Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1130365
Use project-based learning and games like Minecra to engage students C H R I S H A Z E LT O N Sixth-grade social studies and ELA teacher Los Altos Teachers Association Let the students lead: The students are experts about most gaming platforms, espe- cially Minecraft. Let students give ideas, help monitor other students, and troubleshoot tech- nology issues. Focus on collaboration: Rather than mak- ing the gaming individual, make it a collaborative effort by assigning tasks that require the students to work together and problem-solve. Start with research: The motivation to be able to participate in a Minecraft-based project can propel students who are reluctant to research to look up ideas, details and other information for their projects. These opportunities can allow the teacher to promote research skills like evaluating sources, finding text evidence and analyzing key details. Provide choice: Allowing stu- dents to choose how they want to represent their thinking in Minecraft takes pressure off the teacher to come up with the perfect project. The students get to propose how they would like to demonstrate their thinking about the topic. Require work completion: If you have students who are very interested and motivated by using gaming platforms like Minecraft, you can often get them to complete missing assignments before they get to participate in the project. Create and maintain a bully- free classroom environment T O D D M I G L I A C C I O Professor of sociology, director of graduate studies California Faculty Association, CSU Sacramento T H R O U G H C L A S S D I S C U S S I O N , establish class- room rules and community (class) agreements. These are posted in the classroom for easy refer- ence. Then be consistent with these in how you interact with students and model the behavior. Some can be subjective, like treating one another respectfully, but that means having a conversation about what that means, and again, including stu- dents' voice. This all relates to how they treat one another in general, as well as how to act during class discussions. Half-hour weekly class discussions about safe and inclusive environ- ments allow students to share and engage with ideas that can be diffi- cult to discuss. Facilitate discussion and maintain a focus on more positive interactions. Focus on key issues, such as tell- ing vs. tattling (ratting, snitching). Let them introduce their thoughts so they know they have a safe space to discuss issues, their voice matters, and all are in agreement about what is expected. Connect students to the class. This limits the impact of bullying, increases the likelihood of students informing teachers, and helps to create a positive culture for learning. Students who have conversations with teachers other than about academics are more connected to school. This includes highlighting successes in the classroom, which makes the classroom theirs and not the teacher's alone. Just knowing each student's name and activities they do outside school is impactful. " Students who have conver- sations with teachers other than about academics are more connected to school." " Let students give ideas, help monitor other students, and troubleshoot technology issues." 32 cta.org feature