Growing a Culture of Learning (Part 5) – Empowerment

"I would rather have one day of authentic student engagement than a career of handing out worksheets." ~ @sjunkins

How do we empower learners differently in a learner-centered culture?

Think engagement and in 3 ways –

• Voice & choice
• Collaboration
• Challenge

In a learner-centered culture, scholars need voice and choice to direct their learning. These opportunities move beyond who they work with or what they work on and may also include where they work and how they show what they know (or are assessed).

Learners need multiple opportunities to collaborate (& feel comfortable with it). Using backchannels like Nearpod or Backchannel Chat is one way to foster learner collaboration.

Appropriate challenge is also important, not too easy or hard. This relates back to the value mindset and the connections we help learners make.

Some of these ideas might be stretching your thinking in a virtual environment. Consider your standards and what questions your learners might have. What are the connections between the two? How can you use their voice/questions and create choice that meets the standards? Choice also fits in with the idea of appropriately challenging assignments and allowing learners to meet standards in different ways.

Virtual collaboration allows students to learn asynchronously with a peer, building trust that the work will get done. Talk partners create a culture where learners are sharing more than teachers. This strategy fosters collaborative discussions and learning from peers. It is also one that translates to virtual tools. Video conferencing tools like Houseparty or Google Hangouts are options for learners to meet to collaborate on learning.

How do you offer learners opportunities for voice, choice and collaboration? Let us know. You may find useful digital tools to support learner empowerment and engagement here and in this update.