How can students take ownership of their educational experience?

Here are a few strategies: 1. The learner must first carry a clear understanding of “why” they are learning if you have ownership of “why” you can bear almost any “how”. 2. Connect learning to real-world experiences: Bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world applications by providing learners with opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills to solve authentic problems. Math is made very simple when we turn numbers into money. 3. Encourage Intelligent Failure- When learners are validated after every failure, they develop grit. Scientific explorers expect failures on the way to success. It’s an innate part of their process.

For a student to take ownership over their educational experience they must develop the confidence to initiate conversations and advocate for themselves. These are important life-skills that will not only support their success as a student but also beyond the classroom experience, in the real word. Furthermore, an educational community can support the formation of these skills when educators have a genuine desire to develop enduring personal relationships with their students, opening the door for meaningful dialogue and reflection.

I usually begin the school year by asking students to set their mid-term and end-of-year goals. As part of this exercise, I ask them, ‘Why do you want to achieve them?’ Many times, their answer is: ‘To make my parents happy.’ Not many children know why they are learning the things that they do other than to achieve good grades and satisfy their parents. Perhaps, our role as educators is not just to teach them the subject matter or content but to show them how what they are learning is/will be relevant to their lives and will make their lives better.

I always found that concept based learning encourages learners to ask and inquire ‘why’ this is important. It opens up many perspectives and connections which allows learners to make choices. Giving choices to learners means shifting ownership of learning towards them. So what is taught is importation. How they learn is equally important. The guidance, availing the resources in different forms and feedback help the learners to sustain their interest and passion to learn about something.

By actively participating in class discussions, seeking clarification, and raising questions, students can take charge of their education. They can also show that they are competent time managers.

I re entered education to move into teaching so I had a clear road map, many of the students I studied with seemed to see the degree as a must do, a tick, on the way to a career Any learning has to have a target or else it’s hard to engage

Are you in school to avoid actual work? Think again. Studying and learning is work even before you enter an educational institute. Planning your learning approach helps you maximise your educational journey. Effective planning ensures a structured and purposeful approach to acquiring knowledge. Set Clear Learning Goals: Identify what you want to achieve through your learning. Whether mastering a new skill, gaining expertise in a specific field, or simply broadening your knowledge, having clear goals provides direction. Define Your Learning Objectives: Break down your goals into specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) objectives. This helps you create a roadmap for your learning journey and measure your progress.

- As educators, it is imperative that they know their students’ learning style. This will definitely help educators to develop student-centric lessons. - The goals and expectations can be aligned to the state as well as the child’s IEP. - It is important to consider the available resources and opportunities as well as the support that teachers can get from their admins. Teachers need school’s support to acquire the resources that would fulfill their students’s learning needs. - Lastly, to plan the best, the teacher needs support from their co-operating teachers. Teachers can intimate the goals, tools, schedules, and other tasks to their teaching counterparts so that everyone can work diligently towards their goals.

While teaching a classroom of 5th graders, we introduced the meaning of metacognition and understanding their own learning style. I found this gave them more control and independence that they were craving as 12 year olds. We took the opportunities to try different strategies and they decided what worked best for them to learn a concept in the curriculum. Everyday we included discussions about metacognition to deepen their understanding of how they learn and associated strategies that they could choose to use when learning new skills or content. The most important part of this was the class reflection helping them identify what worked or what didn't without shame or judgement.

To own your education, recognise your learning style, set clear objectives, and leverage available resources. Whether you're an auditory or visual learner, defining academic and personal goals provides focus and motivation. Identify library materials, online platforms, and networking opportunities to enrich your learning beyond the classroom. Plan your education using tools like learning contracts and schedules, breaking goals into manageable tasks. This approach enhances time management, reduces procrastination, and fosters a purposeful and structured learning experience, ultimately empowering you to navigate your academic journey with intention and achievement.

In addition to self-monitoring, consider seeking external feedback. Engaging with mentors, peers, or educators can provide valuable perspectives that you might overlook. They can offer constructive criticism, suggest alternative approaches, and reinforce your strengths. Also, try to practice in real situations. This is particularly useful to assess your actual progress in language learning. Immersing yourself in environments where the language is spoken naturally can significantly enhance your learning experience and serve as the ultimate test of your language skills.

One step that somewhat precedes this, is helping students accept, cope with and expect failure/errors/need for growth. Similar to Hattie’s notion of ‘the learning pit’, helping students see that accepting and learning from ‘getting things wrong’ is the beginning of learning. As a primary teacher, it’s amazing how taken back students get, when you get excited or praise an error that shows good thinking or has some evident thought behind their misunderstanding. To help students monitor their own learning effectively, they first need to be comfortable with being ‘in the learning pit’ so they can freely identify where in the pit they are! This will increase students willingness to actually ask for assistance or support in their learning.

Self study motivates the students and improve their confidence in learning. They can choose the process of learning as per their needs and interests. For example, some students prefer to study in night time, some needs a silent environment, etc. Progress of learning will help students to identify their strengths and weaknesses in the particular topics and seek helps from teachers accordingly and receive proper feedback. To monitor the progress of learning students can use the following 1. Creating checklists 2. Self questioning and self evaluation. 3. Identify the challenges and areas needs support. 4. Use reminders and goal setting

Evaluate your learning style, strengths, and weaknesses. Regularly assess feedback and results to identify gaps and adjust strategies. Monitor progress with tools like portfolios or journals, celebrating achievements and addressing challenges. Seek support when needed for a comprehensive and adaptive learning experience.

Students can monitor their progress by using diary entries, formative, and summative tasks. For example, one or two simple questions such as entry and exit tasks to check on their progress. Have they met the goal for the week? If so, what does the evidence of success look like? Remembering that it is NOT just about reaching the goal but how they got there. If they did not progress, back track with support from a peer, parent, or teacher, see if the lack of progress can be identified and rectified in the next step or as part of the process. If there are no options, could there be one to stop and try another avenue?

For Multilingual learners, one way to take ownership is to recognize the value they bring through their home language(s) and culture(s). Students can tap into the knowledge they bring and use their entire linguistic repertoire and cultural ways of knowing to develop skills in English but also to continue strengthening their other-than-English skills. Building meta-linguistic and meta-cognitive skills will allow students to think about and understand what they know and how they learn. This self-awareness will serve them throughout each step of the learning process.

I help students check in with how they are doing through reflections using google forms. I use them after the end of a marking period, in the middle of a semester, and at the end of a unit, and whenever I would like to check in. I ask questions such as, "These were the assignments that would be used for this marking period. Which one of these have you turned in?" Which of these were the easiest to complete?" "...the most challenging..." "Which of these will you work to turn in?" I have them reflect on all aspects of the learning environment as well, such as the seats they had in a marking period, or the community board at the start of the year with, "What is something you have in common with another student? What is that student's name?"

Immersing yourself in settings where the language is used organically can act as a definitive measure of your language abilities. Whatever you are learning, contextualize the information and use it actively. There is an enormous difference between passive knowledge and an active skill.

Choosing SMART goals can be one of the best ways students can use to process or guide their steps. Providing time alone for students to concentrate on what they need is just as powerful as working in small groups. Encourage small working parties to share what good advice, time management and support looks like. Short, sharp prompts to guide where the student is going, and what they hope to achieve within or for the assigned task.

College is a prime opportunity for students to develop their professional narrative. Communication, collaboration, problem solving, among other skills, can be developed during a productive student experience. Therefore students should take advantage of engagement and involvement opportunities, serve on campus initiatives, and participate in public service programs. Students should also network with faculty/staff, administrators, and most importantly, other students as they matriculate through their degree programs. In total, taking advantage of these opportunities enables student success and can serve as a gateway to a promising career.

Developing skills is an essential part of students taking ownership of their learning. When they are allowed to explore and work on things where their unique skills and interests are considered. Not what parents, teachers or society think are important skills for specific careers. Parents should not decide their child will become an engineer a doctor, or a musician and then force the child to work towards developing these skills so that they can achieve these goals. If the student wants to pursue these careers then that is perfectly acceptable. The focus needs to be on the students, their interests in learning, and their existing skills, and then working on improving them and developing other skills that will enhance their existing skills.

An example from personal experience involved looking at individuals within my field who exhibited the skill that I was trying to master. I would then connect with them and set up time to have a candid conversation with them about the skill and how they acquired the skill. This strategy will allow you to take ownership of the skill development process and potentially have a marker of success.

The college serves as a transformative environment that goes beyond academic learning to develop a wide range of skills for personal and professional success. How many understand how to succeed? Communication Skills Public Speaking. Participate in presentations, seminars, and group projects, and develop practical oral communication skills. Diverse Learning Environment Remove your biases. Exposure to a diverse student body fosters adaptability and the ability to navigate different perspectives and cultural contexts. Networking Internships and Industry Connections. A good college facilitates internships, networking events, and professional connections, enhancing students' ability to network and build valuable contacts in their field.

Skills is a big thing for me the more tools I have in the toolbox, the more engaged However collaboration is the key, most projects require a big picture understanding to succeed

Adopting or changing mindsets is a long and winding process that involves self-reflection, conscious effort, and a commitment to personal growth. It's about cultivating mental habits that align with your values and contribute to a more fulfilling and resilient life. AVOID viewing challenges as insurmountable instead of seeing them as opportunities to learn, adapt, and become stronger. CHALLENGE preconceptions and biases. Avoid rigid thinking and be willing to adjust opinions based on new information. SHIFT to a proactive one. Instead of waiting for things to happen, be intentional and make choices that align with your goals. RESIST the inclination to cling to familiarity. Instead, approach change with a flexible and adaptive mindset.

You can change students approach to tasks with a little “can do” attitude using the Growth mindset. A daily reminder and gentle corrections of “fixed mindsets” would also prove helpful if the approach is consistent and students share their individual experience of what they see is successful.

We encourage students to have a "growth" mindset, a term coined by Carol Dweck, an influential educational researcher. Students with growth mindset, as opposed to "fixed" mindset, will correlate success with effort and knowledge that can be acquired rather than with innate ability or other fixed measures. Students with growth mindset will not usually associate a result with their abilities, but rather their effort and investment in getting that result, such as putting in extra practice and dedicating time to working toward that end. As educators encouraging growth mindset helps to foster in students a foundation for self-monitoring, personal goal-setting, and learning for enjoyment and other intrinsic rewards, such as lifelong learning.

Students can take responsibility for their educational experience by setting goals, managing time effectively, actively participating in class, seeking help when needed, and staying organized. Additionally, cultivating a curious and self-motivated attitude can enhance the overall learning process.

To get self-aware. The more awareness you have of other people and of yourself, the easier it will be to navigate your education and career path. For instance, people of authority aren’t always right. An example - I was told to not contribute as many ideas at university by my lecturer. I was too keen. For a while I quietened which lead to quieter brainstorming sessions with my peers. Eventually I realised I shouldn’t dull my creative light for anyone. So, be self aware by knowing your triggers, knowing your strengths and sticking by you when others don’t.

Students can enhance their academic performance and personal growth by adopting a proactive mindset and implementing strategic habits. Taking an active role in learning enhances academic performance and cultivates lifelong skills that contribute to personal and professional success.

When students engage in inquiry learning, no matter the subject area, they build the skills needed for life long learning. That’s a significant goal for educators to stimulate those experiences in their classrooms.

Students at any age need one to one support to help them define their purpose succinctly. That means qualified knowledgeable school support staff to connect with the student to support them with the necessary resources and redirect the purpose as needed to begin the process.