Who Owns the Learning?

Ideally students should own their own learning, and that is the goal of every teacher, every school, every parent, and every institution of learning.  Unfortunately, that is not what happens with every student who dawns our classroom doors.

Ackerly 2013

In order to get students to own their learning, we as adults and educational leaders in our classrooms and schools have to own their learning whether kids own it or not.  When we own it, we have the capacity and drive to bring each and every child to the place of their personal ownership of their learning.

The table on the below illustrates the power in this continuum.

The following is a description of the shift we need to make in order to create the student learning "ownership" environment we need to create: 

(From an article in the Reinventing Schools Coalition: (Gross 2014))

Our goal is to shift from teacher-driven to a student-centered environment allowing ALL students to learn. Here is what we need to consider:

1. Learners need to know why they are there and how to be successful learners…having a Shared  Vision and Code of Cooperation
2. Learners need to understand clearly what they are trying to learn and what is expected of them (transparency)
3. Learners need to understand what quality and successful work looks like.
4. Learners desire to be engaged in the self-monitoring, goal setting, and strategizing.
5. Learners need to celebrate successes and stretch to reach new goals.

Gross, H. (2014, February 17). Voices from the Field: Owning the LEARNING!

«Competency Works, Retrieved February 11, 2016, from 

http://www.competencyworks.org/analysis/voices-from-the-field-owning-the-learning/

 

Ackerly, R. (2013, January 17). Education: Taking Responsibility vs Responsibility Talk - The Genius in Children. Retrieved February 12, 2016, from http://geniusinchildren.org/2013/01/17/taking-responsibility-vs-being-responsible/