Learner Agency
Embedded Files
After reading multiple Barbara Bray resources in the Learner Agency model and attending the roundtable, I felt that I had a better understanding of the variety of learner agency strategies. Before implementing a learner agency activity during this module, I thought it would be suitable to explore Bray's resources and think about my students in terms of the learner descriptions provided in the readings.
Bray describes learner voice as being personal and particular, asserting that a learner's level of voice may differ in a variety of environments. I can attest to the truth of this, as in high school I was very quiet in math classes that I struggled in, barely meeting the points of expression; yet, I was a leading voice in many of my creative courses such as photography.
As a teacher, I have to be conscientious of the factors that might affect a students voice or their perception of personal voice in my classroom environment. A struggling student is likely not going to lead a group project, so it is important that I support students in developing their voice along with learning content.
Two of the main ideas within learner agency that came up time and time again as I explored resources were voice and choice. While voice was illustrated as more of a spectrum, choice is illustrated differently. Bray states that "It is not a continuum of choice. It is about providing opportunities for choice at different levels."
Dependent on what role students are taking within their choice, they may be classified as a participant, designer, advocate, or innovator. McClaskey's article defines the same concept as a continuum and splits the designer role into co-designer or designers, and her article refers to the innovator role as entrepreneur instead.
I see the value of both McClaskey's and Bray's perspectives on choice, and I believe the central idea here is that students need to have some level of choice in order to exercise agency. My students have experience mostly with the participant role, especially in science courses. This is the role I will focus on with my students.
Another article by Barbara Bray, Development of Ownership: From Compliance to Autonomy caught my attention during this module. I saw many sources regarding voice and choice, but I believe ownership is also a large part of learning and learner agency.
This source was very impactful for me in developing ides on how to support agency within my own classroom. One statement from this source put into words the thoughts I have been trying to express for some time: "In the Compliance phase, learners do not feel they own their learning or may not believe they are the ones that have to do the work to learn" (Bray 2018). I feel that this accurately expresses the viewpoint held by many of my students.
Often times, students tell me that myself or other teachers are "not teaching," and upon further investigation, these students typically mean that the teacher is not providing teacher-centered instruction or lectures. Many students that I teach do not realize that they can take ownership of their learning, which is imperative for a teacher to know when designing instruction.
As an ESOL and college-prep level teacher, I have to be capable of meeting students where they are and not expecting too high of agency from their end, while still maximizing their opportunities for voice and choice in a way that will promote success. However, the way I implement learner agency for my students will likely be much different than an Honors or AP course setting. Students have different capabilities within learner agency, and may even have different agency skills dependent on the specific course and their experiences with the subject.
Similar to what I stated in my page on executive function, I have found that the past couple of school years have possibly decreased the amount of agency my learners are used to having and can handle. For that reason, I decided the most feasible implementation for learner agency in my ESOL and CP biology classes would be a choice project in place of a typical summative test. As Younghusband said in her article, "We are choosing what is best for our students to learn, meeting them where they are..." Strategies used to support learner agency during this experience were:
Teacher-created choices - choice for the mode of expression and paper/digital options
Provision of the rubric and a requirement list
Extended work time (three class days)
Flexible working area - option for computer or tables
Quick one-on-one check-ins with the teacher/feedback provided from teacher
In the experience I've designed, students are at the beginning of the continuum of choice as designed by McClaskey and are considered participants by both McClaskey and Bray. If I were teaching an Honors/Gifted or AP class, I would likely not provide my students with a pre-curated list of choices, thus moving them up McClaksey's continuum to the co-designer or designer role (designer in Bray's terms).
Many of my students are struggling deeply with self-regulation this school this year, which has affected their sense of agency. A few students wanted me to check every little bit of their project as they went, and it showed that they lacked confidence in their own ability to create an artifact of their learning. Several students, especially those at the college-prep level, did not submit a project and failed to demonstrate their use of agency as learners. Those who did complete the project typically received a score that was higher than their summative assessments from past units, meaning they likely were able to exercise their agency and display their knowledge better than on a multiple-choice exam.
Sources
Bray, Barbara. "Development of Ownership: From Compliance to Autonomy." Rethinking Learning, 10 February 2018, https://barbarabray.net/2018/02/10/continuum-of-ownership-developing-autonomy/.
Bray, Barbara. “Opportunities for Choice: The Learning Path to Advocacy and Innovation.” Rethinking Learning, 8 May 2018, https://barbarabray.net/2018/05/08/continuum-of-choice-choosing-the-learning-path-to-find-passion-and-purpose/.
Bray, Barbara. “Spectrum of Voice: Developing Self-Regulation, Autonomy, and Agency.” Rethinking Learning, 9 Sept. 2018, https://barbarabray.net/2018/09/09/spectrum-of-voice-developing-self-regulation-autonomy-and-agency/.
McClaskey, Kathleen. Developing the Expert Learner through the Stages of Personalized Learning.
Younghusband, Christine. “Student Agency in Covid Times.” EdCan Network, 27 May 2021, https://www.edcan.ca/articles/student-agency-in-covid-times/.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse