Essentials in 2022

Essentials in 2022?  

Absolutely!  

Are these topics even connected?

Yes, Ma'am!!

First, we have student agency: the idea that students should be co-creators in what they choose to learn, how they choose to learn it, and how they choose to share their learning.  This is not a new concept in and of itself; it is a human construct, and one that Dewey (1922) argued characterizes human nature.  It is, however, a very necessary concept in today's world.  The young minds we are educating have access to all sorts of information and ideas.  It is within student agency that we can help develop those ideas, lean into critical and creative thinking, and advance personal and social responsibility.  If ever there was a time to give students power over their learning, it is now.

 

Next, the ability to share student learning - in fact, the ability for students to share their passions, goals, and understandings of the world - is paramount.  Students grow more, learn more, and are able to articulate their journeys through digital portfolios.  Portfolios give students a door into the digital world where they can share their educational selves.  Their agency gets more powerful with tools such as digital portfolios.

 

Finally, parent communication.  Parents are one of our most powerful allies and are important stakeholders in the education of their children.  They are an important part of co-agency as they are their children's first teachers and lifelong learning partners.  They also had an experience of education that is much different than their children's experience, and therefore may need help to understand what we are asking their children to do.  They may need support to understand why student agency is important, and why we are not just filling their children's heads with knowledge.  Communicating with parents effectively helps our students find their agency, which helps them grow into the contributing adults we all hope they become.

 

The following chart allows you a peek into what is being said about the three essentials of 2022.

 

Student Agency
OECD: Student Agency for 2030 This is an excellent resource for those looking to understand what is meant by student agency.  This article explains the different types of student agency, including moral, social, economic, and creative agency, and speaks about how these different agencies are the foundation for being human.  It then goes on to explain how agency is based on cultural expectations, and therefore each culture has their own definition of agency.  It then explains how classrooms run on “co-agency” where teachers, students, and community members are active contributors to the development of learning opportunities.  Finally, this article puts its money where its mouth is, so to speak, and demonstrates students using their agency to develop a spectrum that describes different degrees of co-agency.  A very important read for all educators.	What is student agency and why is it needed now more than ever? This is an excellent read to unpack various levels of and ideas surrounding student agency.  It gives multiple definitions that will reach any educator at a monumental level.  This article explains the roles of the students and the teachers by using classroom examples, which makes it a practical read for educators.  Although it is missing an indepth look at what student agency is not, which is an important consideration, it explains clearly what student agency is.
Digital Portfolios
Creative Educator: Digital Portfolios This article gives a definition of digital portfolios, what to include if using one as an assessment tool, what the teacher’s role is in the portfolio process, why to go digital when creating a portfolio, and how to begin creating one.  The main idea of this article comes from John Dewey(1922) who said, “we don’t learn from experience; we learn from reflecting on experience.”	The Complete Guide to Student Portfolios This comprehensive guide goes through many facets of digital portfolios.  It explains, in depth, the purpose behind them including the benefits to students, parents, and educators.  It then goes on to suggest how to create digital portfolios, including possible platforms and templates to guide thinking, learning, and recording evidence of growth. It also speaks of student privacy, something we are all concerned about in the digital age. Finally, it gives a good summary of assessment and how to use both formative and summative assessments with digital portfolios.  For those looking to learn all of the ins and outs of digital portfolios, this really is a one-stop-shop.
Parent Communication
Using Technology to Connect with Parents This article was written to help support parents during the times of online learning.  However, it is relevant for any school who wishes to keep their parents as partners in their child’s education.  It speaks briefly about the importance of communicating to families, and focuses on different ways to communicate, including the pros and cons of various tech tools and apps.  With many links to examples of what schools and districts have done, you can see these tools in real-life situations. Some schools went to already existing social media accounts, whereas others tried apps such as Remind, Google Voice, Class Dojo, Classroom, SeeSaw, and Parent Square.	Quality Matters More Than Quantity: Parent–Child Communication and Adolescents’ Academic Performance This is a fascinating study about types of parent communication. This study shows that more frequent conversations between parent and child do not have an affect on academic performance or self-concept, however the quality of the conversations do. Because adolescents are wired for independence, they may see conversing with parents frequently as a giving up of autonomy and power, and see no benefit in their discussions. This study should help us decide what to encourage our students to post on their Digital Portfolios as well as how much and what type of information we give to parents in communications.

Resources cited:

Create memorable learning archives. (2022). Creative Educator. Retrieved May 21, 2022, from https://creativeeducator.tech4learning.com/v05/articles/Digital_Portfolios

Dewey, J. (1922) Human nature and conduct (Vol 14, pp. 1925-1953). Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press.

Morris, K. (2022, February 23). The Complete Guide To Student Digital Portfolios. CampusPress - WordPress For Universities, Schools, and Districts. Retrieved May 21, 2022, from https://campuspress.com/student-digital-portfolios-guide/#chap1

OECD Future of Education and Skills 2030. (2019). Conceptual Learning Framework: Student Agency for 2030. OECD. https://www.oecd.org/education/2030-project/teaching-and-learning/learning/student-agency/Student_Agency_for_2030_concept_note.pdf

Rodgers, D. (202–09-11). Using Technology to Connect With Parents. Edutopia: George Lucas Educational Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2022, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/using-technology-connect-parents

Vaughn, M. (2020). What is student agency and why is it needed now more than ever? Theory Into Practice, 59(2), 109–118. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2019.1702393

Zhang, Y. (2020). Quality Matters More Than Quantity: Parent–Child Communication and Adolescents’ Academic Performance. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01203