Finding creative ways to engage tactile learners is always a challenge for me in my writing classes. I was pretty excited about this activity so I thought I'd share it with the group! In order to demonstrate a strategy for how to write and organize a compare/contrast essay, I brought in apples, oranges, and sticky notes. I gave each student an apple and an orange, and had them put five sticky notes under each fruit. Then I had them choose five points on which to compare the fruits. I explained that they could do pretty much anything they wanted with… >>>

Recently I've been trying to engage my students in a class-wide discussion of the writings on various topics. In order to create a more comfortable and equal environment (one in which I'm not necessarily the authority), I've been sitting down at my desk and acting only as a moderator. Has anyone else tried this, and what were the results? So far, my students have been responding well, which means that more of them are talking, and they're talking to each other. They're not just giving answers, they're discussing ideas. (And this is just the thing I'm trying to encourage.) Any… >>>