By allowing students choice and autonomy in their learning, they will have a greater sense of belonging in the classroom, be more engaged, thus increasing the opportunity for social and emotional learning
Practicum
The variety of activities that promote choice and autonomy in the classroom are endless. For the purpose of this research, during practicum I will be introducing a variety of choice activities throughout the 10 weeks that invite students to participate in the creation of rubrics and criteria, inventing and leading activities, and choice on preference of projects.
Physical Education
After each choice activity, students will be asked to complete an exit slips that focuses on the leadership and choice activity.
Class Charter of Leadership
As a class, students will co-create a definition of leadership. This definition will be reverted back to and used in assessment throughout the remainder of practicum. Each day students will be given a mark based on their overall leadership contribution. This criteria will be determined by the class.
Leader of the day
Each class, one student will be chosen at random, to be the leader of the day.
Responsibilities include: collecting equipment, organizing class into groups, conveying messages, making choices on behalf of the class.
Proceeding the lesson, student leaders will then answer a series of simple questions based on their experience:
- What did you like about being the class leader?
- What did you not like?
- Define what you think a leader should be?
- Do you possess any of these qualities?
- Did being the class leader make you feel empowered? Why or why not?
Inventing Warm-ups
Students will be able to understand and demonstrate the qualities of a leader that are unique to themselves by participating in a small group activity and creating a warm up that they will then lead the class.
Choice: Inventing Warm-ups(example)
Choice in warm-up: Badminton Unit
During the mid-end of a badminton unit, students will be given a choice of a warm-up activity that they would like to do based on skills/strategies they wish to pursue. Feedback from a 3-2-1 assessment of the class prior will also provide further information on areas that students wish to pursue, further shaping the activities of the proceeding class.
Choice: Badminton(example)
Dance Unit: Creation
In student created and teacher monitored groups of 4-5, students will co-create an action plan based on how they as a group will make co-create a dance. From this, they will choose a song from a pre-assigned list, OR, they are welcome to provide their own song, after receiving permission from the teacher.
Choice: Dance (example)
Spanish
Class charter on technology use
Have class discuss when/when they should not use their phones and what they should be aloud to use it for, and what they are not. From this, the class and myself will co-create a charter that states the rules for technology use in the class based upon student and teacher agreement. ie: Cellphone breaks. 5-10 minuets each class.
Co-created Rubrics
Involve the students in co-creating rubrics for assignments. ie. Brainstorm ideas about what is and is not acceptable participation.
Style of Project
Give students a choice from a series of project designs that they can decide upon.
ie. Drawing, Sketch, Essay, Skit, Audio/Visual Representation Creative Dance. etc
Choice: Style of Project (example)
Future Links To Practice
In the foreseeable future, there are many more opportunities to promote choice and autonomy in the classroom that I won’t be able to do in the span of 10 weeks.
Such opportunities require significant planning, reflection and an entire school initiative in order to deliver a comprehensive SEL program. With these aspects, my inquiry will continue to grow above and beyond my 10 week practicum.
Also, with more time, experience and flexibility of having my own class, especially under the new curriculum, I will be able to expand my inquiry by promoting choice in activities that:
- Engage students with their community; ie community service work, working with younger children
- Encourage students to develop their own physical education units.
- Expand student knowledge of the Spanish language and inspire continuous participation and learning by travelling to Hispanic communities and countries.