Students at the Center: Kyle Wagner

Episode Notes:

 

-High Tech High- PBL Based Leader

-International Educator to move from teacher focused to student focused learning.

-Moving from  sage on the stage to the guide on the side. Where do you start? Look at the physical environment first. Eliminating the ‘front’ of the classroom and teacher desk, which changes the dynamics in the room. It makes any space in the room a learning space. 

-Have students help in the redesign process around what their needs are, the environment dictates what the learning looks like. Shared decision making is pivotal. 

-Giving voice and choice, involving the students within each portion of the learning process.

-Lead with questions- student generated or open ended? 

-Encouraging student independence - it does not come overnight, structures need to be put into place over time. 

-Project Based Learning - student driven - foster that level of independence with critical thinking with support and then slowly take some of those supports away.

-Make things highly visual in your classroom - even progression within learning.

-Classroom culture that encourages students to ask questions, explore, and find inquiry within their own learning.

-How do I set up an environment that fosters that type of inquiry? Work to gather and group questions together and gauge interest so you can structure accordingly. Start with the student at the center of the lesson.

-Don't lead with content, lead with inquiry. What is an open ended challenge you can present? What is meaningful to them? How can you scaffold their learning by addressing that inquiry?

-Rigor - having high expectations for student learning - have to teach them to not rely on us as much. It is not about jumping and checking boxes. It has to be led by wonder and inquiry.

-Try to eliminate teacher time in the front of the room. How can you reach the same end without the teacher being the main focus? Have students present their learning or share out. It is a great formative assessment. 

-How can they articulate their learning in a way that is meaningful to them? 

-Coaching means reaching your own identified personalized goals.

-A mentor or a coach will always be my saving grace in education. Reach out as you need someone to coach you through. Shift models are so important and have made a world of difference and have brought back the joy! 

-Find your mentor or your coach. Every journey starts small, every journey starts with a single step. What will your first step be?

 

Connect with Kyle:

-Website - https://transformschool.com/  - this has resources, links, scorecards, blogpost, training, and his podcast.

-Email- kylewagner@transformschool.com

-LinkedIn - Kyle Wagner - reach out