Active Learning

Since my student teaching days, I've always been a strong advocate for active learning. Active learning encompasses a learning environment where students are critically thinking about their tasks as they're completing them in the classroom; students are vocal, often instructors themselves, and are engaged. Once I've seen active learners in the classroom for myself and how they orchestrated everything, I became convinced every environment should gift students a platform where they can take charge of their educational journey. Active learning is very student centered. The teacher-student relationship is a partnership requiring full participation from both parties in order to ensure success.

Nonetheless, I do face an enormous challenge. I'm a virtual teacher for Commonwealth Charter Academy, and there, students are not mandated to attend LiveLessons. This point makes planning for activities or assigning students with specific roles rather difficult because they're not dependable; every day is a surprise for me because I have no idea who will show up for class, even my students who attend regularly.
Now, I'm constantly open to new ideas to get around my situation, and thankfully I found Web 2.0 tools to be extremely rewarding. Tools and applications like Google Docs, NearPod, and Bubbl.us grant my students so much flexibility since they can access these tools/apps from anywhere. It allows them the opportunity to lead instruction, collaborate with others, and be vocal in their learning environment.

Works Cited

Coramax.(2013, December, 20). Active learning, universal design for learning (udl) in collaboration with technology [digital image]. Retrieved from http://www.vteducation.org/en/laboratories/active-learning-universal-design-learning-udl-collaboration-technology