Creating a space for student voice and choice is the result of what was covered in the previous module, "Fostering A Safe Space to Learn and Take Risks" for students.  Establishing a safe space is key to any learning environment as a starting point.  As students get more comfortable and confident, as a result of recognizing that they're in a safe space to learn and make mistakes or have failures, their voices, collectively and individually, get stronger. 

CTE is the perfect mechanism for developing students' voice and choice for their respective individual goals and career paths they decide to take. … >>>

Fostering a safe space for students to communicate and express themselves gives the students the courage to engage in daily classroom activities and discussions.  In our class, I've always encouraged students to participate in our classroom talks; in the beginning of my tenure, I would use the technique of encouraging questions during the lecture or instructor (me) speaking, instead of waiting until the end.  That way, they could get the answer in the moment, for better retention, instead of running the risk of losing train of thought by waiting until the instructor was done speaking.  Also, my colleague encourages participation… >>>

I’ve learned that assessments should be flexible and accessible so all students can show their learning. I plan to offer choices, use clear rubrics, and focus on skills rather than one format.
 
 

I’ve learned that good assessments align with learning goals, measure the right skills, and provide useful feedback. I plan to use more formative assessments, like reflection journals, and make sure my assessments clearly match my objectives. One question I have is how to give meaningful feedback efficiently.
 
 

Creating safe and engaging learning means access to learning for everyone is the most important factor for success in creating an atmosphere where everyone can feel comfortable to learn the best way he/she can.  When the intent is to have everyone learn as effectively as they can, creating a safe environment is tantamount to students being able to learn and retain what they learn to the fullest.  Engagement includes involvement, that the instructor/teacher shows his/her level of involvement through the level of engagement he/she is willing to provide to get students motivated to learn the material. 

CTE provides the greatest… >>>

Until now, I had not considered having my students design their own rubrics. Cool idea!

I have been giving my students more opportunities for choice in the area of assessment through working on personal projects.

I will continue to find multiple ways of assessing students and keeping them motivated. Choice Boards are one way that I can engage students who may be in the category of "Exceptionalities". When it comes to using measurements in my Woodworking class, I've noticed that students who have struggled in Math classes are terrified of measurements. I've worked to find multiple ways for students to learn and be assessed in the area of measurements.

Finally! A woodworking class was used as an example. Unfortunately, the example went nowhere. It was quickly abandoned after stating that traditional means of assessment may keep some student from participating. The challenge with teaching woodworking is that there must be a paper trail of the understanding of tool use for legal reasons. I definitely do utilize UDL in teaching and evaluating/assessing understanding so as to not exclude differently abled students. I handle it quite well, but found it interesting that there was no conclusion to the example.

I learned that barriers like unclear directions, time limits, and anxiety can affect student performance. I plan to make assessments clearer and more flexible so all students can show what they know.  Communicating with parents so everyone is on the same page.