Читать книгу Giving Students a Say - Myron Dueck - Страница 12

In their book Student Voice: The Instrument of Change, Russell Quaglia and Michael Corso (2014) argue for such a partnership, one built upon authentic and valued student voice. As educators, we might think we are listening to our students, but Quaglia and Corso question our traditional approach, offering a challenge to transform. They write,

Sure, we have had student protests, student marches, student sit-ins, and student walkouts, but we are talking about student voice not that reactively opposes something, but rather proactively participates in the greater good of learning. We are talking about genuine and authentic student voice, where teachers ask for their students' opinions, listen—really listen—to what students have to say, and incorporate what they learn and students themselves into leadership of their classrooms and schools. (p. 1)

Student voice can be very powerful. Over the decade from 2009 to 2018, the Quaglia Institute for Student Aspirations polled more than 450,000 students, in 820 schools across 34 states, and found that when students have voice, they are

 Three times more likely to experience self-worth in school.

 Five times more likely to be engaged in school.

 Five times more likely to have a sense of purpose in school. (Quaglia Institute for Student Aspirations, 2018)

Despite student voice being a powerful force in learning, statistics suggest that we are failing to support this teacher-student partnership—especially as our students get older. In 2012–2013, the Pearson Foundation administered the national My Voice survey to just under 60,000 students in grades 6 through 12. The survey found that although 61 percent of students entering middle school felt they had a voice, this number dwindled to 37 percent by grade 12. Just as alarming, only 46 percent felt that they had any say in decision making in their schools, and just over half believed that teachers were willing to learn from students (Quaglia Institute for Student Aspirations, 2013).

If we pause long enough to listen—really listen—students will tell us what's going on. What they need is the opportunity and avenues to share their thoughts, opinions, and reflections concerning their own learning. The thing is, you can't really listen to someone else while you are speaking. Perhaps that's why Hattie contends that we need to stop talking once in a while and "create that space to listen with them" (ASCD, 2019).

In this book, we'll look at specific examples of how we can incorporate student voice into all stages of the assessment process. We'll explore how to create a safe climate of sharing and reflection. Throughout the book, I'll share assessment tools and strategies that empower students and welcome student voice. For instance, when I incorporated a "sharing circle" in my classroom, I experienced a revolutionary change in the learning climate—both during our sharing-circle activities and in classroom conversations that followed long after the circle disbanded. (See Chapter 6 for more on sharing circles.)

Many educators have told me how listening to their students is transformational for them and their practices. One of the best examples was from an educator in Minnesota who listened in on a homework conversation between her daughter and a friend. At one point, her daughter stopped at a question and was trying to explain a key math concept. Barely into the explanation, the daughter was interrupted by her friend, who said, "Listen, I don't have time to learn this. I just need to get it done." Is there a better "elevator pitch" for why traditional homework regimens need to change? Again, we just need to stop and listen—really listen—to the learning.

More recently, a whole other sector of the population has been challenged to truly listen to students about their learning experience. The COVID-19 era of home-based learning has placed parents on the front lines of their children's education, charging them with delivering curriculum and assessing how well kids have attained learning objectives. Probably for the first time in the modern era of education, legions of parents have heard their children thinking aloud about their learning, witnessed their children's (desirable) learning difficulties, and been forced to move beyond whether it is right or wrong to help children think about a problem. Trust me—I fled the room while my wife Tracey earned a Purple Heart working with my son, Elijah, through his grade 10 math course! Globally, it will be interesting to witness the long-term effects of the COVID-19 crisis as parents everywhere have dived into the language of learning. If my own house is any indication, the way parents speak about learning may evolve from such traditional queries as "Did you complete your homework?" and "What did you do at school today?" These millions of parents, together with their children, may now demand a more sophisticated conversation surrounding what their children learn, how they learn it, and why.

Students are in a unique position to report on their own learning, so it's imperative that we ask them. When I first met Dave Van Bergeyk, a senior math teacher from Salmon Arm, British Columbia, I was astonished to learn that he met with each of his calculus students and negotiated their grades based on a body of evidence and a conversation. My reaction was swift: "Seriously—you negotiate with the student to determine the final grade?" How could a senior calculus and math teacher be basing his grades on a conversation? (See page 147 for Dave's story.)

Soon after I had met Dave, a few colleagues and I started a system that we informally called conversation-based grading. At about the same time that I first offered students in my Leadership class a chance to comment on their progress, Marnie Mennell was asking learners in her Foods class to share their own successes and struggles. Troy Stubbert offered his Auto and Metal students the chance to self-report, and Rachel Stubbert threw the doors open to her math students to track and report their progress on both formative and summative assessments. At times it felt like we were opening up a new frontier. (Templates and resources reflecting these kinds of changes are presented throughout this book.)

I wondered if asking students at Summerland Secondary to report on their own learning was having a positive impact, so we … asked them. Here are some of their responses:

"Instead of just getting marks back from my teacher telling me what I'm doing, or what they think I'm thinking, they get an idea of what's actually going on." —Xavier

"I know about me; teachers think they know me." —Morgan

"No one knows me like I know me!" —Malaina

These students' comments are compelling. Giving Students a Say is about engaging and empowering students in all conversations about learning—particularly assessment. The time has come for teachers to provide opportunities for students to articulate their understanding and be given a voice in reporting it. It's time to create space to listen with them.