How do we Engage Kids in a Classroom? Two stories from the past!!

 

Two Approaches to Teach for Engagement!

   Interactive discussion

I had to teach the topic of Probability to grade 11 students. Instead of starting in the usual way I gave them a simple problem and asked them to solve it as they think best. The students were aware of the basic idea and formula of calculating probability and had to be led to the more complex problems. This was a small group of 7 students and they worked as a single group. I was there, and we had hearty discussion on how to do it. Then I increased the level of problem to level 2. They worked again and we kept on discussing. Then I increased the level again to 3 and then to final one, 4. Now the discussions were loud and I was a part of the group. Then after all the debates, I informed them that in order to solve complex problems, Mathematicians have created specialized tools that can be applied. Then I gave them the standard methods and together we mapped them to the type of problems that were in the text. At the end of the year most of the students said, “Probability was the most memorable chapter”. I think it was because of the hearty discussions that we had. Here “students activated background knowledge by gathering in small groups to analyze a problem and then proposing and discussing solutions” to the new problems presented. (Strangman, 2004, p.11)

This was great for all of us. However, it can’t be generalized. It worked for the group was small and manageable and they were open to discussions. All students need not be, as we have seen some very introverted students in classes. Students also may not able to push themselves to solve complex problems of Probability themselves. The class could have collapsed with me leading it finally.

Using Internet

I had to teach Pi to the students for circles area and perimeter. I gave them 5 blank statements starting with:

1.     What….?

2.     Why…?

3.     How…?

4.     What for…?

5.     Who…?

 I asked them to work in groups and create 5 complete questions and then use internet to search for the answers. They had to then mail me a paper with the questions answered. They had to also mail me their work in steps. 1^st step: the questions. 2^nd: draft answers and 3^rd: final answers.  To avoid plagiarism, I asked them to explain whatever they wrote and also had them give presentations to the class with any of us asking questions. This ensured that they knew the subject.

Post this I went on to teach the value of pi and its relationship with a circle, linking it to what they had learnt. I believe that “a computer-assisted approach can be as successful as a teacher-directed one.” (Strangman, 2004, p.13) This was a contact-2 approach (Strangman, 2004, p.12) and I discovered that “Students working with CONTACT-2 developed higher quality conceptions than students in a no activation group” (Strangman, 2004, p.12) when I compared their confidence in the topic with another group of students. The reason this worked very well was that the students loved the independent learning style using the web and experience very “rewarding outcomes” (Schunk, 2012, p.134).

This sounded like a great strategy on paper. But in reality there were logistical issues. Some students did not have their laptops, some had the Wi-Fi not working…some would drop the laptop in the class itself and the work would stop. I felt that it would probably work better after some systems have been created of reward and recognition or managing logistics themselves. I realized that “how students are grouped for instruction, how work is evaluated and rewarded, how authority is established, and how time is scheduled” (Schunk, 2012, p.254) is very important for such strategies. To be able to work independently was a reward I itself for them.

I realize now why the lessons were so effective was that in both cases, I gave the students space to bring forth their prior knowledge and link it to the new ideas presented. In 1^st case it was through robust group discussions and in the 2^nd case through scaffolded investigation using the web. Hence the students were able to build better linkages.