Active Learning
Let's start off with answering the questions: what is active learning and what, exactly, does it entail?
Active learning is any kind of learning that takes place where students are able to actively participate in the learning process. Students are able to truly engage in the material being taught through reading, talking, writing, reflecting, and listening.
This week, I was introduced to a fun website known as Padlet. This is a space that I would compare to an online version of your personal notepad. You can put anything on your Padlet and check out other Padlets out there. I created my own Padlet board to share a bit about a Zumpanotechlab blog post on Student Feedback part II and how it relates to active learning.
Active learning is any kind of learning that takes place where students are able to actively participate in the learning process. Students are able to truly engage in the material being taught through reading, talking, writing, reflecting, and listening.
This week, I was introduced to a fun website known as Padlet. This is a space that I would compare to an online version of your personal notepad. You can put anything on your Padlet and check out other Padlets out there. I created my own Padlet board to share a bit about a Zumpanotechlab blog post on Student Feedback part II and how it relates to active learning.
The blog post featured a 4-part active learning activity. To start, 5th graders were to use PicCollage to create a fun book cover that they then added an audio recording of their personal book review created on Audioboom. Here's one example of a student's book cover collage:
Once the collages and recordings were created, the students were able to give feedback to one another through TodaysMeet. After observing the transcripts and looking over the feedback was being given, the students received a lesson on feedback. What is nonsense feedback, neutral feedback, and strong feedback?
Students were able to learn the types of feedback they were giving and receiving, and then able to go back and give strong feedback to their peers. Throughout this project, active learning was being done. Students were engaged, they were participating and interacting with one another, they used a number of different computer programs to creatively give a book review.
Teachers should keep active learning in mind when developing their lesson plans - absolutely! Active learning is a creative way to keep students involved and engaged. We live in a tech-focused, hands-on world and bringing these things into the classroom can help students learn how to appropriately use this technology outside of the classroom walls.
While I do not necessarily use active learning in a classroom setting, I definitely believe that it is something I engage my clients in regularly. One of my favorite ways to help clients learn about how to "balance their plate" is by directing them to Choose My Plate. Not only are my clients able to see what a balanced meal should look like for them, but there are so many activities and infographics they can reference at home, after our sessions.
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I also like to engage my clients in learning how to estimate their portion sizes by teaching them how their hands can be helpful! Above is an example of a "Helping Hands" handout that I share to give examples of how to appropriately portion out different foods in different food groups.
In what ways do you engage your students, patients, clients, learners in active learning?
Love the background you chose for your padlet. I like how you tied it into Nutrition. I am all on board with what you said: not using it in the classroom but with coaching your clients one on one or in a group. I like how you put a picture of myplate. I moved in with RD from FFC PR this week and we have plates that are the myplate, so dietitian like! Portion size using your hand is my favorite I say it on a daily basis. Thanks for the picture explain I will use it with my clients.
ReplyDeleteI like how you tied active learning in with your clients! Teaching your clients to estimate portion size by using their hands is incorporating active learning because you are helping them to make connections to concrete, real references that will help them. It is very visual which helps to make it easier to understand and remember the topic.
ReplyDeleteGreat job tying active learning into your current role! Your Padlet is well done.
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ReplyDeleteI loved looking over your Padlet! I was interested to learn about how I could incorporate it into my classroom as well as if I ever had clients of my own! I could definitely use this with my students as well as my students parents who are concerned with their child's nutrition levels. I use PicCollage for myself so it was interesting to see how I could use it in my classroom and for other purposes as well!
Natalie,
ReplyDeleteI agree with the others that while you may not be in a classroom setting, you have been able to identify ways in which you use active learning with your clients. Utilizing the hand to show how much a portion would be is an excellent way to tie in active learning as well as a motor image which further supports memory. Another example of a motor image is for students to use their hands to help them remember which direction the letters 'b' and 'd' face. See this website for further explanation and more memorization tools: http://www.readingrockets.org/article/making-it-stick-memorable-strategies-enhance-learning