Mind
Hand signals in sports and classrooms, especially digital!
Complete Student-Athlete is all about the mind and body connection. We know people learn more effectively when they are at their physical peak but this post is about using our bodies to keep our minds engaged. Specifically, by using hand signals.
According to Using Hand Signals for More Equitable Discussions, a video published by Edutopia, hand signals are a great way to improve classroom engagement and communication, especially in digital classrooms. Watching the video, I was impressed by the simplicity of the communication techniques and immediately thought of all the stammering and awkward attempts not to speak over each other that could be eliminated in my digital classrooms. Hand signals indicate simple, direct answers and the desire to elaborate on or question a concept.
Anyone who has ever taught anything knows the importance of visual clues to ensure your audience is not just paying attention but also understanding you. It is probably the thing I miss most in Zoom classrooms. I struggle to survey the classroom for a read on students’ attention and understanding levels while presenting the material. Hand signals make this much easier by removing the guesswork. The students are expected to give a clear and obvious indication instead of my having to catch the quick glance of confusion or frustration flashing on their screen momentarily.
The other great benefit of having students actively using their hands is that it keeps them engaged. They can’t zone out and wait until they are called upon to show that they are paying attention. Throughout the lesson, they are constantly responding and demonstrating their focus.
To see how a similar concept is already employed in sports, check out NFL coach Jon Gruden’s hand signal based video remix here:
https://www.nfl.com/videos/hard-knocks-jon-gruden-s-knock-on-wood-catchphrase-gets-an-incredible-remix By actively engaging a physical response to cognitive recognition, the mind and body work together to develop deeper understanding of the ideas. This results in better concept retention and fewer mistakes on gameday.
