What is it? Component C of Domain 3 centers on the importance of engaging students in learning. This component should be at the very core of every classroom. Student engagement is so important because it sits at the very foundation of whether or not a classroom environment thrives. Every previous component comes together to help create a classroom where students are engaged. In a successful learning environment students are answering questions, building schema, and advancing through all levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. Component C reminds educators of their goal to capture their learners attentions and help in the cultivativation their knowledge base.
Why do we need it? Student engagement is what allows education to be successful. This component is necessary because it remind educators that their goal is not just creative teaching but rather purposeful engagement of students. Teachers of impact do not plan a lesson merely to show their creativity or to entertain their students. The purpose of engagement is to help students to make sense of what they are learning while they are learning it and to successfully build and connect their schema. Component C is exponentially important in reminding educators that an engaged student is an ideal student.
What are the elements? This component has 4 elements. The first element is all about activities and assignments. Essentially this means that the goal of this element is to stress the importance of activities and assignments because they make up the core of what keeps students engaged. That is why it is so important for teachers to create activities that promote learning that are aligned with standards and intended outcomes as well as encourage deep thinking on the students behalf. The next element focuses on the grouping of students. Group work is a common occurrence in classrooms because the ability to effectively collaborate is such an important skill. As a result of this the placement of students within groups is a key factor in keeping them fully engaged. Educators must be aware of their students in order to best determine who works well together, who can help someone struggling, and so on. The third element targets instructional materials and resources. If done correctly, a lot of thought goes into the different uses for classroom materials. A teacher of impact is one who incorporates the school and district resources as well as searches out new and innovative materials to keep students engaged. The last element centers on the importance of structure and pacing. More and more classrooms have been speeding up the learning process in order to meet expectations, however it is very important that students are given enough time to process what they are learning. Time for reflection is essential if the teachers goal is to have every student engage in every level of Bloom's Taxonomy. Structure and pacing is an important element to component 3C.
What does implementation look like? In this component implementation requires the teacher to revisit some tools from the field of educational psychology. Educators must look at education from many different views including cognitive. The cognitive view of learning states that learners having a more active role is essential. It is key that students learn cognitively through engagement and not just rote memorization. There are plenty of strategies that help teachers to capitalize on educational psychology knowledge as a means of implementing the Danielson Framework. Below are some basic things that every teacher should keep in mind when trying to implement component C.
When planning activities and instruction make sure to incorporate episodic experiences in your teaching. Episodic experiences are why kids enjoy school. Creating a memorable, sensory rich episode or experience gets students engaged and works the information into their long term memory. For instance, when teaching a lesson on the solar system have the students dress up based off of different characteristics from their planet and always remember that implementation requires resourcefulness.
When grouping students be sure to keep in mind the theories of Vygotsky and Piaget. Try grouping students who are in different ZPD's together in order to improve the learning of everyone. Kids often learn better from a peer who has just mastered the task so get the students engaging with one another in a beneficial way.
When using instructional materials and resources be sure that you are not using specific tools excessively. When using mnemonics in the classroom make sure that each one has significant meaning or else it will not engage students. Tie them into the meaning of the lesson and what they are learning. For example, if you are teaching students about the Great Lakes talk to them about how back in the day those waterways were a good place to settle because of the wildlife and water and because of that many people built homes there. When talking about homes mention to your students that HOMES is a good mnemonic for remembering the 5 Great Lakes. Tying the mnemonic into the lesson in a meaningful way increases engagement.
When pacing lessons be sure to allow time for your students to process the information. Learners are often bombarded with information from all areas and it is quickly replaced in their memory if not properly transferred. Engagement requires attention and effort but sometimes information gets lost even if a student is engaged because they are not given time to store it in their working memory. Just be sure to give your students opportunities to reflect on what they have learned in order to implement component C in a beneficial way.
Sources: Danielson Group » The Framework. (2017). Danielsongroup.org. Retrieved 21 September 2017, from http://www.danielsongroup.org/framework/
Research to Remember. (2017). Pinterest. Retrieved 23 October 2017, from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/187603140701843670
Student Experience. (2017). I.pinimg.com. Retrieved 23 October 2017, from https://i.pinimg.com/236x/aa/d1/16/aad116797806eeed74bcbdf91462dab9.jpg