles it, “Are We on It?” For this class and school this is a popular slang for being rather cool and on top of things. The students connect with it immediately. At random the teacher writes the number of students “on it” in the box. Likewise, the teacher erases and changes the number when necessary to reflect off-task behavior. Initially it was easiest for the teacher to write the number of students not “on it.” Students, however, were more motivated to know how many of them were truly cool. So the teacher changed to recording on-task behaviors. Either way, students who are not engaged in class learning feel pressure from their peers to “get on it.”
use monitoring and Quick member checks
This activity involves teachers checking in with students to make sure they’re engaged appropriately. These checks should be direct, frequent, and quick. Hand signals (e.g., thumbs up or down), writing the answer or concept on a piece of scrap paper and placing it in the corner of the desk, and other creative monitoring checks are effective.
use all writes
To vary the use of questions during instruction and to check on student participation in the lessons, use this tactic. Pose a question to the group or class of students and pause for 30-60 seconds. During this wait time, students are given a chance to decide on an answer to the question or that they don’t know the answer. Ask students to quickly write an answer to the question asked. After observing that a majority have written something down ask, “How many would be willing to share what they wrote?” Since students are asked to simply read the answer they wrote and are not put on the spot, they may feel more comfortable speaking up. Some teachers have students write the answer on a scrap paper and place it on the corner of their desks; the teacher circulates throughout the room checking answers. Others use small slate boards and have students write answers and hold up the boards for the teacher to see. It must be conveyed that this tactic is not to make students feel pressured about writing thorough responses, but to identify students who are on-track, and to identify questions about information that needs clarification. By providing students the opportunity to scribble down a quick response, it provides necessary think time and pushes students to think more precisely about the posed question. After all, there is some accountability to engaged learning time!
Adapted from M. Harmin. (1995). Strategies to inspire active learning.
whip it. whip it good!
This tactic provides the opportunity for more students to respond instead of the regulars or a few volunteers. Whip It involves asking each student to speak to an issue or convey their thoughts or responses. At a natural stopping point, the teacher simply states, “Let’s whip this around the room,” or “Let’s whip this down the rows,” or “Let’s whip this down row two.” By varying the method of whips, students never know how the whip will be performed and are more likely to stay engaged in learning. Stu dents are always given the option to say, “I pass.” Al though some students may continually opt to pass, doing so may put them at greater risk of being discovered by their peers. That is, peers often monitor other peers’ behavior and point it out. Either way, allowing students to make the decision to pass or share introduces self-managing behavior to the lesson. Whip It not only gives all students a chance to participate, it also raises the interest level in class. Students listen closely to how other peers respond.
Adapted from M. Harmin. (1995). Strategies to inspire active learning.
use chips in
Chips In or Cards In is an activity that introduces a turn taking system and limits or increases turns during a lesson. In a small group lesson, students are given any number of chips, for example, eight. The number is based on the number of times students or a target student participates or dominates a lesson. For example, if Ron asks or interjects comments eight times per lesson, all students get eight chips. Therefore, Ron can still participate but must put a chip in every time he wants to respond. During a reading or social skills group each student is given eight chips. If and when each student wants to participate, he/she must put in a chip (on the table or in a container). When the student is out of chips he/she is out of turns. This can be useful in situations where certain students dominate discussion or responses. It is not meant to limit participation, but to maintain a more equal balance. The object is for each student to end the lesson with few or no chips left. For larger groups the activity can be modified by using index cards. Each student is given the same number of index cards at the start of the lesson. To respond, the students holds up a card, and when called upon the teacher takes the card from the student. It is important to alternate who you call on so students do not get bored because they are out of cards. One teacher uses bonus cards or chips during a lesson. When students give an outstanding response or effort, including demonstrating appropriate class behavior, participation cards/chips are given to them. This tactic is novel and adds a participatory and self-management flavor to a lesson.
Adapted from S. Kagan. (1994). Cooperative learning.
use instruct-insight-internalize triangle
Present or lecture until there is a natural stopping point, but not more than five to seven minutes. Then say, “Take a minute to think and record the key ideas or points you’ve heard so far or any questions you have.” Give students an opportunity to jot down some thoughts. Then continue instructions to the next natural stopping point. Repeat the above direction. Continue the instruct-write sequence as appropriate, but stop before students become disinterested in the tactic. Have students pair up and share their insights, key ideas, questions and summary of what they heard. After this, model the most important things that you want the students to know (internalize). Solicit additional reactions, thoughts, or questions from the students.
Adapted from M. Harmin. (1995). Strategies to inspire active learning.
tally behavior
Use a class roster to help monitor who you call on and how often. This helps you balance the number of times you call on students during a lesson. You might also have students chart at their desk the number of times they respond. This encourages those students who are less apt to respond to self-monitor their behavior; the simple act of self-monitoring increases (or decreases) the desired behavior. You may want to help some students set personal participation goals for class.