Choose Your Own Adventure�Blowing the Ceiling Off of Learning with student choice

Student choice in its simplest form means allowing students to have a voice when it comes to the direction of their learning. This might be in the content, the process, or the product.

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Why?

…involving your students in the learning process is beneficial

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More engaging learning

Student motivation can be a factor. If you provide them with more choice, they feel like they are not being told what to do but rather given the opportunity to be a part of the learning.

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Other benefits of student choice

• tapping into multiple learning styles 
• encouraging positive behaviors
• empowerment of student ownership 
• building confidence
• creates greater freedom in student learning
• allows for more creativity

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When students do not choose

When students are given choice

When?

…should you let them have choice

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• a soft start is student-driven and student-focused
• you don’t need to prep and swap out soft start activities every week or two
• the routine feels more like flexible seating – children choose what meets their needs and interests at the moment

Soft Start

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What?

…does it look like when giving them choice

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Google Board

• Create a space in your classroom that promotes discovery on topics that interest them. Students get to choose what they are curious about be given an opportunity to explore them.

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Reading partnerships

With reading partnerships, students are engaging in meaningful and intentional times of reading where they discuss open-ended questions on a regular basis.  Students are partnered up with similar readers in their classroom and select a book

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Pacing

Rather than prescribing students short bursts of time to do activities, give them a larger chunk and allow them to choose how they will proceed through the work.

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HOW?

…do you get them started and provide them with opportunities

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"Interest refers to student’s affinity, curiosity, or passion for a particular topic or skill." ~ Carol Ann Tomlinson

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Student interest

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Pre-Assessments

Knowledge Splash

What do you know about electricity?

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Homework

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“Students received a choice of homework they reported higher intrinsic motivation to do homework, felt more competent regarding the homework, and performed better on the unit test compared with when they did not have a choice. In addition, a trend suggested that having choices enhanced homework completion rates compared with when no choices were given” (Patall, Cooper, & Wynn, 2010).

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Stretch your legs and take a little stroll around the building.

Talk with colleagues or a friend about what is present for you.

Play with all of the things on your phone that have been building up.

Use the restroom or get a drink of water.

Close your eyes for a moment to recharge your battery.

Shop for shoes on Amazon.

Figure out where you are going to go to lunch and who is going with you.

Your choice or choose to do nothing.