Promoting Engagement Through Student-centered Interactive Learning Opportunities View Digital Media

Workshop Presentation
Heather Ferguson,  Jenica Joseph,  Tammy Shilling  

Student demonstration of understanding and mastery of standards-based concepts and skills are not always realized through traditional lecture style, passive listening, and note-taking approaches. The constructivist theory encourages students to use hands-on, active learning techniques to acquire more knowledge and opportunities to reflect on what they have learned. This session includes theories, conceptual frameworks, and active versus passive learning perspectives. Participants will explore the use of interactive folders, notebooks, journals, concept mapping, and creative technology-based assignments to enhance student engagement/representation for strategic, goal-directed learning and differentiated student expression to increase learning, retention, and application. Approaches addressed can be applied to multiple disciplines and multiples educational levels ranging from kindergarten to college. Techniques are useful and often instrumental to support those with learning disabilities and exceptionalities. In an active learning environment, the focus is on the process and content, collaborative lessons with a student-centered approach. Participants will engage in active and interactive learning examples from the onset of the session.