7 Ways Students Can Contribute to Their Learning Community

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Like teachers, students love contributing to the world through what they are doing and creating. In my experience, when students contribute to the learning of others, they sense a greater purpose in what takes place in the classroom. No matter what is happening in your classroom, a connection can be made to the learning of the entire school, community, and beyond.

The KID-CREATED category on this website does not make it easy to find ideas, so I’ve created this list to help ignite some enthusiasm for sharing and spark new ideas. As always, I encourage teachers to share their creative ideas, too (see Write a Guest Blog Post).

HERE ARE SEVEN WAYS to connect students’ work with the entire learning community:

CREATE LEARNING MATERIALS FOR THE SCHOOL

  • Create logic problems to share with other classes (read more HERE).
  • Create puzzles or math problems (read more HERE and HERE).
  • Create learning centers to place in the school library.
  • Create a video or slide deck explaining a concept.
  • Create book reviews or special displays for the library (read more HERE)
  • Older students can create personalized storybooks for younger ones.

CREATE EDUCATIONAL DISPLAYS TO POST AROUND THE SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY

  • Design a display about a current event (e.g. NASA Missions / science behind hurricanes).
  • Introduce unique topics through displays (e.g. nanotechnology, biomimicry-more HERE).
  • Expand vocabularies through displays (read more HERE).

These can be displayed in local libraries and community buildings as well.

CREATE EDUCATIONAL OR FUN MORNING ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • Rewrite a famous poem to educate or entertain (read more HERE).
  • Prepare trivia questions and quizzes.
  • Share vocabulary stories (read more HERE).

CREATE DIGITAL MEDIA TO SHARE WITH OTHERS

  • Create something to submit to an online magazine (read more HERE).
  • Demonstrate how something is done or created (read more HERE).
  • Explain how to solve a problem.
  • Share information, photos, and reflections about a design challenge.

PREPARE A DEMONSTRATION FOR A YOUNGER CLASS

  • Share a science experiment.
  • Perform a magic trick that involves math or science.

JUDGE A CONTEST FOR A YOUNGER GRADE LEVEL

  • Design a school or grade-level contest and have students judge to determine winners.
  • Connect with secondary students to act as judges for poetry, art, or literary contests.
  • Connect with students (middle/ high school) to judge elementary school science fairs.

CREATE AN EVENT OR MUSEUM

  • Host an academic competition (read more HERE)
  • Create a mini-museum (read more HERE)
  • Host end-of-year events (read more HERE)

What can you add to these ideas? Share by leaving a comment below!

2 thoughts on “7 Ways Students Can Contribute to Their Learning Community”

  1. My fifth grade students a few years ago asked if they could pick a topic and then present it to a younger grade

    We went to another school ( grade 2) and they presented. They came up with the rubric of qualities all presentations had to include. I did have to narrow some topics down to a manageable size but wow… it was awesome.

    I think, if you can allow them to choose what they want to learn, sometimes they can surprise you.

    In this case, public speaking was an interest, as well as power point software.

    Reply

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