Student Agency - when students take ownership of their learning

What happens when students own their learning?

Caption: Grade 5 student – following his interest and independently learning more about a praying mantis he discovered in the school garden.

What happens when students own their learning?

1. They become problem-solvers, navigating difficulties better than most. They learn to identify opportunities and break down silos of thought by thinking laterally rather than literally.

2. They develop a growth mindset, learning from mistakes and understanding that with resilience and perseverance, they can achieve so much more.

3. They are more creative, considering unique solutions to common problems or simply improving that which already exists.

4. They view mistakes as learning opportunities and are not easily disappointed when things don’t go their way – they simply try another route.

5. They learn project management and take charge of their own assignments, home learning and day-to-day tasks.

6. They develop iterative thinking – the ability to think repeatedly or mull a situation over until a solution can be reached.

7. They become explorers – they have the confidence and courage to learn new things. Children are naturally creative and curious but are easily stifled by prescriptive educational practices.

8. They become systems thinkers, analysing and processing how systems work over time and within the context of larger systems.

9. They are ready for the global creative economy in which novel imaginative qualities and ideas are valued.

10. They are self-directed, making their own choices about their learning journey and understanding that with every choice comes a consequence.

11. They learn to experiment – education without fear of failure.

12. They cultivate cool – sometimes geeky – interests.