The ENGAGED and ACTIVE TEACHING



1) THE ENGAGED LEARNING
-The protagonist of this kind of school work is Stanislav Cervenka, chairman of (FEL) - Civic
Association of Friends of Engaged Learning .
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-Name of engaged learning arose in connection with the search for the name of the method of
teaching in which the main word has a student who is active with concern about the problem, works
independently and with taste, is drawn into the work and loves to learn.
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Stanislav Cervenka explains
-The Engaged Learning is evolving type of teaching with a strong emphasis on the positive internal
motivation which leads the student to engage himself to, really do something to fulfill certain
goals.
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-Thus, the pupil is not only able, but willing to work, mainly on educational tasks.
o

How did it start?
-At the very beginning was the story that Cervenka found in the Teaching newspapers
-Its content was the dream about a perfect school, narrated that by a student, enjoy such a school.
He likes comfort, welcoming atmosphere, cooperation and understanding, without any marks and
written work
-After waking up, the boy goes to school, where everything is vice versa
-At that time Cervenka´s had had already his own experience with methods of the  "ideal school",
which he often used in the real vocational school
-Followed Cervenka´s article describing the work and a range of possible visits and consultations,
which was printed in the Teaching newspapers
-Article caused rapidly spreading avalanche of letters with requests for advice, visits and
exchange of experience.
-Because it was not possible to handle all the answers in writing, he used M. HAVLÍNOVÁ´S offer
from NEMES (Prague Independent interdisciplinary group for the transformation of education) on the
formation of the Professional Association of Teachers with similar interests in changes in our
schools.

Ten Principles of Engaged Learning
o1. Principle of independent thinking and collective cooperation
o2. Principle of involvement and responsibility for assigned tasks
o3. Principle of the application of positive motivation
o4. Principle of voluntary and conscious creative activity
o5. Principle of understanding the curriculum for all pupils
o6. Principle of problem solving challenging tasks
o7. Principle of respect for the personality
o8. Principle of predominance of positive evaluation
o9. Principle of functional usage of unusual teaching situations
o10. Principle of an open education system (Červenka, 1992)
o

How does Engaged Learning look like I.
ØIt is not necessary to testing, written works and write any tests of knowledge, is not used
marking.
ØHomework is voluntary.
ØPupils are prohibited to learn anything at home, because everything can be handled in school
lessons.
ØAfter a prolonged illness or other absence of a pupil, the pupil attends morning consultations.
ØThe pupil is evaluated verbally and several times a day to experience the great feeling of a
positive assessment of his work and his work for the benefit of the others.
o
o

How does Engaged Learning look like II.
ØNo punishments, because there are virtually no disciplinary problems.
ØWorking together in groups.
ØPupils have the opportunity to leave during school class (mostly drawn into action so that this
option rarely exercised).
ØIn the group of tasks it is obvious that they can talk together, consult and negotiate.
ØAt the end of the classification period, students receive a written assessment instead of a
certificate.
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Preparing teachers I.
oPreparing teachers for Engaged Teaching corresponds to the concept of school work with children as
one of the most responsible human activities.
o
oAssumes perfect preparation of every lesson so that nothing was left to chance.
o
oWhat is important is a thorough diagnosis of pupil´s grouping, which is the starting point for the
analysis of curriculum focusing on proper selection of the subject content.

Preparing teachers II.
oTo the knowledge of the actual situation serve for example.
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o Meetings and interviews with speakers of different groups in the class, which reveal when it is
necessary to slow the pace or go back and re-explain the subject
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o By that mastering the basic curriculum, which is necessary for every student
o
o From his own experience Červenka recommends analysis of the lessons from the perspective of the
pupils' own work, which is needed to reveal the successes and failures and to assess the
fulfillment of the objectives
o
o A similar analysis should be the rule after a prolonged period closed (thematic unit, semester,
school year)

Who is the PAU?
oPAU (english FEL) a civic association founded in 1992 and in 1992-1994 it acted as an instigator
expert group within the association NEMES (Independent interdisciplinary group for transforming
education).
oA number of creative teachers participated in the transformation of the NEMES document for Czech
education reform.
oSince 1994 PAU operates as an independent organization bringing together teachers, parents,
students, school staff, officials and politicians.
oIn 1999 it became one of the founding organizations of the Regular Conference associations in
education and its framework contributes significantly to the creation of a new strategy of state
education policy, which has managed to push through most common ideas and goals. PAU, among other
things also cooperated on the development of so-called Green and White Books
oToday focuses on issues of practical implications of the curriculum reform.

2) ACTIVE LEARNING
oLearning is not a „spectator sport“.
oPupils will learn a lot simply by being present in the classroom, listening to the information
communicated by the educator.
oThey must talk about what they are learning, write about it, compare with their experience, apply
it in daily life.
oThey learn when they are active and they remember what they understand.
oIf students are actively involved in the learning process, then they learn more than when they are
just passive recipients of teaching.
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ACTIVE LEARNING
oActive learning is a mean of intellectual, emotional and physical development, which, requires
from its subject by responsible engaging in a real, complex and a hard problem to reach the
intended change by improvement of behavior in the problem area.
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oActive learning involves pupils learning activities and thinking about these activities
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Basic characteristics of active learning
Ølisteners more engaged actively than simply by listening
Ø
Øless emphasis is placed on communication and greater emphasis is placed on developing the skills
of pupils
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Øit contains higher levels of thinking (analysis, synthesis, evaluation)
Ø
Øparticipants perform activities (self-study, discussion, elaboration)
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Øgreater emphasis is placed on the development of pupil's own attitudes and values
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Critical Thinking
oFrom the active teaching program based on Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking, which in the
Czech Republic ensures the civic association Critical Thinking.
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oThe basic framework of this program is called three-phase learning cycle :
1.evocation - each teaching begins with the pupil realizing and expressing by words what they know
or what they think they know on a given topic they also formulate ambiguities and questions on the
topic they have and to which they will be looking for the answers in next phase
2.awareness of the importance - confrontation of pupil's original concept of the topic with source
new information, views, newly formulated connections (text, film, storytelling, lectures ...)
3.reflection - pupils will rearticulate their understanding of the subject under the influence of
new information and discussions with colleagues, they realize what new they learned, which of the
original ideas got confirmed and wich not, they realize the options and attitudes of other people
(classmates, teachers) to the topic.
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Some methods of active learning
ofree writing
opair discussion
opair reading
owe learn from each other
okeywords
ocontrolled reading with anticipation
odiscussion cobweb
obrainstorming, mind maps

Advertisement of a Groups (ad)
oAn activity that will help to introduce or strengthen the team atmosphere within the group, whose
members already know.
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o1st.   Establish the groups according to pupils' interests
o2nd. Each group will create an ad to promote their interests (5 min)
o3rd.   Ad should contain information highlighting the strengths and capabilities of the group as a
whole
o4th.   Each group performs its advert
o