WeAreTeachers Blog

[#1]

Think back to your school days.  Do you remember groaning as your teacher passed out worksheets?  Grudgingly filling in the answers half-heartedly without engaging any of your critical thinking or problem solving skills?  We all remember times like that.  Fortunately, slowly but surely, worksheets are slowly disappearing from classrooms everywhere.  That's not to say that the occasional worksheet is detrimental to student learning—it's not—but simply that there are much more effective ways to teach.  And with 21^st century technology—and 21^st century curriculum—teachers are finally able to replace worksheets with creative and innovative methods.  Here are six of our favorite non-worksheet teaching strategies:

1. Using iPads and iPods.  New educational apps—like the Neolithix SpaceBoards app for handwriting practice—teach core curriculum concepts in a high-tech way.
2. Project-Based Learning.  Engage your students in project-based learning—like these 8 fun and easy projects--and allow them to step outside the box and develop problem solving skills as they learn core concepts.
3. Games.  By incorporating both online games (like Disney's Imagineering games) and classwide games into your curriculum, students can learn key concepts collaboratively.  (P.S.  If you're interested in learning more about the use of games in the classroom, we have a great WatCast on the topic from LeapFrog here.)
4. Use Emergent Technology.  New ideas in educational technology are released all the time—and these cool programs, tools and apps can give your classroom energy and life.  Find hundreds of ideas and suggestions here—and continue to check WeAreTeachers, teacher forums and blogs to learn about new technology as it releases.
5. Digital Media as a Teaching Tool.  Using podcasts, videos and online media can help your students to see concepts in a new way.  (P.S.  For 209 teacher-submitted ideas on how to use digital media in the classroom, click here.)
6. Study Primary Source Materials.  Let your students actually experience a particular time in history, place or event by exposing them to the literature and art created by the people who were there.  (P.S.  Have ideas on how to use primary source documents in the classroom?  There's still time to apply for a teacher grant on that topic from National Humanities Center.)

Question:  How do you go beyond the worksheet in your classroom?

[#2]

I agree with getting rid of some worksheets, but I think writing is very important.  Students do need to work on writing skills from a worksheet so they can make the letters correctly.  I teach reading and math, science by using hands on activities. 

[#3]

Thanks for the tips. I agree with rnickel, students still need to write. If only every kid could have an ipad and write on things like blogs or forums!

Thanks,

Kendall

[#4]

I agree with all of these alternatives to Worksheets. However, what if the WS itself asks the students to interact with material in ways that use critical and/or creative thinking? Is the medium (pen-and-paper) or the typical WS content the problem? Or both?

[#5]

I would love to lose the worksheets, but we do not have the technology to support it.  I do use as few as possible and try to create as much project based work as possible.  However, my learners actually like the worksheets.  I think they see it like "comfort food."  I look forward to the day when my 15 year old iMac running OS 9.2 gets updated/replaced with something from the 21st century!

[#6]

Thanks for sharing this artcile, I love the ideas. I am an educator but wrote my most recent blog on the same topic but from a parent's perspective: http://hookedonlearning.edublogs.org/