If you’ve been to McDonald’s lately, you may have noticed its shakes have a different look. They now come with whipped cream and a cherry on top. While you could argue that the change is not all for the better, McDonald’s is doing what many other companies are doing in these tough economic times… adding value to their product. Research-based Creative Teaching Strategies (RCTS) and Super Closers, Openers, Revisiters and Energizers (SCORE) are great ways to add value for teachers without adding to their waistlines.
School districts and teachers across the nation have to tighten their belts and do more with less. In many cases, class sizes are larger, and non-academic classes such as art, music, and PE are being cut. In some districts, even services to students with special needs are being reduced or even eliminated. At the same time, teachers are expected to continue to make academic gains and to prepare all students for college or a career. All this is putting increased demands on the teacher and making it harder – and more important – to engage students.
RCTS and SCORE enable teachers to transition their larger classes smoothly from one activity to the next , keep their students engaged even though they have fewer breaks, and meet the needs of all students by designing activities where students can work collaboratively and succeed together. These Bob Pike Group workshops meet the challenges confronting teachers today.
In most cases, the strategies and activities shared in the RCTS and SCORE workshops can be implemented easily without a great deal of preparation or expense. In 10 workshops delivered this year, teachers always commented that the strategies and techniques learned in The Bob Pike Group workshops are among the most useful and practical they’ve experienced.
Add value and increase engagement in your classes or workshops by using some of the new digital and internet-based tools that are available for free. There are almost always a fair number of participants at any given workshop who have smart phones capable of connecting to the internet. Usually the owners will be willing to pair up with those who don’t have them. Ask some of your participants if they would be willing to download one of the free QR (Quick Response) reader apps such as “i-nigma” or “qrafter.” QR codes are those square barcodes you’ve been seeing in magazines, programs, or ads. They are links to Internet sites.
With the program loaded on your computer, you can generate a QR code and link it to content on the web or to content you have created such as a handout, a video, or an answer to a question. Once you’ve generated the QR code symbol, you could post it in your room and use it as a link to an opener, a closer, a question for discussion, or food for thought during a break. It could also be used to link to a handout you’ve created or an article you have referenced in the training. Try it. I think both you and the participants will find it a fun and engaging bit of added value to the workshop.
This article was submitted by Mike Toncray, a RCTS and SCORE certified trainer at the Professional Development Alliance in Joliet, Ill.
