If you missed it…click here to read How to Engage Students in Remote Learning, Part 1.

Engaged learners go beyond meeting basic expectations. They are driven to learn, able to identify topics of interest, and can take charge of their own learning. They are excited to learn and eager to share their learning with others. 

True engagement happens when learners are completely absorbed in the task at hand. There is an absence of a sense of time and the world around them seems to vanish. It’s important to note that no one can be engaged at this level all the time. Our goal is to increase the likelihood that learners will choose to engage at high levels more regularly.

Ignite Engagement for Remote Learners Infographic

Intellectual Engagement

“I have to know more.” 

Intellectual engagement is when a learner experiences an intense drive to keep learning. You can stimulate curiosity by incorporating choice, exploration, and student interest into the learning process. The key word here is choice. Allow learners to choose (within given parameters) the research, writing, or reading topic.

How can you ignite intellectual engagement in your virtual classroom?

Allow students to choose what book they want to read. Give them opportunities to write about whatever is on their heart or mind. Or within a content area, allow them to choose a topic they would like to learn more about.

If students need guidance towards a topic of interest, provide investigative question prompts and use student interest inventories (elementary example). Check out this board guide with more examples, variations, and resources. 

Emotional Engagement

“I feel deeply while I’m learning.” 

Emotional engagement is when a concept is imprinted on the learner’s heart as well as on their mind. Research shows that learners are able to better retain and apply learning to which they are emotionally connected. To help facilitate the development of an emotional connection to content, use real world, relevant issues/topics that students feel strongly about and that empower them to create change.

How can you ignite emotional engagement in your virtual classroom?

You can read a story where the main character is faced with a significant challenge (for example, Malala’s Magic Pencil). Use the chat box, breakout groups, etc. to have students share their thinking about the story or have them write a response in their journal with the option to share with their classmates. Choice plays an important role in this pillar as well, such as giving students a choice in how they respond to the story. 

To increase students’ levels of connectedness and sense of belonging, provide specific recognition and praise, offer advisory opportunities, and create live or recorded virtual morning meetings. 

Perspective Engagement

“Other learners affect my thinking…and I can affect theirs too.”

Perspective engagement is when learners are aware of how other’s knowledge, emotions, and beliefs shape their own and other’s perspective. Create opportunities for learners to collaborate around real-world issues and encourage civil discourse in sharing opposing points of view. Provide texts for students that give them factual information on both sides of an issue (for example, Knowwhere briefings on current events). Increase personal interaction with various response types, and collaboration in learning activities that tend to entice students to engage.

How can you ignite perspective engagement in your virtual classroom?

You can select a current event/topic that is sparking interest and debate. Provide information on that current event/topic through picture books or from lesson plans from Allsides.org,  Humaneeducation.org, or Procon.org to build students’ understanding on an event/topic. Then provide a space for your classroom to have a discussion. Consider using a tool such as Kialo, for students to organize the information they collect on the current event/topic.  Then use breakout groups in Zoom or flipgrid to have students share their arguments for one side of an issue. Finally, ask them to change points of view and share their arguments for the other side. 

Aesthetic Engagement

“This experience feels like it was made just for me.”

Aesthetic engagement (or finding personal meaning) is when learners find something beautiful or extraordinary, hilarious or unusually meaningful. It relates closely to the idea of well-being. These experiences are related to emotional engagement, but are unique in that they resonate with us long after the emotional connection is gone. They are also unique in that it is the process of deciding for ourselves what is meaningful, whether or not others see it. 

We’re often deeply moved by things of beauty such as with music, dance, paintings, poetry, etc., but these experiences can happen in any realm, anytime an experience feels profoundly moving in the moment and very memorable. When teaching our students about finding aesthetic meaning, it’s not about searching for what is meaningful to them, but rather helping them to recognize when they have a profound experience. 

How can you ignite aesthetic engagement in your virtual classroom?

To help children recognize and experience what is personally meaningful, point out to them what you find beautiful in everyday life. Share words from an author (including your students writing) that strongly resonate with you. Share what it is about watching or participating in a sport that gives you pause. Point out photos or illustrations that take your breath away. Talk with your students about how these experiences change us and often move us to take action.

When students notice something meaningful, help them find the language to describe not only what they see, but also what they experience with words such as awe and wonder. Give them opportunities to express their experience through activities such as creating memes. Children often find personal meaning in areas where we least expect it, such as in the humor of their favorite book, in internet memes, Tik Tok videos, etc. It can also be found throughout the content areas. Consider the insight that comes after struggling to understand a difficult math problem or the sense of awe children have when seeing how something works in science. Help them see the power of these experiences through studying leaders and role models whose courage and passion to pursue justice propelled them to take action in a world that isn’t always ready for it. 

Measuring Engagement

Support learners in setting goals for themselves and monitoring their progress toward meeting their goals. Use a system to track your contact made with students that works for you. Seek support if there are students you are unable to connect with after several tries. See the Simple Tracking form and Detailed Tracking form for examples. 

The bottom line is that all educators want their learners to have the curiosity and compassion that comes from being fully engaged. These four perspectives and additional resources provide you with support to get all learners to this ideal level of full engagement.

For more remote learning resources, visit Kent ISD’s Remote Learning web page.

#Engagement #RemoteLearning #WeLeadLearning #KentISDpd

This blog post was written in collaboration by Mark Raffler, ELA Consultant, Craig Steenstra, Ed Tech Consultant, Diane Titche, Early Literacy Coach, and Stephanie Villalta, School Improvement Consultant. It was edited by Sara Sefcik, PD Hub Intern and Amanda Walma, Professional Development Coordinator. The infographic was designed by Amanda Walma.

Resources:

1. Great Schools Partnership. “Student Engagement,” The Glossary of Education Reform, 18 Feb 2016.
2. Keene, Ellin Oliver. “Engaging Children, Igniting a Drive for Deeper Learning,” Heinemann, 2018.
3. Rice, K and Kipp, K. “How Can Educators Tap Into Research to Increase Engagement During Remote Learning?” EdSurge, 6 May 2020.
4. “Student Agency & Engagement,” XQ Knowledge, 2020.