Blog 12 Student Voice and Choice

Blog 12 Student Voice and Choice Our Teaching Journey is about the students and how they learn best. Bringing in multiple strategies to the classroom will help meet that need. It is very important to give the learner a voice and a choice. This will keep them motivated and challenged. Having a blended classroom challenges students, but gives them control; it allows them to be more motivated and engaged. When you teach out of a Blended Classroom, you empower the student with a learner driven environment. The learner has some control over how they will formulate their plan for learning. This type of learning helps the struggling students. Struggling students now develop a voice in collaborative learning which also decreases discipline problems in the classroom. Technology can make a world of difference for all learners. Some learners have trouble putting pen to paper, now there are many fantastic iPad apps that just might inspire them to tell a story. They will be able to gather ideas, brainstorm and write straight from the iPad. Some learners struggle with math. There are geometry apps that help students visualize 3D shapes. This allows the learner to take apart the triangular prism to see how many triangles it takes to build it. The old method, paper, glue and scissors is too time consuming. As teachers, we need to become coaches. We give the learner a starting point and know that there are many paths to take to get to the finish line. How learners design the pathway they take to get to the finish line can look different for each of them in the technology world. Becoming a coach in the new learning environment I must also stay up to date with the technology world. Every day there are new apps, research sites, and programs to help capture the learner. I must also learn the new skills to help coach my students through new learning paths to get to the finish line.