There are only the chosen few who actually enjoy the whole learning process. For the rest of us, the whole routine may seem monotonous and borderline wearisome. The one-person show, with the teacher sharing the information and the students dedicatedly listening to them, has become an outdated process. Many teaching professionals have taken this matter seriously and have decided to integrate new teaching techniques to redefine the teaching system.
According to recent research on advanced teaching methods, reports suggest that interactive learning is 6 times more effective and helps students retain information for a longer period of time.
Interactive classrooms encourage students to actively participate and help to create a dynamic between students and teachers. Apart from allowing students to understand the subject matter thoroughly, interactive teaching also allows teachers to properly analyze their students’ capabilities and offer assistance when necessary.
Redefining the Learning Experience
The below techniques will help educators to switch the learning process from passive to active mode. Try them out and even tweak them with your personal inputs to see results.
#Encouraging brainstorming sessions among students
Brainstorming sessions are a great way to encourage student participation and to improve their creative input. Introduce a new topic or a problem among the students, divide them into groups, and ask them to find possible solutions for the topic. Make sure to listen to all of their inputs equally and encourage them to share more.
Group activities like these encourage students to focus and share inputs on the topic at hand rather than simply listening to what is being dictated in classrooms. These practices spark student creativity and make them invest more in their learning. It also brings together students with varying levels of skills and interests and creates mutual respect among the student group.
The sessions allow students to express themselves freely and the teachers to demonstrate how they value and respect their students’ opinions.
#Encouraging individual student participation
Just as it is important to create interactions between student groups, it is also important to stimulate student-teacher interaction. One of the easiest ways to do this is to give students a specific topic for their individual inputs. Make sure to give a simple topic, for instance, ask them what was the favorite thing they learned today. Teachers can set aside time to interact with students and discuss the contributions of every child specifically.
Teachers can conduct surveys among students asking them to share the topics they find difficult to follow. This will give them more insights into their students and allow them to offer the necessary assistance. Another fun thing teachers can do to promote interactive learning is to share false facts on simple topics and wait for the students to share their thoughts on them. Make sure to always appreciate students for their participation.
# Partnering up students
Pair up two students and ask them to share thoughts on a lesson previously covered by the teacher. The students can share the responsibilities between themselves and add in their unique contributions. Practices like these make students delve deeper into subjects and appreciate the value of companionship.
It would be a fun activity to partner up two students and ask them to share thoughts on polar aspects of the topic. In addition to bringing in some interesting concepts, this will also scale the creativity and confidence of students.
Another activity is to ask the students to brainstorm on a particular topic and then share their contributions with their assigned partners. This will help to bring two different perspectives on the same topic and encourage the aspect of working together.
#Introducing interactive games in classrooms
Interactive games help both students and teachers to break the classroom monotony. By introducing games in connection with the teaching content, teachers can bring more engagement among students. Popular games like scrabble, bingo and crossword puzzles will engage students and make them use their intellect to play the game. These practices connect students and the teacher and help the teacher to efficiently incorporate teaching materials into fun-filled games.
These are some of the top practices to promote interactive learning in classrooms. Check them out and see what works for you.
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