Learner Agency in 7 different ways

At the end of October 2018, the IB's Primary Year's Programme released the much-anticipated new digital resource, "PYP: From principles into practice" (available on My IB's Programme Resource Centre). This digital document helps educators working in PYP schools better understand the PYP's framework for international education, full of the PYP enhancements.

Reading through this new document and exploring the teacher support materials will be an essential first step in deepening PYP teachers' understanding of the enhanced PYP.

When I hear, read or experience something for the first time, if I have the chance to create something, I find I understand the new content better. To better understand the contents of "PYP: From principles into practice", I thought it would be a good idea to create digital content in response to what I read.

To begin, I read the first section of the new digital resource on Learner Agency (IB, 2018). Afterward, I created different forms of digital content, using different digital media to synthesize my understanding of what I read. I ended up created 7 different digital products: a voice-over screencast, a podcast, a vlog, an infographic, a mindmap, a presentation, and a blog post. All the same content, just presented in different ways. Thumbnails and links of each are below, along with notes about what digital tool I used to create each.

Creating these gave me the opportunity to explore ideas about learner agency and in sharing them with you, I hope you're able to grow in your understanding of learner agency, a new term, yet familiar concept to the PYP.

Voice-over screencast

created using Google Slides & Screencastify

Podcast

created using Anchor.fm

Vlog (Video blog)

created using Flipgrid

Infographic

created using Google Draw

Mindmap

created using Creately

Presentation

created using Google Slides

Blog post

created using Blogger

After reading different sections of the new digital resource and exploring the teacher support materials, "PYP: From principles into practice", what will you create?

Learner Agency in the Enhanced PYP

Learner Agency isn't a new concept in the Primary Years Programme (PYP). Those of us who have been teaching in the PYP for some time might not recognize the word "agency" but the idea of centering learning and teaching around learner voice, choice & ownership is one that we should all be familiar with.

from "Learner Agency" a section from "The Learner" in "PYP: From Principles Into Practice"

Learner agency can be remembered as "voice, choice and ownership" which Bandura says "enable[s] people to play a part in their self-development, adaption, and self-renewal with changing times" (in Learner Agency, IB 2018).

The idea of agency is closely connected to self-efficacy, a belief in one's own ability to succeed. When learners believe in themselves and have a strong sense of identity, they are more likely to exercise agency.

When students are agentive, they:

• Take initiative, responsibility & ownership
• Express interest
• Make choices
• Are aware of their own learning goals
• Monitor and adjust their learning
• Voice opinions
• Influence and direct their own learning
• Develop approaches to learning & dispositions

They also work collaboratively with teachers to:

• Make decisions together
• Create shared agreements
• Create shared routines
• Set up learning spaces
• Reflect together

It is important to recognize that teachers cannot give learners agency, but rather they can create opportunities in which learners can exercise agency. They can do this by:

• Working in partnership, building relationship
• Actively listening
• Respecting and responding to learner ideas
• Noticing learners’ capabilities, needs and interests
• Reflecting on when students need help, intervening & giving feedback
• Establishing a welcoming culture
• Modeling desired behavior and language

So what should PYP schools be doing, now that there is an increased emphasis on learner agency in the PYP? If you walked into a PYP that is dedicated and focused on giving students the chance you exercise learner agency, you would see:

• Students and teachers collaboratively creating learning engagements and assessments.
• Students setting learning goals and monitoring progress.
• Students fostering their own belief in themselves and their own ability to succeed.
• Students being active, engaged participants in thinking and learning.

After reading the Learner Agency section of the IB document "PYP: From Principles Into Practice", I'm inspired to take ACTION!

• I will ADVOCATE for learner agency in my school by
• Modeling what learner agency looks like for teachers during PD
• Celebrating agentive learning when I see it by documenting it through pictures and videos on Twitter
• Asking reflective questions in situations when learners are not exercising agency

The question is, now that you know more about what learner agency is, how it is connected with self-efficacy and what teachers can do to provide students opportunities to exercise agency, WHAT DO YOU FEEL INSPIRED TO DO?