While I was not present for this class due to illness, I was in attendance online via zoom. That said, my illness and the means through which I was engaging with the material inhibited my ability to glean as much as I would have liked from the presentation. The concept of honouring student agency and autonomy however stuck with me.

I have never done well with doing what I’m been told simply because I’m told to. I have no manner of demand avoidance or anything of that ilk, rather; “because I said so” doesn’t really speak to the value of the exercise. In every situation where “doing what you are told” has been done with enthusiasm, the value of the exercise has been made clear independent of the action. In employment or other hierarchical structures, to “do as you are told” is lent credence by the nature of the hierarchy and the steps that led to the respective positions of those in the hierarchy. A master has authority over an apprentice not because they are above the apprentice in the master-apprentice hierarchy, but because the role of master is earned through experience and because the master has knowledge and skills to pass along – it is this uneven distribution of knowledge and skill that establishes a master as an authority; not the title.

Photo by Monstera Productions

Trust in the teaching and wisdom of those above us in a hierarchy is key for enthusiastic acceptance of instruction – in buy-in. Trust is built in relationship, and so instruction is best received in collaboration with the educator. Students are far more likely to buy in to their lessons if they believe in them; and what better way is there to get students invested in their learning than involving them in its construction?

The “new curriculum” that centers students’ acquisition of competencies rather than concepts demands a higher degree of involvement; teaching them to fish rather than giving them a fish. If the student learning outcomes are to reflect competency over content, then the medium through which they learn should also support competency. High involvement of students in the creation and construction of their curriculum teaches students not only the content and desired competencies outlined in the desired learning outcomes, but how to learn and create a positive learning environment for themselves.

Photo by Payam Masouri