For the last several years (minus the lost year to CoVid) Bend-La Pine has put on an amazing conference. The incredible teachers of Bend-La Pine share with their peers the beautiful work that they have been doing. Along with national level speakers, BLP teachers share the innovative work that happens in our schools every day.
We are excited to bring the Innovative Teaching and Learning Conference back again this year with over 30 educators sharing what they are doing in their classrooms every day.
You can register at this link. Click on the Sections tab part way down the screen to see the registration.
Interested in learning more about our keynote speakers? Here is a sample of their work.
Rick Wormeli on late work
Dr. Bettina Love on “co-conspiratorship” for equity
As learners, we have all had that feeling of cramming something into our head for the purpose of regurgitation on an exam. We had to learn it because the know-it-all teacher says that we do. Our only option for how to show our knowledge is on the test on that one day, that one time. This is the opposite of student agency. Student agency is the way that students feel that their learning is something that they own. Student Agency provides connection, relevancy, control and self awareness of what is being taught.
Like all pedagogy, student agency comes down to specific moves that teachers make to increase the engagement and ownership that students have with their content.
Strategies That Can Increase Student Agency
Knowing Strengths as a Learner
The old adage of “Know thyself” is the first step of agency. Do they know when they are confused? Do they know what help can look like? Do they know how to best get help when they don’t know what they know they need to know? When a student engages in self assessment and metacognition, there is an awareness of how learning occurs and next steps to be taken. Once the awareness of their “stuckness” is in place they can find ways to move through it.
Posing “Ungoogleable” Questions
Many of you begin a class, lesson or unit with an essential question. This strategy can increase engagement and purpose in the lessons in which students engage. These invitations to learning bring students in by bringing their voice to the solutions.
Flexibility in Showing What You Know
There are times and standards that fit well with giving students flexibility in displaying knowledge. With options in the artifacts of learning, students must make choices in showing how they demonstrate what they know. Allowing students to have a strength based approach to their own learning makes school more meaningful.
Self Assessment
When students engage in a self assessment prior to teacher assessment they must engage in reflection. Holding assignments, projects and assessments up to a mirror before handing them over to the teacher makes them reflect on the criteria for success one last time (we hope that they are also thinking about the criteria as they work!) Focusing students back to the criteria also leads to better peer assessment.
Exit Ticket on Process
One of my favorite generic exit tickets was 3 questions (ungraded)
What did we learn today?
What was easy?
What can I do differently to help you with the things that were difficult?
These three questions gave me a lot of information about how students were digesting the lessons and gave me insights into their thinking. I would begin the next day by sharing a few of the “what we learned” to anchor us in the new learning. I also acknowledged the new moves that I would take to bring everyone to the same place. It gave the students control over how I provided instruction that led to learning. This is the definition of agency!
