Sparking Engagement Through Active Learning
- rachelream
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Ways to get students thinking, talking, and owning their learning.
Active Learning enhances understanding and retention. Often referred to as “learning by doing,” Active Learning is a method that not only involves students in activities but also promotes metacognition—students actively think about what they are doing and why. Based on constructivist theory, students build their knowledge by actively participating in the learning process. This also helps students become more self-directed learners, fully engaged in the love of learning.
What does this look like in the classroom?
Students are taught to start with the end in mind or focus on the final goal. Then, with the teacher's guidance, they develop smaller, achievable steps to reach that goal. Lectures are often replaced with hands-on activities, and students are encouraged to self-assess throughout the process.
As a teacher, I cue responses with curiosity by using open-ended phrases like, “There is no wrong answer to this. I genuinely want to hear your thoughts.” This reduces anxiety and encourages participation.
For subjects that have a specific answer, like a math equation, I use phrases such as, “There are multiple ways to reach the answer. Let’s share the variety of ways you used to get to the answer.” Receiving multiple perspectives in math gives me insight into how different children process math, introduces children to a variety of ways to reach an answer, and can also highlight misunderstandings in the academic vocabulary of mathematics. Sometimes students do not reach the correct answer because they did not understand the question, and opening up the floor for responses sheds light on these misunderstandings, helping me know what to teach or clarify.
Always, when asking questions, I pause to let children gather their thoughts. It is not necessary to rush through a day of learning. I often post a question the day before we discuss it or even in the morning, for discussion in the afternoon. I like to think about questions before answering, and I want to show that same respect to my students.
Students engaged in active learning do the following:
Think, Pair, Share (with a listening challenge) – as the name suggests, students are given a moment to think about the topic, then pair up with a peer and share their thoughts. I take this a step further by asking students to practice good listening skills, which include repeating back what their peer just shared. Listening and then reiterating what was heard not only makes the other person feel understood but also improves listening and synthesizing skills, both of which are valuable in any field of study or work.
Exit Tickets (with a twist) – Exit tickets are brief quizzes or questionnaires used to quickly assess a student’s formative understanding. They often focus on what students know, but I also ask about what they do not understand or know at the end of a lesson. What are their questions? What is the most confusing part of what they learned that day? Can they describe it in a few sentences or draw a picture of their questions? Instead of just asking for a simple recap, I encourage students to reflect on where they need help.
Student-Generated Questions – Students are asked to create discussion prompts. This is challenging! Students often start the year only able to compose yes-or-no questions. But with practice and experience engaging in open-ended questions, students will begin thinking critically and start asking questions like, “Can you compare the immune system to something you know a lot about?” My young sons were engaged in learning about the immune system and one brother’s question, stirred the following response in his older brother after visiting the USS Hornet in Alameda. Spelling and punctuation fixed for clarity.
"The immune system is like the United States Navy. The blood is the battlefield, just like the ocean is the Navy's battlefield. The Navy Officers are the T-cells. The T-cells write instruction manuals for the B-cells. The B-cells are Bob the Builder cells, and they make the antibodies, which are Y-shaped missiles. When the Y-shaped missiles are complete, the B-cell shoots them out, and they go find the germs. The Destroyer ships are the white blood cells, and they eat the cells that have antibodies on them." - Sven, age 7
Active Learning moves children beyond merely remembering information to being able to apply it. The ability to apply knowledge allows students to create something new and unique. This is what I want for my students: to have understanding that gives them the freedom to create.
For more information on Active Learning:
