Getting Started with Student Choice

Last month, I did a series on student choice and empowerment. Here is the series in a more organized format. I’ve also added a sketchy video (below) and a free eBook called Getting Started with Student Choice. Notice that there are a few topics that I haven’t written posts for yet. My plan is to keep this series as a work in progress and to come back to it occasionally to add, revise, and refine.

For all the talk of student engagement, I wonder if we’re asking the wrong question. Instead of asking, “How do I engage my students?” a better question might be, “How do I empower them?”

The answer is empowerment.

This is what happens when students own the entire learning process. It’s what happens when they ask the questions and choose the strategies. It’s what happens when they are empowered to think critically and create. In this series, we dive into the question of student choice. A great starting point might be the free eBook Getting Started with Student Choice. You can get it by scrolling down to the bottom of the page.

Part One: Why Student Choice Matters

• My Journey Toward Student Choice
• Why Science Says the Average Student Doesn’t Exist
• What Happens to Behavior When You Incorporate Student Choice?

Part Two: A Bigger Definition of Student Choice

• The Approach: What 3 Ice Cream Shops Can Teach Us About Choice and Differentiation
• 10 Ways to Leverage Student Choice in Your Classroom
• As Much Freedom As Possible
• Letting Students Ask the Questions
• Letting Students Choose the Topics, Themes, and Content
• Letting Students Choose the Format
• Letting Students Choose the Strategies
• Letting Students Choose the Scaffolding
• Letting Students Choose the Audience in Creative Projects
• Letting Students Own the Project Management Process

Part Three: Getting Started with Student Choice

• 5 Tips for Getting Started with Student Choice
• What Happens When Kids Don’t Want to Choose?
• Genius Hour: 10 Reasons to Pilot Genius Hour This Year
• Wonder Week: Why a Student Inquiry Project Can Empower Students
• Design Projects: A Choice-Based Approach to Creativity
• Geek Out Projects: Starting the Year with Student Choice

Get the Free eBook Getting Started with Student Choice. 

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