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At my school I've worked to create an interdependent affinity group model in which students break out into affinity groups and then come together once a month for a full Cooperative meeting where they engage across differences. The prior work in affinity groups is necessary for preparing students for these conversations. In running an anti-racist white affinity space, this has been huge to help model for students what it means to be an anti-racist white person and build the joyous relationships that sustain them through the hard conversations. Also, building the community through difficult conversations had made for some really transformative work in student assemblies, work by the student council, etc. Students also really connected to adult model and intentionally building a non-hierarchical student-teacher relationship.
(Tegan Morton, @tegan_morton on Twitter if you want to connect more about this model, called the Young Women's Cooperative)

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To be an activist, we need to be empathetic to people, and understand what we specifically care about. Without being an empathetic individual who knows what they care about, we cannot be activists.

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Flipgrid
Padlet
Nearpod
Seesaw
Quizlet
Kahoot
Quizzit

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Student voice to me is asking students to share in a authentic space and they learn from the experience of their own sharing and speaking.

I run SEED seminars for faculty and staff but have incorporated the activities and approaches for students as well. SEED centers personal stories to "highlight the data in the room" and uses serial testimony to center taking turns of speaking and listening. Each person is given a specific amount of time to share their story, and then we move on in a circle. Asking students to tell stories about themselves is a basic idea, but surprisingly lacking in their school experiences and something they are hungry for.

Linked is an article from Teaching Tolerance by Peggi McIntosh, a SEED co-founder.

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Serial Testimony creates classroom dialog that doesn't focus on convincing others or winning an argument, but rather on sharing perspective that can inform how students view themselves and the wider world.

Essential Questions

1. How does Serial Testimony support student learning in ways that traditional class discussions do not?

2. How does the democratic distribution of time empower students participating in Serial Testimony?

Testimony: Bearing witness, giving evidence; speaking the truth of one's experience and perspective; bearing responsibility for one's own thought.

Serial: In a series.

For this group activity, the facilitator states a theme or opens with a simple question. Each participant, timed, speaks in turn, uninterrupted, without response from other group members. Participants speak from their own experience and without reference to what anyone else in the group has said.

The timing may be handled by mechanical timer, a wrist watch, a stop watch or an egg timer. The facilitator or timer slowly raises the watch or timer when time is up.

A minute is often an effective length of time for an initial round. It can be followed by more rounds on the same or different themes.

A session may have five to six rounds with occasional debriefs on patterns which participants have noticed in their testimony, or anything they wish to say about their experience of the process. But the generalizations which Serial Testimony intentionally interrupts may quickly re-surface in such a debrief. A better prompt for a debrief is, "What was this go-round like for you?" This keeps participants' attention on their own experience.

Serial Testimony does not aim to "solve" problems or create "dialogue" among participants. The purpose is not to "piggyback" off others' comments or to take sides, but rather to contribute one's own perspectives. In small, cohesive groups that have already a high degree of trust and agreement, the facilitator may wish to use traditional "discussion" and "dialogue" rather than Serial Testimony.

I call Serial Testimony "the autocratic administration of time in the service of democratic distribution of time." Some of its advantages are that:

1. It requires participants to speak for themselves.

2. Participants speak about their own experiences, rather than their opinions.

3. It prevents single individuals' views from becoming the focus of discussion.

4. It brings each person into the conversation, if they wish.

5. It establishes a predictable order for people to speak in.

6. It provides the opportunity for everyone in a group to hear a wide variety of perspectives in a comparatively short time.

7. It allows matter of difference and commonality to be seen side-by-side.

8. It prevents disagreement and argument.

9. It interferes with familiar pecking orders or patterns of domination and subordination in speaking.

10. It respects freely chosen silence.

Simple as this technique is to many participants, it feels unnatural, especially to those who like what is usually called discussion or dialogue. In discussion or dialogue the time distribution may reflect the existing power relations in a group: many are silent; others ally or disagree with each other; the group as a whole serves as an audience for the few; people take sides; only a few perspectives are developed; the silent participants wonder what they should say, if anything, or wish that it would all go away.

A facilitator of Serial Testimony should prepare the group in advance for the structure and logic of the technique. He or she should ask the participants to honor the following ground rules:

Listen to each speaker in stillness

Do not interrupt with comments, questions, or physical signs

Concentrate on what others are saying before your own turn comes and immediately after your turn, tune back in, rather than wondering "how did I do?"

In speaking, stay with your experiences and feelings and reflections, not your opinions.

During your turn, do not refer to what others have said before you. Focus on contributing your own experience.

Keep your comments within the time allowance.

Use Serial Testimony to learn how to listen and reflect as well as to focus your speaking.

The facilitator needs to decide whether he or she will participate or not. Either choice can be interpreted by the group members. If the facilitator chooses not to speak this affects the power dynamics, and the facilitator should reflect on the choice ahead of time. Whatever the decision, the facilitator must not take more time to testify than others have been given.

Allow people in the group to pass (or keep listening). At the end of the round they can be asked whether they would like to speak now.

Some facilitators ask participants to make brief notes before the Serial Testimony begins. This helps the most talkative members of the group to focus on what they really want to say. But in some contexts everybody appreciates the chance to make notes or think for a bit before starting a go-round.

Two or more go-rounds can be done in succession.

Closing circle testimony about the experience of the process may be done through a minute or half-minute of reflective silence, a minute or more for participants to write comments and perhaps read them, an opportunity to debrief the experience by Serial Testimony or by spontaneous responses ("popcorn" style), which is not Serial Testimony.

In the SEED Project we often refer to the discipline of the circle. Serial Testimony creates situations in which no one generalizes, speaks for others, holds forth, takes over, shrinks from speaking, feels unheard, argued with, marginalized or disrespected. In Serial Testimony every single person is taken to be the authority on his or her own experience. Serial Testimony creates for adults or children a form of discourse that is not vertically oriented toward winning or losing. It can be a remarkable form for learning about others and learning to see oneself in a wider, plural context.

Serial Testimony is a method I recommended over the phone for small group work in connection with a visit to the College of New Jersey with Victor Lewis in Oct., 2000. The organizing committee at the college paraphrased my suggestions, which they distributed to faculty and staff. This description is my edited and expanded version of their paraphrase.
- Peggy McIntosh, Senior Associate, National SEED Project on Inclusive Curriculum

© 2013 National SEED Project, Wellesley Centers for Women, Wellesley College. Used with permission.

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Teaching Tolerance provides free resources to educators-teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners-who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants.

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Providing a safe environment, and the learning structure, for students to engage in authentic tasks that are meaningful to them personally.

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In order to promote student voice, we need to be aware, willing, and direct about giving up some of our power as teachers and transferring it to students (as opposed to solely promoting students by giving them more power within the confines of the power they already have.)

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PBL Works & PBL Matters are two FANTASTIC organizations!

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PBL Works & PBL Matters are two FANTASTIC organizations!

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They really support this work we are doing that is purposeful, relevant, and engaging. If you check out the PBL Matters Facebook group, they JUST posted a keynote by Sara Lev that is so validating and inspiring related to the essential work we do as educators.

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Asking them open-ended questions in survey-type form like "What's important in your world?" "What issues would you like to see resolved in your lifetime?" If we can first dig into what they are passionate about, we can build on "glocalized" issues that we can then collaboratively ideate (and apply!) solutions collaboratively WITH our students.

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Flipgrid empowers social learning in PreK to PhD classrooms around the world. Use video the way your students do.

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As a US History teacher, taking topics and events from the formation of early government in America and then investigating current events, conditions, and issues offers a tremendous opportunity for Ss to take action steps in their community, in their homes, in their schools to better understand the world around them.

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Institute for Humane Education

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Inspired.
Inspiring.
Solutionary.

We help educators teach about human rights, environmental preservation, and animal protection to create a world where all can thrive.

Be part of creating
the solutionary generation

Discover resources and programs that enable students of all ages to develop equitable, sustainable and humane solutions to interconnected problems.

We provide tools for educators to teach about social justice, environmental sustainability, and animal protection and promote solutionary thinking & action.

Through a partnership with Antioch University, our online M.Ed., M.A., Ed.D. and Graduate Certificate are the only graduate programs offered in humane education.

Find resources to engage deeper learning.

Download free guidebooks, lesson plans and curricula, and receive our blog and newsletter!

Zoe Weil's first TEDx became among the 50 most popular a year after its upload. See the video that has helped launch the solutionary movement.

THE WORLD BECOMES WHAT WE TEACH

This short book provides the vision, rationale, and ideas for educating a generation of solutionaries.

Hyungjoon Jin
After teaching & bringing professional development to educators in Guatemalan indigenous communities, Hyung returned to the United States to bring humane education into his Denver high school science classroom.

IHE co-founder, Zoe Weil, was featured in episode 7 of Apple TV's original series "Dear ..."

In the episode, Zoe reads a letter she wrote to Jane Goodall, sharing her story of growing up wanting to be like Jane and telling her how gratifying it was when they shared a stage decades later as fellow humane educators dedicated to creating a compassionate, sustainable world.

Are you inspired to create such a world?

Take the next step by downloading our free guidebooks and resources, enrolling in our Solutionary Micro-credential Program, or learning more about our graduate programs.

Brokerage Account Holder: Morgan Stanley Account Name: Institute for Humane Education Account Number: 654-097838 DTC Number: 0015 IHE Tax ID Number: 01-0530866

If you are interested in making a donation from your donor-advised fund, please use IHE's EIN #: 01-0530866.

X

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At the Institute for Humane Education we help educators teach about human rights, environmental preservation, and animal protection.

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Supporting the provision of language for students

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Supporting the provision of language for students

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Speaking
Listening
Reading
Writing
Visuals

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Perhaps the greatest goal and skillset we can impact our Ss with is having them gain a sense of self, understanding their identity, knowing themselves, and seeing themselves as independent thinkers and doers. Another component is helping students develop a thirst for more information and varied perspectives to help inform their decisions and positions. From this space, students can begin to shape and mold their voice, gaining confidence in who they are, as well as taking action where they are inspired.

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Inspire my students to take on meaningful work.

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Inspire my students to take on meaningful work.

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www.Inspirecitizens.org
@SDG'sForChildren
MUN Participations
Ariel Foundation

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I try to have meaningful student conferences (individually and in small group) to be a support for their ideas and projects.  I also strongly model and support my students with taking time for self-reflection (through writing and video) to refine and continue to develop ideas further (it helps with processing and thinking deeply about what they are working on).

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I try to have meaningful student conferences (individually and in small group) to be a support for their ideas and projects.  I also strongly model and support my students with taking time for self-reflection (through writing and video) to refine and continue to develop ideas further (it helps with processing and thinking deeply about what they are working on).

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Teaching tolerance
Facing history
Culturally responsive education. Good resources for ELA, civics, social studies etc

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School Presentations/Discussions
Classroom Discussions
Extracurricular orgs (FBLA, etc...)
Community Organizations
Social Media

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https://wellnesseducationpd.wordpress.com

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http://futureof.school

National nonprofit focused on student voice, teacher choice and supporting the transition to "new school". It IS possible. It HAS been being done. It WILL continue. Join us!

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Students at the center, educators as the critical path

Up until early 2020, the American K-12 education system had been functioning much as it did centuries ago. By and large it's been students inside classrooms with teachers at the front, everyone working off a set schedule, curriculum following a one-size-fits-all approach.

Then practically overnight, everything changed.

In the short-term what we've experienced is crisis schooling -the entirety of the American education system moving online with little to no preparation, many teachers and students scrambling for home access to critical technology and broadband, parents suddenly thrust into the role as educator, and a prevailing expectation that all this would be temporary.
In the long-term what we have is a unique opportunity to permanently transform how K-12 education happens in our country and to weave digital learning into the infrastructure of effective instruction.
As the nation's leading public charity focused on access to quality education, Future of School is dedicated to mobilizing change in American K-12 education so all students reach their unbounded potential no matter where their learning is taking place.

We prepare and empower resilient schools and school districts where flexibility is the norm, and access and equity are ensured.

We provide a lifeline to educators who are shifting from crisis schooling to remote education.

We bring together organizations, businesses and concerned citizens who can offer additional resources and funding for moving education forward.

Through our research and storytelling, we demonstrate how online and blended learning can radically transform the educational experience and enhance crucial life skills.

At Future of School, we've been asking the question: what's our future worth?

While we can't put a price on the future, we can be sure that our children will shape it. Which means educating our children is a responsibility every one of us shares as a nation.
We are being called to reimagine schools across America. We are being asked to pivot from long-standing policies that will open the doorway to major changes. We are being invited to unearth what's possible for our kids and their education.
Together, we can do right by our future to use the opportunity we have now to make sure teachers and students have what they need to do school anywhere and in a way that serves everyone.

Supporting futures beyond high school

Our FoS Student Scholarship Program rewards students for their courage to forge new learning pathways, giving them greater financial means to continue their education in whatever post-secondary school they choose.

Helping forward-thinking teachers create change

Through the Innovative Educator Prize, we empower pioneering educators with grant funding that enables them to bring programs and tools into the classroom to transform the learning experience.

Original publicly-shared research and discourse

By amplifying technology's impact on students and educators across the nation, we inform, inspire and spearhead much needed change.

To display items in this block, you'll need a connected account. Edit this block and select an account from the drop-down menu. You can also connect a new account. Learn more

teacher of the week award

We're rewarding the heroic efforts of teachers who are innovating in real time. Nominate someone-or yourself! Any #K12 educator, counselor or support staff at a U.S. accredited school who has quickly created a remote teaching environment qualifies.

Remote Learning Relief Fund

Present challenges have left teachers with no choice but to innovate if they are to reach the more than 50 million American students now schooling from home. For some this rapid transition has been a long time coming. Yet many educators are challenged with a lack of tools, knowledge, and infrastructure to support their sudden move into a remote teaching and learning environment.

Our response is the Remote Learning Relief Fund which offers immediate grants for teachers to get the tools they need to deliver quality instruction that engages all their students no matter where the learning is taking place.

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Students at the center, educators as the critical path Up until early 2020, the American K-12 education system had been functioning much as it did centuries ago. By and large it's been students inside classrooms with teachers at the front, everyone working off a set schedule, curriculum following a one-size-fits-all approach.

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: samehereglobal.org; inspirecitizens.org; https://www.iste.org/standards/for-students

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Honestly, this is an area that can be tricky for students with significant disabilities.  So many SWSD struggle with their basic needs (feeding, dressing, etc.) as well as learning foundational skills, such as reading.  We used a lot of themes in our classroom when teaching
.  With the themes, we could go to a newspaper and find relevant local/national topics to discuss.

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Reading picture books to to encourage important conversations.

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My students have been encouraged to write their own blogs. They use a variety of blogsites. There is a small group of students part of the school Model UN team and help in bringing back their experiences and speaking about their learning to the school assembly.

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My students have been encouraged to write their own blogs. They use a variety of blogsites. There is a small group of students part of the school Model UN team and help in bringing back their experiences and speaking about their learning to the school assembly.

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Some of my students have gone ahead  releasing Podcast.

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Asking my Ss what do they deeply care about?

Integrating meaningful research techniques (MISO) to become aware of what .

Find the standards that will empower the students to be able to meet their interests.

What do you want to do about it to have a positive impact?

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I am a huge fan of the institute for humane education (IHE). Much like Teach SDGs, it is about global awareness to human and climate issues. But, this org also incorporate animals into their activism.

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Simple Ways to Promote Student Voice in the Classroom

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Simple Ways to Promote Student Voice in the Classroom

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Giving students some say over what happens in class can promote engagement and a strong sense of community.

Jim West / Alamy Stock Photo (16)

One of the most powerful ways to impact achievement is to actively engage students in the life of the classroom. Although educators know that our students' contributions are vital to the learning process, educator and author Alexis Wiggins was surprised to observe that many students "feel like a bit of a nuisance all day long." As teachers, we have the capacity to change our students' experiences if we design lessons that prioritize student voice and participation.

Elevating student voice is critical for many reasons. For one thing, as Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey write, "The amount of talk that students do is correlated with their achievement." There are strategies teachers can use to elevate student voice in order to strengthen relationships, foster a sense of belonging, increase engagement, and inform instruction.

Begin Class With a Welcoming Ritual

Students arrive to class with their minds swirling about failed quizzes, mounting pressure about homework assignments, and concerns about interactions with their peers. In order to help them clear these distractions from their minds, we might begin class with a predictable routine.

Students might share "breaking news" or "what's on the top of your mind?" in pairs, with small groups, or with the whole class. This welcoming ritual allows students to release their most pressing thoughts and create space for new experiences. It also builds relationships between students as they share a little bit of themselves with their peers. Welcoming rituals foster a sense of belonging as the classroom becomes a place that accepts students not only for who they are but where they are at a particular moment.

This brief share might transition directly into an opening activity that connects to the learning of the day. Together, students might consider an essential question, share responses to a short quote or passage, or take time to reflect on the previous day's learning. Opening class with an emphasis on student engagement rather than passive compliance prioritizes student voice and places students at the center of the learning experience.

Plan Consistent Opportunities for Student Voice

When will students collaborate to problem-solve, devise higher-order questions, contribute to the creation of a product, or otherwise actively grapple with a lesson's meaning?

How often are students offered the opportunity to speak at the front of the room, write on the board, or conduct demonstrations on the document camera?

When are students writing for an audience beyond the classroom?

Do students have choices regarding the work they're doing?

If (and in what ways) are students prompted to connect what they're learning in the classroom to their lives outside of school?

During the planning stage, prioritize active engagement and student voice by asking yourself:

Ideally, our classrooms would be places where students not only gain knowledge but also discover who they are and who they want to be. The only way students will come to these realizations is through both independent and collaborative explorations in which they add their voices to the conversation. Prioritizing student voice strengthens a sense of belonging, as the learning experiences are co-created by students and teachers.

Ask Students About Their Lives Beyond The Classroom

We need to show our students that we value who they are and understand the complexities of their lives. Some students will clearly make themselves known while others will fade into the background if we let them-so we need to intentionally interact with all students. These moments of listening and sharing with students reinforce belonging and build relationships.

We can do this while greeting students when they enter the classroom, while conferring with small groups, and while conferencing with individual students. We can schedule "lunch and learn" sessions or invite students to help us hang student work or otherwise contribute to the logistics of the classroom during their study halls or lunch periods.

When students know we value what they have to say, they're more likely to share their thoughts and insights. It may seem like we don't have time to engage with every student, but we don't have time not to. As John Hattie reminds us, "A positive, caring, respectful climate in the classroom is a prior condition to learning." Strong teacher-student relationships bolster students' confidence to share their voices.

Ask for Student Feedback-and Use It

Another important way to elevate student voice is to ask for feedback. As much as we wish we could, we will never know what it really feels like to be a student in our classrooms, and our students hold many of the answers we seek. We can ask them for feedback throughout the year and (when feasible) implement their suggestions. Student feedback not only informs instruction, it conveys that we value their insight, and that their voices are at the center of the work that we do.

When we listen to and honor our students, we can show them that their voices can be powerful instruments of learning for themselves and others-and levers of change in their classrooms and beyond.

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Simple Ways to Promote Student Voice in the Classroom

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Giving students some say over what happens in class can promote engagement and a strong sense of community.

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Students are already activists in many ways.   

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Students are already activists in many ways.   

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Promoting student voice can move on a spectrum from being heard to leadership.   Brave space not just safe space. 

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Promoting student voice can move on a spectrum from being heard to leadership.   Brave space not just safe space. 

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To introduce activism, I would break down each topic.  Advocating for one's own needs is the first step to get students with disabilities to understand activism.

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Keeping Agenda 2030 as the focus, help students identify a cause closest to their heart and design think a project to take the project forward

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Keeping Agenda 2030 as the focus, help students identify a cause closest to their heart and design think a project to take the project forward

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Real world exemplars, especially child activists. Analysis of their work (persuasive strategies from ELA perspective).

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I think it has to start with creating a sense of community where students feel safe to take risks, express their ideas, and collaborate.  

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I think it has to start with creating a sense of community where students feel safe to take risks, express their ideas, and collaborate.  

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Modeling behaviours grounded in making change

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Modeling behaviours grounded in making change

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Creating a safe space for students to speak and communicate freely, virtually.

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1. Giving Learners Choice
-courses of interest
-how they are assessed
-where they learn

2. Open Communication
-academic and non-academic
-opening up space for discussions
-valuing authenticity & vulnerability
-unbiased defining of social justice

3. Providing Channels
-identify/welcome stakeholders
-value input (even disaccord)
-connecting students together

Being true to the classroom/school values, honoring all voices elevating student experiences/self-expression

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purposeful opportunities, platform, authentic audience,

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With my students, giving choices is key.  I use Boardmaker and real-life photos to help them understand what their choices are.  Also- social stories to deepen understanding of what the issues are would be beneficial.

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Letting students define the parameters of the activity.

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To support my students with resources and space to empower them. 

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To support my students with resources and space to empower them. 

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Build on their innate potential and help with confidence building to be able to voice their opinion. Be the voice behind their voice