I was speaking with my principal the other day, after she spent the majority of her day doing walk-thrus in almost every single classroom, and found out the majority of the classrooms on my campus had students who were compliant and teachers who were teaching their butts off, but there was very little student engagement. The students were seated at their desks, listening or doing whatever the teacher had asked them to do, but bottom line...they were borderline comatose.
I don't know why teachers fall into a rut or think that when students just "sit-and-get" that there is real learning going on, but I have to disagree BIG TIME! In my opinion, students aren't engaged and learning material unless they are actively doing it, talking about it, and teaching it to their peers.
If you are looking for a simple way to get your students up and more actively involved, you may want to consider using Task Cards to ease you (and your students) into the transition. I think you'll find that your students love it and besides the prep work, it is relatively easy on you as well.
There are many different ways that you can incorporate task cards into your classroom and for many different reasons. It may be as simple as taking the questions/problems that would typically be on a worksheet and creating task cards out of them. Put one question or problem on each card and place them in various locations around your classroom, building, or school. Let students work with a partner, make it a competition between partner groups (this will encourage them to hustle and will prevent them from allowing their classmates to try to copy their answers.)
I will often hear 2 partners in the hall arguing at a task card that I posted about what they think the correct answer is. Not that I promote arguing, but what it means to me is that they are thinking and speaking like scientists. Every good scientist provides evidence or reasoning to support his/her thinking. Often times, one student will convince the other student of the correct answer, but there are times when both partners record different answers. Either way, I know that real learning has taken place. They will more likely remember the debate they had with a classmate or when they got a particular answer wrong (that they were certain was correct) than just having me just tell them the correct answer.
They may be used as a review (whole class or individual), to use for students who finish work early, to provide an alternate activity for advanced students (Gifted & Talented), at centers or stations, in pairs or small groups, and even with the whole class. There is really no right or wrong way to incorporate them into your classroom. Most often, I laminate the cards for durability (so that I can use them from year to year) and punch a hole in the corner and hold them all together with a binder ring. I just tape them around my room in various locations (or sometimes around the building or school campus), provide students with an answer sheet and send them on their way. I allow them to travel from card to card using their Interactive Science Notebook so that they can utilize it as a resource if needed.
Today, I bundled 7 of my most popular task card sets together. This means that if you buy the bundle at the posted price, you will receive all 7 sets in addition to ALL future updates and revisions at no additional cost to you. You are "locked into" this price. Each time I add a task card set, I will increase the price for new buyers, but you won't pay a penny more! Just keep re-downloading the product to get the updates. What a deal!
Click here to be taken directly to my TeachersPayTeachers store and check out the Whole Watt-a Task Cards Bundle.
I don't know why teachers fall into a rut or think that when students just "sit-and-get" that there is real learning going on, but I have to disagree BIG TIME! In my opinion, students aren't engaged and learning material unless they are actively doing it, talking about it, and teaching it to their peers.
If you are looking for a simple way to get your students up and more actively involved, you may want to consider using Task Cards to ease you (and your students) into the transition. I think you'll find that your students love it and besides the prep work, it is relatively easy on you as well.
Click on the image above to be taken directly to my new Task Card Bundle.
There are many different ways that you can incorporate task cards into your classroom and for many different reasons. It may be as simple as taking the questions/problems that would typically be on a worksheet and creating task cards out of them. Put one question or problem on each card and place them in various locations around your classroom, building, or school. Let students work with a partner, make it a competition between partner groups (this will encourage them to hustle and will prevent them from allowing their classmates to try to copy their answers.)
I will often hear 2 partners in the hall arguing at a task card that I posted about what they think the correct answer is. Not that I promote arguing, but what it means to me is that they are thinking and speaking like scientists. Every good scientist provides evidence or reasoning to support his/her thinking. Often times, one student will convince the other student of the correct answer, but there are times when both partners record different answers. Either way, I know that real learning has taken place. They will more likely remember the debate they had with a classmate or when they got a particular answer wrong (that they were certain was correct) than just having me just tell them the correct answer.
They may be used as a review (whole class or individual), to use for students who finish work early, to provide an alternate activity for advanced students (Gifted & Talented), at centers or stations, in pairs or small groups, and even with the whole class. There is really no right or wrong way to incorporate them into your classroom. Most often, I laminate the cards for durability (so that I can use them from year to year) and punch a hole in the corner and hold them all together with a binder ring. I just tape them around my room in various locations (or sometimes around the building or school campus), provide students with an answer sheet and send them on their way. I allow them to travel from card to card using their Interactive Science Notebook so that they can utilize it as a resource if needed.
Today, I bundled 7 of my most popular task card sets together. This means that if you buy the bundle at the posted price, you will receive all 7 sets in addition to ALL future updates and revisions at no additional cost to you. You are "locked into" this price. Each time I add a task card set, I will increase the price for new buyers, but you won't pay a penny more! Just keep re-downloading the product to get the updates. What a deal!
Click here to be taken directly to my TeachersPayTeachers store and check out the Whole Watt-a Task Cards Bundle.
Thank you so much for this blog. I am a first year teacher (8th grade science) and I love reading about your ideas and what works/doesn't! Thanks for sharing!
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