Today, we expect every student to be ready for the challenges of the 21st century – to learn more, to master new technologies, and to apply what they have learned in authentic/real-world contexts. The phrases “deeper learning” and “critical and creative thinking” have generated varied descriptions of the skills, knowledge, and dispositions students must possess to be able to sit at the table of opportunity and succeed in life after high school. Deeper learning happens when students become actively immersed in challenging tasks that require them to critically examine information, transfer what they have learned, and expand upon that learning to creatively experiment and construct new knowledge and insights. This does not happen in classrooms where the primary focus is getting students to comply with the work we’ve assigned and get correct answers to problems with known answers.

Too often math students lean on teachers to think for them, but there are some simple ways to guide them to think for themselves.

A brief guide to engaging students in narrative writing by having them program robots to act out their stories.

This report offers guidance – including practical advice – to education leaders and teachers in redesigning schools and classrooms by centering on learner agency, through a shift in the ownership of learning. It also provides clarity around the definition and meaning of learner agency and addresses the implications for high-quality practices in new learning models.

This webinar unpacks how Prospect North Primary School, Adelaide, Australia, ensures students take center stage in their learning by creating an environment where student voice is heard and instrumental to every facet of operations. Students and award-winning principal Marg Clark unpack how their school promotes agency, creating whole-child learning, and amplifying learnings through The Connection (an Australian network of best practice low SES schools) across the system.

Standardized rubric showing proficiency|in particular|competes in student-friendly language. Students are allotted choice in representing their mastery.

This article from ISTE explains how teachers can create a Makerspace at their school. A Makerspace is a place where learners can come together to create or invent things|either using traditional crafts or technology:.

Teachers can take a step back and create lessons that put student explorations at the center of learning.

Portrait of a graduate bulletin board with grade level I can statements|in student-friendly language.

In this interview, Leadbeater spoke with Anthony Mackay about the lessons outlined in the paper and what they mean for the future of education.

In April 2017, approximately 40 teachers from four New Tech Network (NTN) high schools participated in a series of focus groups designed to collect information on the practices they used to build student agency among their students. The data collected from the focus groups were utilized to develop the Menu of Teacher Practices on Student Agency.

At Bellows Free Academy (BFA) in Fairfax, Vermont, Personalized Learning Plans (PLPs) aim to allow students to design their own pathway toward proficiency-based graduation and provide a forum for developing student agency. Despite numerous iterations of the PLP requirements at BFA, we recognized that student and adult engagement with the PLP was inconsistent, and the clarity about why students have PLPs was insufficient. Additionally, we admitted that after ten-plus years we had never adequately sought student input in designing the PLP process.

The use of highly effective instructional practices in mathematics is the most productive way to improve a student’s
mathematics achievement. When used in concert with effective instruction, personalized learning (PL) software is an
invaluable tool that educators can use to both improve their instruction and more fully meet each students’ needs. It
should not be used to replace Tier 1 instructional time (see the Utah Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) for
Mathematics framework), but rather to help the educator meet their objectives and student meet learning goals.

Enhance student engagement and build a stronger community of learners by encouraging students to propose and lead their own clubs.

A form for students to brainstorm|plan|and submit a proposal for an interest-based project.

This article is the first part of a two-part series exploring student agency as it has been defined through decades of research and how we can apply the lessons learned in a culturally-competent frame.

Personalized learning can help make learning more relevant for each student and provide the flexibility that can make learning and the demonstration of that learning meaningful to every student. In this video, we define personalized learning, give an overview of what it can look like in your classroom, and what impact PL can have on your classroom.