Earlier this month I set out to write a piece on how instructors can provide more voice to their students. Through the course of speaking with other high school instructors, Rodney Obaigbena from Apex High School asked me, “How do you define voice”. This excellent question caused me to pivot. This is the first of three or four articles on voice. The subsequent submissions may address “why student voice is important”, “how can instructors become more voice-giving”, and “what are the outcomes of an environment in which student voice is paramount”. As is usually the case, you will see many of my students’ voices throughout this article. They are in quotes and italics. Culture has so much impact Four years ago I made the move from Indiana to North Carolina. I was very fortunate to have landed a position as a marketing and business instructor at Wake County’s 27th high school, Apex Friendship (AFHS). I was looking very forward to helping develop a positive, learner-centered culture. On our first day together, our principal, Matt Wight, put on the screen this quote, rom that moment, I knew I was in the right place to have an authentic, positive impact on education. Matt continued to reinforce this idea when AFHS hosted a community viewing of the documentary, Most Likely To Succeed. The film, and the follow-up book had a profound impact on my perspective of the “traditional” model of education relative to what students actually needed. I began my journey to better understand what it would take to help change education for the benefit of all stakeholders. I consumed books from a myriad of authors, Creating Innovators and The Global Achievement Gap by Tony Wagner; Creative Schools by Sir Ken Robinson; Missions Not Mandates from Amy Fast, What School Could Be by Ted Dintersmith, and others. I took my mission to help reform education to those on whom it would have the greatest impact, the learners; I wanted them to have a say in what happens in ‘our’ learning lab. “Our school’s shape us into point focused robots, so stressed on the goal of having all A’s and the highest GPA, that we completely demolish our own potential.” I have been encouraging student voice all along . . . As a part of a unit on career exploration in Personal Finance I engaged the class in a discussion that centered around these questions, 1. What do you believe the education system is designed to prepare you for? 2. Does the system do a good job of accomplishing their goal? 3. What do you believe education should prepare you for? 4. Do you believe education prepares you for what it should prepare you? The discussions were very lively. Our young learners have a lot to say. These are some of the results. “. . . In a world where critical thinking is so valued beyond high School, it would be idealistic if schools attempted to build upon it. Unfortunately, classes don’t value critical thinking as much as memorizing forgettable, dull information. . . .” “The only passion we have in school is the passion to have the best grades, not the passion to be the best at what we love doing.” “Educating shouldn’t be, and never should’ve been about limiting a young kid’s identity to an A or an F. Education should be liberation and growth through knowledge, not a prison.” “The greatest fault in our education system is that students aren’t being educated nor encouraged to learn, but instead are told how to get a 4.0 GPA.” Through the course of in-class discussions I asked, “what is the most important thing missing from school? Without hesitation, a girl responded emphatically, “Student voice and choice.” But not until Rodney asked the aforementioned question did I ever stop to think what exactly student voice or agency was. So, What is Voice or agency? From The Glossary of Education Reform, “In education, student voice refers to the values, opinions, beliefs, perspectives, and cultural backgrounds of individual students and groups of students in a school, and to instructional approaches and techniques that are based on student choices, interests, passions, and ambitions.” “When my teachers get me involved it makes learning so much easier and fun. It is also much less stressful and makes school itself worth it.” The glossary went on, “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.” “I believe that if your not passionate about something , then there's not really a point in doing it since you won’t learn from it or use it in any way.” In his book The 8th Habit Dr. Covey describes voice as,[a] unique personal significance - significance that is revealed as we face our greatest challenges and which makes us equal to them. When you engage in work that taps your talent and fuels your passion - that rises out of a great need in the world that you feel drawn by conscience to meet - therein lies your voice, your calling, your soul’s code.” One student said of their experience finding their “soul’s code”, “In the past, it has been rare that I genuinely want to work on a project in my free time. Of course I still put in the necessary work and then some, but at times I didn’t have the passion to push myself to the next level. This year, I am unbelievably happy to have chosen a project I am 100% passionate about.” He went onto say, “I didn't base my decision on what my parents, classmates, or even teacher (I say this with the utmost respect Mr. Jackson) thought I should do, I chose the plan I genuinely wanted to tackle." When our instructional leaders take the time to develop students’ voices and truly let them exercise their own choices, we unleash creativity, and our young learners will never cease to amaze us. Give them the key to their "soul's code". "Student voice; a founding purpose of Applied Synergies Partnership! Leave a Reply. |
Author: Dan Jackson
Experienced Reflective Learner and Strategic Thinker with an ongoing track record of of innovative, adaptive leadership in education and business management. Archives
December 2019
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