Using Google Forms to promote student agency

This term our Kaikohekohe Cluster have decided to look into 4 key areas where we feel we need improvement.  At our PLG meeting, the cluster split into 4 groups with the intention that each group will then create a mini-inquiry into each of these areas.  I have decided to choose student agency as my focus because I believe that fits well with my main goal in my classroom.

While looking into effective practices that promote student agency,  one key practice that stood out was exposing the students to their data and to the curriculum, progressions, etc.  Of course, me being me, I rolled the idea out into my classroom the next day and I decided to use Google forms to help me introduce this to my tamariki. 

How I did this:

• I rewrote the  NZ Curriculum level 2 achievement objectives for Reading/ listening and viewing in plain language in a google form.
• Explained to the students what the NZ Curriculum is and that we would be going through indicators in level 2 together in small groups.
• In the small groups, we went through the google form together. The students completed this on their own,  I was only there to help clarify some of the statements.

Interesting thoughts on this exercise

• There was a lot of rich conversations that came from this exercise, my students were very interested in the curriculum, and a lot of them found themselves on common ground, most did not make connections, most did not know affixes and suffixes, most did not choose books to read that they enjoyed  - they just chose any books.
• I realised that I had made some assumptions about some students prior to this exercise, I am glad I had done this especially before report writing, this has also forced to really think about what I am teaching (or what I am forgetting to teach)

Where to next from here?

• Continue to use google forms to gather more of my student's voice.
• Find other teachers who have implemented this practice into their learning environment.