Traditional
teaching engages some students but not all . Kagan is a revolutionary
approach to teaching that actively engages every student.
let's
look at the problems traditional teaching creates, students sit in
rows,
the
rule is,no talking the teacher presents new information or a new
skill
to
engage students the teacher asked the class a question .one student
response at a time.
sounds
familiar doesn't it so what's wrong with that.The first problem is we
set
our students against each other.When
the teacher calls on Peter to answer soo Lee lowers her hand and disappointment
ah....but when Peter begins to falter.
He
shoots your hand back up waves wildly pick me teacher ,a subset of
students
compete for the opportunity to shine.A competitive class is not a
brain
friendly
learning environment .The next problem is students been very little
time
actively engaged the teacher is doing most of the talking most of the
time .
when
we finally do engage students it's one at a time .It's like being in
a long
line waiting to be served a big percent of the class to somewhere
between mildly interested and comatose.Many students don't want to
turn they feel they can't or don't want to compete johnny is shy
monica is lower achieving one
is still learning English .
These
students don't want to be singled out .Don't call on me they hide
they opt out it's no wonder we have an achievement gap . Traditional
teaching engages some of the class but many students can easily slip
through the cracks cake and engages all students we turn things
around.Literally instead of facing the back of a classmate's head
returns to surround the face each other instead of calling on one
student at a time we can call up all students using a keg and
structure time to pair share the teacher asked a question in pairs
partner a shares for shares for .Everyone has turn sharing with the
partners safe.
There's
no need to hide in just a little over a minute we engage every
student in the same amount of time in the traditional class we engage
one student what's better engage one student or engage every student
.Absolutely right .Everyone learns more it's not just the amount of
engagement that matters it also matters how we engage students with
Kagan structures we engage students with interactive pair and team
structures while students master academic curriculum they develop
essential social skills ,they learn teamwork skills, they develop
communication skills, they practice leadership skills these are the
very college and career readiness skills are standards call for in
teams students are no longer isolated or competing against each other.
They
celebrate each other successes .
They
are on the same side cooperation leads to kinder and more caring
kids.
We
create buddy's not bullies.
Kagan
simple yet powerful structures transform education in number of heads
together teammates put their heads together to review .Every one is
more active and the content becomes more memorable in quiz quiz trade
students repeatedly quiz classmates they have so much more fun being
up and active than working alone.
In
rally coach partner solve problems together instead of independent
practice .Students have appeared to coach them and provide immediate
feedback .While teach the traditional way when we have so many
alternatives to engage every student
Kagan
isn't something we think might work .Kagan is scientifically
researched based
hundreds
of studies on cooperative learning show tremendous academic and
social gains over traditional with Kagan. Teachers are engaging their
disengaged students struggling schools are making dramatic games
entire districts are raising their test scores kagan works .Kagan
works because Kagan creates full engagement for every student engaged
students are bored or disruptive engaged students enjoy school more
engaged students learn more Kagan it's all about engagement
