What are effective strategies for active learning in small classes?

In my experience, in crafting learning objectives, I envision them as the guiding map for my students’ educational journey. These objectives, akin to signposts, illuminate the destination by articulating precise goals—be it knowledge, skills, or attitudes—forged through active learning activities. The SMART framework lends them clarity and purpose, transforming vague aspirations into tangible milestones. For instance, the shift from a generic “students will learn about photosynthesis” to a nuanced “students will be able to explain the process and function of photosynthesis in plants using diagrams and examples” instills direction and depth, steering the educational endeavor toward meaningful comprehension.

While I completely agree that learning objectives are vital, the students' understanding and use of the objectives changes them from elements of teaching to elements for learning.

Measurable objectives are always the goal. The objectives should be clear and not overwhelming meaning, decomposed in a way that is doable in one day. It is important to unpack standards in a way the students truly understand what they need to know.

Os objetivos de aprendizagem s?o indiferentes aos tamanhos das classes, contudo, em turmas menores é possível atuar com direcionamento de aten??o, fazendo com que as atividades sejam tratadas quase que individualmente e com riqueza de feedback.

Setting a tone of inspiration and aspiration is all-important. Be receptive and empathetic to all students and ensure that the forward journey for the lesson is understood. Minimise jargon; maximise engagement; cultivate inspiration.

Activities are a critical component of learning and teaching. I believe that having good and engaging activities will not only enhance the class dynamics but also help the class retain the learnings (and the activity) for a longer time. It also would encourage learning by observation, appreciate and tolerance towards different ideas and people. Many of the soft skills are easily picked up when we have well designed activities.

Self-created rubrics is an excellent way to help students understand what good writing (or other activities) might be. To start, one could develop a curated list so that students are not overwhelmed. I have seen students rise to the challenge when they understand that challenge countless times.

It is always a teacher's dream to have a small class size. There are a variety of appropriate activities but the ability to do more individualized instruction is what I feel is the advantage. I enjoy the engagement and growth of peer instruction which is easy to monitor with a smaller class.

Discussion to given topics always explore horizon of thinking of individual. Peer to peer learning is majorly the best option to learn and Excel. It will also nurture other skills as well.

La elección de las actividades apropiadas a cada situación de lugar, destinatarios y tiempo a utilizar es un proceso ineludible para alcanzar objetivos exitosos en la ense?anza. estas actividades deben fomentar el aprendizaje colaborativo e inclusivo. Además, es recomendable desarrollar la capacidad de trasmitir lo aprendido y debatir sobre ello. Esto permitirá en cualquier caso, que el alumnado desarrolle un espíritu crítico y la capacidad de traslación y abstracción de los conocimientos adquiridos.

In adult online learning one thing I frequently encounter is the "what are we supposed to do?" syndrome. Participants are sent into breakout groups to discuss or apply something they've learned, but as soon as they all land in the room they ask each other what they are supposed to do. There are a couple things we can do to prevent this: 1-make your instructions very clear and very concise. 2-send written instructions with each group, so that they can reference them as needed. This is also more inclusive for those who may have a more difficult time following verbal directions.

Preparation is a key component to success in the K-12 classroom. The moment we are not prepared there are a myriad of things that can take place. The materials can include worksheets and online tools for example. The one main component of preparation is to over-prepare. There is always something that could happen so prepare accordingly. A great online lesson can fail because of internet problems for example. So, a backup plan is a necessity.

Engage in Discussions. Conversation. The absolute best Trainings I ever attended, we had discussions and open conversations. It led to team building, trust, engagement and better retention of the material!

What I love about my smallest class this school year is being able to have open discussion that allows me to monitor their progress. Often, the students who have better understanding of the material speak more, but a smaller class allows me to ask the lower achieving students “X, what do you think?” to assess their understanding of the lesson instantly. I’ve found that building community in these small classes allows for these conversations and does not make students feel pressured to be right or wrong because we are a unit of people seeking to learn together.

Another thing for effective active learning in small classes is encouraging open discussions. Engaging in conversations deepens my understanding and allows for sharing diverse perspectives. Collaborative projects contribute to a sense of community, while hands-on activities keep me engaged and emphasize practical relevance. These strategies make active learning in small classes dynamic and interactive.

Incorporating metacognitive questions in their self-assessment that focus on the process as much as the product gives students a chance to understand their own work and their own process.

Desarrollar la capacidad de revisión conceptual es esencial en la ense?anza. El alumnado debe ser capaz de realizar una retrospección sobre lo aprendido de tal manera que se refuerce lo adquirido y se complemente con nuevos aprendizajes. La autoevaluación es otro instrumento para el correcto de desarrollo de la ense?anza-aprendizaje. Detectar e identificar conflictos es en sí un aprendizaje, resolverlos aún más. por tanto , identificar, discutir y resolver conflictos es esencial.

Active learning is in many ways much easier to achieve in a small class. I occasionally teach some classes in the sixth form of one or two students and find my experience of teaching tutorials at Oxford University, before I became a schoolteacher, really instructive. The Socratic model at the heart of Oxford tutorials in which one or two students come to the tutorial and which then follows a question and answer format rather than that of a lecture, can be translated really easily to a small class, especially at A Level or IB. Interestingly, I think with the advent of AI all classes can perhaps become ‘small’ in that even if they are quite large students will be able to benefit from personalised learning, eg a Socratic dialogue with ChatGPT.