In this online course, James Madison University professor and bestselling author Dr. John Almarode explores student engagement – which he likens to getting students to eat peas when they want ice cream. John shares that engagement isn’t a simple yes or no. It exists on a continuum, fluctuating from student to student and from day to day – even minute to minute. He delves into the nuances of student engagement and offers insights into how you can monitor and adjust the learning environment to foster optimal engagement. You will learn how to identify the essential components of engaging learning experiences, develop a plan to integrate instructional best practices into your classroom and support your instructional decisions using classroom evidence.
Training Modules:
What Do We Mean by Engagement? | Continuum of Engagement | Cognitive Science of Engagement | Barriers to Engagement | Clarity | Engaging Tasks | Generative Learning | Scaffolding | Feedback | Sense of Belonging
John Almarode has worked with schools, classrooms and teachers all over the world. He has presented locally, nationally and internationally on the application of the science of learning and has worked with hundreds of school districts and thousands of teachers. Dr. Almarode is the Director of Teaching and Learning at the James Madison University School of Education. In 2015, John was awarded the inaugural Sarah Mill Luck Endowed Professorship. He continues to work with pre‐service teachers and actively pursues his research interests including the science of learning as well as the design and measurement of classroom environments that promote student engagement and learning. The work of John and his colleagues has been presented to the U.S. Congress, the Virginia Senate, the U.S. Department of Education and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Dr. Almarode began his career teaching mathematics and science to a wide range of students. He has authored or co-authored nine books including Captivate, Activate and Invigorate the Student Brain in Science and Math, From Snorkelers to Scuba Divers, Visible Learning for Science, Clarity for Learning, and Teaching Mathematics in the Visible Learning Classroom. He is also the past co-editor of the Teacher Educator’s Journal. Most recently, John and his colleagues have developed a new framework for developing, implementing and sustaining professional learning communities: PLC+. The PLC+ framework builds capacity within teacher-led teams to maximize student learning.
