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Showing posts with label interactive. Show all posts
Showing posts with label interactive. Show all posts

Active learning vs. Passive watching: building lesson plans that engage students


Hello Omifans! I've been teaching in one form all my adult life through a spectrum of teaching styles and theories. And one thing that has never changed, though it is seems "more honoured in breach than observance" is the importance of active learning vs. passive. These days, we may talk active learning by we walk cyber school, heavy internet focus and near-constant screen time (via mobile phone, TV etc.).

Yes, I know, it's easier to do everything on the computer and there is surely a place for digital learning. But as our bodies have shown, constant sedentary activities are not healthy. More kids suffer from juvenile obesity, diabetes and learning problems than ever before. Reading comprehension goes down 25% when reading a screen vs. a hardcopy book. 

Cyberschool may have its place but not to the exclusion of hands-on learning. So I'm issuing a Get Up, Learn and Play (GULP) Challenge. Even if you're classroom bound to a large extent, students can and should be doing more hands-on and interactive learning experiences AWAY from a screen. They should be engaged in tactile exploration, building and active play. They should be doing a lot more than seeing and hearing. 

Here are some relatively simple ways to build active learning in your homeschool or classroom:

Don't just turn TV off, put it away.  Losing the remote is not the worst thing that can happen. It will force kids to turn to activities and use their own creatively and inventiveness to entertain. 

Same with phones. This goes for adults too. None of us is going to get to the end of our lives wishing we'd fooled around on our phones more. 

Put on a play or puppet show. Bust out your dress up stuff, recycle bin and craft supplies. Get kids busy writing scripts, creating costumes, working out blocking and stage movement, experimenting with lighting, building sets, designing puppets, even making music to accompany the show. A historical or literature based play? So much the better. You can cover the entire curriculum:  math, STEM, creative writing, social studies, science, reading, drama, by putting on a play. I'll blog more on this for sure. 

GET OUTSIDE: Did I yell that loud enough? Read outside. Have a picnic. Take a nature hike. Do arts and crafts. Cook outside (thank you Coleman stove and campfire!)

Every time I talk to my grandkids (hey Silas, Moses, Lola, Lucian, Milo, Ezra, Juno, Emmett and Remus!) it's the active things I hear about not the TV shows or apps. My kids' best memories are of forts and sidewalk chalk and homemade games! I'll blog more on that later too! 

I'm not trying to guilt anyone for relying on the TV or phone to entertain. I get it. But I will guarantee better behavior and happier kids when you shut those off, haul out the blocks and tell kids to build a city!



Free Printable Clocks, Telling Time Lesson Plans

Telling time using an analog clock is one of the most difficult concepts to teach. It's hard to explain to children how clock hands moving around a dial mark hours and minutes. It helps to use interactive telling time worksheets and hands-on clocks to make time math lessons easier. Here are free printable clocks, clock faces and telling time worksheets.
Have Fun Learning has several free printable telling time worksheets, time math lessons with clocks with fill-in-the-blank numbers. Some are numbered in hours and minutes already. There are real-life applications story problems to teach telling time plus printable telling time games. Lucy Learns is a great website with all sorts of free printable lessons and activities. The section on clocks and telling time has over 15 free printable clock faces with all sorts of styles. Free printable clocks, clock hands and clock faces make excellent hands-on time math lessons for teaching children to read a clock. Print one clock for each student.
has cute blank and partially numbered free printable decorated clock faces. Great for young children and preschool. K-3 Teacher Resources has several free printable clock faces in different styles, plus free printable telling time math lesson. Senteacher has several free printable clocks, clock face printables, cut and paste clocks and clock lesson plans. Print Free offers basic free printable clock faces with hands to cut out and attach (use a paper fastener).

Donna Young's website is find of the day! Chock full o' clocks, there are free printable cut and paste clocks, clock face activities and telling time worksheets and lesson plans. Enchanted Learning is always a great teacher resource website, Enchanted Learning probably has more free printable educational lesson plans, crafts, cut and paste, coloring pages, activity booklets and teacher resources than any other website. You can print free, or pay a $20 donation and get complete member services and banner free printables. The telling time page has free printable clock faces,cut and paste clock activities and telling time worksheets. A-Z Teacher Stuff has dozens of free printable telling time math lessons and activities, including free printable clock faces.