PBL Course 02 - Blog 03 - Smith, Robert - Student Agency

Student Agency

Student agency refers to learning through activities that are meaningful and relevant to learners, driven by their interests, and often self-initiated with appropriate guidance from teachers. To put it simply, student agency gives students voice and often, choice, in how they learn.

-          Renaissance EdWords (2017)

Students need challenges relevant to themselves and their current developmental levels. Those challenges are not easy to provide. We must know our students’ interests and likes; we must know what is currently culturally relevant to them; we need to understand their slang; we need to know who they are. Before we are able to offer them “voice and choice,” we need to actually listen to and learn from them.

Student agency is the level of control and power learners experience in the classroom. It can organically occur through their choices of learning environments, subject matter, educational approach, and pace of learning. We have to provide those opportunities. After reviewing the New Tech Network’s middle school agency chart, I feel that I do a good job in many of the rubric areas.

I.                    Develop Growth Mindset

a.       Use Effort and Practice to Grow

b.      Seek Challenge

c.       Grow from Setbacks

                                                              i.      I teach AP Pre-Algebra to sixth graders. These three traits are inherent in these learners.

d.      Build Confidence

e.       Find Personal Relevance

                                                              i.      Again, I teach AP Pre-Algebra to sixth graders. These traits are not inherent in these learners. We fail them in earlier grades by forcing them to abide by our rules and timelines. These learners can pass our weekly tests with little effort, so we do not require them to exert any effort. However, when they face the challenges of tougher courses, like pre-Algebra, they lose their confidence and have trouble connecting it to themselves in any meaningful way.

II.                 Take Ownership Over One’s Learning

a.       Meet Benchmarks

b.      Seek Feedback

                                                              i.      My students have these abilities when they walk into the classroom. Any classroom.

c.       Tackle and Monitor Learning

d.      Actively Participate

e.       Impact Self & Community

                                                              i.      My students are weaker in these areas. I have to work on bringing these abilities out in my students.