The next few weeks before winter break can test the limits of teacher and student patience. Getting up in the dark, and getting home in the dark can drain energy levels pretty quickly. It's time to pull out… the choice boards. This strategy is engaging because it allows for student voice in the co-creation of instructional opportunities. It works for professional learning opportunities too. The first step in creating a choice board is to identify the outcome - is it designed to build expertise/knowledge, spark creativity, provide real world experiences, scaffold students into more complex content, or provide an entry point into a larger task. The next step is to think about organization. Rows and columns can increase in complexity, or can categorize opportunities. Decide on how to present the choice board - Google slides and Padlet are two of my favorite tools. Bitmoji classrooms are a non-traditional approach. Creating a table in Google Docs is an easy way to get started with a choice board. Finally, what products do you want students to create to demonstrate their learning? One option is to have students complete a rolling knowledge journal. For each activity they complete, they list the activity, describe new learning and reflect on how it added to what they already knew. Having students debrief with other students who did the same activity is another way to include their voice and extend their learning. I put together a choice board for all of you. One way to use this is to explore a resource a day. Another is to pick 3 resources you want to explore with a colleague or team. These are some of my favorite resources! And, if you are looking to kick it up to the next level, investigate SOLE (Self Organized Learning Environments)
Char’s Talk-Oh-Tuesday Energize Choice Board