Everyone has heard of teaching students with various visual, auditory, and kinesthetic styles, but there are other ways to keep students entranced in learning.
Problem-based, project-based, and inquiry-based learning techniques may be self-explanatory, but they are incredible useful. Let's review each one individually.
-Problem-based learning starts with, surprise surprise, a problem. Students are presented with a problem, either real or fictitious, and are asked to solve it. They may discuss it, build models, research, or write their thoughts until they come to a solution. This form of learning gets the students involved by putting the responsibility of finding a solution on their shoulders. They feel the need to reach a conclusion, so they work harder and subsequently learn more.
-Project-based learning incorporates students into their own learning by requiring them to demonstrate what they've learned with a physical artifact. In this way, the project can be used as an assessment tool for teachers. The students must work to produce something, alter or improve an existing thing, or perform a task after careful research, learning, and time.
-Inquiry-based learning is when a teacher has a question, usually open-ended, that the students must answer. They can answer it in a variety of ways, but it usually requires words. The questions can be about any subject they are learning about, so this form of learning is very useful for all classes, and can range from explaining why certain equations work to the description of feelings emoted by a poem or song.
One way to engage students with these strategies is to use WebQuests. This website uses questions, problems, and scenarios to teach students in motivating and involving ways. They combine information with stories to teach and tasks and mysteries keep them focused. The great thing about them, in my opinion, is the links that are so easy to use.
The instructional architect we learned about a couple of weeks ago can provide the space to combine all your resources if you wanted to make your own webquest.
On an different note, Mr. Johnson is my new hero. Or at least he is a role model.
I loved his classroom. From the moment I walked in I realized that that is the type of environment I want when I am a teacher. Then he started talking about all the stuff his students do and all the technology he successfully uses with his students and I just got more attached. It was all fantastic. I was so impressed to see how useful his blog was for the parents and how many assignments the students did online.
I don't know if I will every be in a school that can provide all the sweet resources he has, but they way he runs his class is my goal. So cool.
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