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 There are several different approaches to designing a choice board, but the goal is to allow students an opportunity to select the activities they will complete to practice a skill or demonstrate understanding. Â
WHY You Should Use Choice Boards:
WHY You Should Use Choice Boards:
There are so many research-based reasons to use choice boards in your classroom. Here are just a few reasons why I’ve found choice boards to be a valuable resource in my own classroom:Â
1. Intrinsic motivation Â
1. Intrinsic motivation Â
Choice boards provide students the opportunity to make their own choices, which increases intrinsic motivation and therefore increases meaningful learning. Students are more likely to internalize content if a learning activity is interesting to them or if they can make a connection to their own life.Â
Choice boards provide students the opportunity to make their own choices, which increases intrinsic motivation and therefore increases meaningful learning. Students are more likely to internalize content if a learning activity is interesting to them or if they can make a connection to their own life.Â
2. Learning styles
2. Learning styles
Choice boards also cater to multiple learning styles, allowing students to explore content in ways that are exciting for them. That’s empowerment! Students will naturally gravitate towards activities that work with their learning style. However, carefully-designed boards offer opportunities for students to explore additional learning styles, too.Â
Choice boards also cater to multiple learning styles, allowing students to explore content in ways that are exciting for them. That’s empowerment! Students will naturally gravitate towards activities that work with their learning style. However, carefully-designed boards offer opportunities for students to explore additional learning styles, too.Â
3. Differentiation
3. Differentiation
Choice boards encourage students to choose activities that are beneficial to them. I try to make my classroom an environment where students are comfortable taking risks and challenging themselves. In order to maintain a growth mindset, I discourage students from choosing activities that will not help them grow academically. But ultimately, it’s their choice, and all of my boards are specifically designed, so I know that anything they choose is will fulfill the goals of the lesson.Â
Choice boards encourage students to choose activities that are beneficial to them. I try to make my classroom an environment where students are comfortable taking risks and challenging themselves. In order to maintain a growth mindset, I discourage students from choosing activities that will not help them grow academically. But ultimately, it’s their choice, and all of my boards are specifically designed, so I know that anything they choose is will fulfill the goals of the lesson.Â
In addition to choice, the number of tasks required of a pupil can change. Either the teacher can pre-assign a different number to a particular pupil or pupils can work at their own pace.
In addition to choice, the number of tasks required of a pupil can change. Either the teacher can pre-assign a different number to a particular pupil or pupils can work at their own pace.
Growing up in France, I was not really familiar with the concept “all you can eat” buffet restaurants until I came to the US. I used to wonder why anyone would want to own such a restaurant, and encourage people to eat until they felt sick, or why anyone would want to partake in such a meal concept. When I became a mother, I began to get a better grasp of their appeal. I am a mother of 3 daughters. They are 15, 10 and 10 (my youngest are twins). I am the cook in the family, and though I enjoy cooking, making meals for our family can sometimes turn into a logistical nightmare. I have one daughter who loves to eat, and one who eats like a bird. My husband is a meat eater, and my teenager would rather eat a whole head of lettuce. Doesn’t this sound like a typical classroom? If only students could all just learn the same way, there would be no need to turn your classroom into an “all you can eat” buffet style learning environment!
Growing up in France, I was not really familiar with the concept “all you can eat” buffet restaurants until I came to the US. I used to wonder why anyone would want to own such a restaurant, and encourage people to eat until they felt sick, or why anyone would want to partake in such a meal concept. When I became a mother, I began to get a better grasp of their appeal. I am a mother of 3 daughters. They are 15, 10 and 10 (my youngest are twins). I am the cook in the family, and though I enjoy cooking, making meals for our family can sometimes turn into a logistical nightmare. I have one daughter who loves to eat, and one who eats like a bird. My husband is a meat eater, and my teenager would rather eat a whole head of lettuce. Doesn’t this sound like a typical classroom? If only students could all just learn the same way, there would be no need to turn your classroom into an “all you can eat” buffet style learning environment! Â
“Buffet-style learning environments reduce (or eliminate) the number of lectures and/or class meetings, replacing lectures with a variety of activities supported by interactive software and more individualized assistance. Such a strategy is not only more effective in dealing with learning issues but also more economical.”
(“Maximizing the Educational Benefits By Using A Buffet Style Of Teaching”, Samia Massoud, Prairie View A&M University)
Suggested reading
Suggested reading
See the page on Playlists for a way to allow for differentiation in the classroom
choice board templates you can editÂ
choice board templates you can editÂ
You should save your slides as a PDF before you share it with the pupils or upload it to Google Classroom. The links still work, but they can not move things around or edit.
You should save your slides as a PDF before you share it with the pupils or upload it to Google Classroom. The links still work, but they can not move things around or edit.
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