Maya 1

Luis Maya

RDG 323

Professor Trombley

11/19/2020

Module 2 Reflection

Students are in school five days a week, eight hours a day. They have had countless

teachers, all with various thoughts of what constitutes an effective lesson. If you plan on giving

your students a standard activity with no real substance behind it, it is very likely that they will

not respond positively and instead become disconnected from your instruction. In order for

students to respond well, you must give them a reason to be motivated and engaged. You must

use something that relates to them - whether it be sports references, hobbies, current events,

etc… - to get them engaged in your lesson and be motivated to learn more (Irvin, Meltzer, &

Dukes, 2017). Given the current situation we are in, however, this may be harder to achieve than

in years past. With online learning dominating the educational field, it is now more crucial than

ever to achieve proper engagement and motivation in students.

The key to proper engagement and motivation is proactiveness. Whether you are in a

virtual or physical classroom, it is important to create a space free from judgement and full of

collaboration (Tucker, 2020). In doing so, you have set the stage for students to learn in a manner

that more closely resembles them. Once you have gotten to that point, it is important to rotate the

manner in which you present information. Students have been raising their hands to answer

questions for years and many choose not to participate in that format. Sometimes it is due to

shyness and not being able to articulate their thoughts, while other times it is due to not having

enough time to process the question. One way to solve this is by using differentiation strategies!
 Maya 2

Technology is definitely your friend in this situation. Using websites such as Padlet or FlipGrid

help students dive in further to the questions you are asking in a new manner that takes away the

fear of being misconstrued (Tucker, 2020).

These types of questions and processes are known as formative assessments. When

students think of formative assessments, their minds are likely to go to the two most common

forms: bell work and exit slips asking generic questions. There is no substance to the material,

just surface level questions meant to instill memorization skills. Bell work and exit slips are not

inherently bad, they have simply been worn down and used as a crutch by teachers for years.

Rather than asking students to repeat what they heard, we need to be asking students to provide

examples of their claims, challenge them to come up with an alternative solution, have them

justify their response with secondary claims, etc… (Fisher & Frey, 2014). We do not have to

reinvent the wheel, just provide a new way of looking at things. Through these engagements,

students are able to better understand the material while practicing deeper learning strategies

(Wickline, 2015).

When designing engaging instruction, it is vital to include a compelling question.

Successful compelling questions are relevant to students and motivate students to find an answer

(Spires, Kerkhoff, & Graham, 2016). They also ensure that student learning is in line with the

content and lesson objectives for the day. Objectives go hand in hand with compelling questions.

Without each other, neither can be successfully completed. We use the compelling question to

find meaning to the lesson while using objectives to explain how we reach our final conclusions.

Planning engaging instruction can be very difficult and nerve wracking. There are many

variables that come into play and success is never guaranteed. There are ways to ensure a greater

probability of succeeding, however. Relevance is key. Teachers must take the time to know their
 Maya 3

students and use the information they gather to their advantage. Using different formative

assessment options is also needed to keep students engaged. It is also important to remember that

an engaging compelling question is behind every successful lesson. That area is vital to ensuring

your students stay motivated. With the help of relevance and proactiveness, teachers should not

have a difficult time designing engaging instruction.

 Maya 4

References

Fisher, D., Frey, N. (2014). Assessments That Highlight Strengths and Challenges. ​International

Reading Association​. Retrieved from

https://secondaryliteracies.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/assessments-strengths-challenges

.pdf

Irvin, J.L., Meltzer, J., & Dukes, M.S. (2007). Chapter 1: Student Motivation, Engagement, and

Achievement. ​Taking Action on Adolescent Literacy​. Retrieved from

http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/107034/chapters/Student-Motivation,-Engageme

nt,-and-Achievement.aspx

Tucker, C. R. (2020). Successfully Taking Offline Classes Online. ​A New Reality: Getting

Remote Learning Right​. Retrieved from

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/summer20/vol77/num10/Succes

sfully-Taking-Offline-Classes-Online.aspx

Wickline, H. (2015). Creating the Conditions for Deeper Learning. ​Hewlett Foundation​.

Retrieved from ​https://hewlett.org/creating-the-conditions-for-deeper-learning/

Spires, H. A., Kerkhoff, S.N., & Graham, A. C.K. (2014). Disciplinary Literacy and Inquiry:

Teaching for Deeper Content Learning. ​Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy.

Retrieved from

https://arizona-asu.alma.exlibrisgroup.com/leganto/readinglist/citation/208740812000038

41?institute=01ASU_INST&auth=CAS