Route To Make Any Child An Active Learner

Classroom teaching and learning have witnessed greater revolutionary changes than what they were just a decade ago. A truly efficient teacher will barely resort to the prescribed course book(s) to teach from in the class. And with every school gearing up to be a ‘smart school’, adopting various strategies to incorporate Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to facilitate better 21st-century pedagogical practices, one might wonder about the role of the teacher in the classroom.

Well, our learners today don’t need to be explained what is what. What they look forward to knowing from us is ‘how’ something is the way it is. There is a spirit of inquiry and an urge to explore the practical know-how of things. Creating a classroom environment that is conducive to learning demands a substantial amount of talking, discussion, and peer engagement among the learners. Learners are the best resources for every teacher.

Engaging Learners through Innovative Methods

I would like to reiterate a tried and tested strategy that betters the learning process and makes it fun. As a teacher, one can get the assignments submitted by learners in the previous academic year typed out as they have been written (with all the errors) and design new worksheets for the current batch of learners. The task would ask learners not only to spot the errors but also to rectify them or redraft the assignment as per the assessment criteria or rubrics. This method would help them realize the types of mistakes they tend to make, thereby making them more alert henceforth.

Debates and Role-Playing

Debates and role-playing certainly help build perspectives and develop ideas in language classes. Boosting the meta-cognitive skills of learners should be highly recommended. An active learner is one who is actively involved in every class activity and contributes effectively to each discussion. To achieve this, a lot of participation should happen from the other side of the teacher's table.

In Math classes, allow the learners to come up with alternate steps to reach the answer. While teaching how to write a descriptive piece in a language class, the learners may be allowed to take photographs of interesting corners or places in their house or school or society, which may require higher-order thinking skills to approach the task. A short quiz on any subject can double as formative assessment, consolidating the learning of each child and involving equal participation from all learners. Similarly, strategies like conducting an impromptu interview or staging a hot seat game in the class make learning productive and qualitative, retaining interest levels in the subject and encouraging learners to beat their own previous records of remarkable achievement.

Visual Aids and Differentiated Learning

Moreover, techniques like making mind maps, spider diagrams, fishbone diagrams, flow charts, and other illustrations to break down the concepts taught into simpler formats enable learners to connect better with the content and subject matter. This is effective in incorporating differentiated learning. Use of colors to highlight specific aspects or mnemonics to help remember complex ideas and expressions should be incorporated in the classroom to promote active learning.

The central idea is to have a class of interactive learners where a lot of relevant and guided discussions take place, adding new dimensions by going beyond what is confined within the realms of the textbook. Each learner will have their interpretations and perspectives of the same stimulus. A methodical teacher will monitor the flow of discussions adequately and know how to create an interactive learning environment for the learners.