TNedchat is a way for educators in Tennessee to share thoughts, resources, and information. The weekly chat is moderated by Jessica Warner (@jessawarner) and Samantha Bates (@sjsbates).
A1 Engagement in the classroom should look like the ability to keep students involved in their learning not just being entertained but truly sparking the learning fires because of what's at hand #tnedchat
A1: excitement, fun, students are pursuing unforeseen paths of inquiry - and with joy and Agency.
Kids have choices how they show what they know. Maybe they make a video w
#TnEdChat
A1: Engagement is when Ss are so into what they were doing that they don't realize you took pics of them until they see it. Also when they get into heated arguments with each other that are on topic. #tnedchat
A1: Engagement in the classroom is the presence of excitement for learning during which there never seems to be enough time and all of the content seems accessible and interesting; students don’t want to stop learning, and the teacher sustains the thrill of learning. #tnedchat
#TNEdChat engagement is when students can tell someone entering the room what they are doing. Students are actively learning and the teacher is “hopping” from learner to learner guiding.
A2 We have to remember that engagement is just a small factor in the overall learning environment. If we plan lessons with just engagement in mind we are missing the point. #tnedchat
Yes!! Always great to let Ss personal interests drive the learning and set a context. Like using sports or music or dance to show inertia or friction..
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A2 And most of all just because kids are engaged might not always mean learning is actually taking place, especially with tech. Flashy is fun but doesn’t always translate to meaningful learning. #TnEdchat
A2 I think all aspects of the classroom can be a meaningful way to engage students. Use the structure of your routine to teach “as you are going”. Make sense? 😄#TnEdChat
Totally agree - I find that many times students are totally engaged in something other that what I need them to be engaged in or they get hung up on minor details and don't see the big picture. #tnedchat
A2: Engagement is often made possible by a structured learning environment, especially one that ignites passions and spurs creativity in reaching some end or developing something. A lack of structure can sometimes hinder engagement and perpetuate apathy. #tnedchat
A2: kids go days at school - being bored.
Then finally one day there is an exciting project. Why not everyday? We’ve got it backwards. Every lesson should start with high engagement. Should happen ALL the time.
#TnEdChat
And thats the key. The why. Especially when we layer tech in the mix. If we choose technology based on the fact it looks fun or “engaging” it may not be what actually leads to high quality learning. #TnEdchat
A2: Engagement takes on many forms depending on the structure of the class. Difficult to answer, but as long as there is accountability for the learning targets their are lots of opportunities for engage students. #tnedchat
A3 Parents are they key right? But the lives of our parents are already overwhelming and we ask to communicate with them on 57 different platforms. #TnEdchat
A3. Yes, research shows engaged parents equal successful students. Creating opportunities to pull parents in for showcases, speakers, etc is good, constant grade updates alone is not engagement #tnedchat
A3 As a school and as a district there has to be consistency in the platforms and methodologies we use to engage parents. It becomes a challenge when one Ts does one thing and another something else. #TnEdchat
A3) Not well apparently - I keep thinking they want their child to learn what I am teaching and thinking they should want to know it too - I get the most feedback from our school FB page and that is often not positive. #tnedchat
A3 While we may get attached personally to one platform or another, it makes it a challenge when Ts all use something different. Wanna boost engagement with parents? Get a consistent platform. #TnEdchat
A3 have students create videos (maybe using Wevideo @EDUcre8ive ) to tell their learning journey. Student voice will capture the parent’s interest #TNEdChat
Meeting them where they are though....It's hard. I get it. And as you are seeing, I try to utilize social media to tell our school story because thats where the parents are already #tnedchat#ccslearns
A3: Engage parents in students' learning by asking them to volunteer, share experiences and use their resources to benefit the school, being it school trips to their place of work and connect parents with kids that show an interest in the type of work those parents do. #TNEdChat
A3: Speak to them respectfully with a focus on supporting them and their children. Find areas in which they can learn and contribute to the learning of others. If we don’t make genuine efforts to engage parents, we communicate that their involvement isn’t important. #TNEdChat
A3 Should we engage families? Absolutely! I’m lucky to see most daily. Also send home a folder for daily communication opportunities. And they are always welcome in our classroom. #TnEdChat
A3: All stakeholders should be engaged! Learning does not exclusive to 8-3 and August-May. The learning brain yields and warm heart. Engage parents with whatever tool brings them to the table. #tnedchat
A3: In 4th grade, thanks to another parent at my school, I was lucky to get to see my first super-computer and guess what, three decades later, I'm still hooked! #TNEdChat#livingexample
A3: In addition---Which platforms are actually feasible, practical, and worth our interest to communicate and organize student learning? Does this platform preference change with age? #TNedchat
A3: this is a tough problem. Many parents have deep reservations and Little interest in things like standards and testing. Parents question the relevance of much of the curriculum. For better or worse that is the way it is.
This needs to be examined
#TnEdChat
A1: Engagement looks like students having opportunities to practice and explore the content with their hands, voices, and minds - content that the teacher has made relevant to students’ lives and other disciplines. #TnEdChat
I know we use @seesaw with primary students and parents love the "during the day" updates. I believe we must create some boundaries from helicopter parents as students get older so they are owning their responsibilities but communication is always key #tnedchat
A4: I was recently told that I can't expect everyone to see my tweets. And yet the more I think about it--Why not? It's free--You don't need your own twitter acct to see a public account. If you want a centralized platform to communicate, public ones have their place. #TNedchat
A4: Class - anything that helps me gamify a lesson or create an inquiry opportunity; Faculty - the resources they have at their disposal, I try to help them see potential in what they already have by engaging them with it; also, free stuff is pretty cool #facts#tnedchat
A3: MUCH work needs to be done to get parents on board - not with the value and the mission of education - but of what is taught and how.
Little attention given to this, I know many Ps who think much of the curriculum and even skills are not relevant
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A1: When students are focused on the task at hand without incentives or motivations beyond that they are truly enamored with what is happening in the room. #TnEdChat
A4 I feel our district does a good job at putting the info out there, it's just not always read or not easy to find once it is read. We use texts, emails, Thursday Communications, social media, and most recently Announcements to parents within @CanvasLMS#tnedchat
Such a good point. We also need to be aware of our biases and cultural perspectives. To often, we alienate because our accidental assumptions. #tnedchat
A4: Weekly newsletters (digital and print) are shared with parents and district admin. We try to be extremely gracious in recognizing and thanking community partners. #TnEdChat
A4: I am finding the most effective engagement to be less about technology and tools lately than it is about time and intentional questions. It fascinates me how humor and competition often drive engagement, but can also be the source of its demise when not on target. #tnedchat
A4: The #1 resource for an engaged class is top-notch faculty, and for your engaged faculty it is excellent PD opportunities, a mix between internal and external in addition to steadfast support for admins. Work often feels like the extended family. #TNEdChat
A4: @Seesaw,Twitter, email, take home folders, remind. Anything that works. TBH, I think every disctrict could use a PD on marketing/communications from an ad agency every couple years to stay current. #tnedchat
The classic, we talk talk talk, but who is listening? The question is how we share experiences that are so impactful that they can't be ignored. It's in the long game, the marathon of relevant work from our faculty and excited students that love their school. #TNEdChat
In reply to
@juliedavisEDU, @Gregbagby, @CanvasLMS
Julie, you read my mind! I was just thinking that. I used @Seesaw in past for my own documentation. I think I’ll give them a few more weeks to learn how to “school” before we get techy. 😊 #tnedchat
In reply to
@juliedavisEDU, @Gregbagby, @ClassDojo, @Seesaw, @Seesaw
Yes! Maybe its because I have a degree in business too but I think if given
a magic wand, access to school social media accounts, well thought out hashtags I could rule the world! #tnedchat
A4: I'm finding that I strongly favor apps and communication channels that can be used off-campus, such as anything @GoogleForEdu and @Flipgrid. Educators need to embrace how learning is anywhere, anytime, and not restricted to school calendars or campus locations. #Tnedchat
A5: Definitely don't assume technology will engage just because it's technology! And pay attention to how Ss and parents use tech everyday - and let them be experts, you dont have to know everything! #tnedchat
A5 What is your goal and who are are trying to engage? Meet your peeps where they are but teach students how to use these platforms effectively and properly for communication #tnedchat
A5 Tech can sure engage students. It’s flashy and fun. But be careful. There always has to be a period of deflect to ask yourself did the learn what we set out to learn or not. And how do you know? #TnEdChat
A5: The answer is in the Q, @juliedavisEDU. Engagement includes technology. I'm not sure if there's any looking back anymore. F2F is priceless, but when was the last day we went F2F ONLY for one whole day? Engagement is far-fetched free of #edtech. There. I said it. #tnedchat
A5 Tech can make a huge diff. Low tech like a CD player and book are huge for my littles. They love it. We listened to the sounds of the animals from “Polar Bear, Polar Bear” on YouTube. Thinking of using iPad to engage them in writing and learning letters. #tnedchat
A5 Tech can sure engage students. It’s flashy and fun. But be careful. There always has to be a period of reflection to ask yourself did the learn what we set out to learn or not. And how do you know? #TnEdChat
Multiple platforms are great as long as there is consistency for parents. Meeting parents where they are and when they start their own Facebook groups for their class is when interesting engagement happens. #TNEdChat
A5: super versatile & works with multiple scenarios...I can list a plethora of technology integration uses...I would challenge to not trying if it solely as a shiner tool but to make sure it supports/enhances the learning process #tnedchat
A5: The most important thing we can do with tech is to engage our families and communities. We need more advocacy for the craft of teaching and learning. Facts and truth do exist. It's up to our educational institutions to shore up those foundations. ..steps off soapbox #tnedchat
A5b I'm trying to help teachers see pathways to intentional tech....what does this add? If it doesn't, why do it? But it's important to remember it might add something for someone other than you, the teacher. It might also create efficiencies for your students. #tnedchat
We're only a few minutes away from our weekly chat with host @Rdene915! All our welcome to share your thoughts about NEW IDEAS FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. #aimsnetwork@RaeHughart@BryanZwemke
Evonne, do you think they’d watch a YouTube video you make to present the same info? Could share it by text with #googlevoice if you don’t have to use your personal number. #TNEdChat
A5: My students are digital natives and I have learned (like it or not) that this is how they experience the world and how they learn (with technology). #tnedchat
A5 tech can offer more options in what can tied in to an experience. More choice makes students better evaluates of which tool works best for that situation #TNEdChat
A5: super versatile & works with multiple scenarios...I can list a plethora of technology integration uses...I would challenge users to not try it solely as a shiney tool but to make sure it supports/enhances the learning process #tnedchat
A5 tech can offer more options in what can tied in to an experience. More choice makes students better evaluates of which tool works best for that situation #TNEdChat
I think a great deal of this depends on the accessibility of such #edtech, not just physically, but culturally and socio-emotionally, as well. For some, technology serves as a less-than-engaged passive entertainment means; it must be used intentionally and accessibly. #tnedchat
A6: Use student names in discussions. Smile. Be approachable... all those things are low tech and high impact. and when the wifi is down, they still work if I let them! #tnedchat
Being a good evaluator of tools is missing in so many schools. In the job world, they don’t say here is the right tool go and create. No they say solve this problem find the right tool #TNEdChat
A5: Interactive sessions with "live" shared Google docs or OneNote sessions can be amazing! Fun mini quizzes with clickers/iPads and other ways that can help gamify a classroom project. #TNEdChat
For human flourishing! And teaching our students (and ourselves) the importance of finding the balance within. Read this blog post by a student at my school: https://t.co/YMd5lhpUun#tnedchat
A6 Songs, chants, using their names and pics for EVERYTHING help to engage my little folks. I try to make a creative connection to the teaching so they can make a picture or other artifact later on. Also some #tlap style “hooks” to peak curiosity when I can. #tnedchat
A6: Engage (myself)—if I don’t engage in the content, the task, or the project, how can I expect my students or colleagues to do so? Engagement, like its twin excitement, can be contagious. When it looks fresh, fun, or fascinating, others will want to join you. #tnedchat
A6: As a specialist seeing nearly 900 Ss in a seven-day rotation, it can be challenging to foster a deep relationship with all kids. Yet, there is that effort that every educator can invest to make every moment of time spent together incredibly meaningful & memorable. #TNedchat
A6: know your audience,tailor tech integration to their level & interest, don’t overuse same thing all the time—Ss check out when using the same resource daily...Once a Ss ask me if they could take a kahoot break , apparently it was the only tool in the T’s toolbox #tnedchat
Q6: Greeting Ss at the door with a smile! In terms of engaging with #edtech my Ss love Kahoot, Socrative, Quivervision, Google Classroom, Flipgrid, Buncee, Nearpod. #tnedchat
Be careful about student privacy issues. I would suggest the Kids Edition Echo Dot. I'm doing a pilot at our school right now. Hit me up sometime for details! #tnedchat
