Presented by: Miranda Rose and Mike Kim | American School of Warsaw
Educators, as adults, mostly choose when and where students might have ownership and voice over their time and learning. With ASW’s objective: “By 2024, everyone here will spend the majority of their time managing what they do and designing how they do it.” the presenters were challenged to think deeply about what this means and how they might draw on and expand some strengths and systems already in place.
Building on the success of elements of an open play-based approach to time in the early years, the presenters reflected on their schedule and the times where students didn’t have ownership or choice. They found it was often related to single subject timing and the rigidity of typical school systems and structures.
Putting their heads together they asked “What if students choose what adult they learn with, where they learn and what they learn? What impact would that have on our students? How Could the community work together to honor student agency and disrupt some of our scheduling?”
Four years later, in PK through Grade 5 all students have the chance to choose where they want to go, who they want to go with and what they want to learn beyond their classroom walls. The single subject team, language team, coaches and other faculty offer learning opportunities that tie to grade level learning, extend time in a discipline, offer studio and extension time, facilitate exploration of student suggested topics and really give students ownership over some of their time at school. Students select Open Doors learning with intention and enthusiasm.
Our workshop will share our purpose, vision, systems, structures and learning we’ve had as we develop and enhance Open Doors in the elementary school.
Target audience
Teachers and administrators interested in supporting students’ agency