ACTIVE LEARNING

Courtney Marquez
Semester 4- 4/19/22
Audience: Grade Level Team/Colleagues
Teacher Leader Project
 OBJECTIVE AND STANDARDS
Objective
• Teachers will learn the importance of physical movement in students’ learning as well as
how to implement it using a variety of strategies. Student engagement, academic success,
and happiness in the classroom will enhance.

Teacher Leader Model Standards

• Domain II: Accessing and Using Research to Improve Practice and Student Learning
• Domain VII: Advocating for Student Learning and the Profession

NBPTS
• Proposition 1: Teachers are committed to students and their learning.
 WHAT IS ACTIVE LEARNING

• The philosophy of Active Learning originated at the private school that I work at in Rancho
Santa Margarita.
• Active Learning is a research based teaching philosophy that implements movement into
student education.
• Research shows that movement has a positive impact on a person’s brain and helps students
to absorb new information more easily as they are more likely to be engaged in the learning
with movement being integrated.
• Active Learning can be as simple as integrating any kind of movement into students’ lessons
and learning. This can look similar to Physical Education integration.
• There are many different teaching strategies that a teacher can use to implement movement
in a variety of ways and with any academic subject.
 WHY IS MOVEMENT IMPORTANT +
THE EFFECT IT HAS ON THE BRAIN
Q: Why is movement important for developing brains?
• Jenson (2000) wrote, “Traditional seatwork engages less of the brain. If you want your learners to remember what
they are learning, get them involved: Get them moving. Start ‘playing’ more and ‘working’ less” (p.6).
• “Physical activity has also been known to stimulate the release of epinephrine and norepinephrine (adrenaline)
enabling children to become more alert and ready to learn” (p.29).
• In his research, he described the connection between movement and the cognitive abilities of children. This implies
that in order for students to use their maximum brain potential, it is necessary to include movement with it.

Works Cited:
• Literacy and Language Center, The Benefits of Movement in the Classroom, Lamprecht, 2016
• https://literacyandlanguagecenter.com/the-benefits-of-movement-in-the-classroom/
 
• St. Cloud State Education, The Impact of Physical Movement on Academic Learning, Ford, 2016
• https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1009&context=ed_etds
 HANDOUT:
AVERAGE ATTENTION SPAN
 DRIVING QUESTION

• My driving critical thought and question is:

“Knowing the importance of physical activity for children, how can we as educators be
sure to integrate fun and active movement into students’ learning versus integrating sedentary
activities (such as with the demand of technology and screens) to help develop happy
lifelong learners ?
 ACTIVE LEARNING STRATEGIES
1. Hunts 7. No-Chair Lessons

2. Sorts 8. Use of Classroom Wall Resources

3. Manipulatives 9. Group Circle Lessons

4. Movement Integration 10. Use of School Areas Opportunities

5. Write-the-Room 11. Music Integration

6. Pin-It Room Sorts 12. Gestures/Acting Out to Represent Ideas

 HUNTS
• Description: This strategy allows students to move about the classroom and hunt for
elements or piece components to their lesson activity.
• Example: Students hunt for printed clip art pictures to glue onto a paper whether on the wall
around the room or individual paper.
• Example: Students hunt for traceable letters/numbers to glue onto image on paper.
• Example: Students hunt for types of California birds around the classroom and students can
check off which birds they found on their bird checklist.
 SORTS
• Description: Using various materials or items both 2D and 3D to sort components of a
concept.
• Example: Students piece and organize cards together
• Example: Students sort objects/magazine images, printed images, letters to picture cards,
numbers to picture cards
• Example: Students sort 2D shapes from 3D shapes.
 MANIPULATIVES
• Description: Using manipulatives, often 3-dimensional, to enhance the understanding of a
concept in a hands-on way.
• Example: Students use tweezers with pom poms or small erasers
• Example: Students use counting bears
• Example: Students use unusual art tools, hula hoops, ten frames, magnetic letters, eye
droppers
• Example: R is for Rain- Students use eyedropper to drop blue water on the R’s all over a
large butcher paper of R raindrops drawn on the paper.
 MOVEMENT INTEGRATION
• Description: Integrating movement into lessons to enhance learning of new concept.
• Example: Students learn new concepts with physical movement integrating such as P.E.
skills and gym skills.
• Examples: Running, jumping, lunging, walking forward and backward, gliding, throwing,
kicking, tip-toeing, skipping, hopping, high knees, arm circles, leg lifts, planks, sit-ups, hula
hooping, dancing, etc.
 NOW YOU TRY: ACTIVITY
Movement Integration

• TK/Kindergarten Objective: Recognize and create patterns such as ABA, ABB, and ABC
patterns.

Use your body to create a pattern of your choice!

Example: Clap, Jump, Clap (ABA)

Example: Sit, Frog Jump, Frog Jump (ABB)
 WRITE-THE-ROOM
• Description: Students roam around the classroom with lesson on a clipboard and practice
writing based on writing tasks pinned/taped around the classroom.
• Example: Students walk the classroom to find letters, numbers, or words to practice writing.
 PIN-IT ROOM SORT
• Description: A variation of sorting using large butcher paper or posters on the classroom
wall with lesson elements/answers/tasks to complete at the rug or tables.
• Example: Use 4 different pieces of butcher paper, one for each season. Label the papers.
Students look for pictures in the classroom or at the rug that represent the season and use
their glue stick to glue the picture to the correct season paper.
 PROGRESS MONITORING
QUESTION 1:
• There are 12 Active Learning Strategies that I am sharing today, which 6 did we discuss
already and can you share something unique or valuable about them? Please share to the
group.
 NO-CHAIR LESSON
• Description: Students do not use a chair throughout a lesson, activity, or assignment;
students stand during lesson, activity, or assignment.
• Example: Students paint numbers 1-20 while standing at the desk or table (without a chair).
 USE OF CLASSROOM WALL
RESOURCES
• Description: Students get out of their seats to use the classroom wall resources such as the
letter wall, number wall, writing wall, etc.
• Example: Students are encouraged to get up out of their seats and use the classroom wall
resources for help such as when learning to write the letter A, students would find A on the
letter wall and sit next to it and focus on how to write it correctly.
• Example: While learning shapes, students get out of their seat to go to the shape wall to find
the circle.
 GROUP CIRCLE LESSON
• Description: Lesson is taught in a group circle at the rug with the teacher instead of at the
tables with the teacher in the front of the classroom.
• Example: Students sit in a circle at the rug with group and teacher and often with clipboards
handy.
• Example: Social studies lessons can often be done in a group circle at the rug, such has when
learning about community helpers and the different roles they play. The circle setting makes
for a welcoming environment that encourages conversation and dialogue.
 USE OF SCHOOL AREAS
OPPORTUNITIES
• Description: Teachers find opportunities to teach a lesson or activity in other areas at the
school such as out on the field, in the garden, in the gym, in the courtyard, etc.
• Example: Teachers can take students outside on the field when learning about liquids, solids
and gases and provide different examples for students to experiment with such as balloons,
melting ice and various materials.
 MUSIC INTEGRATION
• Description: Uses music to help teach or solidify a lesson concept or idea, such as
specifically with singing songs, using rhythm, making beats, demonstrating tempos and
pitches, and expressing tones and feelings.
• Example: Students partner up and create a song about The Water Cycle to help memorize the
terms and order.
 NOW YOU TRY: ACTIVITY
Music Integration

• TK/Kindergarten Objective: Recognize that there are three states of matter including solids,
liquids, and gases.

Find a partner and create a song using the tune ‘The Farmer and the Dell’ and be sure to use
the terms Solid, Liquid, Gas. You’ll find opportunities in the tune to describe each state of
matter. Be ready to share it with the partners next to you!
 GESTURES/ACTING OUT TO
REPRESENT IDEA(S)
• Description: Students are asked to create gestures and/or act out to represent or symbolize
ideas.
• Example: Students act out the Life Cycle of a Butterfly- act out the motion of growing from
a caterpillar, to a cacoon and to a flying butterfly.
 PROGRESS MONITORING
QUESTION 2:
• There are 12 Active Learning Strategies that I have shared today. Of the 12, which one to
you find might be the quickest to implement in your classroom? Why? Please share your
response with a partner.
 HANDOUT 2:
PROBLEM FOCUSED
TO SOLUTION FOCUSED
Moving Forward
with a new mindset:
 END OF PRESENTATION
Conclusion:
• Active Learning (physical movement integration) has a powerful and positive impact on
children’s brains.
• Integrating movement into students’ learning helps to increase engagement, content
absorption into working memory, and overall happiness in the classroom and as a lifelong
learner.
Culminating Question:
• Which 3 Active Learning Strategies do you think your current students will like best? Why?