Student Choices in Learning

There are many things changing in education. One of the main things is the choice that students get to make. They finally have a choice in their own education, at least in a classroom where the teacher has embrace this time of learning environment. 

So, you may ask "Why should we give students a choice in what they learn?"  I mean it's been working great for years telling them what they have to learn right?

We can no longer look things the way we used to. The world is changing and as educators we must too! Students have so many things that take their attention now and they have ways of learning that do not include a teacher, whiteboard, and textbook. They get bored with that; therefore, we have to change something. Giving students a choice is the way to change that. They will still have to learn standards but they will be able to learn the standard in a way the want to such as using technology instead of paper and pencil. They can also change what they learn as long as they do achieve the standard. 

We've talked about ways they can change what they learn but why let that happen? It's simple! We let students have a choice because we want them to be actively engaged. Most of all we want them to actually learn! If we give students the choice then we know that they will learn something and they will be actively engaged. Once they have made the choice they are then motivated to learn and it is more meaningful to them. 

Let's take a minute to stop and think about how we are teaching our students now. Is that how you would want to learn? Do you remember anything from the way the learned in school and do you want your children learning the same way? 

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