Student Empowerment Levels
Daniel Pink, in his book Drive, says that Mastery, Autonomy and Purpose (MAP) are what really motivates us to our highest levels. Autonomy, or self-directedness, is a critical 21st Century Skill. Yet, we give so little of it to our students, and sadly, not enough to teachers. It can be scary for some of us to do so (see empowerment anxiety). Schools have been unempowering
There is a way to build up empowerment, much like we do a muscle. By giving it a little bit of empowerment and progressively adding more, we can develop a classroom of highly self-directed students. This is a core goal of an Agile Classroom, to grow the empowerment of students and to drive their own learning. Agile Classrooms has outlined 4 Levels of Empowerment a classroom can use to progressively build those self-direction muscles.
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Empowerment Card Deck – 4 Levels of Collaboration – ©Agile Classrooms 2015
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Which level are you most comfortable with?
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Which level might stimulate growth for you and your classroom?
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Which level might be too much to handle?
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Where could you shift empowerment?
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How might you use the levels in designing the classroom environment to support 21st Century learning?
You can download the Empowerment Card Deck at the Agile Classrooms Resources page in two different formats:
1. Letter Sized (8.5 x 11) – Print on one letter sized paper and cut the cards out.
2. Index Card Sizes (3×5) – Load up your printer with index cards and print.
1. Letter Sized (8.5 x 11) – Print on one letter sized paper and cut the cards out.
2. Index Card Sizes (3×5) – Load up your printer with index cards and print.
Want to learn more about Agile Classrooms and how to grow empowerment in your school for extreme 21st Century Skills, contact us for an Agile Classrooms
Next academic year we are planning to experiment with grade 7 and 8 students to move from (1) direct further into "the deck." We'll document our experience and have specific feedback for you down the road.