Four quick activities to help students retrieve and reflect
/Looking for no prep and no grading retrieval practice to encourage student reflection? Here are my four favorite activities:
Start, Stop, Keep
From teaching 80+ college students and sharing my book Powerful Teaching, to keeping up on research and getting to know educators from around the world, I’m in need of some no-prep no-grading activities, too. Thank you for all you do to unleash the science of learning. You are making the world a better place.
What do you want to start, stop, and keep?
When it comes to your class, what do you or your students want to start, stop, and keep? This activity can be used by students to reflect on their progress throughout the semester or provide course feedback for the instructor. You can also use start, stop, keep during professional development workshops, after each lesson, or even to set resolutions for the new year.
For example, perhaps you want to start using Brain Dumps more often, stop reviewing what happened in previous classes, and keep providing elaborative feedback. Your students might want to start making flashcards powerful, stop studying while listening to music, and keep using Retrieve-Taking.
What do you want to start, stop, and keep next semester? Share on Facebook!
What's your rose, thorn, and bud?
One of our favorite discussion prompts is rose, thorn, bud. It works well for professional development, class reflection for students, and in everyday life.
Rose: What is one concept you've learned really well?
Thorn: What is one concept that has been a challenge for you?
Bud: What is one concept that has sparked new ideas?
Reflecting on learning with the rose, thorn, bud framework engages you and your students in retrieval practice, spacing, and metacognition.
What do your students want to remember?
Want a quick retrieval practice activity? Ask your students to Flash Forward! Simply ask them one thing they want to remember 10 years from now.
How: Ask students to Flash Forward on a written entry or exit ticket, via FlipGrid (a personal favorite), or during think-pair-share.
Why: Flash Forward engages students in retrieval practice, spacing, and metacognition.
What five words come to mind?
At the start and end of the semester (or school year), ask students these two questions:
What are five words that come to mind when you think about [subject area or name of course]?
What is [subject area or name of course]? Write a description in your own words.
Five words is an opportunity for students to space what they know, it's flexible for grade levels and content areas, and it's adaptable with tech tools, apps, Google Forms, and more.
