Boosting High School Students’ Sense of Agency and Motivation — from edutopia.org by Mary Davenport
Providing students with greater voice and choice in the classroom can build their desire to learn and do well academically.
Excerpt:
This year, instead of repeating essay after essay, we included project-based, performative, and creative assessments. The variety allowed for every student to shine at some point in a way unique to themselves.
More than anything, creating opportunities for autonomy has necessitated a shift in my perspective. Our field likes to talk about everything standards-based, but there are dangers to that: When the standard becomes more important than the student in front of us, we have lost the true meaning of education.
…
I offer students choice by giving them options regarding
-
- learning content (which texts to read, videos to watch, podcasts to listen to);
- communication and processing (written, verbal, or visual);
- assessments (choosing topics, choosing texts, choosing supports, choosing structures); and
- work time (independent, collaborative, location).
