Interactive+Learning

=   Interactive Learning    **   By: E. Dutton   ** = ===   There are many different interactive learning tools that can spark interest in 21st Century learners and help them learn more easily. Some of the most common are Clickers, smart boards, the use of Power Point, video, music, and interactive games. All of these are great tools and techniques to engage 21st Century learners in the classroom. ===

__ Clickers:   __
===   These are tools that are more commonly being used than in the past. They are great ways to get students involved who are often too shy to openly participate in class. Clickers are devices that each student has at their desk with answer choices on them. A teacher can ask the classroom a question and allow the class to answer showing the results immediately to the rest of the class. This is good not only to get students involved, but can show the teacher what questions students are understanding and which ones need more attention. ===

__ Smart Boards:   __
===   These are also being seen more often in high-tech classrooms. They are much like dry erase boards but everything is virtual and the markers don’t actually “write” on the board. Programs for games and learning activities can be downloaded into the smart board and used to teach the students. Like Clickers they are a great way to engage the students in a way that they can learn and have fun at the same time. ===

__ Power points:   __
===   It is rare in the 21st to not see PowerPoint being used to assist teachers with their lectures. Although the use of PowerPoint is not as engaging to the students as Clickers and smart boards, they are more interesting to students than the standard lecture. PowerPoint is a Microsoft Office program that allows for anyone to easily make an interactive presentation aid. === === ===

__ Video:   __
===   Video has been used in the classroom for many years. Documentaries and educational movies are another really good interactive learning technique. A teacher could have the students watch a film, and answer questions about it. Youtube.com has multiple short videos on almost any subject that teachers can look up for free to share with students as well. ===

__ Music:   __
===   Music is most commonly used with elementary students to help them better understand and remember things. Like other interactive learning techniques, music is a good way for students to have fun and learn valuable lessons at the same time. However, 21st Century learners are more likely to be shy and not so interested in singing out loud. That does not mean that they will not pick up on the song but they may not take it in as well as other students. ===

__ Games:   __
===   It is often thought to be very taboo to have games in the classroom. But games can be very educational despite popular belief. They are good ways to get students involved with the lesson. Games that are classroom appropriate are often team games and used to review for a test or quiz. Rather than just asking students questions, games like classroom Jeopardy make learning engaging by having points earned for correct answers. Jeopardy is just one of the many educational and review games that can be used in the classroom. ===

[[image:51sxoWEM0jL__SL500.jpg width="110" height="89" link="http://teachers.net/cgi-bin/lessons/sort.cgi?searchterm=Games"]]
==   In conclusion, all of these interactive learning techniques are the best ways to catch the attention of the 21st Century student. 21st Century learners often have very short attention spans. If a teacher does not have the student’s attention in the first few minutes of a lecture they are less likely to learn everything that is covered. ==

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