Last year, I wanted my second graders to be more deeply engaged in learning. I explored the Responsive Classroom structure of Academic Choice, which allows children to have a choice of what to learn or how to learn (or both). I thought the benefits of offering students choices might be that they would be more satisfied with their reading and writing and develop a better understanding of how they learn.

Several questions ran through my mind before I started. How much choice could my second graders handle? How should I introduce choices? Which choices? When? Was it worth it to teach students about learning styles at such an early age?

Slow and simple
I decided to implement Academic Choice slowly and simply. At the beginning of the year, I had students take a learning styles inventory to get them thinking about how they learn and to help me get to know everyone better. Next I offered them a choice during quiet time. Then I added choices during reading activities and at learning centers for the rest of September. These initial choices were limited to what they would do, not how they would do it. By the fourth week, I introduced my first complete Academic Choice activity. For the first time, students were allowed to choose how they would learn. I was excited! Although the goal of the lesson was the same for everyone, students had a choice in how to learn.

Academic Choice lesson plan
Academic Choice lessons consist of three phases: planning, working, and reflecting.

Here's the lesson plan I created for the complete Academic Choice activity:

Learning goal: Students will demonstrate an understanding of maps and show their ability to define and locate specific geographical elements: title, key, compass-rose, scale, mountains, and rivers (landforms).

Criteria of quality work: Terms are defined; work is neat and easy to read; a picture is included; students stay on task and respect other learners.

Choices: What: No choice
How, or choice of process: Students must choose one of the following activities:
Station 1: Read in geography books
Station 2: Use classroom maps to explore definitions and look at pictures
Station 3: Work with Mrs. Radke to define geography terms and create a classroom resource

Planning: Students will sign up on chart

Work locations: Students will work at the book station, map station, or with Mrs. Radke

Representation: Students will meet in a reflection circle to share their work

Materials: Books from the school library; maps spread out on floor; chart for terms and representation

Learning assessment: Satisfactory completion of quiz-grid of terms

Reflection questions: What did you learn today? How did it feel to have a choice in how you learned? Students will write the answers.

Getting ready for work
Before students started working, I had a lot of preliminary work to do. They gathered in a circle in front of our chart board, and I reviewed the activity objective and the learning goal with them. I listed the items they would need to identify, explain, and draw, and the criteria for quality work. I guided them in the best use of our materials. We spent a few minutes searching through atlases, maps, and other resources to discover how we could get the information we needed. I reminded them to think about their learning styles and use that information to help them make the best choice. Then the students placed the materials at the appropriate stations and returned to our circle.

• I explained the three choices to meet the learning goal. To provide structure, I required a written definition and explanation of each term and a drawing. I modeled how to do this in their geography notebooks, so the expectation would be clear to everyone.
• Next, we needed to agree about what work time would look and sound like. After a brief conversation, it was clear that the students were ready to succeed with both the materials and the learning.
• Before the students made their choice of learning activity, I asked them to reflect on their learning style, i.e., how they learn best, and who they work best with. Then I asked them to give me a thumbs-up if they were ready to sign up for their station and get to work.

Special needs
I anticipated that eight students with varying learning difficulties would need significant adult help, so I designated station 3 for students to work with me. As it turned out, most of those eight students chose to work with me.

When our work time ended the students cleaned up their materials and returned to our meeting area. They shared what they had learned with their elbow partners, defined the terms, showed pictures, and explained the uses of the geographical tools on a map. Then they checked in about their work process using thumbs-up, thumbs-sideways, and thumbs-down. Finally, I asked the group my two reflection questions.

Student feedback
I have continued using this format for Academic Choice lesson planning and teaching. In addition to asking one or two reflection questions after the lesson, I ask students how choices affect their learning. Sample answers to this question include:

• I like having a time during the day that I can choose how I spend my time.
• I can choose to do what will help me work best during choice time.
• I like that I don't have to do the same thing as everybody else.
• Sometimes I like choices, and sometimes I like it when the teacher tells me what to do.
• I like it when I get to pick what I want to do, and how I want to do it.
• I have learned how I learn this year.
• I like that I can talk to my friends about what we are doing.
• I like that I can ask other students questions.
• Sometimes I make the wrong choice about how to do a project, and I keep that in my mind so I don't make that choice the next time.

Their comments encouraged me to continue using Academic Choice, but their feedback also reminded me to continue to prepare carefully.

Teacher reflection
During Academic Choice time in late September and throughout October, I took notes regularly. These were helpful to me as I gradually worked choices into other areas. Here are some examples of my notes:

• Academic Choice went well today; the students seemed engaged and excited to try something new (having a choice). We had a hard time transitioning from the choosing to the working. More modeling should help.
• Considering their ability level, students are choosing activities that are inappropriate. How can I help them consider an activity and determine if it's a good fit?
• Today we moved away from the choice of what they'll do to how they'll learn. Students worked well; some were chatty. Amelio came to me during work time and told me he had chosen the wrong method of how to learn. He decided it was too difficult, and asked if he could change. Afterward, we reflected as a group about making choices that will work.
• I am finding it difficult to get the how choice in every day. I have an easier time employing it in social studies and reading-disciplines that don't have a textbook.
• Too many choices today on the activities board. We had five ways of displaying learning in reading, and students were confused about directions. This serves as a reminder to keep things simple.
• Students are struggling to stay on task during work time. Tomorrow I'll remodel what it needs to look and sound like when we work. And I'll do better at using Take a Break when they move off task. In general, I need more than reminders during Academic Choice lessons.
  

Challenging, but worth it
It's challenging to implement Academic Choice the way the Responsive Classroom approach recommends. It takes a great deal of planning and preparation on my part to do it well. Now that I've done it, I realize its power for my students and me. They have moved from being vessels into which I pour knowledge to taking ownership of their education and working with their teacher as a partner. We discuss this openly, and even though they're young, I think they understand the shift we're making. Partners in learning is the biggest success I've ever had. Now that I'm over the hurdle of implementation, I can't imagine my classroom without Academic Choice!

Cameron Radke teaches 2nd graders at Emmet D. Williams School in Shoreview MN

This article first appeared in Origins: A Newsletter for Elementary Educators, Fall 2010