Technique 12: The Hook

Lemov says:

If you can introduce material in a way that inspires and excites and can get your students to take the first step willingly, then there is no content about which you cannot engender excitement, engagement, and deep learning among your students.

So, the Hook is a short introductory moment that captures what's interesting and engaging about the material.

The author gives some examples:

1. Story: tell a quick story to inspire and motivate
2. Analogy: offer an interesting analogy in real life
3. Prop: use a prop to grab students' interest
4. Media: act out a part of the book, or show a short movie clip of a dramatization of a book.
5. Challenge: give students a very difficult task -- this can motivate them wanting to find a better/easier way to do it.

Important points: keep it short, make sure it applies, and make sure it is energetic and optimistic.

Also, you don't need one for every lesson.

My response:

I used to do this for almost every algorithm that was being taught when I taught Data Structures and Algorithms at LaRoche College.  I think it worked wonderfully.  I use Analogy, Prop, and Challenge -- I think these apply the best for teaching technology.

I'll have to think more about how this can be used when teaching introductory programming.  For FIT, I think it is not too hard, in most cases, to motivate the students this way.  After all, FIT is supposed to teach very practical content...