Student voice and choice

Welcome to the course, Introduction to Student Voice and Choice.

How often do we hear these words "Ma'am/Sir, is this activity for marks?" Internally we sigh. How do we motivate learners to extend their learning without driving their motivation with assessments? We know one of the aims of the National Curriculum Statement for Grades R-12 is to develop learners who "organise and manage themselves and their activities responsibly and effectively." How do we start developing lifelong learners? One way to start working towards this goal is to give students a voice and choice.

🔅This course is an introductory course to Self-Directed Learning (SDL). The course will introduce you to the basic steps of incorporating student voice and choice in your classroom. You will start with basic concepts and then launch into the steps to make student voice and choice visible in your classroom, even with limited resources.

Please read about the course details by clicking the down arrow next to each title.

🔅Learning Objectives

After the course, you will

have an understanding of the concepts - of self-directed learning and student voice and choice
explore the use of Hyperdocs and choiceboards as student voice and choice resources
have an understanding of the benefits of using these resources in the classroom and
apply your knowledge to create resources for your subject topic.

🔅Course Structure

This course consists of three modules. After working through each module, you must complete a module task to assess your understanding. Finally, you will demonstrate your mastery with the course challenge.

This course is a 10 (ten) day course.

CONTENT

You can access each module from the left-hand side navigation panel.

What do you need to do to have an enriched experience?

Each lesson contains content and media you must read, watch or engage with. Please engage with the work in-depth and reflect on the content.
Your course hub is this site and Google Classroom, where you can access your assignments.

WEBINARS

The course starts with an Orientation webinar where you will be introduced to your course coordinator and facilitator and orientate you about the course.

The next webinar will be a demonstration for one of your module tasks but also a forum to ask questions. The date and time will be shared in the Google Classroom stream.

🔅Course Facilitation

COURSE CO-ORDINATOR

Gaironesa Daniels is your Course coordinator. She is employed by the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) as Senior Education Specialist (FET Course Coordinator) at the Cape Teaching and Leadership Institute (CTLI).

"FET course coordination within Teacher Professional Development grants me the opportunity to coordinate the development and presentation of courses for teachers to help them grow professionally, learn new skills and apply their new knowledge for the benefit of learners".

She is responsible for the overall management of the course and, together with the mentors, will assist and guide you through this course.

👆🏽Gaironesa Daniels

COURSE FACILITATOR

Ilonka Poole's mission is to "Have courage, go off script, create bravely to reignite learning." After working for 15 years in the ICT industry as an Operations Manager, she pivoted and re-qualified to become an Afrikaans FAL and LO teacher. She lived and breathed teaching for the next 10 years. However, it was after her Master's in ICT Education that her two passions came together. She took the brave step to leave the classroom and became a freelance instructional designer. In 2021 she joined CTLI. Ilonka has created courses ranging from Google Essentials to ICT Leadership for Departmental Heads, Language across the curriculum and with PDD, and Being a Leader for the Leadership Academy. She is also a certified Google and Microsoft Educator trainer.

👆🏽Ilonka Poole

COURSE MENTORS

Mentors will be available to help and support you during your course. Your mentors are available to help clarify instructions, guide you on the next steps and answer your questions.

HELPDESK

A Help Desk will be pinned in the Class Material section in Google Classroom. This is a thread where you can post your queries, problems and issues, and the mentors will respond to the question. Please post all your questions in the Help Desk in Google Classroom. Plus, if you ask a question, we are sure others are wondering the same. Sharing is caring!

🔅Certification

You must complete and submit one of the challenge choices to demonstrate mastery and receive a certificate. Choose one of the mastery options and submit your resource before the end of the course. You will receive your certificate with a 50% or more mark.

🔅Online Learning Tips

Online learning requires a slightly different skill set than traditional classroom learning, but with some practice and persistence, you can succeed and thrive in this environment.

Set a schedule: Treat online learning like a traditional classroom. This will help you stay organised and meet deadlines.
Create a designated learning space: This space should be free from distractions. It will help your mind associate this location with studying and learning.
Stay engaged: Participate in online discussions, ask questions, and engage with your peers.
Use available resources: Your online course may offer resources like study groups, tutoring, or library access. Please use these resources to help you understand the material.
Leverage digital tools: Use note-taking apps, cloud storage for easy resource access, and productivity apps to help manage your time and tasks.
Stay connected with your support team: Don't hesitate to contact your instructor if you have any questions or concerns about the course material or are struggling.

You can find helpful videos and FAQs on our Course Help Page.

🔅Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use any Gmail account to log into Google Classroom and activities?

You must be the owner of the Gmail account you registered with. If you are not, your name will not reflect in the class but the name of the person whose email address you use.

Can I share links and resources obtained from this course?

Please do not share links sent to you with other people who want to do the class. They must register with us first to receive a link to their email address- they cannot use yours.

Why are we working on a website and in Google Classroom?

We will use Google Classroom as a forum/discussion/announcement space where you will submit all your Module Tasks. This website is where you will find all the content- it flows better, and you will have easy access after the course.

Will there be an instructor for all the modules?

No, there isn't an instructor to guide you through the modules. The course is self-paced. But reach out to your mentors and ask questions or for help.

Will I be able to finish the course?

The course is self-paced, and you can decide how much or how little you will do each day. There are 4 modules that you will need to work through, as well as the Course Challenge. This means that you will need to work on your tasks on a daily basis. You need to keep to the due dates for the tasks.

Are you ready to start your learning journey?

Select the Next button to continue to Module 1.