V: ENABLING THINKING                                                                                                                       PACES

TEACHING AND LEARNING COMPONENT

VI.A PROBLEM SOLVING AND CREATIVE THINKING
Monitoring engagement in and/or involvement in learning is more than simply managing on-task behavior (II.D). Monitoring and informal assessment can be done by the teacher and/or learners as learning proceeds. Listening carefully, paying close attention to learners as they proceed through learning activities, asking probing questions, and providing feed back about adequate and inadequate responses, all suggest more than monitoring on-task behavior. Actively monitoring learner engagement and/or involvement in learning tasks utilizing informal assessment strategies, and providing feedback throughout the lesson are important elements of enhancing learning. Monitoring, informal assessment, and providing feedback are dynamic, interrelated processes that can be done by the teacher and/or learners as learning proceeds.

Sample Professional Growth Activity 1

Comprehension

  1. Identify and highlight specific Indicators in Component VI.A of the PACES Teaching and Learning Professional Growth Manual, and this Teacher Guide to PACES.

  2. Consult the Colleague Teacher and/or other member(s) of the PACES Professional Growth Team for effective strategies used to monitor learners’ engagement and/or involvement.

  3. Based on the previous steps, develop a list of strategies that can be used for monitoring learners’ engagement and/or involvement.

Practical Application

  1. Throughout the course of a week, implement at least three of the identified strategies.
Assessment
  1. Engage in written self-assessment of successful and unsuccessful strategies.
  2. Share results of self-assessment with the Colleague Teacher or other member(s) of the PACES Professional Growth Team.

Sample Professional Growth Activity 2

Comprehension

  1. Conduct an Internet search and select several strategies to monitor engagement and/or involvement you feel might be effective in your particular classroom setting.

  2. Review the selected strategies with the Colleague Teacher and/or other member(s) of the PACES Professional Growth Team.

Practical Application

  1. Implement the strategies to monitor each stage of learners’ involvement in learning tasks addressed in PACES Indicators VI.A.1 through VI.A.3.

Assessment

  1. Keep a written log of the experience and identify those strategies you plan to continue using .

  2. Share the log with the Colleague Teacher or other member(s) of the PACES Professional Growth Team.

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