6/25/2019 1 Sparking Student Engagement: Strategies for Student Success Dr. Bryan Harris www.bryan-harris.com @bryankharris7 www.bryan-harris.com For information about free resources, a monthly newsletter, and training opportunities contact me at
6/25/2019
1
Sparking Student Engagement: Strategies for Student Success
Dr. Bryan Harris
www.bryan-harris.com
@bryankharris7
www.bryan-harris.com
For information about free resources, a monthly newsletter, and training
opportunities contact me at
6/25/2019
2
See something you can’t live without? You have permission.(or send me an email)
“I know I’m engaged in something when…”
“I get bored easily when…”
Sentence Starters
6/25/2019
3
Boredom & Engagement - a 10,000 foot view
What is Boredom?
Emotional StateUninteresting
TemporaryAttention
SituationalDispositional
"precursor to mischief"Lack of interest
FatigueEnnui
The Blahs
6/25/2019
4
A Classroom Boredom: A temporary emotional condition marked by disinterest in the information, context, or events provided by the teacher that may sometimes often result(s) in inappropriate behaviors. (pg xvii) Harris, 2010
What is Boredom?
AttentionInvolvementParticipation
SharingAction
Willingness"Indicator of success"
MotivatingAn attitudeChallenge
What is Engagement?
6/25/2019
5
Engagement: A state of emotional and cognitive commitment or willingness to participate in the task or learning goal. (pg vii) – Harris, 2010
What is Engagement?
Engagement & Boredom: The Evidence
Is School Boring? A Case for Yes
6/25/2019
6
1. Boredom is cited as a leading factor for low achievement and school drop out. (Gates Foundation, 2006)
2. Men are more prone to boredom than women. (Vodanovich & Wallace, 2005)
3. Extroverts are more prone to boredom than introverts. (McIntosh, 2006)
4. People prone to boredom report fewer incidents of depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. (Gosline, 2007)
5. B___________ & cu_________are among the leading causes of drug use among teens. (Todman, 2005)
Tru
e o
r Fa
lse?
Engagement & Boredom: The Evidence
Have You Ever Been Bored in Class in High School?
Hig
h S
cho
ol S
urv
ey o
f St
ud
ent
Enga
gem
ent
(20
09
) Ya
zzie
-Min
tz
6/25/2019
7
•The material wasn’t interesting 81%
•The material wasn’t relevant 42%
•No interaction with the teacher 35%
•The work wasn’t challenging enough 33%
•The work was too difficult 26%
High School Survey of Student Engagement (2009) Yazzie-Mintz
Is Boredom just a High School Thing?
Source: Pianta, Belsky, Houts, & Morrison, 2007
6/25/2019
8
% o
f St
ud
ents
En
gage
d in
Sch
oo
l
Gallup, 2013The School Cliff: Student Engagement Drops With Each School Year½ Million – 1700 - 37
“monumental, collective national failure”
Does it get better as we get older?
Boredom reported in 40% of all academic situations among:
A. College Students – UndergradsB. College Students– Grad SchoolC. College Professors – Staff MeetingsD. Conference Workshop Attendees
Daniels, et al, 2009
6/25/2019
9
Gallup, 2013
It’s an “ecosystem” that includes
students, teachers, and
leadership.
If Agree or Strongly Agree to:
“My school is committed to building the strengths of each student.”
& “I have at least one teacher who makes me
excited about the future.”
Results?
30x more likely to be engaged
at school!
The “perfect
storm” of boredom?
Control Value Theory of Emotions
Low Control + Low Value =
“Perfect storm of boredom”
In the classroom: A student is given no choice on how to complete a task that
has no relevance or meaning.Pekrun, 2009Daniels & Tze, 2014
6/25/2019
10
This is the truth!
The brain will not stay bored for long. Boredom is a stressful, unpleasant emotional state.
It WILL find something to engage with.
But, in a classroom setting, that “something” is often
disruptive and unproductive.
Would you rather be bored or
experience physical pain?
Wilson, et al 2014
Alone in a room, nothing to do for 15 minutes. Just you
and your thoughts.
67% of Men25% of Women
Voluntarily gave themselves a mild electric shock rather
than endure boredom!
6/25/2019
11
• B significantly impacts learning.
• B is an emotional state.
• B results when skill exceeds the challenge or there is little choice.
• To mitigate B• “Identify situational antecedents”• Offer autonomy, control, challenge, intrinsic motivation,
meaningful tasks, adequate resources, movement, options
Vogel-Walcutt et al, 2012
Hattie, 2
01
89
Boredom has a -.47 effect size!That’s in the bottom 5.
6/25/2019
12
MIP
The social science stuff is
spot on, but what is
happening in my brain when
I’m bored?
6/25/2019
13
During stressful states, including boredom…
less activity in the PFC, more activity in the amygdala
Parasuraman & Jiang, 2012
During a boring task, the DefaultMode Network (DMN) kicks in.The DMN is associated with:
Autobiographical MemoriesReminiscing
Remembering“Day dreaming”
Basically, the DMN is all about the internalthoughts, feelings, connections because theoutside world isn’t doing anything for us atthe moment.
fMRI Machines scan the brain for areas of activity as measured by changes in blood flow.
Danckert & Merrifield, 2016
6/25/2019
14
Low arousal = lower levels of dopamine.
What does Dopamine do?
People who report a tendency toward
boredom have lower levels of dopamine
and fewer dopamine receptors.
Zald, et al 2008
Take the 7 Min Challenge
“I can and will engage my students in something every 7 minutes, every day of the year. Boredom is not an option. Students will not be bored in my class.”
6/25/2019
15
B -Strategies are important, but they are not the whole story.
A - You already have a toolbox full of instructional strategies.
B - It’s misleading to say, “If I only had more strategies, things would be better.”
A -It’s about a deep, unwavering commitment to engaging your students.
B -Strategies alone don’t guarantee success.Shameless Plug
Positive Relationships+
High Expectations & Commitment+
Strategies +
Accountability=
Miracles
6/25/2019
16
So, what is engaging?• Authentic Work
• Caring Teachers
• Choice
• Competition
• Complexity & Challenge
• Control
• Controversy
• Cooperation & Collaboration
• Creativity
• Curiosity
• Emotions
• Humor
• Meaning
• Movement
• Multisensory Input
• Novelty
• Real-World Connections
• Relevance
• Relationships
• Self
The Battling Boredom Framework
Strategies to BEGIN a lesson
Strategies to END a lesson
Strategies for SOLO/INDEPENDENT work
Strategies for the WHOLE group
Strategies for PARTNERS/SMALL GROUPS
Strategies for STUDENT MOVEMENT
Strategies for RELUCTANT LEARNERS
6/25/2019
17
Say hello to your
Intraparietal
Sulcus
Tschentscher, N., Hauk, O., Fischer, M. H., & Pulvermüller, F. (2012). You can count on the motor
cortex: Finger counting habits modulate motor cortex activation evoked by numbers. Neuroimage, 59-
318(4-12), 3139–3148.
The part of your brain that
processes __________ is also
partially responsible for
______.
The brain/cognition and the
body are connected in just
about every way.
Cambridge U
Daniel Wolpert
neuroscientist
6/25/2019
18
Erwin, et al. (2012) A Quantitative Review of Physical Activity, Health, and Learning Outcomes
Associated with Classroom-Based Physical Activity Interventions. Journal of Applied School
Psychology. 28, 14-36
Energy Management
(Movement) Strategies
have a staggering
Effect Size!
ES = 1.51
Want to increase
attention and
engagement by 12%?
(7 more minutes per hour!)
Dornhecker, M., Blake, J., Benden, M., Zhao, H., & Wendel, M. (2015). The Effect of
Stand-biased Desks on Academic Engagement: An Exploratory Study. International
Journal of Health Promotion and Education, 53(5), 271–280. Sarah Taylor’s 2nd Grade Classroom – Mesquite Elem
6/25/2019
19
Even More Proof
The more time boys spent
sitting still in 1st grade
resulted in fewer reading
gains in 2nd and 3rd grade!
Haapala, E. A., Väistö, J., Lintu, N., Westgate, K., Ekelund, U., Poikkeus, A.-M., … Lakka, T. A.
(2017). Physical activity and sedentary time in relation to academic achievement in children.
Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 20(6), 583–589.
As little as 12 minutes
of aerobic exercise
(like running in place)
can eliminate the gap
between low-income
and high-income
students!
Aerobic exercise increases reading
comprehension and visual attention.
Do you need to raise their reading scores?
Get them moving!
Tine, M. (2014). Acute aerobic exercise: an intervention for the
selective visual attention and reading comprehension of low-
income adolescents. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 575.
6/25/2019
20
Stationary Bikes and Reading –
a match made in your cerebellum!
6/25/2019
21
• Cognitive development &
physical development go
hand-in-hand.
• Exercise increases blood
flow and oxygen to the
brain.
• Exercise stimulates BDNF
– “miracle gro” for the
brain.
Dr. John Ratey
Students who participated in the LRPE program
significantly outperformed students who did not
participate - 56% better in reading; 93% better in math.
6/25/2019
22
Exercise and
Movement Help
Regulate Mood (including depression)
Blumenthal, et al 1999; Anderson & Shivakumar, 2013; Fritz & O’Connor, 2016
• Aerobic exercise was found
to be more effective than
antidepressants in treating
depression.
• Movement is effective at
helping ADHD individuals
improve focus and
motivation.
• Movement and exercise
helps reduce the symptoms
of anxiety.
Recess improves behavior
and academic achievement!
Rhea, 2013. Program Proves More Recess Improves Academic
Performance and Behavior www.50million.shapamerica.org
Decades of research show a
link between recess,
movement, and academics.
This isn’t new stuff.
More recent research demonstrates
that poor students are less likely to
get recess … further widening the
achievement gap. In our efforts to
increase test scores, too many
schools have opted to reduce
movement in order to focus on
remediation and test prep. (Pellegreni, 2012)
6/25/2019
23
Per
eira
, et
al. 2
00
7 A
n in
viv
o c
orr
elat
e o
f ex
erci
se-i
nd
uce
d
neu
roge
nes
is in
th
e ad
ult
den
tate
gyr
us
Notice the
explosion of
new neurons
in the
hippocampus,
noted in reds
and yellows,
after exercise.
Who (else) Says Movement Works?
Over 3,400 peer-reviewed
studies in quality journals
on environmental
enrichment with data from both
animal and human studies.
6/25/2019
24
Incorporate Movement
• Games – Simon Says, etc
• Stretching
• Deep Breathing (yoga)
• Roam the Room/Gallery Walk
• Standing
• Running in Place
Oxygen + Glucose = the brain’s fuel
A – Movement increases blood circulation (which includes
oxygen, nutrients, and hormones)
B – Glucose is also released during movement
A – Movement activities can be as simple as standing,
stretching, and deep breathing
B – Or, they can be as involved as games, energizers,
and student-led activities
A – Movement and exercise helps regulate mood,
attention, and improves focus
B – There is a ton of research that demonstrates the
connection between cognition, movement, and exercise.
A –When students move more (including recess) we see
an improvement in everything from reading scores to
social-emotional skills
B – I’m convinced, I’d love to hear about more strategies.
6/25/2019
25
Even More Movement Strategies
• Ball Toss
• Change of
Perspective
• Consultation
• Corners
• Create-A-Skit
• Dueling Flip Charts
• Gallery Walk
• Give One/Get One
• Hand Motions
• Inside/Outside Circle
• Line Ups
• Move and Touch
• Snowball Fight
• Stand When
• Stand, Stretch, and
Breathe
• Voting Stickers
• Wear-A-Word
Keep in touch:[email protected]
For more information, resources, and additional
training information:
www.bryan-harris.com