Your weekly source of learner-centered inspiration
Dear Educator,
One of the key shifts in a learner-centered classroom or learning environment is that the learner is central to the process. This means that their understanding of who they are, what the goals are for learning and growth, and where they are in relationship to those goals are paramount. This is often a mindset shift more than a skillset. Don’t get me wrong, there are critical skills required to create clear learning targets, help learners understand them, and support navigating their learning journey, but it starts with believing that they can, first.
There is a stark contrast in learning environments where learners are seen as curious, wondrous, and capable versus those where educators feel compelled to control and dictate the process, place, and pace of learning.
I have seen the youngest learners explain their learning and this week I am excited to share a video with YOU of a learner who is taking ownership of his learning.
We want to hear from you! Share your Learner-Centered Bright Spot with us here.
BRIGHT SPOT OF THE WEEK
Empowering learners as active participants in their learning journey
In this video, a 3rd grader at Jackson Avenue School in the Mineola School District in New York highlights where he is in his learning journey. He is capturing his progress and highlighting how he knows what skills he has mastered and what he needs to work on. It is not only adorable, but extremely insightful! Please take 2 minutes to watch this.
These are my favorite parts:
You can see that if I get all these checks I get the badge.
In integrated curriculum, I am working on main ideas and story telling.
In math, I am working on a little bit of knowledge and a little bit of application.
You have some badges that don't have any checks cause you aren't working on that stuff.
When we bring learners in and make them an active part of their learning, we can see what they are capable of. Kudos to Ms. McKeveny for her role in his journey. She is not front and center but she has played a vital role in setting the targets, coaching, providing feedback, and helping him develop agency in his learning.
How are you helping learners understand their goals and where they are in their journey?
Explore resources that make the case for empowering learners as active participants in their learning journey.
1. Developing Learner Agency. Learning can be messy, literally and figuratively, and learners may spend uncomfortable time in the so called “learning pit,” but the process is part of the learning experience and more often than not the end result is lasting, powerful learning. See for yourself in this blog post inspired by a very personal example.
2. From Memorizing for Tests to Learning for Life. Don’t take it from me, hear directly from a learner about moving from a standard learning environment to a competency-based approach and the dramatic shift experienced when he clearly understood where he was and what targets he was working towards.
3. Changing the World One Mind at a Time. In this podcast episode Starr Sackstein shares ideas and tips for creating a classroom with assessment practices that empower learners to take ownership for their learning.
LET'S SHARE OUR BRIGHT SPOTS!
How are you empowering learners with agency?
Share your #LCBrightSpots on social media!
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Learner-Centered Collaborative, 49 Stevenson Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
