What is Project-Based Learning?

Project-based learning is a teaching method where students learn and gain skills through more extensive lessons that take place over a period of time. Students investigate and respond to authentic, meaningful, engaging, and complex questions. These lessons often portray real life situations and work to solve real-world problems. At the end of the project, oftentimes students have the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge by sharing their project with the public or in front of their peers.

How Does Project-Based Learning Impact Student Engagement?

Project based learning positively impacts student engagement for many reasons. For starters, students take an active role in their learning. During a project, students have to communicate with each other and with the teacher as they plan how they will execute their work. Students need to ask questions, participate in discussions, and engage in experiments. Students are held accountable for their role in the project, whether they are in a big or small group. When it comes to student involvement, hiding behind a worksheet is easy; needing to follow through with a project is much more transparent.

Why do Project-Based Lesson Plans Work Well for Remote Learning?

Project-based lesson plans are not just for students in the classroom. Project-based lesson plans work very well for students who are remote learning too. It gives remote students an activity to do that does not necessarily evolve around the computer. It gets the students up and moving, searching for material and supplies, talking to people in their family or members of the community. It doesn’t limit students to the four walls of their classroom, but wherever it is they are able to go while they are distance learning. Below are several ideas for project-based learning that can be done in the classroom or easily adjusted to be completed during distance learning.         

Project-Based Learning Ideas to Try with Your Students

Book Study

This project-based lesson idea would be suitable for most all ages. Have the students choose a book they are interested in. Depending on the unit of study, you can require any genre or topic of book (non-fiction, fiction, historical fiction, animals, people, etc). Have them complete their reading and then turn the book into a script. The students can act out their script in front of the class.

Rube Goldberg Project

If you haven’t heard of Rube Goldberg, now is the time to familiarize yourself! He was a famous cartoonist who took simple machines designed to make tasks easier and made them overly complex. Have students design a way to trap a mouse (think of the board game Mouse Trap). Require a designated number of steps that a ball needs to go through before it gets to the part of the machine that releases the trap. Use recycled materials, crafts supplies, or anything the students can find around their house or their school. This hands on project-based lesson is sure to be a highlight for students of many ages!

Pen Pal Schools

Another great idea for project-based learning that connects students with peers all across the country, is called Pen Pal Schools. It is a global project-based learning community where students choose a topic they are interested in (oceans, fake news, robics, immigration, etc). The website provides the essential questions, project options, guided questions, and the skills and standards that will be met throughout the course of the learning. What is really great about this format of project-based learning, is that not only do teachers not have to do as much of the heavy lifting in designing the project, but students are also not limited to others in their class that may or may not have the same interests.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

In this project, students will monitor their families’ waste over the course of one week. They will design a plan for recording this information, such as weighing the garbage or counting how many items are thrown away each day. After conducting this home inventory, they will research the effects of garbage on the environment. They will then design a plan for lowering the waste in their household. Students will communicate this plan to their families in a chosen way, such as a letter, a presentation on waste, or a video clip.

Living History

What was it like when we put a man on the moon, when the stock market crashed, or when World War 11 occurred? It is one thing to read about these events, but what if you experienced them during your lifetime? In this lesson, students will interview people who were alive during the time of a chosen historical event. They will create a project that combines the information they research along with their real life interview to more accurately and personally explain this historical event. They can turn their findings into a video trailer, a poster board, or a news broadcast. By not limiting students to one form of showing what they know, students are able to take projects such as these as far as they are capable of going.

Project-based learning helps students eliminate that question of “Why are we doing this,” and instead sheds light on real world problems and issues. It engages students with topics they are interested in and strengthens collaboration and communicate skills. Project-based learning gives students the power to take control of their learning and spend their time studying topics they are passionate about. Try out some of the above ideas with your students and see their excitement come to life.

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The days of sitting through lectures and taking notes are gone in today’s high tech, fast paced world. The age of video games, social media, ipads, iphones, and more have completely changed how our students want to learn and how quickly they need feedback and gratification in learning. Interactive learning is an approach to teaching students that includes elements of participation and engagement. Students are encouraged to partake in hands-on activities, collaborate together in groups, and use components of technology to complete classwork. Basically, instruction through interactive learning seeks to capture student attention quickly and efficiently to keep them engaged in learning.

What are the Benefits of Interactive Learning?

When you think about the benefits of interactive learning, increased student engagement is probably the first one that comes to mind; however, interactive learning provides other useful benefits to students aside from its greatest benefit of upping student participation.

Cooperation Skills

In interactive learning, students work with their peers frequently. Because of this, cooperation skills are quickly developed. Students grow the ability to listen to the ideas of others, build upon the ideas of others, and blend those ideas to create innovative solutions.

Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills

Thinking and problem-solving truly go hand in hand. Interactive learning activities almost always encourage exploration by thinking “outside the box.” Students have to think about and explore different ideas in order to find valid solutions. Because many interactive learning activities are centered around real world problems and challenges, students must think critically to find valid answers to those problems; thus, students develop sharper problem-solving skills. These skills carry on into adulthood and strengthen their capabilities in their chosen careers in the future.

How Do Interactive Lessons Increase Engagement?

Interactive lessons increase student engagement by providing opportunities for active learning. Active learning means students are literally learning until they “run out of fuel!” When interactive lessons are employed, students are completing activities in a fast paced environment while soaking up necessary knowledge, learning and growing with their peers, and genuinely enjoying what is taking place in the classroom.

Using Interactive Lessons in Your Classroom

Interactive lessons are easy to implement, but teachers must be willing to give up some of the control as most activities are student led. Below is a list of ways to incorporate interactive learning into the lessons in your classroom.

Create Student-Centered Activities

This one is probably obvious, but in order for interactive learning to work, activities must be centered around students. As mentioned before, teacher lectures and note taking alone are no longer the norm and do not adequately capture student attention. Teachers can create student centered activities by including activities that allow for student interests. For instance, teachers could ask students to show their learning in a method of their choice (i.e. write a summary, create a digital presentation, draw a picture, etc). Through providing students with choice according to their personal preferences, they are more likely to perform at their best.

Include Real World Challenges

Interactive learning requires students to participate more actively in the classroom through hands-on activities and projects. A perfect example of this type of activity would be to implement project-based learning. Project-based learning provides students with hands-on, relevant learning. Project based learning requires students to research a particular question or topic (generally related to the real world) in order to learn more, explore different outcomes, and/or create solutions. Examples may include asking students to plan and construct a garden, create a new app that provides a useful service, and so on. The great thing about project based learning is that it can easily be used in all grade levels.

Make Things Fun With Games

Students of all ages love games. Teachers can make learning more interactive in the classroom by incorporating game-like activities into lessons.

1. Task Cards: Regardless of the subject or grade level, task cards make learning more fun and engaging. Place task cards throughout the classroom with various questions or tasks on them. Challenge students to complete a certain number of cards during a particular amount of time. Teachers may even up the ante by providing a prize to the student who completes the most cards correctly.
2. Word Hunt: Introduce or review vocabulary by hiding word cards around the room. Using a clipboard with pencil and paper, students must locate the card, write down the word, and find its meaning. This activity is more often used in the elementary grades; however it would make a fun review game for older students as well.
3. Four Corners: This game works best when students are classifying information. Place one label on each corner of the room. For example: If students have been learning about reptiles, mammals, birds, and amphibians, make a label for each name. Then, call out a specific animal name (i.e. rattlesnake, pigeon, etc.) and ask students to walk to the corner that shows its classification. This game is easily adapted for classrooms of all shapes and sizes so if you do not have four corners, that is okay! This game is also especially fun and useful for students of all ages and different subjects.

Incorporate Technology

Most teachers already know how much students love technology. Most of them eat, sleep, and breathe it! When teachers incorporate technology into their lessons, students are automatically ready to jump in and get started. Here are a few ways to use technology in the classroom:

1. Videos: Teachers can capture student attention from the very beginning of a lesson by using a quick video to introduce the lesson’s topic. Students may also be challenged with creating a short video to show what they have learned or reinforce learning.
2. Visual Presentations: Most students are visual learners. Teachers who use visual aids when presenting content are more likely to see an increase in student engagement. Another way that students can show what they know is by asking them to create digital presentations using Google Slides, PowerPoint, Prezi, etc.
3. Games: The internet is filled with tons of educational games. Use them to your advantage by allowing students to play games online to reinforce and/or practice what they have learned.

Incorporate the Arts

A great method of providing students with hands-on activities is to include the arts! To increase student engagement teachers may ask students to draw pictures, write poems, create songs, or act out ideas from the content being studied. All of these arts activities and more can aid student learning and make it more meaningful to them.

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Whatever the reason, it can be a struggle to get students to participate. Bring in the recent pandemic and switch to remote learning and as a teacher you may be having an even harder time figuring out how to get every student involved in their learning process. Continue reading to understand why some students don’t participate, as well as some tips for boosting student participation during remote learning.

Challenges of Getting Students to Participate

Educators understand that all students are different; they learn differently, think differently, and are even raised in different environments with different customs and beliefs. But as educators, we often don’t put much thought into student preference for how they participate. There are many students who want to share, just in a way other than raising their hand. Maybe we as adults can relate to some of these reasons, too.

Some students might be introverts and feel more comfortable speaking in front of just a few close friends instead of an entire class of their peers. Some students lack confidence in their answers and are scared of the embarrassment they might feel if they don’t answer correctly. There may be others who have had a bad experience raising their hand and responding incorrectly.

As students get older, there can even be a negative connotation to answering questions and appearing interested in the material at hand. For whatever the reason is that students don’t speak up, teachers should start thinking about other ways they can get them to respond in the way they feel most comfortable.

Tips for Boosting Student Participation During Remote Learning

Built-In Features

There are several things a teacher can do to help boost student participation during remote learning. If you are using Zoom as your primary platform for class, utilize the built-in features. Ask a question and use chat to get every student responding. You can change the privacy of chat to have students just answering to you or answering publicly so everyone can see. Using chat is a great way to have every student respond during class discussions.

Breakout Rooms

Breakout rooms are another way to get students talking. Some students feel intimidated by a large group, and breakout rooms can make them feel much more at ease. Decide how many students you want each breakout room to have; or pre-assign the breakout rooms so students know who to expect when they arrive.

In order to hold students accountable for breakout room discussions, have them respond to your question with a drawing or writing using their shared whiteboard. They can call you into the room when they are ready to show their work. If you want to take it a step further, quickly screenshot your students’ work, drag it to a Google slide, and share everyone’s responses when students return to the main room.

Videos

Another quick way to get students participating is by using their videos. Have them turn their video off if your statement is false and leave their video on if your statement is true. Students enjoy having the permission to turn their videos on and off, and you get the benefit of every student participating.

Popsicle Sticks

If you plan ahead to your next material pickup, you can create popsicle sticks with yes/no answers on them. Younger students and older students alike enjoy holding up their popsicle sticks to answer questions. Didn’t think ahead? Use the reaction (emoji) feature to have students respond to questions by selecting “yes”, “no”, “smiley face”, or “surprised face.” This is a simple way to hold students attention and make sure every student is contributing to the lesson at hand.

Preparing and Posting Questions

For upper elementary, middle, and high school students, preparing questions and posting them ahead of time can greatly increase participation. Students have the chance to put thought into their answers, build their confidence to respond, and come to class ready to be successful.

This can even work for students in lower elementary. Post a picture for your Kindergarten students and tell them to come to the morning meeting describing what they noticed; or have students make predictions on what their next unit will be about based on a few words or phrases you post. Just as adults like to know what their next meeting will entail, so do students. Take some time to set students up for success, and you will be surprised just how much more eager they are to join in on the discussion.

Getting students to participate in class can be a challenge even for the most experienced of teachers. Some students are timid, some lack confidence, and some simply don’t want to raise their hand. When students are learning remotely, it can be even harder to figure out ways to get them involved in virtual lessons. By using breakout rooms, chat, reactions, and/or planning ahead by letting students know the questions that will be asked that day, teachers can see more students participating on a daily basis. If every student participates, every student will know they have a voice. And that in itself will be the basis of their continued success.

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Even if students have the resources at home to maintain the sanctity of school hours and to access video streaming consistently (which we must acknowledge is not true for many students), there are other issues with being asked to turn their cameras on while away from school.

Privacy

Students may be embarrassed about their living conditions due to socio-economic disparities, the other people present in the home, or because of something as basic as cleanliness. Some log in from a bathroom or a closet just to have a quiet place to learn. Homeless students logging in from a shelter, a car, or a local business establishment may not wish to answer the queries of curious classmates. Others, such as victims of violence or undocumented immigrants, require privacy in order to feel safe. There are also legitimate concerns about the security of some video streaming services.

Student Mental and Emotional Health

Most adolescents already believe everyone is looking at them. Add to that the presence of 20 faces in boxes staring back at them for an entire class period, and the negative self-talk that students often play on repeat in their minds is only amplified. That feeling that everyone is staring at them can cause a ‘flight or fight’ response in students that elevates feelings of anxiety and stress. The distraction and anxiety that can be felt as a result of the magnified mirror effect of watching one’s own face while watching the faces of others watch one’s face can affect the ability of students to concentrate and meaningfully participate in class.

The human brain has become incredibly adept at decoding and synthesizing verbal and nonverbal communication cues in order to create a complete communication picture. In a video call, the brain is impeded in its ability to collect this information because it can only see part of the person talking. It’s trying to figure out how to read the body language of the floating head in front of it…it simply does not compute. As the brain struggles to fill in the blanks, we become exhausted and “Zoom fatigue” sets in. After a full school day of video calls, many students (and adults) find themselves mentally and physically exhausted.

How to Engage Students with the Camera Off

Build Relationships

In any classroom, relationships are key. The more supportive and positive, the more likely students will be to participate. In a virtual classroom, use virtual icebreakers to get to know one another and find common ground. Students can respond in the chat or via a video link. Getting students excited to show their classmates something about themselves can be the first step to getting the cameras on. Games encourage student engagement. Try virtual variations on easy classics like Pictionary, charades, or rock, paper, scissors.

Capitalize on the momentum of positive connection by establishing a class social. By having honest dialogue about what is expected and holding each other accountable, all members of the class foster a safe learning environment (even a virtual one). Further leverage these relationships by asking students to identify others they’d like to work with in small groups. This serves two purposes: student choice can increase the likelihood they will use their cameras to participate, and it can allow teachers to identify the students who hold the most social capital, the ones whose participation is most likely to encourage others to turn on their cameras.

If some still resist turning on the camera, teachers should remain empathetic and work to understand the barriers their students face. By admitting students individually to class via a virtual waiting room, teachers have a moment to reinforce the positive relationship and to ask if they’d feel comfortable keeping their camera on. If not, they can thank them for simply turning it on to say hi, and try again next time.

Video-Optional Assignments

Encourage participation by providing video-optional assignments. One way to incorporate student choice is to assign small group projects where students can decide how they want to collaborate – a shared document, video chat, messaging, etc. Instead of asking all students to have their cameras on constantly during a class meeting, teachers might try organizing Socratic seminars in which the “inner circle” has their cameras on while the rest of the class comment and critique via the chat function with their cameras off.

Use a Variety of Tools

The most frequently used justification for keeping cameras on is that teachers cannot “tell” if students are engaged with cameras off. The tricky thing is that even with cameras on, students can be disengaged, just as they can be when sitting in a physical classroom. Use a variety of tools to ensure that all students are participating in learning.

While conducting formative assessments, use online polling tools such as Poll Everywhere, Mentimeter, or Micropoll or learning games like Kahoot, GimKit, or Quislet Live. Quick, spontaneous responses may also be given via the chat and polling features embedded in the video streaming program. Several add-on features such as PearDeck or Nearpod can be used to create interactive slideshows. The chief benefit to these is that built-in participation cues can be pre-planned and the teacher and class have an artifact of student participation to review after the class is over.

Pre-Record Video Participation

Another way to allow student choice in how, not if, they participate is to allow for pre-recorded videos in response to questions and to demonstrate skills. Flipgrid is one virtual venue in which students record short video responses that can be shared with a class while being monitored by the teacher.

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Student agency is a term that describes the learning process that includes the implementation of a variety of activities that are considered both meaningful and important to learners. This instructional practice is primarily driven by student interest and student choice. Student agency implies that students take on the role of the agents of their own learning while teachers serve as the facilitators. In student agency, the students have voice and choice in their learning, and it is primarily self-directed.

Student agency is often referred to by educators as inquiry-based learning or project-based learning. Student agency in the classroom celebrates critical thinking and problem-solving skills. In fact, educators have shared that during these unprecedented times, the students who have had previous experiences with student agency are performing much better in a remote or virtual learning setting than students who have not. Student agency can be used at any grade level in any subject to teach any content or subject matter. When student agency is executed, student engagement is evident.

What are the Benefits of Student Agency?

There are many benefits of student agency that are easily observed in the classroom. Student agency significantly increases student engagement throughout the teaching and learning process. When students are engaged, student motivation increases. This also causes the student comprehension of content to increase. Thus, learning becomes fun and relevant.

Student agency not only promotes student engagement, but it also promotes creativity and inquiry. These two components are most beneficial in the process of student learning and student success. When students are encouraged to pose questions, make connections, and share experiences, their understanding of content increases thus increasing their knowledge base of material. The effort put into work by students through the student agency model is clearly evident. Like problem-based or project-based learning, student agency focuses on goal setting, reflection, and growth. This instructional concept truly gives students ownership and autonomy of their own individual learning process.

Another benefit of student agency is that students gain their independence. When students feel like they are being heard and valued in the classroom, they feel empowered. All of these benefits promoted and celebrated by student agency are skills that will help students throughout their educational journey, in their career, and, most importantly, in life. Isn’t that a primary role of K-12 education, to prepare students for the future? Student agency is a contributing factor in achieving this purposeful goal.

Student Agency Strategies to Promote Engagement

What are some specific student agency strategies used to promote engagement for students in any grade level at any age in any subject? A key point to remember is that students only get better at student agency when it becomes a routine or regularly practiced part of instruction. For students who are more used to a traditional form of instruction where teachers teach and students respond, this style of teaching and learning takes practice. Student agency requires a shift in mindset by both the teacher and the student. It uses a student-centered approach to direct instruction, and teachers have to feel comfortable giving up control. Student agency must become a common instructional practice, not sporadic, in order to fully promote student engagement and see positive results in the learning process.

The initial step or strategy to making this happen is to focus on creating a classroom climate that celebrates inquiry, creativity, communication, citizenship, critical thinking, and collaboration. The five Cs should be a staple in the 21^st-century classroom, and student agency ensures that the elements are present. Teachers should be able to explicitly create learning targets so that students understand their own personal learning goals in order to consider the steps they must implement to appropriately accomplish reaching specific goals.

Continuous feedback and facilitation from the teacher to the student is also essential. In fact, this is a most effective strategy to promote full engagement from students working as individuals, as partners, or in a group setting. Incorporating discussions and texts that are both relevant and culturally representative greatly help to promote student interest and engagement. The publishing, sharing, and reflection of student work are also important in promoting engagement. These essential components emphasize the value of student autonomy and empowerment.

Implementing a variety of these student agency strategies on a daily basis not only promotes engagement, but it also allows students to make connections, which broadens their perspective and deepens their knowledge of content. Virtual and remote learning has exemplified for all educators how strategies can be applied through technology to promote and increase student engagement. This does not include simply putting students on a screen or assigning applications. It involves the strategic planning of implementing tools that will enhance participation, engagement, motivation, and comprehension throughout a lesson or unit of study.

We need to recognize and understand what knowledge our students are acquiring and how best to support their academic growth. Student agency is a researched educational practice that is proving time and time again to help achieve all of these goals. When we focus on our students’ interests, engagement increases. That is the sole purpose behind student agency.

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When are Instructional Videos Appropriate to Use?

Instructional videos are repeatedly used, but when are they most appropriately inserted into instruction? In the age of COVID-19, just about anytime it seems. Teachers are finding that they can still meet educational standards by pre-recording themselves teaching. These videos are being used by students in a hybrid model who are not going into the classroom each day, but as a way to still “see” and hear their teacher instructing. Instructional videos are another nice way for students to re-listen to a lesson if they missed it or if they need to hear it a second time for clarification or understanding.

Instructional videos are also a great way for educators to share the workload (think one teacher records the math lessons for the week, one records reading, one science, etc). Some teachers are even having the option of using pre-recorded lessons to take the place of needing a sub. The options for instructional videos continue to evolve and fine tune themselves, and the market for users is only going to continue to grow as we navigate this world during and after this most recent pandemic.

Types of Instructional Videos

There are many types of instructional videos that are popular amongst teachers. Some teachers record themselves during each of their live instructions. They use these recordings either for students who have missed class, to share with other teachers, or so students can refer back to the video if they have questions. Zoom has a screen recording feature built right into it, so teachers simply have to click  “start recording.” Others may prefer using Loom or Ezvid, both free for teachers.

Educators also use instructional videos to record themselves prior to meeting with students. They then use this recording to play for students while they are all together on Zoom. Some teachers do this for the purpose of being able to make sure they present the material in a way that sounds clear and concise. Additionally, some educators don’t like the pressure of “live” teaching from home with an unknown audience in the background with their students (parents, grandparents, etc.). Recording their lesson ahead of time gives them the chance to make sure they do it to their liking and free from mistakes.

Another type of instructional video that is being used is pre-recorded videos that take the place of having to get a substitute teacher. Think how differently students respond to their classroom teacher versus when a substitute is in the room. The teacher has the background knowledge and experience in the curriculum, and in many ways it just makes sense to let the teacher do the lesson (some teachers also enjoy the perk of then not having to use any sick time). Additionally, teachers are using pre-recorded videos to ensure that their recording doesn’t have any students in it (data privacy), which can sometimes be tricky during live teaching since teachers are typically calling on students for participation.

Lastly, teachers like using videos to take students beyond where they could otherwise go (think virtual field trip) or for science experiments that would be hard to conduct from the basement of one’s house or inside the classroom walls. There are so many types of instructional videos ranging from the ones teachers personally make to the ones available for educators to insert into their lessons. What makes these videos engaging for students to watch? There are a few things educators should pay attention to when choosing or creating an instructional video.

Strategies for Creating Engaging Instructional Videos

There are a few things educators should remember when creating or deciding which instructional videos to use during teaching. Most importantly, the video should support the instructional goal at hand. It shouldn’t take the place of direct, explicit instruction, but should compliment it. The video should be engaging and hold students’ attention. It may even have places built in for teachers to pause and ask questions to check for student understanding.

When teachers are creating their own videos, they should think about the environment where they are creating them. Sometimes it might help draw the students in by changing location (think going outside for a science video or changing to another location in one’s house to help attract student attention). Are students learning about healthy foods during health class? Why not open your fridge and talk about the items inside. Is the next math unit on measurement? Do a live demo of measuring different items in your house. The students will be sure to enjoy another look into their teacher’s life.

The videos used and created should also integrate digital tools. Teachers can use engaging platforms such as Powtoon or Biteable to grab students’ attention. These fun video design sites give teachers an exciting starting point for their video creations, as well as a jumpstarted way to model a presentation tool students could use for assignments. There are dozens of software options out there for creating animated movies to help make instructional videos successful.

Instructional videos are not a new tool in any educator’s teaching toolbox. However, they are growing and evolving to help with the many different learning models students are finding themselves in this year. They help engage learners, they compliment instruction, and they give flexible teaching options for educators. Instructional videos have been around for ages, are now being fine tuned and enhanced with digital tools, and are only going to continue to be a “go to” teaching tool.

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Public Libraries

Though physical locations are closed, many public libraries offer digital library resources. Free ebooks and free audiobooks are obvious choices. By downloading an app to their computers, tablets, or phones, students can use their library cards to check out materials without ever entering the physical library. Some libraries offer wi-fi hot spots and even devices, for loan.

Libraries are also beginning to offer curbside pickup of physical books and magazines. Patrons place holds online, and library staff texts or emails when the items are ready. Library patrons pull up to the library, and the items are brought to their vehicles with no physical contact.

Many libraries are conducting previously in-person classes online, allowing patrons to access classes and story times from the library web site. These online events engage students in topics and give them motivation and ideas for future reading.

Even library cards can often be obtained online during this time, allowing students to access the library for the first time.

Writing Activities

Once students have something to read, it is helpful for them to have a purpose for reading. An engaging writing activity can give readers a sense of ownership over their reading. Students could read articles or biographies about people that interest them, and then compose a letter, email, or social media post to them. Students might read poetry online and then attempt to write something in a similar style. Students could plan a virtual field trip or road trip, researching a location, and creating a PowerPoint or website presenting their research.

Students might read diaries written by young people going through extraordinary circumstances, such as The Diary of Anne Frank, or Zlata’s Diary: A Child’s Life in Wartime Sarajevo. After reading these diaries, students could keep their own journals about life during the COVID-19 pandemic. These could be published on the web.

STEAM Activities

Students might read scientific articles online and then conduct at-home labs. For example, students might read an article about erosion and then conduct a lab using M&Ms and water to demonstrate the effects of erosion.

Students could read books about coding and then apply their knowledge by building computer games. There are books available that teach students to use Scratch, a free computer coding language. The only materials needed are a computer with Adobe 10.2 or later and an internet connection.

Readers might also do web research on famous structures, such as the Pyramids or the Eiffel Tower, and then build those structures from Legos.

There are plenty of books and web articles about drawing and painting. Students could read those and create their own pieces of art.

Math and reading don’t seem like a natural cross-curricular pair, but there are some ways to integrate the two. Students could read online texts about gardening, and then plan their own gardens using measuring tools and online garden blueprints, for instance.

Nature Activities

There are a plethora of online field guides geared towards kids. Students could read about native animals and conduct a backyard search for birds, animal tracks, leaves, and other wild life.

Scientific articles about climate change and its effects abound on the internet. Students could read up on solutions and implement some of them at home.

Students could read online instructions about building birdhouses and bird feeders and try constructing one.

Tablets are great for reading in any location. Students could take their tablets outside and read! An old-fashioned paper book is also suitable, of course.

Social Activities

This may seem like an oxymoron in the time of COVID-19, but reading can be a great way to connect with others online while increasing student engagement. With supervision, students could start a Zoom book club with their friends. This would give students an excuse to socialize with friends and give them something to connect over when sports and other extracurricular activities are canceled.

With parent supervision, students might start or join social media groups devoted to whatever book they are currently reading.

While students may feel distanced from regular life and its normal routines right now, the internet offers a variety of options and ideas for how to engage students in reading – and keep them engaged.

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The Rules

Before you run off into a field of endless spring break learning opportunities, let’s reel it in for a moment. There are rules that you must abide by when assigning spring break activities. The goal is to make the work meaningful without taking over time that, rightfully, is dedicated to leisure. However you choose to engage your students, please consider the guidelines below.

1. Activities must be brief – there should be more relaxing than learning.
2. Consider the fact that students may be traveling.
3. Don’t penalize students who don’t have access to technology.
4. Communicate your expectations to parents clearly.
5. Make the activities meaningful beyond spring break.
6. Use student interests to influence your choices.
7. Make assignments an extension of your pre-break learning.

Activities for Engagement

Scavenger Hunt

Whether your students spend spring break across the globe, at home, or anywhere in between, a scavenger hunt is a fun and easy way to keep your students engaged in learning. This is adaptable to any grade level and can be done in many ways. Younger students can collect items of certain colors or count a certain number of small objects. Older students can solve riddles to determine which items to collect or collect items that represent themes from a text. Students can even use technology to take pictures of their hunt items. The possibilities are endless!

Basketball Stats

Springtime is when basketball season heats up, and there will indubitably be games to watch during spring break. Assign students to watch a basketball and tally stats – like the number of free throws, 3-point shots, etc. Students can use the shots made and missed to determine percentages or determine stats and percentages for one player.

Nature Walks

No matter where a student spends spring break, they will likely have access to the outdoors in some capacity. Ask students to take a stroll outside to observe nature. The sky, trees, grass, etc. are perfect muses for art and written expression, and can even give way to mathematical analysis. Of course, students can always make connections between science and their outdoor surroundings.

Science Experiments

Speaking of science, scientific experiments are a great way to engage students both in and outside of the classroom. Give students science experiment options that feature a range of materials. Try to stick to experiments that have affordable or readily available materials.

Post Card

Allow students to flex their writing skills by writing a postcard to their classmates during spring break. Coach students to write about their experiences, and allow them to share them in small groups. This is a quick, easy way that every student can be involved in an individualized way.

Photography

Ask students to take pictures throughout spring break that they can bring to the classroom, digitally or physically, to contribute to a spring break project. This project can be a digital presentation, poster, storybook, or scrap book. Older students can choose a photo from spring break to write a photo analysis essay. This idea allows students to participate from anywhere and creates a seamless transition from spring break.

Journaling

Anytime students are practicing literacy skills, it’s a win for the classroom. A simple way to keep literacy going over spring break is to have your students journal. The key to making this appealing and effective is autonomy. Give students freedom while journaling by providing a wide range of topics or allowing students to express about anything they choose to. This should feel like an outlet for students as opposed to an assignment.

Why Students Need Spring Break Engagement

One of the greatest benefits of keeping students engaged on spring break is easing the transition back into the classroom. While our students’ minds are often sharp enough to recall information after a week off, their organizational and productivity habits can suffer. The appropriate level of engagement during spring break helps student adjust back to school more easily.

Furthermore, learning should not be confined to the classroom nor the school calendar. Students will always glean from the world around them, and we as educators can help them do that. Breaks are the perfect opportunity to extend learning and allow students to practice autonomy and self-expression.

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You can imagine the sad deflation of my new teacher balloon when I learned that many of my students avoided reading at all costs. I was prepared to work with students who could not read well, but the expressed disdain for and outright refusal to read was jarring. I quickly learned that assigning texts that I deemed interesting was not enough to motivate students to read. As literacy educators, we must consistently gain and implement strategies to engage our reluctant readers. 

Why Students are Reluctant to Read

Lack of Reading Skills

Assuming that students don’t like to read because they are lazy or overindulged in technology is a grave yet common mistake. Before trying to engage your students in reading, you must have a baseline measure for their reading ability. Students often avoid reading because they simply are not good at it. For a plethora of possible reasons, students may not possess the necessary skills to read and comprehend well.

Reading is Boring

I bet it pained you to read that subheading. While it is true that reading can be adventurous, emotional, and thought-provoking, many students haven’t had enough exciting experiences with reading to peg the task as pleasurable. Students who demonstrate a reluctance toward reading often express that reading is simply boring.

Family Culture

As spoken by the wise Emilie Buchwald, “children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” When children observe and participate in reading at home, they are more likely to become lifelong readers. Sometimes children are reluctant to read because reading is not a significant part of their home lives. 

Lack of Cultural Relevancy

Unengaged readers are often assigned texts that are void of cultural relevancy. When students can’t relate to a text, they typically do not place value on it. As agitating as questions such as “why are we reading this?” may be, there’s a hidden, valuable need expressed in these questions. Students often need to understand how text relates to their world before investing in it.

Ways to Engage Reluctant Readers 

Provide Autonomy

One way to engage students in reading is to allow them to choose what they read to the greatest extent possible. When student interest and reading meet, this union yields the greatest student participation in reading. You will always have to select some texts, but allowing students to choose their own reading material during independent reading and other appropriate times can go a long way.

Read Aloud

At some point in a child’s education, usually around the end of middle school, teachers stop reading aloud or with the class. Even as a high school teacher, I have always implemented oral reading to some degree. In order to hook students’ attention, for example, I often read just the beginning of a text aloud. During this time, I am modeling good fluency for my students and asking a few comprehension questions. This sets a foundation for students to continue reading the text independently.

Teach Compensatory Reading Strategies

When students don’t like to read because they lack foundational skills, they need to learn to compensate for their reading deficit as they grow. Provide resources and strategies that can help students access text at levels that may be difficult for them. This can include implementing audiobooks, metacognitive markers, and more.

Write to Improve Reading Comprehension

Writing and reading are the two pillars of literacy, so quite naturally each influences the strength of the other. When students can write with knowledge of organization, genre, and style, they are more likely to engage in reading. Provide opportunities for both high- and low-stakes writing and allow students to share their work. Good writers make enthusiastic readers.

Collaborative Discussion

When students can communicate effectively about what they read, this automatically boosts reading engagement. Fostering discussion through literature circles, book clubs, or other discussion protocols in response to reading provides a purpose for reading. It allows students to learn critical thinking analysis skills from one another through good conversation. Be sure to set discussion norms and model effective discussion.

Graphic Novels

Graphic novels read like an extended comic book and are understandably popular amongst students who ordinarily dislike reading. These novels are engaging because they possess the length and often the rigor of traditional novels but add a visual element that captures most readers’ attention. Reluctant readers often appreciate graphic novels and are inspired read them.

As entertainment is enhanced through technology, students are becoming less inclined to read for enjoyment. As teachers, we must be intentional about finding effective strategies to engage our reluctant readers. Engagement in reading in our classrooms will set a foundation for lifelong literacy and learning.

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Classroom Games

Turn review time into fun time with games. A review game is the perfect solution to get students working together. Here are a few to try out.

Monopoly – For this review game, each student is on his own, there are no teams. Each student receives the same amount of Monopoly money. They are allowed to wager their money based on how confident they know the answer to the review question you ask. If they get the question correct, they keep the money, if they are wrong their money goes to the next person who gets the answer correct. At the end of the game they can cash their money in for prizes.

Family Feud – Divide students into two teams. One person from each team must go against one another to answer a review question. If they get it right their team gets a point. To engage the other students while they are playing, have the rest of the team write the answers to the questions in their journals.

The Hot Seat – For this review game, have one student sit facing the class. Write a vocabulary word on the board behind their seat. The audience raises their hands and the “Hot Seat” student can call on three students for clues to guess the word. Change the “Hot Seat” student if they don’t get the word correct.

Jeopardy! – This fun game can be done using the Smartboard, PowerPoint, or just on the blackboard. You can find downloadable Jeopardy formats on the internet, or create your own. To begin, create questions and answers worth a specific amount of points. Divide the students into two teams and have each team choose a number. Their goal is to answer the question that is attached to the number they chose.

Pass the Chicken – You will need to purchase a rubber chicken for this fun review game. To begin, have students sit in a circle. Randomly ask one student a review question while the rubber chicken gets passed around the circle. If the rubber chicken arrives back at the student before he/she answers they must go to the middle (the pot) of the circle. The chicken is then passed to the next person, and so on. If the next student does not get the answer correct, then ask the students in the “Pot” if they know the answer. If they do, then they may get out of the pot and go back to the circle. Be sure to enlist a few safety rules, the students can tend to get rough with the rubber chicken.

Ping Pong – Divide students into two teams. Students work as a team to answer a review question. Then, if they answer it correctly, they get a chance to bounce a ball into one of three plastic cups to get a prize for their team. Prizes can be a homework pass, free time, extra computer time, lunch in the classroom, and so on.

Bingo – Review Bingo is another classroom favorite. To change it up a bit, use candy as the markers. Have students program their bingo cards with their vocabulary words and pull questions randomly.

Beach Ball – Purchase a white beach ball and write a variety of review questions on the ball. Then have students sit on top of their desks. The goal of this game is to play catch. When a student catches the ball, the must answer the question their right thumb is touching.

Headbands – A fun spin on the popular game headbands is to write a review term on a post-it note. Each student must stick the note to her forehead without looking at it. Their goal is to figure out what the term on the forehead is. For example, if one person had the word “Nectar” on his sticky note, their team members would give them clues, such as a sugar-rich liquid, it attracts pollinating animals, and so on.

Spin the Wheel – Create a wheel with a variety of review questions on it. Then randomly call upon students to come up and spin the wheel to see if they can answer the question correctly.

There are a lot of great review games out there. Any one that you choose will increase student engagement and help students learn the material. Just make sure that you keep anything that you make yourself so can reuse it again next year.

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