Wow Wednesday! Apps and Resources To Take Your Students From Passive Learners to Active Learners

Are you looking to increase student engagement? Hoping to change from teacher-led instruction to student-centered? Look no further! It's time to take your students from passive learners to active learning. 

Active learning is defined by the Center for Educational Innovation at the University of Michigan as "any approach to instruction in which all students are asked to engage in the learning process. Active learning stands in contrast to 'traditional' modes of instruction in which students are passive recipients of knowledge from an expert" (Center For Educational Innovation). However, using strategies for active learning does not mean throwing out lectures completely. Using active learning strategies helps students focus more when it is time for lecture-style learning. Below is a great format for your classroom!

There are plenty of ideas out there, and you probably already utilize a lot of them, on lessons that involve student creation. Below is a great infographic with some ideas on how you could take a passive learner lesson and flip it to active learning. 

Next, think about your student learning outcome. What do you want the student to be able to do or know? After you have established that, think about the way they can demonstrate their learning, this is where the tools come in. 

Now it's time for the goods! What apps and web tools can you use to help students show what they know? Below is a quick list of four FREE content creation tools to utilize today (or tomorrow!) in your classroom.

1) Canva- Canva is a graphic design platform used to create social media graphics, presentations, posters, documents, visual content, and more. Canva is constantly updating with new features! Be sure to register for the education account (it's free!) as it allows you access to EVEN MORE features. 

2) Kapwing- Kapwing is an online image, video, and GIF editing platform. Some examples of content your students can make using Kapwing include movie trailers, stop animation videos, and educational memes. Kapwing comes with a free version that limits users to accessing their content beyond 2 days. So be sure to have your students complete or download their work after each day!

3) Zencastr- Zencastr is a web-based podcasting platform. With Zencastr, there is no need to download software. You can also invite four guests on the free version to interact with your host! Food for thought: Who could you invite to your classroom podcast?

4) Wakelet- Wakelet is a digital curation platform that allows teachers and students to organize a variety of content. Think of it as the educational Pinterest. There is a great example wakelet on content creation in the classroom found here. Food for thought: How could you use Wakelet to create a flipped classroom?

Another way to take students from passive to active learning is to consider an authentic audience. Who could your students share their content with? Could they show a younger grade level? What about your community? These are just some of the ways to help our students move from passive to active learning. What are some ways you have shifted to student-centered learning in your classroom?