Pam+and+Julie+and+Karen

=Engagement: Its Causes and Effects, with a Focus on Play and Project-Based Learning=


 * Dictionary Lesson Scenario/Modeling

__Educational Psychology__, article 23, p.120.**

Definitions of ** engaged ** on the Web: > [[url?&q= [] |wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn]]
 * having ones attention or mind or energy //engaged//; "she keeps herself fully occupied with volunteer activities"; "deeply //engaged// in conversation"
 * involved in military hostilities; "the desperately //engaged// ships continued the fight"
 * booked: reserved in advance
 * busy: (of facilities such as telephones or lavatories) unavailable for use by anyone else or indicating unavailability; //(`engaged'// is a British term for a busy telephone line); "her line is busy"; "receptionists' telephones are always //engaged//"; "the lavatory is in use"; "kept getting a busy ...
 * (used of toothed parts or gears) interlocked and interacting; "the gears are //engaged//"; "meshed gears"; "intermeshed twin rotors"
 * having services contracted for; "the carpenter //engaged// (or employed) for the job is sick"
 * built against or attached to a wall; "//engaged// columns"

**How is engagement manifested? **


 * Physiologically : ** intake of stimuli, neurological activity resulting in creation of connections, (neural bundling, associative connections and forming a mental picture, hormones released to promote synapses, filtered through amygdala and hippocampus) through integrative cortex, into active testing.
 * Psychologically **:  intrinsic motivation, curiosity, enjoyment, personal goals


 * Behaviorally (individual): ** concentration, enthusiasm, effort, investment


 * Behaviorally (group) : ** sustains initial enthusiasm for school, reduces absenteeism and disruptive behaviors



What facilitates engagement?:
 * student-centered learning
 * assessing prior knowledge
 * meaningful experiences
 * offering choice
 * active, collaborative investigation
 * choice
 * games and humor
 * explicit directions
 * materials
 * guidance
 * clearly stated purpose


 * What does engagement do? **
 * supports mastery
 * nurtures independent thinking
 * does not make children wait

**What does engagement look like in different contexts?** From birth, engagement begins with eye contact and touch, it has deep connections (paleopathways) to emotional recioprocity (ie. Attunement). From birth, everyone is engaged by play. In preschool and kindergarten settings engagement is supported through **play**-based learning. Beginning in preschool and kindergarten and continuing to all levels of education engagement is supported through **project**-based learning.

Deepens sense of serenity and joy (emotional component) Enhances dexterity and grace (engagement is often multi-sensory with a physical component) Promotes social skills (reflection) Sharpens cognitive and language skills (integrative) Acquire number, time and spatial concepts (practices executive functioning- integrative) Prompts reasoning of cause and effect (action) Clarifies world of pretend vs. real (rehearsing outcomes, abstract decision-making-action) Enriches sensory and aesthetic appreciation (emotional, consolidation) Extends sense of mastery, persistence (reflection) Releases emotion, relieves separation anxiety (emotional)
 * Characteristics of play parallel characteristics of engagement: (list based on Honig)**

The Project Approach

 * Project work:**
 * 1) provides children with opportunities to apply skills;
 * 2) addresses children's proficiencies;
 * 3) stresses intrinsic motivation;
 * 4) encourages children to determine what to work on and accepts them as experts about their needs".
 * The Project Approach from ERIC/EECE Digest Archive.

Like a story, has beginning, middle and end (three phases) Preliminary: Select topic by discovering personal and students interests, reflecting on curriculum, resources, etc. Create initial concept web. 1) Discuss and assess prior knowledge, develop questions, inform parents 2) Facilitate field trips, guest speakers, resources, investigations, representations of learning and elaborate concept web. 3) Organize culminating event to present and share findings with community. Find link from the project to the next topic of study.
 * Structure of a Project:** (Katz/Chard)

Utter diversity of students challenges traditional classroom practices, requires more individualized and responsive approach.
 * Project Learning**: (Katz/Chard)

Children often possess individual gifts and interests which are not appreciated within a traditional classroom.

The project approach, which sees the classroom as a "learning environment," is more responsive to individual learners through: Systematic Instruction and Project Work** (Katz/Chard)
 * curriculum integration
 * concern for memorable learning as well as memorized learning
 * cooperative learning on complex and open-ended tasks
 * Project Approach Teaching:

Project work and systematic instruction are complementary styles. For example, in systematic instruction the children acquire the skills and in project work they apply those skills in meaningful contexts.

"Project work can be seen as the part of the curriculum which is planned in negotiation with the children and which supports and extends the more formal and teacher directed instructional elements."

Reggio Emilia and Project Approach
= = The Reggio Emilia philosophy is based upon the following set of principles: === **Long-term projects as vehicles for learning** Curriculum characterized by real-life problem solving among peers and numerous opportunities for creative thinking, expression and exploration Projects often carried out by small group of children with a teacher, while others carry on regular self-selected activities === === Project topics may derive from teacher's observation of spontaneous play, academic curiosity, community concern or "serendipitous event" Improvisation in teaching is valued Successful projects evaluated on their ability to arouse and sustain interest and provoke creative thinking Curriculum revolves around open-ended and often long-term projects based on the "reciprocal nature of teacher-directed and child-initiated activity." "Within the project approach, children are given opportunities to make connections between prior and new knowledge while engaging in authentic tasks." ===
 * Children must have some control over the direction of their learning
 * Children must be able to learn through experiences of touching, moving, listening, seeing, and hearing
 * Children have a relationship with other children and with material items in the world that children must be allowed to explore
 * Children must have endless ways and opportunities to express themselves

-Reflect on class experience, something you have learned or are taking away. -Make cards for Charlie: with symbol of something that the group agrees it is taking away from class experience on cover. -Add personal message.
 * Hands On Project**

Honig, Alice. Play: Ten Power Boost for Children's Early Learning. Educational Psychology 09/10, article 4, p. 16-20. Girod, Mark & Mishra, Punya. Designing Learning through Learning to Design. Educational Psychology 09/10, article 22, p. 114-119. Jablon, Judy & Wilkinson, Michael. Using Engagement Strategies to Facilitate Children's Learning and Success. Educational Psychology 09/10, article 23, p. 120-123. Katz, Lillian G. Ph.D., and Chard, Sylvia C. Ph.D http://www.projectapproach.org/ Kuhn, Deanna. How to Produce a High-Achieving Child. Educational Psychology 09/10, article 28, p. 146-150. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggio_Emilia_approach 
 * References:**