Activity Rich, Academically Poor
I recently came across an article which paraphrased the description of activity rich and academically poor classrooms. It reminded me of classrooms that I would observe, in which I noted students happily engaged in games, videos, and “educational centers.” Things appear to be going well enough, discipline issues are minimal, parents report that their children are happy, and the students appear to be learning something. But after observing this almost day after day, I began to observe a little longer and more deeply. What became evident to me was that while the students were involved in some superficial learning activities and were well managed, quality learning and maximizing of educational potential were not being achieved. Perhaps this classroom may not be the number one priority for a principal but unless something changes, all parties will be disappointed with the depth and quality of learning at the conclusion of the year.
Activities, games, and learning centers can be awesome ways to engage students in learning, review, and discovery. However, keeping the long term learning goals in mind, it becomes necessary to remember that it should be the learning goal which drives the activity and not the other way around. If teachers are not careful, instructional time can be filled with well-intentioned activities that engage students in diverse, random learning that is somewhat astray from what the students should be learning. The class may be more easily managed with these activities and the teacher may be well liked and caring, but not enough focused learning is taking place to warrant the use of these activities.
The most precious resource we have in our classrooms and schools is instructional time, time spent on focused learning activities to support a clear learning goal. Effective planning would guide the teacher as to which activities and games would best reinforce the specific learning goal, and when to introduce it, and for which students.
Activities which support the learning goal is an indication of effective planning, good teaching, and an excellent use of class time. This type of planning results in both activity rich and academically rich classrooms.
