Fifty Strategies to Boost Cognitive Engagement: Creating a Thinking Culture in the Classroom

by Rebecca Stobaugh

Transform your classroom culture from one of passive knowledge consumption to one of active learning and student engagement. In this well-researched book, author Rebecca Stobaugh shares how to build a culture of thinking that emphasizes essential 21st century skills -- from critical thinking and problem-solving to teamwork and creativity. Gain 50 teacher-tested instructional and student engagement strategies for nurturing students' cognitive development, and utilize the book's Take Action activities to help you put the student engagement strategies to work in your classroom. Use these teaching strategies to foster student engagement and cognitive
Introduction
Chapter 1: Understanding Cognitive Engagement and the Thinking-Based Classroom
Chapter 2: Applying a Taxonomy to the Thinking in Your Classroom
Chapter 3: Developing Critical Thinking Skills and Fostering Engagement
Chapter 4: Implementing Strategies for Understand-Level Content
Chapter 5: Implementing Strategies for Analyze-Level Content
Chapter 6: Implementing Strategies for Evaluate-Level Content
Chapter 7: Implementing Strategies for Create-Level Content
Chapter 8: Cementing a Culture of Thinking

Genres: Education, Nonfiction, Professional Development

176 pages, Perfect Paperback

Published April 19, 2019

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book from my boss. I loved that it was broken down into easy strategies to apply right away in my classroom. It was also nice to see in print several I already do.

[Michael Loveless · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fifty Strategies is worth reading if you are a teacher looking for ways to engage your students, just don't expect too much. I read this book because the title promised strategies for engagement, but it was the other parts of the book that I thought were most valuable. The chapter on Bloom's taxonomy was the best explanation of it that I've ever read. The author explained the levels and helped the reader to categorize them in helpful ways. In addition the book identified the cognitive processes that made up each level and what kinds of tasks could be done to engage those cognitive processes. The last chapter of the book identified characteristics of classrooms where thinking can flourish (modeling thinking skills and establishing norms for thinking, for instance). I found this chapter to be a kind of helpful checklist by which I could measure my own classes. As far as the the engagement strategies themselves, I was a little disappointed. Many of the strategies were fairly obvious or were things that most teachers already do. I found some of the strategies potentially useable (10, maybe), but I did often find that the descriptions of implementation contained little tips that could be useful.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strong, well organized, clear book sharing strategies to develop strong thinking in classrooms. The chapters generally follow Bloom’s updated taxonomy with various strategies supported by research are detailed, resources like graphic organizers are provided as examples, and strategies given to adapt each for different subject matters. The examples may have been for elementary or middle school more than high school, and it would be nice to have seen how to adapt these strategies to state standards, which can often seem rigid. Still helpful with many good ideas.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book to reference for a variety of teaching strategies. Although many authors and scholars would likely argue against Stobaugh's categorization of thinking, this book is helpful in its essence for obtaining some strategies that can support students.

I would have liked to have seen Stobaugh acknowledge that categorizing learning with Bloom's is not the only approach to the art of educating. This book reads like the author is 100% sold on Bloom's.

Overall, this is a good book, and one that I may reference again in the future.

[Gaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detailed strategies shared that make it possible to have a clear conversation about cognitive engagement and show how you are engaging students using these strategies as evidence. Rebecca Stobaugh did a wonderful webinar for New England ISTE.
Links:
Video: https://bit.ly/EngagedLearningStrategies
Audio: https://bit.ly/EngagedLearningAudio
Archive Page: http://bit.ly/2J8AdVd
Earn a certificate by completing our Exit Ticket: http://bit.ly/2OxwwM0

[Michelle Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great reminder of engaging strategies I’ve learned over the years, gathered in one place. Helpful that it is organized by Blooms taxonomy. Straightforward and lots of examples. Can implement and act on this info immediately for the benefit of students. Doesn’t do much to directly address equity but it’s implicit in the amount of student voice and choice that is promoted in the strategies. I borrowed it from the library but may need to purchase this one.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a useful reference to flip through when your go-to activities are feeling stale. Many of the activities will be familiar to experienced teachers, but they are conveniently packaged here. Each strategy has a detailed plan, sample content-area variations and sample graphic organizers when applicable.

[Lindsey Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book for a class and it was well worth it. It was nice to read something so practical. I could use most of these strategies immediately when back in the classroom. I appreciated the focus on movement and collaboration. There’s no way I could remember most of these ideas; it’s more of a reference book, a place to return to when planning a unit.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book overall..but very few examples that could apply to primary grades.

[Emily Shatek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this for a license renewal class.
At least I can cross of nonfiction for the year.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for practical teaching strategies for engaging on a variety of levels of cognitive skills. Suggests activities for multiple subjects.