Engaging Minds

Discover how to keep students engaged in classwork by bringing back the joy of learning. The book Engaging Minds in the Classroom outfits you with a Framework for Joyful Learning to use in teaching and learning experiences every day. Then three more books in the set explore how to use this Framework to create language arts classes that keep students attentive and thoughtful (Engaging Minds in English Language Arts Classrooms), social studies lessons that connect content to real life experiences (Engaging Minds in Social Studies Classrooms), and science and maths projects that help your students focued on understanding concepts rather than simply earning a mark (Engaging Minds in Science and Math Classrooms).

Daily decisions about incorporating creativity, choice and autonomy - integral components of engagement - can build students' self-efficacy, keep them motivated and strengthen their identities as scientists and mathematicians. In this book, the authors show you how to apply the joyful learning framework to instruction in science and maths. Acknowledging that many students - particularly girls and students of colour - do not see themselves as mathematics and scientists, the authors provide a series of suggested activities that are aligned with standards and high expectations to engage and motivate all learners.

In this book, Mary Jo Fresch shows how you can use the joyful learning framework introduced in Engaging Minds in the Classroom to better engage students in reading, writing, speaking, listening and other elements of English learning. She provides innovative instructional approaches for diverse students at all year levels, linking the strategies to the research that demonstrates the effects of motivation and engagement on student success. Educators aiming to meet the multiple challenges of standards, assessments, EAL/D instruction and achievement gaps have more reasons than ever before to attend to this crucial aspect of learning. This resource will inspire you to make the kinds of changes in your classroom that will truly engage students - minds - by helping them experience joy in learning.

In Engaging Minds in the Classroom: The Surprising Power of Joy, you'll explore what Michael F. Opitz and Michael P. Ford have discovered about planning lessons that engage students and enable them to truly enjoy learning. The authors outline key findings from research on motivation and engagement and offer real-life teaching examples from various year levels. They show how to systematically propel students to enjoy using their minds every day - and to view themselves as confident learners ready to take on the challenges of the world. Engaging Minds in the Classroom is a must-read for any educator who understands that developing students' love of learning is the catalyst for achievement at every level.

Politcal intrigue. Environmental issues. Ethical dilemmas. Critical thinking. Problem solving. Social studies content is directly connected to real life and is filled with built-in hooks to transform tuned-out students into engaged and enthusiastic learners. Building on the insights and research in Engaging Minds in the Classroom: The Surprising Power of Joy, Erekson explains how to integrate the joyful learning approach with social studies standards. In addition to discussing how to create a student-centred classroom and develop activities that generate authentic products and meaningful outcomes, Erekson provides specific strategies that will enhance your own joy in teaching and learning.