What's the Hook?

Whenever we work with students or staff in a learning environment it is important to think of ways that we can "hook them". By this I mean what discussion point, activity or practice can we use to engage them as quickly and as meaningfully as we can in the intended learning.

In the technology workshops I have led over the last few years, new Web 2.0 tools have created "the hook" to get teachers engaged. When I hear from a teacher or an administrator the phrase "I love my Wiki!" or witness the excitement they see for a pedagogical application of a particular Web 2.0 tool in their classroom I know I've done the task I set out to do.

How can we do the same for our students in the classroom? Technology is one of the tools that certainly raises the "hook" factor in our classrooms. But not everyone has access to the technology all the time or, for some even on a regular basis, so what other options do teachers have? 

This is the part of the post where it becomes interactive. I challenge readers to comment and add ways they have used or seen teachers "hook" their students into the learning.

Watch this interesting video via Karen Montgomery's excellent Thinking Machine WIki that looks at some of the most important characteristics of students today.It was created by Michael Wesch, Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Kansas State University in collaboration with 200 of his students.

 

(Photo - L. Marie) Creative Commons Attribute

Comments

[Cindy Wainikka]

Thanks John for posting this video. It is amazing how much time our kids really do spend on all the technology out there.
Finding a hook, is important to grab students. I agree. I think that students are already motivated as soon as they are allowed on the computer - it doesn't take more than that. I have found they are always eager to learn more about whatever they are working on, especially when it comes from one of their peers ( who usually know more than me) So, once they are using the computer, it is then easy to take their motivation and run with that to teach them all the other aspects of Literacy with ICT.
Thanks John