Student Voice and Choice in Learning

Empowering Student Agency Through Choice Boards In the Primary Years Programme (PYP), student agency and voice are central to learning. One effective tool that supports agency, differentiation, and inquiry-based learning is the Choice Board. A choice board is a grid of activities aligned with specific learning outcomes that allows students to select the task(s) they find most meaningful or engaging. By offering structured options, choice boards empower learners to take ownership of their learning while still working toward common goals. Why Choice Boards? Choice boards provide a framework that balances student voice and choice with curriculum requirements. They: Encourage students to learn in ways that reflect their interests, readiness, and learning styles. Allow teachers to differentiate tasks without lowering expectations. Foster skills across the Approaches to Learning (ATL) framework, such as thinking, communication, and self-management. Promote agency by giving students responsibility for selecting how they demonstrate their understanding. Linking to Bloom’s Taxonomy In our PYP classrooms, we design choice boards using Bloom’s Taxonomy to ensure tasks range from foundational to higher-order thinking. This ensures that all learners can engage meaningfully, while also challenging them to extend their thinking. For example, in our “Human Body Systems” unit, students may: Remember: Label a diagram of the body. Understand: Explain how the digestive system supports survival. Apply: Keep a food and exercise journal to analyze the impact on body systems. Analyze: Compare two systems to see how they work together. Evaluate: Debate which system is “most important.” Create: Design a superhero with an extra-strong system. Similarly, in our “Role Models” unit, learners reflect on qualities of role models, compare real-life figures, write persuasive pieces, or design their own “Role Model Award Certificate.” In the “Children’s Rights” unit, activities may include analyzing cause-and-effect chains of rights being denied, creating campaigns for awareness, or designing comics of a “Rights Protector” superhero. For younger learners in Grade 1, the “Healthy Lifestyle Choices” choice board includes age-appropriate tasks like sorting healthy vs. unhealthy foods, acting out exercises, or making a “Healthy Hero” poster. Finally, in our “Identities” unit, choice board activities invite students to reflect on their personal and cultural identity, compare changes over time, judge influences such as family and peers, and create artistic representations of “This is Me.” A Step Toward Lifelong Learning By integrating choice boards into our units of inquiry, we not only meet curriculum expectations but also honor the individuality of every child. Students learn that there are many ways to explore ideas and express understanding — a crucial step in nurturing lifelong learners who are reflective, open-minded, and empowered to act.

A recent post by Anand Krishnaswamy on how we need to have the children's voice be the starting point of lesson planning, prompted this post of mine. In a world where education often feels like racing through a checklist, we choose to pause. To listen. To begin each new idea, each project, not with a lecture, but with a simple, powerful question: "What do you already know? And what are you burning to find out?" At my school, every unit starts with a K-W-L chart —What I Know, What I Want to know, What I Learned. It’s not just a strategy; it’s how we honor the learner’s voice.  Because real learning isn’t about filling empty vessels. Even in my PD sessions with the facilitators, I often say, we need to meet the learners where they are, not assuming they’re blank slates.   Spark curiosity before content —because when a child asks their own questions, learning becomes theirs.   Making growth visible —so when we look back at "What I Learned," even the quietest student feels pride.  This isn’t just good practice—it’s the nature of learning: Vygotsky taught us that the magic happens in that space between "I can do this alone" and "I need help." The "W"—what a child wonders—sits right there, on the edge of their understanding.   Piaget showed us that kids don’t just absorb facts; they construct knowledge. The "K" (what they already know) is the foundation we build on—not bulldoze over.  An Indian Lens: The Panchadi Framework- five elements of meaningful learning:   1. Jnana (knowledge) → "What I Know"   2. Chikitsa (the problem) → "What I Want to Know" 3. Prayog (application) → "Let’s explore!" 4. Anubhava (experience) → "What surprised me?" 5. Manthan (reflection) → "What I Learned—and what’s next?" The K-W-L isn’t just a chart; it’s a powerful tool that every teacher should learn to use well. What can you do? 1. Start with listening. Before diving into a lesson, ask: "What do you think you already know about this?" (You’ll be stunned by their insights—and misconceptions.)   2. Protect their questions. Even if they’re "off-topic," those curiosities are the hooks that make learning stick.   3. Close the loop. End by revisiting the chart: "Look how far we’ve come. What still puzzles you?"  K-W-L reminds us: Education isn’t about answers. It’s about the conversation that leads us there. It always begins with the learner’s voice.

Children are not blank slates. Not boxes to fill. Not machines to program. They are individuals with unique rhythms, curiosities, and ways of making sense of the world. So why, for so long, have we expected them to stay within the lines of black-box education? To memorise, conform, obey — instead of imagine, question, lead? Traditional education rewards quiet obedience over fearless curiosity. It teaches children how to comply, but not how to find their way. The result? Students who know how to perform, but not how to decide. Who wait to be told what to do, instead of trusting their own instincts. A shift is long overdue. And not just at the surface, but at the very core of how we approach learning. At Dreamtime Learning, we’re leading that shift by putting learner agency at the heart of everything. Because children don’t just deserve to be taught, they deserve to be trusted. Trusted to ask bold questions. To explore what moves them. To take ownership of their learning, and with it, their future. Here’s how that comes to life: Creative Thinking: When the pressure to conform dissolves, creativity takes root. Children at Dreamtime Learning are urged to express, imagine, and take intellectual risks, from a place of inner freedom. Guided Decision-Making: Teachers guide children in their choices, by partnering with them rather than dictating. Over time, these daily choices cultivate confidence in their own judgment and the ability to lead themselves with clarity and conviction. Projects that Encourage Initiative: Students take the lead on real-world projects. They set their own goals, solve problems, make mistakes, and iterate along the way. Initiative becomes second nature because it’s practised, not preached. This shift from passive to purposeful helps raise individuals who can navigate a world full of unknowns with courage, creativity, and conviction. Follow Lina Ashar for more reflections on building learner-led education for a world that needs independent, conscious thinkers. #LinaAshar #DreamtimeLearning #Projects #Students #Children #Education #School #Purpose #Creativity #Courage #Conviction

"When children talk, they learn. When they listen, they grow. When they express, they shine!" Teaching English in primary grades goes far beyond grammar and spelling — it's about nurturing voices, thoughts, and confidence. One of the most impactful strategies in primary classrooms is the TALKIE framework — a student-centered approach that beautifully blends speaking, listening, writing, and creativity in one engaging cycle! The gateway to the unfolding of the TALKIE strategy in a primary English class: T – Think: Students observe a picture prompt (like a rainy day or a jungle scene) and silently reflect on what they see or imagine. A – Ask: Each learner formulates one question based on their observation: 💬 “Why are the animals hiding?” 💬 “Where did the rain come from?” L – Listen: In pairs, they take turns asking and responding to each other’s questions, promoting thoughtful listening and meaningful dialogue. K – Keyword: From their discussion, each pair identifies a strong or new word and adds it to a growing Class Word Wall: splash, stormy, wild, silent... I – Illustrate: Students create a drawing that reflects their keyword in context, then write a sentence using it: “The tiger hides behind the bush.” E – Express: Learners present their illustration and sentence to the class — a moment of confidence, pride, and joyful communication. Commendable Power of TALKIE: This strategy ensures that every child participates actively, using all four language domains in a meaningful and age-appropriate manner. It supports self-expression, builds vocabulary, and encourages peer learning. TALKIE can be beautifully integrated with topics like: ⛈️Seasons and Weather 📚Story Retelling 🖼Picture Description 🎑Festivals Around the World ✨ Language comes alive when learners talk their learning! "TALKIE doesn't just teach English-it gives every child a voice." #PrimaryEducation #EnglishTeaching #TALKIE #StudentVoices #CreativeClassroom

Education shouldn’t just be for students—it should be shaped by them. In the latest EDUCAUSE Community Conversations podcast, host John O’Brien talks with Vanessa Hammler Kenon, Associate Vice President Technology Compliance and Community Engagement at The University of Texas at San Antonio, about the integration of student voices into strategic decision-making in educational institutions.🗣️ Their insightful conversation highlights the importance of student participation in shaping policies, curricula, and institutional initiatives. During their talk, John and Vanessa cover: ✅ Students as key stakeholders whose insights can enhance institutional effectiveness. ✅ Approaches such as surveys, advisory boards, and participatory governance. ✅ Obstacles like tokenism, lack of student interest, and institutional resistance, with strategies to overcome them. ✅ Instances where student engagement led to meaningful change. ✅ Best practices for institutions to ensure genuine and impactful student participation. Whether you’re an educator, administrator, policymaker, or student advocate, this episode will inspire you to rethink how we engage the next generation in shaping their own academic journeys. Watch or listen here 👉 https://buff.ly/6jG3Uv3 #StudentVoices #HigherEd #Podcast

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥? Not because of marks or pressure. But because they wanted to be there. Too many college students tell me, “I started enjoying learning only after school ended.” Why? Because “I didn’t hate learning. 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧, 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩.” That’s a failure of how we design our schools. Why wait until 18 or 20 for students to feel excited about learning? Why not build schools that spark that excitement from day one? In college, I saw 𝐬𝐭𝐮d𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐮𝐩 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐦, designing projects, building startups, solving real problems. What changed? 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐎𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞. 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. It should be a space where curiosity explodes and ideas thrive. 𝐒𝐨 𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫-𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲-𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠. Because the future belongs to creators, not rule-followers. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭, 𝐥𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤. 𝐖𝐞 𝐨𝐰𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. #FutureOfEducation #StudentVoice #CuriosityDrivenLearning #EducationReform #LearnByDoing

What if your syllabus started with a conversation instead of a contract? This Faculty Focus article explores something that feels especially relevant right now: co-creating classroom norms with students — not to give up structure, but to build shared ownership of the learning experience. Students thrive when they understand: - The why behind the work - The expectations (and flexibility) around participation - That their voices shape the journey, not just the outcome At CapSource we see this every day in our project-based programs. When students help define the rules of engagement — whether it’s in a consulting sprint, strategy challenge, or product ideation lab — their buy-in and breakthroughs come faster. Because engaged learning isn’t something you “deliver” — it’s something you build with your students. What’s one norm or principle you’ve successfully co-created with your learners? #EngagedLearning #CoCreation #CapSource #ExperientialLearning #HigherEd #ClassroomCulture #TeachingStrategies #StudentVoice 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gBgG3ByS