According to the Brown University Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning, “Students learn through their participation in the attainment of knowledge by gathering information and processing it by solving problems and articulating what they have discovered.”
Interactive learning engages students in their learning and reinforces a sense of the classroom as a safe learning community. It also encourages the successful participation of those students who might be more reluctant to share their ideas with others.
Benefits of Interactive Learning Structures
Jigsaw
One effective way teachers can help all students to actively participate in classroom learning is through the use of a jigsaw activity.
In a jigsaw, the class is divided into teams of 4 students. Each team becomes experts in one part of the lesson being taught. When all team teams are ready the class is re-divided so that one member from each expert team is in each new group. Each expert then teaches the rest of the group what he/she learned. Finally, the new group pulls all of the pieces together to form the full picture - and that is how it gets the name jigsaw.
Jigsaw promotes both individual accountability and cooperative learning.
Interactive learning engages students in their learning and reinforces a sense of the classroom as a safe learning community. It also encourages the successful participation of those students who might be more reluctant to share their ideas with others.
Benefits of Interactive Learning Structures
- Provide safe ways for students to interact with each other
- Give students fun but orderly ways to dig into content
- Provide practice in essential listening, speaking, and thinking skills
- Help students practice key social skills such as cooperation and responsibility
Jigsaw
One effective way teachers can help all students to actively participate in classroom learning is through the use of a jigsaw activity.
In a jigsaw, the class is divided into teams of 4 students. Each team becomes experts in one part of the lesson being taught. When all team teams are ready the class is re-divided so that one member from each expert team is in each new group. Each expert then teaches the rest of the group what he/she learned. Finally, the new group pulls all of the pieces together to form the full picture - and that is how it gets the name jigsaw.
Jigsaw promotes both individual accountability and cooperative learning.
Home - School Connection
How can you make learning interactive for your kids at home?
How can you make learning interactive for your kids at home?
- Have "board game" night where everyone plays board games instead of using technology.
- Cook dinner together.
- Bake cookies or a cake - from scratch.
- Count the coins in their "piggy bank".
- Read a story and then put on a play where you act out the parts.