The document discusses giving students more agency in their education. It notes that some argue increased student agency can help them progress faster in basic skills and apply knowledge creatively, while others argue it may lead to inefficiency. Examples are provided of project-based and digital learning that increase student control. There is debate around whether teacher training or organizational shifts are most important to empower students with more control over their learning. The presenters believe both teacher training involving communities and organizational changes at higher levels are needed to meaningfully increase student agency.

1. SXSW 2014 Heather Staker & Jennifer Keys Adair, Ph.D
Tear Down the Walls
If, When and How To Give Students More Agency

2. Is AGENCY an important component of high quality
education?
Should students be able to make decisions and generally influence how something is
learned or taught in a classroom? Some say that if students control their learning, they will
be inefficient, waste time, and miss out on key skills and knowledge. Others say that
giving students agency can help them progress faster through basic skills and then
practice in creative ways for important 21st century capabilities. Is there some middle
ground worth pursuing?
Jennifer: Yes because of developmental and equity reasons
Heather: Yes because of the idea-based, global economy
Audience Ideas

3. Blood & Bones
Example
✤ Video of first grade students teaching
one another in open-ended work on the
differences between humans and
animals.
✤ First grade students are mostly
children of immigrants.

4. Surprising Effect of Allowing Students to Decide
Students evidence remarkable changes when experiencing ownership and control

5. How can schools pivot to empower students
to control more of their learning experience?
If agency is important, how can schools pivot to empower students to control more of their
learning experience? Is project-based learning the answer? How about digital learning,
where students use online software that answers to their individual goals and
preferences? What are the odds of any of these approaches being realistic at scale? How
can schools make sure that the kinds of agency implemented connect with communities
and families?
Jennifer: Project based learning helps increase agency in classrooms
Heather: Digital learning pushes students to gain skills on their own terms
Audience Ideas

6. What does Agency
look like?
✤ Example #1: Project Based Learning

7. What does Agency
look like?
✤ Example #2: Digital Learning

8. What should schools do first?
Some say that teacher training matters most because change begins at the classroom
level. Others argue that it's more a matter of organizing the right high-level design team.
There are multiple cultural, linguistic, racial and societal interpretations of what agency is
and looks like.
Jennifer: Teacher training and community involvement with students, teachers, parents and communities
working together on projects and inquiries
Heather: Organizational shifts at the district and state levels for major changes in instructional design
Audience Ideas