Student Agency

"Student agency refers to learning through activities that are meaningful and relevant to learners, driven by their interests, and often self-initiated with appropriate guidance from teachers. To put it simply,student agency gives students voice and often, choice, in how they learn."

In Term 1 each student looked at how they learn, where they learn and things that influence their learning. Students voiced that they enjoyed having choice in how they learnt, as they have a range of selected activities to choose from (based on Bloom's Higher of Thinking).

In our last week of term we introduced a flexible timetable. Students had the opportunity to drive their own learning by choosing what they learn and when. Students have a number of 'must do' and 'can do' activities to choose from.

Students analysed the results of having a flexible timetable, the advantages and disadvantages. From our discussions, the timetable next term will continue to have teacher instruction, group work and more subject based collaboration (i.e. whole class novel study). But, the flexible timetable will allow for personalised learning, encourage students to be more organised, responsible and give them flexibility. For example, students running their own workshops based on their knowledge or experience. 

Students will conference and show their learning with the teacher to show that they are on task.

The timetable will be organic, it will change and grow to suit student/teacher needs.