Empowering Student Voices: Providing Choice in the ELA Classroom

Objective:

The objective of this professional learning activity is to equip ELA teachers with knowledge and strategies to provide students with choices in their learning and assessment, leading to increased engagement and ownership of their learning.

Time of Completion: Approximately 1 hour

Introduction:

As educators, it's important to create a classroom environment that empowers student voices and provides opportunities for student choice. In the ELA classroom, this can be achieved by offering students choice in what they read, write, and how they demonstrate their understanding. This professional learning activity aims to provide ELA teachers with strategies and resources to effectively provide students with choice and enhance their learning experiences.

Activity Steps:

Step 1: Read the article "The Importance of Student Choice Across All Grade Levels" (15 mins) to gain an understanding of why providing choice is important and how it can be implemented in the classroom.

• Article Link: https://www.edutopia.org/article/importance-student-choice-across-all-grade-levels/

Step 2: Watch the following video and read the accompanying article (15 mins) to understand the impact of providing choice on student motivation and engagement, and how choice is not just providing students with a menu options.

• Video Link: https://spencerauthor.com/ten-ways-to-leverage-student-choice-in-your-classroom/

Step 3: You CAN start offering choice through experimenting with and using choice boards. Explore the Choice Boards for English Language Arts (ELA) (20 mins) in OER Commons to see examples of how to incorporate choice into reading, writing, and assessment activities in the ELA classroom.

• Choice Boards Link: https://goopennc.oercommons.org/courseware/lesson/5878/overview

Step 4: Read the article "Promoting Student Choice in the Classroom" (10 mins) to learn about additional strategies for providing choice in the ELA classroom.

• Article Link: https://blog.definedlearning.com/authentic-assessment

Step 5: Reflect on your current ELA classroom practices and identify one or two ways you can provide choice to your students. Create a plan for implementing these changes and share them with a colleague for feedback. (20 mins)

Reflection Prompt:

How can providing choice in the ELA classroom impact student learning and engagement? What specific strategies or resources from this learning activity will you implement in your classroom, and how do you anticipate they will benefit your students? What challenges might you encounter when implementing choice, and how will you address them?