Navigating the Hub: Handing Over Control
‘Don’t do unto others as you would have them do to you; their tastes might be different,” George Bernard Shaw.
We began by asking ourselves a fundamental question:
“What’s the picture on the front of our jigsaw puzzle box?”
In essence, what would a visitor observe that truly captures the essence of our hub? To spark our imaginations, we watched a clip from the 2016 film “The Founder,” which highlighted the importance of a prototyping mindset and the crucial role of individual contributions.
The image that emerged from our collective reflection emphasized student agency and personalized learning. We envisioned a hub where:
- Student pathways are visible: Evidence of students’ personalized learning journeys, including their “path and pace” and individual learning goals, is readily apparent.
- Student self-management is showcased: The hub demonstrates how students effectively manage their time, prioritize tasks, and navigate their learning independently.
- Student agency in transitions is evident: Students seamlessly navigate the hub, demonstrating ownership of their learning experiences.
This refined vision guided us in revisiting our action plan and establishing concrete milestones.
Early Wins:
- Discipline-Specific Continuums: We have developed clear learning progressions for key subjects, providing students with a visual representation of their learning journey and benchmarks for success.
- Personalized Schedules: Students began creating and displaying personalized schedules, taking ownership of their time and priorities.
IMAGE COMING SOON
- Introducing the Eisenhower Matrix: This powerful tool is helping students prioritize tasks and make informed decisions about their time and workload.
These initial steps represent a significant shift in our approach. We are moving away from a teacher-centered model towards a student-centered environment where students are empowered to take control of their own learning.
Our journey towards a truly student-centred hub is ongoing. Through a prototyping mindset we are realising that this is a continuous process of refinement and adaptation. By focusing on student agency and personalized learning, and by consistently reflecting on our practices, we are confident that we are creating a truly transformative learning experience for our students.
A great resource to check out is this episode of the Future Learning Design podcast —
What are your thoughts on empowering students to take ownership of their learning? Share your experiences and insights in the comments below.
