by Lu Gerlach As you compare VOICE and CHOICE, there are so many similarities that it can be difficult to determine them apart. I think the difference is that students voice how they want to learn and teachers help them co-create choices with the process and product. Choice can be a double edged sword. It doesn’t mean that we allow students to make all of the decisions in their learning without context. Imagine a seven year old child trying to navigate reading chapter books for the first time without guidance from the teacher. They would very quickly become frustrated by the length of the text and increased usage of vocabulary and literary devices. They need guidance and practice with reading chapter books, before they can explore a variety of genres on their own. As an educator, I found the times when I had the most impact on student learning was when I was given the choice to teach according to my own style. When I taught in Dubai at an IB Continuum international school, I was allowed to deviate from the unit planner to infuse my favorite engagements and the tools I found most effective. Each week, our team would meet and share our ideas and resources. We respected each other’s wishes to use what we felt would best meet our student’s needs. But, we always agreed on the same introduction, formative assessments throughout the unit, and the summative task at the end. This allowed us to speak to the same end goal, but our individual journeys were allowed to be different based on student wonderings. How do we break down choice for our students, so it’s tangible? Let’s get out our Agency Continuum from the last episode. We will use it to assess our current usage of choice in our classroom and make goals for this year. Be realistic when making your goals, so you don’t end up frustrated with the process. The Choice Continuum has five stages that students go through. These are fluid stages that go from teacher driven to student driven. Let’s take a deeper look. I used to think that giving choice boards and multiple options at a station was creating agentic learners. As I look at this continuum, I realize that the learner must be leading the learning in order to reach the halfway point. This requires a lot of faith on our parts to give up the control. If we are eager to bring more choice into our classrooms, how do we do it practically? Here are some simple steps to make it happen. ContentTell the learners the content that will be covered in the unit and have them come up with the ways it will be explored. They will help to co-create the list of most important facts and experiences that need to be studied. QuestionsGet learners asking a variety of leveled questions, so research and learning are a more enriching experience. This will allow them to be more independent and broaden their next of potential topics. MaterialsAllow learners to decide which materials would be most appropriate for their learning needs when acquiring new knowledge. Learners know which items will help them to best grasp abstract ideas. Learning SpaceProvide fluidity in the learning space, so students can decide how to use it best when learning. Allow for flexible seating options, individual carpets, cushions, and other materials for creating student-driven learning spaces. StrategiesChallenge learners to reflect up and investigate a variety of strategies that will support their understanding of new content. Allow them to come up with half of the toolkit. OrganizersCollate a variety of organizers and learning tools together that will support the strategies and content development. Allowing learners to choose their own organizers reinforces independent thinking and transfer of knowledge. FormatEncourage learners to share their understanding in a variety of platforms: vlogs (Youtube), blogs, podcasts, collaboration platforms (Padlet, Canvas), videos (Flipgrid), and so much more GroupsDirect learners to create their own grouping based on task requirements. Encourage them to re-group regularly, so they can maximize the learning from multiple partners. ProjectsCelebrate the learning through a variety of projects and allow learners to guide how it will be shared with the learning community.
Choice opens up the scope of how learning is created, processed and shared with the community. It’s dynamic and allows students to become more involved in the learning process. You just need to have faith that releasing the control will be worth it.
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