This additional OER material is connected to the ‘Before the workshop READ – LEARNING ACTIVITIES FOR TRANSVERSAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT’ exercise and provides very practical further information to the content presented there.
As you are already aware, for children aged 6–10, active learning creates opportunities to develop curriculum knowledge and transversal skills at the same time. When pupils work with others, explain their thinking, explore different solutions or reflect on their learning, they are also practising skills that they can use in many different situations. In the SPIRIT project, we interpret active learning as a tool that provide opportunities to develop many of the ten transversal skills.
1. Read: How to Implement Active Learning
The Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) at the University of Michigan provides practical guidance for introducing active learning into everyday teaching. Teachers do not need to redesign every lesson. Active learning can begin with small changes to existing classroom practice.
The guidance recommends:
- starting with one simple active-learning technique;
- explaining why the activity is being used;
- connecting the activity clearly to the learning outcomes;
- planning how pupils will participate;
- allowing appropriate time for the activity;
- considering how the activity will be concluded and discussed;
- collecting feedback about pupils’ experience.
Read: Implementing Active Learning in Your Classroom – University of Michigan, CRLT
https://crlt.umich.edu/active_learning_implementing
Source: Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT), University of Michigan. Reproduced with permission.
The figure can be used as a simple planning reminder: active learning works best when the learning objective, pupil activity and reflection are deliberately connected.
2. Watch Active Learning in Action
See how active participation can become part of everyday elementary teaching.
In this short Edutopia classroom video, movement is connected to curriculum learning rather than being used simply as a break from learning. Pupils actively participate while working with academic content.
As you watch, notice how the pupils move from receiving information towards actively using what they are learning.
Watch:How to Get Kids Moving in Every Subject – Edutopia
3. Explore: Active Learning Activities and Strategies
Once the learning objective is clear, teachers can choose an active-learning strategy that helps pupils work with the content.
The SessionLab collection of active learning activities provides a large bank of practical ideas for discussion, critical thinking, problem-solving, reflection, creativity and participation. Not every activity in the collection is designed specifically for primary pupils. Teachers should therefore select and adapt activities according to the age, needs and learning objectives of their pupils.
Explore: 33 Active Learning Activities and Strategies for Engaging Learners – SessionLab
https://www.sessionlab.com/blog/active-learning-activities-and-strategies
5. Further Resource for Teachers
Active and Cooperative Learning – Cal State LA
The California State University, Los Angeles collection provides additional resources on active and cooperative learning.
It can be used as a resource bank for teachers who would like to explore additional approaches for increasing pupil participation, interaction and responsibility for learning.
https://www.calstatela.edu/dept/chem/chem2/Active/index.htm