What is Engagement in Learning?

What is engagement in learning?  What does it look like?  What would I see kids doing or saying?  How do I know when students are engaged in the learning process?  

Engagement has been a hot topic in education.  In order to get more students learning, we need to get them engaged with the learning.  In order for students to get engaged we need to design learning in such a way that it will inspire curiosity and make the learning fun, purposeful and connected to learning outcome.  As educators we must consider the many elements involved in designing such a learning environment.  All instructional decisions and planning must keep student engagement at the center.  

When considering "an answer" to the question :  What is engagement in learning? I often suggest to my new teachers that they give some consideration to the list of guiding questions below.

Guiding Questions to consider:

• Who is doing most of the talking?  Teacher centered, Student centered?
• Are students asking questions?
• How are students learning?  Collaboratively, Independently?
• Are students provided with opportunities to inquire, collaborate and explore?
• What is the level of questioning? 
• Are all students expected to participate in classroom discussion and respond to questions?
• How is digital learning infused in the learning activities?
• What are students learning and why?
• Can students articulate the learning outcomes?
• Can students “see” the intended learning targets?
• Are quality criteria and exemplars being shared by teachers to help students identify what they are learning, where they are in the learning and what they will do to improve their learning?
• Do students have choice in the way that they show what they have learned?
• Is the focus on process and critical thinking?
• Are students learning through exploration and inquiry based processes?
• Are learning activities varied and connected to real life whenever possible.
• Are students assisted with applying the strategies they have learned to new situations? What is the cognitive level for learning?  
• Are learning environments designed with flexible approaches to space, time, materials and groupings?
• Is learning demonstrated and measured in multiple ways?
• Are teachers mindful of readiness, interest, experiences and learning at all levels?
• Instruction regularly involves using an activating, acquiring and applying paradigm when appropriate.
• Is student voice clear and valued throughout the learning?

This is by no means a comprehensive list of guiding questions, but definitely a place to start.  What questions would you add to this list?  How do you define engagement in learning?  I would love to hear from others on this topic.

The Reflective Practitioner

The first five months of the school year have been crazy busy around SJASD.  I have enjoyed the opportunity to visit and observe in the classrooms of all of our new teachers.  It is always a pleasure to join a class, observe and provide some feedback related to the day's lesson.  The most important part of this process is the debrief - the conversation.  It is such a pleasure to brainstorm and collaborate with our new teachers, looking for improved and engaging ways to get more kids actively involved in the purpose of school - LEARNING.  I am looking forward to my next round of visits in second semester:)

The week of Feb 11-15th, 2013 has been packed with my own professional learning opportunities.  I was fortunate enough to attend the"Navigating Change, Council of School Leaders Annual Provincial Conference ( #cosl2013)  in Winnipeg, Manitoba on February 14th and 15th.  It was here that  I again became the learner and was reminded of the importance of being a reflective practitioner.

The Conference featured three amazing keynote speakers:  Damian Cooper (@cooperd1954), George Couros (@gcouros),  and Michael Fullan.  Each speaker shared a different focus:

Damian Cooper - Redefining Fair:  Leading Teachers to Excellence in Mixed Ability Classrooms.
Damian's focus was on the notion of redefining fairness and specifically that  Fairness is not Sameness.  

He discussed the five imperatives that should guide a teachers' work:

• Curriculum must be meaningful, coherent and relevant
• Instruction must be responsive to students' needs
• Assessment must be informative
• Grading must blend consistency with professional judgement
• Communication about learning must be truthful and transparent

Teachers must consider the idea of being responsive to learner needs.  Our job is not to "cover curriculum" but rather to facilitate excellence and learning from all of our students.  Information that is "google-able" is no longer relevant.  This information is at their fingertips.  We need to plan for and expect deeper understanding.  We need to be flexible with all of our instructional plans.

Damian spoke a considerable amount about the program planning component of teachers' work.  The idea of backwards design is no longer an option, but an imperative.  When planning for a year/term/unit teachers need to approach their planning with the end in mind.  

Step 1: Identify the targeted learning (understandings or skills)

Step 2:  Determine appropriate assessments of those understandings or skills (both formative & summative)

Step 3:  Plan learning experiences & instruction that make such understandings and skills possible.

George Couros -  George's focus was around Technology and its implications in education for both leaders and learners.  He talked about the use of Twitter as a means to developing a professional learning network as well as the idea of blogging as a means to consolidate our own professional learning experiences.  Some of the "sticky points" for me after listening to George were:

• Start with the "why" of technology 
• Learning is creation, not consumption
• We must do what's best for kids
• Learning and sharing are synonymous
• The biggest shift is in the mindset of leaders, teachers, students
• The learning culture needs to be participatory
• Data does not move people, stories do
• Principals need to believe it
• The longer you wait, the harder it will be.  We need to go ahead and Jump - "Here goes something, I guess"

George's talk challenged me to rethink my own blogging practice.  This should be the place where I consolidate my own learning.  I myself need to be a learner and need to push myself to do the things that I believe in.  I am not as eloquent as George and his posts on the The Principal of Change blogspot, but who's comparing:)  As a result of my learning experiences last week,  I realized that I needed to get back to my blog.  This will be the place where I will consolidate my own learning, perhaps share a thing or two, and just be reflective of all the "goings on" of my work connected to teaching and learning.

Learn together, Lead together