The Engaged Brain

1. The Engaged Brain Stimulate Motivation Improve Performance Overcome “This is boring!*!” Mary@maryfowler.com Posi+ive Difference PD for Educators maryfowler.com Positive Difference PD for Educators

2. SHRM—Survey 200521st century workforce skills • Communication • Creativity • Team work • Flexibility & adaptability • Technical skill (base line skill) maryfowler.com Positive Difference PD for Educators

3. Creative Process • Dream • Discover • Design • Deliver maryfowler.com Positive Difference PD for Educators

4. Emotion & Cognition • Interacting systems • Bidirectional neural connections • Emotional communication stronger maryfowler.com Positive Difference PD for Educators

5. Emotions in Learning Intelligence unfolds in the presence of a nurturing environment.Erickson • Make “it” safe • Consciously create positive emotional states • Create social security You can’t learn with a hi-jacked brain. Dan Goleman • Threat • Appraisal • Reaction or Action • Tune in or turn-off Help Hinder maryfowler.com Positive Difference PD for Educators

6. 3 C’s of Basic Needs of Intrinsic Human Motivation & Self-Determination (Deci) • Safety & Security • Connection & belonging • Autonomy & Self-determination • Choices & decisions, not “The Big Wait” • Feel competent • Trial & error maryfowler.com Positive Difference PD for Educators

7. Teaching Excellence is inspiring an individual or team to produce a desired result through personalized teaching, expanding awareness, and designing the environment. The Art of Possibility maryfowler.com Positive Difference PD for Educators

8. Motivation Motivation is an investment decision. Students don’t invest because they don’t value what’s happening in the classroom. Robyn Jackson maryfowler.com Positive Difference PD for Educators

9. The Heart of Increased Performance! Students enthusiastically greet and engage learning opportunities that are authentic, meaningful, and personally relevant. • Attract Attention • Stimulate Desire • Infuse Substance maryfowler.com Positive Difference PD for Educators

10. 1. Attract AtTention Being inattentive means being otherwise attracted. Ellen Langer Novelty Choice Appealing Distractions maryfowler.com Positive Difference PD for Educators

11. 2. Stimulate Desire I will act as though what I do makes a difference. William James • Me-ness—knows, does, cares about • We-ness—relevance to me, group, village, globe • Choice—whenever possible and encouraging growth maryfowler.com Positive Difference PD for Educators

12. 3. Infuse Substance • Authentic Tasks • Crafted skillfully • With Access to All (Differentiated) maryfowler.com Positive Difference PD for Educators

13. Crafted Substance • Objectives: clear expectations & content standards • Activities: tasks focused & structured (time lines, organizational aides, models) • Assessment: clear criteria, opportunities for success, alternate forms of expression maryfowler.com Positive Difference PD for Educators

14. Differentiated Tasks • Use multiple instructional methods • Opportunities for participation • Varying levels of instruction • Means of expression • Opportunities for success • Multi-modal learning pathways maryfowler.com Positive Difference PD for Educators

15. Rules of Engagement ATTRACTION DESIRE MOVEMENT BELONGING SUBSTANCE • novelty & choice • relevance & authenticity • active involvement • affiliation & interdependence • clear product focus &standards; self-monitoring; micro-formative assessments maryfowler.com Positive Difference PD for Educators

16. Get Engaged:Principles in Practice • Student Affirmation & Objective I am inspired and engaged in worthwhile work. What I do matters. maryfowler.com Positive Difference PD for Educators

17. Mrs. B’s Bloomin’ Buds • Commitment to self and others • Challenge as opportunity • Control “can do” belief—have or can acquire the resources maryfowler.com Positive Difference PD for Educators

18. Meaningful Projects • What 2 criteria does a good project need to be meaningful? (Larmer& Mergendoller, 2010) • Students must perceive the task as personally meaningful, a task that matters so they want to do well. • Project must fulfill an educational purpose. maryfowler.com Positive Difference PD for Educators

19. 7 Project-Based Learning EssentialsLarmer & Mergendoller ED Leadership Sept. 2010 • Need to know • Engaging launch or project packet • Driving question • What’s the instructional point initiated w heart • Voice and choice • Topic, creative product, limited choices, time structure • 21st century skills • Collaboration, communication, critical thinking, technology • Inquiry and innovation Student generated questions, testing ideas, draw conclusions • Feedback and revision • Direct, rubrics, peer critique • Publicly presented • Forum, parent meeting, assembly, other classes maryfowler.com Positive Difference PD for Educators

20. Bring It On HomeSmith & Sobel The abstract and far away don’t always sustain the interest of the young. Place- and community-based education makes learning relevant. • Connecting learning to life, engages, builds social capital, reconnects students to natural world, builds leaders by looking for real solutions to real problems. maryfowler.com Positive Difference PD for Educators

21. Thinking “Local” Project Guide ? Local topics or issues meaningful to students ? Subject areas fit within topic ? 4-5 overarching questions to guide learning ? Learning standards project will assess ? Student learning assessment and scaffolding. ? Community partners you can bring to school ? Learning beyond the school walls: field studies, monitoring or inquiries activities ? Publicize results maryfowler.com Positive Difference PD for Educators

22. Resources • EL—Education Leadership Magazine, ASCD.org “Meaningful Work.” Vol. 68. No.1; September, 2010 (Entire issue about engagement through project based learning.) • Given, B. Teaching to the Brain’s Natural Learning Systems. 2002. Alexandria, VA. ASCD maryfowler.com Positive Difference PD for Educators