How can you extend active learning beyond the classroom walls?

One of the impactful things I found is - Flipped classroom: where students act as teachers - role plays: where students can act as some actors who can play and enact for some topic

Projects can get boring if they are not student centric. When a project aligns to a learning style and interest, it becomes easier and fun for students. I use learning menus to assign projects to my students and it comes back with lots of creativity.

In history, one authentic assignment that I’ve assigned is to get my students to undertake fieldwork at specific heritage or historical sites from the eyes of a tour agency, and to craft justifications and plans for why they should be given the exclusive right to lead tours to this venue. This is authentic in the sense that it allows students to amalgamate their research findings with real-world scenarios, enabling to see the application of history and cultural work into the market place.

As an English teacher, embracing projects aligned with learning objectives can deepen students' understanding of language and literature. Projects foster engagement, enabling students to apply language skills authentically. Through collaborative efforts, they refine communication and critical thinking. Offering flexibility encourages creativity and personal investment, enhancing motivation and ownership. Feedback loops refine skills and boost confidence. Celebrating achievements nurtures a positive learning environment, fostering holistic growth in language proficiency and literary appreciation.

Projects can promote hands-on learning and help develop keen observation skills, fostering a connection with the natural world beyond the classroom.Projects like, 1. Night Sky Observation - Assign students to observe the night sky at a specific time. - Record their observations of stars, constellations, or any celestial events. 2. Plant Growth Monitoring - Have students observe and document the growth of a plant over a month. - Record factors like sunlight, water, and soil conditions to understand their impact. 3.Nature Journaling - Encourage students to maintain a nature journal. - Record daily observations of plants, animals, or weather patterns. Can bring a vast knowledge about outer world.

Some tools like: - powtoon - loom - Canva making things fun while teaching is amazing i still remember my time as a student when teachers used ppts, whereas when they used these tools, the engagement increased

I use the following applications or platforms to promote active learning in my classroom: 📌 Google Classroom 📌 Kahoot 📌 Padlet 📌 ClassDojo etc. Using these platforms has greatly improve learning in my classroom and has made teaching and learning effective and enticing to the children.

As an admissions coaching firm, these are the tools we use to engage efficiently with clients: 1️⃣ PersonalStatement.io: Drafting personal statements 2️⃣ Zoom (Pro): No time limit and apps to summarize 3️⃣ Google Docs: So we can both edit simultaneously 4️⃣ MBAconsultant.com: Example application essays 5️⃣ Lu.ma: Hosting & managing fun webinars I hope that helps!

Leveraging digital tools like Google Classroom, Padlet, Flipgrid, and Kahoot can revolutionize the way educators facilitate active learning experiences. By integrating these platforms into their teaching practices, teachers can transcend the physical constraints of the classroom and foster a dynamic, interactive learning environment that empowers students to collaborate, communicate, and create beyond traditional boundaries. These tools not only enhance engagement but also promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and digital literacy skills essential for success in the 21st century.

Here are several strategies to achieve this: Online Collaborative Tools: Use platforms like Google Classroom, Slack, or Microsoft Teams to facilitate group projects, discussions, and peer feedback sessions. Educational Apps and Websites: Incorporate apps that offer interactive simulations, quizzes, and problem-solving activities related to real-world scenarios. Virtual Field Trips: Utilize virtual tours of museums, historical sites, and scientific institutions to provide contextual learning experiences.

To extend learning beyond the classroom, I usually plan an individualised educational plan that guides every child's learning needs and goals for more effectiveness. This plan is SMART enough to identify the child's strengths, (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely) learning goals and action plans. To help every child enjoy learning.

Active learning beyond classroom walls fosters student autonomy and lifelong learning by encouraging self-directed exploration. Key strategies include identifying personal interests through surveys, setting SMART goals, utilizing diverse resources like digital platforms and community projects, and monitoring progress with journals or portfolios. Reflection and peer feedback are emphasized to deepen understanding and skills. This approach not only enhances student engagement but also supports individual learning preferences, making education a more personalized and impactful experience.

Extending active learning beyond the classroom empowers English students to cultivate autonomy, curiosity, and lifelong learning skills. Guiding them to identify learning needs and set SMART goals fosters self-direction. Providing diverse resources accommodates various learning styles, enriching their linguistic proficiency. Supporting progress monitoring and outcome evaluation instills accountability and metacognitive awareness. Encouraging reflection nurtures resilience and adaptability in the face of challenges. Active learning transcends boundaries, offering English educators and learners boundless opportunities for exploration, skill refinement, and enjoyment of language acquisition, thereby fostering a community of lifelong learners.

What I’m seeing is that children need things broken down to them because critical thinking and forward thinking is absent these days. Step by step with guided suggestions seem to work best for the students that I am working with currently.

What I’m seeing is that children need things broken down to them because critical thinking and forward thinking is absent these days. Step by step with guided suggestions seem to work best for the students that I am working with currently.

Create a student passport and provide goals and targets in it. Students can tick off the box when they meet the target. Here are some suggestions: ☑️ Tech Whiz: Master a new technology skill or tool. ☑️ Creative Explorer: Participate in an art, music, or drama project. ☑️ Community Champion: Volunteer for a community service project. ☑️ Learn to cook a new type of meal ☑️ Language Linguist: Learn and use five new words in a different language. ☑️ Green Guru: Contribute to an environmental initiative. ☑️ Curiosity Quotient: Ask a thought-provoking question outside school ☑️ Mindful Moments: Practise mindfulness ☑️ Problem Solver: Resolve a conflict positively. ☑️ Global Explorer: Learn about a new country or culture. Visit a new country.

In addition to the use of digital tools and platforms, there are numerous non-technology-based solutions to engage students actively. For example, hands-on projects, reading stories or books, conducting surveys, collecting data or answers from the community, engaging in debates with family members or friends, organizing field trips, visiting museums, and conducting simple scientific experiments can all be effective. In summary, while technology offers powerful tools for active learning, there are certainly ways to extend active learning beyond classrooms without solely relying on it. The key is to encourage participation, critical thinking, and creative expression, irrespective of the specific tools or methods used.

Partner with industry organizations, businesses, or non-profit organizations to create collaborative projects that allow students to work on real-world challenges and projects. Partnership can provide students with valuable industry insights, networking opportunities, and hands-on experience that can enhance their learning and prepare them for future career opportunities. Students can gain practical skills, industry knowledge, and professional connections through these collaborative projects, helping them to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world applications.

Every half-term break, I give my young learners projects to take home to further their learning. This project is aligned with their individualised learning objectives and outcomes, with clear and detailed instructions, criteria, and rubrics to follow. Children type their findings, including pictures, texts, charts, and graphs and reference their findings to avoid plagiarism. Using this has further helped their curiosity, critical thinking skills and problem-solving skills.

Other examples include partnerships with community organisations to allow history students to have direct access to the elderly and retired, through which they can interview them about their histories and also connect with them on a more social level - this allows the students to see how history directly intertwines with life experiences.