ENGAGING STUDENTS IN ACTIVE LEARNING

A PAPER PRESENTED DURING AN IN-HOUSE WORKSHOP FOR RHS TEACHERS MONDAY 19-20 MARCH, 2012.

THEME: THE RESOURCEFUL CHRISTIAN TEACHER IN RHS

BY

MRS E.N UGWU THE VICE PRINCIPAL ADMIN, REDEEMERS SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
E:mail: ugwunkechinyere@yahoo.com

Objective:
To transform RHS classrooms to active classrooms where students are actively engaged to acquire knowledge, develop skills and positive feelings (attitudes).
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Introduction
The Philosophy of Active Learning is based on the UN article

12, 13, 14 of child right act which stipulates that the

student has the right to seek information to question, to be listened to, to expression of thought, feelings and opinions. In the 21st century the pivot of educational issues is not the teacher but the child, hence the need for the teacher to be

resourceful

to

use

brain

friendly

methods,

active

collaborative and investigative learning, rational reasoning with ICT integration.

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What is Active Learning?

Engaging students with content through enquiry, exploration, questioning, debates application and reflecting leading to development of competences and building of skills nature than simply transfer knowledge. It is involving students directly, actively in the learning process itself by providing opportunity to question, enquire, debate, clarify and consolable new knowledge. It involves students doing something and thinking about the things they are doing and thereby make connections between what they are doing and why they are doing it. Engaging Students in Active Learning 4

Why is Active Learning Important?

It enthuses the children and arouses the creativity and curiosity Among them. It helps the children as their right while in school or out of school to develop the skill to navigate through life effectively. It creates link between knowledge and empowerment to equip each student with the ability to think, to apply and discover new ideas. It gives the children the key to be resourceful to be able to try something that one has never done before with confidence and caution. It helps students retain more knowledge Students are more likely to internalize understand and remember materials learning more. The students talk about what they are learning, write about it and relate it to past experiences, apply it to their daily lives Engaging Students in 5 and make what they learn part ofActive Learning themselves.

Major characteristics of Active Learning Strategies

Classes that actively engage students can be identified by at least some of these characteristics. Students are involved in more than just listening passively and taking notes Students are engaged in a variety of class activities often with one another reading, writing, discussing, reading, presenting, sharing their writing, summarizing, drawing a mind map etc. Students are involved in higher order thinking skills analysis, synthesis, and evaluation Students reflect on their learning and the learning processes. Students explore their own attitudes and values. Less emphasis is placed on training information and more on developing students skills. in Active Learning Engaging Students 6

Obstacles that prevent the use of Active Learning strategies

The use of the strategies for Active Learning reduces the available time for content coverage. It requires greater amount of pre-class preparation time. Large class may be an obstacles especially classes above 40. Some teachers see themselves as good lecturers and therefore resist the change. Lack of materials or equipment. Students resist the method because active learning provides a sharp contrast to the familiar passive listening and note taking. The more difficult obstacles involves ones willingness to faceEngaging Students in Active Learningrisks two types of 7

Appropriate use of humour Praising student performance Engaging students outside the classroom Appropriate level of self disclosure Encouraging students to talk Asking questions about students view point or feeling Following up on topics raised by students even when it is not directly related to class material Referring to our class and we are doing.
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Behaviours that promote student learning

Active Learning Strategies

Active learning strategies are comparable to lectures for achieving content mastery but superior to lectures for developing thinking and writing skills. Think pair write share Write and pass Homework team Academic controversy Peer composition group.
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Conclusion
Walt Disney rightly stated that our greatest natural resolves are the minds of our children. According to Ann Landers in the final analysis it is now what we do for our children but what you taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings. Engaging students in active leading is the best way to teach the students so that they can do for themselves to make them successful human beings and teachers will look back and thank God that they have finished well.
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Thank you
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