Mr. Gonzales finds that students who actively participate in class score higher on assessments than those who don't. What actions should Mr. Gonzales take to encourage more participation in class?
I like the idea of the craft sticks, and have used that in my own classroom. I find it helps students stay on their toes and pay attention the whole class time.
I think interactive games is a great way to engage all the students and share their thoughts and opinions. I also like the slates that allow the student to write their answer down and hold it , when the teacher would ask.
I have found that games are the best way to encourage student participation. I love the website Kahoot. It is interactive with students. It is super easy for the teacher. There are literally thousands of Kahoots already created on virtually every content topic. The game is time, it is visually appealing, and there is music. What more do you need to engage reluctant teenagers. The other part is that you can pair them up or let them answer individually. The atmosphere in the room completely shifts when competition is involved. The shy, quiet students are still involved as they are playing also. Another idea is to have a question ball. I use a big ball that I write questions on with an Expo and the kids get to select a question, answer it, and them pass the ball. The only criteria is that they can only answer one question and pass to someone who hasn't already had a turn. Another option is to divide the kids into two teams and play baseball games with questions. As the questions are answered correctly, they can advance to the next base. Wrong, they strike out. Keep a scoreboard in the room. Kids love it.