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IMPACT in Action - Engagement #2

  • 1.  IMPACT in Action - Engagement #2

    Posted 01-11-2021 08:48:00

    What do you think motivates students to engage in your learning environment?  Share your thoughts here, but if you have a more detailed activity/document, feel free to share it by posting it in the All Access Public Library and then providing the link to your entry in this discussion thread.



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    Evan Evans
    Professor of Mathematics
    Frederick CC
    Frederick MD
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  • 2.  RE: IMPACT in Action - Engagement #2

    Posted 01-12-2021 09:48:00
    I spoke to some of my colleagues about this very topic and here are some things they shared with me:
    • opportunities to share without fear of judgement
    • ease of accessibility and clear understanding on the parameters in which to participate
    • comfortability of learning environment (familiarity how to engage)
    • interest and competition (collaboration games)


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    Evan Evans
    Professor of Mathematics
    Frederick CC
    Frederick MD
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  • 3.  RE: IMPACT in Action - Engagement #2

    Posted 01-12-2021 11:28:00
    Respond Quickly to all Emails
    Creating an Announcement of  reminder to upcoming high stake assessments
    Giving Flexibility to expire assignments
    Having some compassions and following up with at risk students.

    ------------------------------
    Shreyas Desai
    Assistant Professor
    Atlanta Metropolitan State College
    Atlatnta
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  • 4.  RE: IMPACT in Action - Engagement #2

    Posted 07-06-2021 15:03:00
    Evan 
    Agreed to all.  Students who have only seen silent classrooms, still hesitate to call attention to themselves by raising their hands.

    I have tried a variety of ways to involve all students. I even used the popsicle sticks with names on them, much as they do in elementary and middle school classrooms.   You can make a lesson on probability on that as well.

    Ruth

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    Ruth Collins
    Professor of mathematics education
    Walden Univ (retired from a two year school)
    Minneapolis MN
    ------------------------------



  • 5.  RE: IMPACT in Action - Engagement #2

    Posted 01-12-2021 10:38:00
    Engagement has been the big puzzle in the remote teaching environment. Although what I perceived as engagement in the face-to-face environment may have been incorrect. Face-to-face we can use facial expressions, gaze, body language, participation, and gesture to gauge engagement. Remotely with many students off-camera and muted, many of these no longer apply. And even in the face-to-face setting, the seemingly attentive student may not actually be mentally engaged (since we cannot see the inner workings of their brain). So where does that leave us? I've decided to focus on "small victories." For example, nearly every class I used a Zoom poll, often just a generic one to see if they had any questions after we went over something together. Each time, I had near 100% participation in the poll. They felt safe enough to answer, due to anonymity and the format most likely. I would also utilize chat and, again, most students would chime in there too. But if I were to judge engagement by unmuting and talking or eye contact/camera on, I would have felt like I'd failed. The same applies to their time in breakout rooms. I found that if they had an artifact to produce, say on a Google Slide, they were much more likely to engage in the activity as evidenced by the fact that there was something completed. I know that none of this is revelatory, but it was a turning point for me last semester when I accepted these small victories and shifted what I perceived actual engagement to be.

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    Chris Sabino
    Associate Professor
    Harold Washington College
    Chicago IL
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  • 6.  RE: IMPACT in Action - Engagement #2

    Posted 01-13-2021 07:08:00
    Great advice.  But what if online becomes the new normal.  How do we prepare our students to be more aware of what that means?

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    julius nadas
    professor
    wilbur wright college
    Chicago IL
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  • 7.  RE: IMPACT in Action - Engagement #2

    Posted 07-07-2021 15:28:00
    Julius
    Long before the pandemic (I am going to say 12 years ago for some states) the schools started mandating that graduating seniors take at least ONE online course while they were still under supervision in the high schools.  They realized, as forward-thinking states, that this was the instruction mode for much of future coursework, and in employee training as well. Students had to pass the course as well.  They had teachers and tutors as needed and this was billed as an experience gathering change to see how this worked out.  Of course, these states and schools were ahead of the time we now know as the school's role in 2020.  Almost all the schools in the country were without plans and without a fallback solution for closed schools.  We would need instruction for the teachers as well as they are at all different sorts of levels technology-wise.

    I think that is a good start.  Students are pretty much all on computers now, but they can be introduced to online instruction at different ages and with different topics and course curriculum plans to make this effort more successful.  My two cents.

    ------------------------------
    Ruth Collins
    Professor of mathematics education
    Walden Univ (retired from a two year school)
    Minneapolis MN
    ------------------------------



  • 8.  RE: IMPACT in Action - Engagement #2

    Posted 01-13-2021 09:07:00
    Edited by Evan Evans 01-13-2021 09:08:04
    This is very intriguing and I never thought of it in that way. Chris, I especially like how you have utilized ZOOM polls to check-in, sort of like how we use probing questions in a face-to-face lecture. I will look to adopt such a process for my Structured Remote classes this semester...thank you for your insights

    ------------------------------
    Evan Evans
    Professor of Mathematics
    Frederick CC
    Frederick MD
    ------------------------------



  • 9.  RE: IMPACT in Action - Engagement #2

    Posted 01-13-2021 02:01:00
    Edited by Alexander Le 01-13-2021 02:03:40
    Hello,

    What's been effective for my calculus class has been the element of fun and engagement as well as comfort.

    We have regular jeopardy games in Zoom, this is a feature which you can find more information on here: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiu2duFqpjuAhVQFjQIHcSXCpYQFjABegQIBhAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dl5LejKM4PJU&usg=AOvVaw0XDqF-4YxS8LF3ff7-GNCi

    We then review incorrect answers and give out a token "prize". It's motivating to students and fun as its interactive. Considering that the classes were held at 7:30 AM and everyone stayed, it's worth noting. What's notable is that as eventually the students opened up to the Zoom lecture meetings as they were fun and not draining, people started to turn ON their cameras. This experience made me enjoy learning on Zoom and so did some of my classmates.

    -------------------------------------
    Alexander Le
    A math student
    instagram: math_boy_does_math
    --------------------------------------

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    Alexander Le
    Student
    American River College
    Sacramento CA
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  • 10.  RE: IMPACT in Action - Engagement #2

    Posted 01-13-2021 09:14:00
    Alexander, this is an awesome idea....i love it! Thank you for sharing the resource, I will definitely use it this semester.

    ------------------------------
    Evan Evans
    Professor of Mathematics
    Frederick CC
    Frederick MD
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  • 11.  RE: IMPACT in Action - Engagement #2

    Posted 07-24-2021 10:46:00
    Alexander
    I do not have data, if they have collected it, on the states that mandated high school students take online courses in high school while they have the support of the teacher (who is right there in the high school).  Michigan is the first state to do have done this, years ago, from my limited amount of reading.

    ------------------------------
    Ruth Collins
    Professor of mathematics education
    Walden Univ (retired from a two year school)
    Minneapolis MN
    ------------------------------



  • 12.  RE: IMPACT in Action - Engagement #2

    Posted 01-28-2021 16:13:00
    I think what works for me are the following (I used to be horrible in engaging non-self-motivated students previously)
    • Show them I care and messaging them or calling their names at various points, encouraging and supporting them
    • Adding newness by incorporating International flair or Sustainability ideas
    • Giving them choice in projects, for instance they get to choose their constant "a" while solving y=sqrt(a-x)


    ------------------------------
    Manisha Ranade
    Santa Fe College
    Gainesville FL
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  • 13.  RE: IMPACT in Action - Engagement #2

    Posted 07-24-2021 10:50:00
    Manisha
    Very strong and clever ideas.  I use their names every chance I have in online courses to establish a link or relationship with students at a distance. I teach students now scattered around the globe, and they ALL seem to appreciate this.  I also use the choice factor in as many activities as I can.  I do require Math talk in their answers and also in testing.

    Thanks for sharing

    ------------------------------
    Ruth Collins
    Professor of mathematics education
    Walden Univ (retired from a two year school)
    Minneapolis MN
    ------------------------------



  • 14.  RE: IMPACT in Action - Engagement #2

    Posted 05-10-2021 14:01:00
    I like a lot of the given ideas... I can see myself adopting a poll for questions or a common project to which they can all contribute.  My classes were able to meet in person this entire last year, but our college also has different campuses as well as a few students who connect via Zoom.  Does anyone have engagement ideas when there's a group in front of you but also solo individuals ​on the screen?  Every now and then I get the distance-learning student who doesn't mind answering questions or speaking up, but mostly those students feel disconnected despite my attempts to keep them engaged.

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    Joanna T. Jacobs
    Mid-Plains CC - North Platte South
    North Platte NE
    308-221-6435
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  • 15.  RE: IMPACT in Action - Engagement #2

    Posted 05-16-2021 01:13:00
    You can run a Kahoot! for the whole class at the same time! Super fun way for them to be engaged and feel connected. Another option is to have students run through a desmos activity in groups. For the zoom class put them into breakout rooms of 2-3 people and have them fill out a google doc as they work through the desmos (that way they have something tangible to work on/share their screens with). Wendy Fresh and I have some videos on our youtube channel that show how to do this with Desmos. Click on the "remote teaching tips" playlist to find them.  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe2lw4TpcoOJbPKawl831XQ

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    Jessica Bernards
    Portland CC
    Portland OR
    5038107785
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  • 16.  RE: IMPACT in Action - Engagement #2

    Posted 05-11-2021 09:54:00
    I use Zoom polls to let them pick which example we will work.  I have a generic poll set up for them to choose example A or B.  Sometimes it surprises me which they choose.  But it keeps them involved and they have a connection to the specific problem if only by making the decision which problem.


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    Deeanna Antosh
    Instructor
    Blinn College
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  • 17.  RE: IMPACT in Action - Engagement #2

    Posted 05-16-2021 01:18:00
    • Having a classroom community where all feel safe, included and that it's ok to make mistakes!
    • Connection with intructor
    • Active learning BIG time! Make it fun by creating some type of gamification component.
    • Using Growth Mindset Language and helping instill it within them so when they do make mistakes they don't disengage, but use it as a drive for learning.


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    Jessica Bernards
    Portland CC
    Portland OR
    5038107785
    ------------------------------



  • 18.  RE: IMPACT in Action - Engagement #2

    Posted 05-17-2021 01:32:00
    Inculcating a growth mindset, creating active learning, and making the class a safe place to make mistakes?  ABSOLUTELY.
    But gamification used to be for elementary schoolers, and later for high schoolers and below...do we really have to gamify college-level material for adults now?  When do we expect them to eat their vegetables, rather than sugar?  Not until grad school now?

    ------------------------------
    Michael Allen
    Professor
    Glendale CC
    Glendale CA
    8182401000
    ------------------------------



  • 19.  RE: IMPACT in Action - Engagement #2

    Posted 05-17-2021 13:21:00
    Hi Michael,
     I am also unhappy about the push to gamify teaching or making learning fun with technology!  Our online design folks ask us to do a lot including making canvas uniform, creating short videos, incorporating YouTube &/or attractive sites to engage students. I understand they mean well and want us to reach students who hate Math. But it feels like we are selling out to compete & advertise our craft. Student opinion surveys are a metric in our annual contracts. Fortunately, I've found that I can converse, give students space and engage by calling on them, rather than having to entertain or learn new technology & keep up with the millennials (I am so ancient, we used punched cards for programming 😊). It helps me to be lighthearted (making fun of my own accent), take everything less personally and connect as a person to each student.

    ------------------------------
    Manisha Ranade
    Santa Fe College
    Gainesville FL
    ------------------------------



  • 20.  RE: IMPACT in Action - Engagement #2

    Posted 05-17-2021 14:20:00
    Hello Professor Ranade!

    You don't know how easy you had it!  I was so thrilled when we finally switched to punched cards. One could read the Hollerith codes even if the printing was faded. You could correct your mistakes by removing a card and replacing it!
    I must be a bunch older than you because I started with long ribbons of paper tape. Finding the section that I needed to change, cutting it out, and then splicing a corrected piece of tape was a real challenge. But standing in line with a spool of tape to use the Burroughs Datatron 220 computer was still easier than having to insert wires into the control panel of an IBM 407 accounting machine. Technology has made our jobs easier and I am very grateful.  

    As an immigrant, learning enough English to teach Math was another challenge.  English is my third language after Magyar and German, and I had hoped it would be easy. I started by trying to count.  You know: one two three, or egy kettő három, or eins zwei drei.  I almost gave up in frustration because of the inconsistencies of the English language. The word "ONE" does not have a "W" in it even though it is pronounced that way. So I move on to "TWO" which does have a "W" even though it is not pronounced! 

    I wonder what's next.


     



    Julius Z. Nadas, 

    Distinguished Professor,

    Department of Mathematics,

    Wilbur Wright College








  • 21.  RE: IMPACT in Action - Engagement #2

    Posted 07-24-2021 10:55:00
    Julius
    Still smiling at the post.  I remember a day when we were working with punch cards in Indiana and someone walked across the room, tripped, and the box of cards went sailing and scattered all over the road.  Poor guy

    I am told by our ELL department that the English language is the most inconsistent language anywhere.  That is certainly believable.  You are to be congratulated on your language mastery.

    ------------------------------
    Ruth Collins
    Professor of mathematics education
    Walden Univ (retired from a two year school)
    Minneapolis MN
    ------------------------------



  • 22.  RE: IMPACT in Action - Engagement #2

    Posted 05-17-2021 11:22:00
    Like Joanna, this past year we had live classes but always some students on Zoom at the same time.  The best thing I did for that situation is I had my grader come to class and run the technology, answer students questions, and try to involve the zoom students (while grading in between! Yes, I had some awesome graders/TAs).  But, I would love other ways to involve Zoom students.  In the class where I didn't have a TA to run the technology so much time was wasted.  I am grateful for the students on Zoom that will talk, but so many of them won't.

    ------------------------------
    Jennifer Ganowsky
    Coordinator of Developmental Math
    Southern Utah Univ
    Cedar City UT
    4355865441
    ------------------------------



  • 23.  RE: IMPACT in Action - Engagement #2

    Posted 07-24-2021 10:51:00
    YES!!! to all

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    Ruth Collins
    Professor of mathematics education
    Walden Univ (retired from a two year school)
    Minneapolis MN
    ------------------------------