Learner Agency (also known as student agency) is key to providing opportunities for the development of key competencies and the application of learning.
In my school district we adopted the five learning beliefs from Education Reimagined to help drive our district vision: competency-based; personalized, relevant & contextualized; learner agency; socially embedded; open-walled. In working with these five beliefs, we must (1) have a clear understanding of what they mean, and (2) be equipped with explicit strategies to make them a reality. Otherwise, a vision is not much more than words on paper. That being said, here’s the Education Reimagined definition of learner agency: Learning that is characterized by learning agency recognizes learners as active participants in their own learning and engages them in
Implementing Learner agency Learner Agency is basically when our students have ownership of their own learning and action that comes from that learning.This student-friendly poster contains both coloured and black in white sets of PYP Learner agency poster ( colour and black in white option) Voice ...
The 7 Elements of Learner Agency These 7 elements contribute to learner agency: voice, choice, engagement, motivation, ownership, purpose, and self-efficacy. We arrived at these elements to define …
At the end of October 2018, the IB's Primary Year's Programme released the much-anticipated new digital resource, "PYP: From principles into practice" (available on My IB's Programme Resource Centre). This digital document helps educators working in PYP schools better understand the PYP's framework for international education, full of the PYP enhancements. Reading through this new document and exploring the teacher support materials will be an essential first step in deepening PYP teachers' understanding of the enhanced PYP. When I hear, read or experience something for the first time, if I have the chance to create something, I find I understand the new content better. To better understand the contents of "PYP: From principles into practice", I thought it would be a good idea to create digital content in response to what I read. To begin, I read the first section of the new digital resource on Learner Agency (IB, 2018). Afterward, I created different forms of digital content, using different digital media to synthesize my understanding of what I read. I ended up created 7 different digital products: a voice-over screencast, a podcast, a vlog, an infographic, a mindmap, a presentation, and a blog post. All the same content, just presented in different ways. Thumbnails and links of each are below, along with notes about what digital tool I used to create each. Creating these gave me the opportunity to explore ideas about learner agency and in sharing them with you, I hope you're able to grow in your understanding of learner agency, a new term, yet familiar concept to the PYP. Voice-over screencast created using Google Slides & Screencastify Podcast created using Anchor.fm Vlog (Video blog) created using Flipgrid Infographic created using Google Draw Mindmap created using Creately Presentation created using Google Slides Blog post created using Blogger After reading different sections of the new digital resource and exploring the teacher support materials, "PYP: From principles into practice", what will you create?
Education buzzwords are a dime a dozen, but just one of them, like student agency, can have limitless interpretations or definitions depending who you speak with. Let's clear the air on what student agency is and is not.
Student agency is about empowering students to know themselves better, determine who they want to be and identifying steps we can take together to have this goal become a reality.
Learner Agency isn't a new concept in the Primary Years Programme (PYP). Those of us who have been teaching in the PYP for some time might not recognize the word "agency" but the idea of centering learning and teaching around learner voice, choice & ownership is one that we should all be familiar with. from "Learner Agency" a section from "The Learner" in "PYP: From Principles Into Practice" Learner agency can be remembered as "voice, choice and ownership" which Bandura says "enable[s] people to play a part in their self-development, adaption, and self-renewal with changing times" (in Learner Agency, IB 2018). The idea of agency is closely connected to self-efficacy, a belief in one's own ability to succeed. When learners believe in themselves and have a strong sense of identity, they are more likely to exercise agency. When students are agentive, they: Take initiative, responsibility & ownership Express interest Make choices Are aware of their own learning goals Monitor and adjust their learning Voice opinions Influence and direct their own learning Develop approaches to learning & dispositions They also work collaboratively with teachers to: Make decisions together Create shared agreements Create shared routines Set up learning spaces Reflect together It is important to recognize that teachers cannot give learners agency, but rather they can create opportunities in which learners can exercise agency. They can do this by: Working in partnership, building relationship Actively listening Respecting and responding to learner ideas Noticing learners’ capabilities, needs and interests Reflecting on when students need help, intervening & giving feedback Establishing a welcoming culture Modeling desired behavior and language So what should PYP schools be doing, now that there is an increased emphasis on learner agency in the PYP? If you walked into a PYP that is dedicated and focused on giving students the chance you exercise learner agency, you would see: Students and teachers collaboratively creating learning engagements and assessments. Students setting learning goals and monitoring progress. Students fostering their own belief in themselves and their own ability to succeed. Students being active, engaged participants in thinking and learning. After reading the Learner Agency section of the IB document "PYP: From Principles Into Practice", I'm inspired to take ACTION! I will ADVOCATE for learner agency in my school by Modeling what learner agency looks like for teachers during PD Celebrating agentive learning when I see it by documenting it through pictures and videos on Twitter Asking reflective questions in situations when learners are not exercising agency The question is, now that you know more about what learner agency is, how it is connected with self-efficacy and what teachers can do to provide students opportunities to exercise agency, WHAT DO YOU FEEL INSPIRED TO DO?
How to Cultivate Student Agency in English Language Learners is the headline of the latest excerpt from our new book, Navigating the Common Core with English Language Learners (which will be out in…
Examples and ideas that illustrate the Continuum of Voice moving to agency through the Stages of Personalized Learning Environments.
Empower your students with Blended Learning Classroom Job Necklaces. Enhance responsibility and manage the classroom effectively. Ideal for all grade levels!
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linkedin Education trends may come and go, but the conclusions of John Hattie’s Visible Learning research have remained largely unchanged over the years. The research is clear about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to raising student […]
My students and I were recently asked to Skype into a PYP workshop to share examples of how student agency works in our classroom. In preparation, we brainstormed everything this year that contribu…
In my blog post titled “3 Ways to Build Student Agency into Your Lessons,” I encouraged teachers to design lessons that allow students to make key decisions about their learning. Student agency is one of the easiest ways that teachers can begin to personalize learning. If students are invited to make decisions about the subject […]
Feedback in the classroom is a powerful tool to drive learning. But if we want our feedback to bolster learner agency in addition to inching students towards academic goals, we must ensure it doesn’t create dependency in the process.
By Tom Vander Ark - Given the rate of change in the world, helping young people take charge of their own learning is more important than ever.
Data shows that the long-term benefits of student-centered learning are overwhelmingly positive as students immerse themselves in content knowledge.
One thing that I’ve learned being an IB Age 3 teacher is it’s difficult to introduce the IB Learner Profiles, Attitudes, Concepts, Skills, and Action Cycle to the students. However, I b…
Using images to make sense of information can support student learning and increase personal agency for diverse learners, says educator Sherrill Knezel.
I recently wrote about my journey toward empowering students through ownership. It began with a “throw away” week during state-wide testing when I felt the freedom to do something different. From…
My students and I were recently asked to Skype into a PYP workshop to share examples of how student agency works in our classroom. In preparation, we brainstormed everything this year that contribu…
A blog full of tips, lessons, and ideas to use in the upper elementary classroom.
Tweet We are 7 weeks into the school year and gearing up for parent teacher conferences later this week. In our school, we try to schedule all conferences on a Thursday evening or Friday morning. This way if multiple folks need to be involved in the conference, we are all in the building at the same time. The evening hours also work much better for parents. As the math specialist I get invited to attend the difficult conferences. If a student is behind or in some cases very ahead of their peers, I will often be asked to join the conference. Classroom teachers also invite me when they know parents have specific concerns or when it is a student I have a lot of contact with. Sometimes I am asked to sit in on a conference because the parents are very difficult or have expressed opinions about their students math learning that do not show understanding of how or why we are teaching math as we do. Depending on the reason for the conference and what the concerns are, I have many approaches but here are a few things I always do in conference situations. - I like to start on a positive note by sharing a recent piece of student work that illustrates something they can do well or something that shows how far they have come. Because I do so much formative assessment, I have a lot of student work samples available to choose from and can always find something positive. - I then like to have parents share how they think their child is doing and any concerns they have. - I am all about data driven decision making so then I will share any assessments. For primary students this often includes individual interviews, especially if a student is behind. I go over the current assessment results and show their progress over time if applicable. - I show other student work and point out specifically how the work illustrates them progressing or not progressing toward meeting the standard. I also like to explain what the next steps are in terms of what we are working on next. - I prepare myself to answer the hard questions. Why are you teaching it this way instead of that way? These big questions parents have when they are new to my school or my way of thinking about math used to really challenge me. As I have become more experienced and read more research on math education I have been better prepared to answer these questions. I like to show parents that it isn't MY way of teaching that I am going for but rather what the research says works. - I focus on the big mathematical ideas for that grade. For each grade level I can think of 3-5 things that are the most important things kids have and understand in order for them to be successful in the next grade. If a student is behind, I focus the conference on the most important skills and make sure my discussion focuses on how to move a student forward with these big ideas. This year, in addition to my role as a math specialist (part interventionist and part coach), I have 2 groups of students that I am doing the primary math instruction for. This means that I will hopefully get to meet with the parents of kids in these groups because their classroom teachers don't see them for math. To help out with ones I might miss and to keep the classroom teachers up to speed on what their students are doing in math, I have been gathering data and putting together some things that can be shared with parents. One of the things I created for my fourth grade group was this quick reflection on their learning. I loved seeing their responses and it gave me great information about how they are feeling about math! Want to use this with your students? Click on the picture to get it from Google Drive.
The 7 Elements of Learner Agency These 7 elements contribute to learner agency: voice, choice, engagement, motivation, ownership, purpose, and self-efficacy. We arrived at these elements to define …
Using strategies to make thinking visible can be incredibly powerful. Their power, however, hinges almost entirely on how willing teachers are to learn about their students. Far too often, I see vi…
A four-step approach to using a powerful model that increases student agency in learning.
Autonomy: the power to be independent and free; freedom from external control or influence.
A design guide for playfully igniting agency, artistry, and understanding with concepts and materials anywhere Engaged students and an inspired environment are in your hands-literally. Pop-Up Studio invites us to step into our artistry as responsive teachers who empower learners as fellow thinkers and creatives. Integrating neuroscience with teaching approaches such as concept-based, play-based, and inquiry, Pop-Up Studio is a guide to igniting agency, artistry, and understanding with students anytime, anywhere! WHAT YOU GET152 pages with full-colour images, examples from real JK-Middle Years classrooms, 100+ practical prompts and graphics, and 30+ journaling featuresExclusive link to free, digital and fillable support materials insideCustom-designed and ethically published with love in Canada Perfect for university-level courses specializing in creative teaching approaches such as Instructional Design and Creativity and The Arts in Childhood.
Learn how to manage dozens of student projects and promote peer feedback using a dynamic platform that helps you stay organized.
Let's talk about Human Agency. Human agency is the ability for a human to make choices and then act on them in the world around them. They can choose their plan and make it come to life. Sounds good right? All human's thrive on choice. Kids especially. So, how can we use human agency in Kindergarten? Have you done choice time? Or choice boards? Have you given your child a choice between foods, clothes, or toys? This is human agency. While kids thrive on routine, they also need choice. When we think of human agency in the Kindergarten classroom, we are using their interests, respecting their ideas, and showing them that we care about them all at the same time. We can use human agency in school ALL DAY LONG. Yes, we will need to have assessments, yes we will need to do things we don't want to do. But, if we give kids the power to choose how they are going to participate in school, we are giving them a gift. Because we are living a crazy life right now, we can use agency to help students take control over their own learning. They can believe they are in charge and that you are there as a facilitator. As I have always said, and I was very glad to hear Kristi Mraz agree, you can put academics into just about anything. If we give children a choice on what to play, we can work through that to 1) get to know the child, 2) utilize their strengths, and 3) teach them how to be thinkers and doers. I had a boy in my class in 2017 that was 100% hands-on. He was painfully shy and easily overwhelmed. But, when you gave him blocks he came alive. He would build and tell stories. I gave him a paper counting test and he ended up in tears. I gave him a bunch of plastic bears and he did amazing. This is the point where we can take what he CAN do and teach him that he can do more. We can show him how to do things on paper, and when he is ready he will choose to do it. Ok, ok, I know some of you are like, "You can't just do what you want!" I agree, trust me. There are a lot of times where you just have to fall in line. But, what if in Kindergarten, we taught them to believe that their ideas matter? That they can speak up with their thoughts and feelings? What if we instilled in them the ability to choose the right thing? How? Well, it starts in play. Children will play with what they are interested in. The dollhouse is thought of as a "girl" toy. Yet, boys will play with it. The cars are considered a "boy" toy. But, I had a very elaborate car collection when I was a child. Why not just watch and see what they choose? You will be surprised at what happens, and then you can choose what to do with it. We all hear about Inquiry. It is defined as "the act of asking for information". Once you see what they are interested in, you can start to teach around it. Kinders love life! They are curious about everything! And each day is different. Pumpkins, friends, buildings, bugs, marbles, water, it is all there. What we need to flip is us telling them what they are going to learn and begin using what they like to start a conversation. My launch of K will contain very small groups, which I explained yesterday. I will look at interests and group accordingly. This will build community, love of school, and enhance their curious nature. Take a look at this infographic. These are all of the things we want our students to do. We have to give them the OPPORTUNITIES to learn how. .
A few years ago, Harvard’s Achievement Gap Institute conducted a study on teaching and student agency. The study recognized agency as potentially “…as ...
