Benefits of Student Agency by EUN Partnership aisbl

Daniela Balosache, Romania

2023-06-05 13:39:04 UTC

Dear colleagues, I am Daniela Balosache, a teacher of English at a sports high school. I teach primary, secondary school and high school students.
In primary school, we have 1 hour per week of English. Only in he third and the fourth grade there are 2 hours of English. In the secondary school and in high school there are also 2 hours per week.
I am a teacher interested in professional growth and students' performance. I prepare students for Cambridge exams and various local school competitions.
I have implemented many projects, especially drama-based projects. Esentially, for me, the concept of student agency is new but the implemantation of it not.
Throughout the years, I have engaged students in many projects and they really enjoyed it.

Daniela Balosache, Romania

2023-06-05 13:45:29 UTC

Four years ago, I remember I had a class that had a low motivation for study at all objects. English seemed very difficult for those 5 graders.So, I started to use peer work, group work more often. Then I explained to them what group projects mean.The class split into 5 groups of 4 children. Each of them had to present creatively one country that they visited or they would like to visit. So, some of them made videos in English, other made 3D representations of several touristic attractions of specific cities ( like London's Eye,Tower Bridge, and The Statue of Liberty). Some students drew maps, others made advertisments etc.
The project My Favourite Holiday Destination was a succes.
Since then, these students became more motivated to study English.

Daniela Balosache, Romania

2023-06-05 13:51:08 UTC

Student agency has many benefits at the level of our school:
- the intrinsic motivation for study rises
- students develop more their communicative and management skills
- the degree of social cohesion at the level of every class and at the level of the entire school rises
- school results are better
- students are prepared for the society of the future, as they have developed the 12 st century competences throughout student agency.
Howeever, there are some old teachers who believe students agency implementation is a loss of time.We should teach more content and guide our students more.They say, if we give too much freedom to students they won't know how to use it.
In my opinion, we should allow students freedom gradually and teach them step by step how to be creative and how to became real team leaders.

María Yedra Martínez, SPAIN

mariayedramartinez1 — 2023-06-05 16:06:18 UTC

Hello everybody!
I´m a secondary teacher. I've been teaching English for more than 30 years. I always try to be a creative and innovate teacher and, of course, engage my students on different projects (eTwinning, Erasmus+, Don Bosco Green Alliance...)
I feel glad to take part in this course because, at the beginning, the concept Student Agency was something "new" for me although I work with the ability of students to act independently, make choices and take control of their own learning. (❁´◡`❁)

María Yedra Martínez, SPAIN

mariayedramartinez1 — 2023-06-05 16:22:00 UTC

Student Agency has increased my student engagement and motivation.
It also has promoted creativity, inquiry and autonomy of their own learning precess.
When my students are encouraged to pose questions, make connections and share experiences, their understanding of content increases.
When students (particularly students with special needs) feel like they are being heard and valued in the classroom, they feel empowered.
Students have the autonomy to determine the route in which they want to learn new skills, so the atmosphere in class is more relaxing

María Yedra Martínez, SPAIN

mariayedramartinez1 — 2023-06-05 17:31:58 UTC

Student Agency has a lor of benefits in our school
- School maintain and develop students' positive disposition to learn
- The number of students who drop out of school decreases (secondary students and Bachillerato)
- Better marks
- Increase students' engagement with school.

FMV SCHOOL ISTANBUL TURKEY

nataliabalci3 — 2023-06-06 09:05:30 UTC

Our school promotes student agency in Primary and HighSchool international IB programs. Allowing students to take their own learning responsibility. The school trains teachers for this type of curriculum. As well the school implements UBD understanding by Design in the curriculum across all lessons. Allowing students to take part of their learning, developing projects and enhancing their abilities in learning.
Natalia BALCI

Dimitra, 7th High School of Thessaloniki

2023-06-06 12:13:53 UTC

I've been a teacher of English in secondary education for 18 years. Student agency is not a new concept in our educational system and it has been introduced since the implementation of project based learning in the curricula. And this is where student agency can find a friendly framework. Other than that, high school students are overloaded with intensive exam preparation classes both in and outside school. Therefore, it is only when they engage in projects that learners can take initiatives, create content and be more creative and playful with their learning.

Dimitra, Thessaloniki

2023-06-06 12:26:24 UTC

Whenever students are allowed to take ownership of their learning they transform. They are no longer intimidated by their making potential mistakes but they are more focused on the process of learning as they are driven by objectives meaningful to them. Even when they do not come up with a driving question of their own but they can select from a variety of fields and topics, they still get more involved and engaged than when dealing with exam preparation for many school subjects.

Ioana, Romania

2023-06-06 12:34:33 UTC

Hello!
I have been an English teacher at a secondary school in Romania for 6 six. I am interested in my professional development that`s why I consider these courses helpful. During my English classes I always try to involve students in their own learning through diverse activities which include projects, speaking tasks, group works, pairworks. My aim is to have a final product for each unit because students feel more motivated to take part in the activities.

Ružica Rebrović-Habek, Croatia

knjiznicabradici — 2023-06-06 12:39:17 UTC

I am a school librarian in an elementary school. I work with students from 6 to 15 years old. In addition to encouraging reading literacy, I work with students on various eTwinning and other projects (civic education, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, information and media literacy). I try to develop students' critical thinking, imagination and research spirit.

Dimitra, Thessaloniki

2023-06-06 12:44:19 UTC

I think one of the most important effects student agency has in the school environment is that it enhances the feelings of mutual respect between students and teachers and it promotes a sense of belonging. It is true, though, that teachers who carry the burden of huge exam materials may not be in the position to allow for activities and projects that deviate from strict syllabuses for which they are not responsible in the first place.
Another very difficult reality is when many teachers have to teach in two or three different school units during the week. This alienates them from each school's everyday life and makes it too difficult for them to get to know their students and their needs.

Ružica Rebrović-Habek, Croatia

knjiznicabradici — 2023-06-06 12:54:35 UTC

Last school year, I implemented the citizen project with second-grade students. Students collected food for animals in the shelter (humanitarian work). They noticed the problem of dog walkers in the school yard who do not clean up after their pets. They researched documents on the rights of animals and children. Researched diseases that can be contracted from dog feces. They created a script for an educational photo comic that taught all the students of the school about what they had learned. They learned to present and got rid of the fear of public speaking. Some became very good speakers.

Ružica Rebrović-Habek, Croatia

knjiznicabradici — 2023-06-06 12:57:39 UTC

My students presented the project to the department in the city that finances the schools. We received money to repair the school fence. The students saw that if they put in the effort, they can influence many things.

CHIARA BANELLI -ITALY

2023-06-06 15:02:05 UTC

I am teaching English in a secondary school and I try to engage all my students in the school life- I 've engaged them in different projects in order to promote student agency. We involve them in activities where they can take initiatives, they can choose and create.

CHIARA- ITALY

2023-06-06 15:10:30 UTC

One of my classes in the second year had some problems with English. They struggled with grammar and lost self esteem. So I decided to do something new and we started a penpal exchange with Poland. Some of them didn't write a letter before. They didn't receive one too! They were very enthusiastic and happy. In addition they kept in touch with a new reality and a new culture. Curiosity gave them energy...some of them hosted their new friends for summer.

CHIARA-ITALY

2023-06-06 15:17:58 UTC

Student agency has several benefits in teaching.
Sometimes we are drown in mandatory activities and deadlines and we forget the real aim of teaching. Our students remind us thet they have the first role in learning.
They are the school itself. They are the community.
Student agency allows kids to achieve independence. Students are empowered when they believe they are being heard in the classroom. In this way we allow them to become tolerant, open-minded and communicative citizen of the world.

Salvador Páez Rodríguez. SPAIN

salprosm1 — 2023-06-06 16:36:50 UTC

I,m a physical education teacher in a Primary school in Estepa, in the province of Seville (Andalucía). I have been working on eTwinning projects for many years and my students are the real protagonist of the experience.

Salvador Páez Rodríguez. SPAIN

salprosm1 — 2023-06-06 16:39:52 UTC

The main objetive is to get proactive students. I try to create an environment of collaboration and participation where everyone is involved. One of the most important aspect in my classes is the relationship among their classmates and teachers.

Salvador Páez Rodríguez. SPAIN

salprosm1 — 2023-06-06 16:42:57 UTC

Setting up Project based learning in a intercurricular way of teaching where some subjects and teachers work together for a common product.

Amaya Alonso (Spain)

2023-06-07 12:58:14 UTC

I am a Biology and Geology teacher in a public high school where we work on some content in multidisciplinary eTwinning projects, in which the protagonist is the student.

Amaya Alonso (Spain)

2023-06-07 13:00:33 UTC

There are many benefits: promoting both autonomous and collaborative work, awakening creativity, using innovative methodologies and developing critical and analytical thinking on various aspects of daily life, as well as academics.

Amaya Alonso (Spain)

2023-06-07 13:02:53 UTC

The fact that students are involved in a multidisciplinary project always leads to a positive impact in the educational center, since both the methodologies and the products obtained can be applied to different areas and disseminated in our community as student achievements, which ultimately, after all, they are the engine of our high school.

Maria Mortato (Italy)

mariamortato1 — 2023-06-08 03:13:07 UTC

I am a Primary School teacher and teach language subjects in a second-grade class of a Primary School. I have a great passion for eTwinning, in fact, I have participated in 7 eTwinning projects. In my school there are positive experiences regarding the concept of Students agency but I think a lot can still be done.

Maria Mortato (Italy)

mariamortato1 — 2023-06-08 03:18:55 UTC

In my class (second-grade class of a Primary School) and expecially in the eTwinning projects, pupils are involved in the activities planning, implementation and evaluation of processes. They do collaborative work, help each other, work in a team using the skills of each child in the work. In this way the lessons are more engaging and less boring.

Maria Mortato

mariamortato1 — 2023-06-08 03:50:34 UTC

The benefits of Students Agency are many and qualitatively important: all students are protagonists of their learning process, develop skills, creativity and reflection.
Sometimes, however, we teachers are afraid of the active role of our students because we have limits, too and we fear losing control of the situation. In contrast, the traditional lesson where teachers are the sole transmitters of knowledge might make us feel more comfortable.

Ioana

2023-06-09 19:37:00 UTC

For me the eTwinning projects were a real chance to enhance my teaching methods. It was through these projects that I realised how important it is for the students to be the protagonists for their own learning. Students helped each other throughout the activities and they learned a lot, they gained trust in their own abilities, they developed their speaking activities and the biggest result was the huge development concerning the digital competences as we discovered a different ``world`` with lots of applications which we hadn't met before.

Ioana

2023-06-09 19:39:24 UTC

The recent developments regarding teaching are visible in our school. Teachers take part in international project, courses and they changed their way of teaching and they rethink their methods according to the latest ideas. Thus, students became involved in their learning and the results are visible in our school.

Simona R.(Romania)

simonarohrmann — 2023-06-10 16:53:44 UTC

Hello! My name is Simona Rohrmann, a preschool teacher at "Brandusa" kindergarten from Bucharest, Romania.
I am a teacher interested to learn as many new things as possible and to succeed in participating in an Erasmus+ project.
I have implemented many projects but this year is for me the first year with 3 eTwining projects. Esentially, for me, the concept of student agency is new but the implemantation of it not.
Throughout the years, I have engaged students in many projects and they really enjoyed it, like this ultimate activity : eco parade.

Simona R. (Romania)

simonarohrmann — 2023-06-10 17:03:46 UTC

As part of an eTwining project, the benefits brought to my class were: teamwork, collaboration, discovering the strengths of some children, helping the weak and making a perfect joint product, the atmosphere in clase is more relaxing.

Simona R. (Romania)

simonarohrmann — 2023-06-10 17:09:09 UTC

Student agency has many benefits at the level of our school:
- how to be students more creativity
- how to rise the intrinsec motivation
- how to be students more comunicative
- how to become students the real team leaders

Magdalena Lilova, Bulgaria

2023-06-11 03:13:44 UTC

I'm Magdalena - kindergarten teacher from Bulgaria. I've worked as a teacher for more than 30 years but always try to find something new and interesting I've never done before.

Magdalena Lilova- Bulgaria

2023-06-11 03:16:06 UTC

Magdalena Lilova-Bulgaria

2023-06-11 03:33:05 UTC

We build skills which help students in their self learning process. Students agency bring more
creativity
motivation
team work
relationship
respect

Naomi Telecky - Slovakia

2023-06-12 02:50:28 UTC

I teach English, Physical Education, and Art to children 6-9 years old at a very small primary school in a village in Slovakia.
Because the children I teach are so young, and English is their 3rd language, I try to keep it easy and fun. We use English mostly to play games or sing songs, and they don't have a lot of organic opportunity to push themselves out of their comfort zone.
I'm new to eTwinning, and I'm excited about the potential for my students to feel that sense of agency and incentive to use English as a tool to communicate with people they don't know.

Naomi Telecky - Slovakia

2023-06-12 03:00:08 UTC

I have started preparing my students (6-9 years old) for an eTwinning project that we are going to participate in, about pets.
At first we talked about animals in general, "What animals do we know?"
bear
deer
lion

but when I asked them about their own animals, they became much more interested.

Now we were talking about numbers:
2 cats

and grammar
a cat

and specific vocabulary
2 Dachshunds

It will improve their English, but it will also improve my teaching.

Naomi Telecky - Slovakia

2023-06-12 03:06:19 UTC

In my school, the children are very young (6-9 years old) and English is their 3rd language. For the most part, their families don't use English at home.
They understand quite a bit, but don't speak much.
I think that eTwinning will give them motivation, self-confidence when they see how much they know, and they will understand how useful English can be to open doors for them.

Ionela Camelia Lazea, Romania

ginaganea28 — 2023-06-12 08:42:54 UTC

I am a kindergarten teacher from Bistrita, Romania. I work at a state kindergarten since 2009

Miriam Salinas, Spain

2023-06-12 09:33:48 UTC

History and Geography teacher at a Secondary school for 15 years. Etwinning Ambassador. Group moderator. Collaboration is the key for sucess. We love work with other, students, and teachers, share ideas, discuss and make things together.

Miriam Salinas, Spain

2023-06-12 09:35:46 UTC

Motivation levels increases. Lesson's atmosphere i lively and conviviality foster. Sudenly, students starts developing skills that you missknow about them. They feel confident and comfortable and results are widely improved.

Miriam Salinas, Spain

2023-06-12 09:36:53 UTC

Our class/team become a model for others. Some teachers get inspiration from you and try to reproduce activities and models. In addition to that, school become a better place!

Nina Tsoneva , Bulgaria

2023-06-12 11:59:32 UTC

An English as a secolnd language teacher at a Secondary School for over 25 years. I teach students in Intensive English classes. I enjoy working with my students on vsrious etwinning and erasmus + projects.

Nina Tsoneva, Bulgaria

2023-06-12 12:02:30 UTC

My students and I have been doing projects for quite some time. I think that it is a very effective way to motivate students, especially after their first project experience when they realise they are doable, they gain confidence and become the active part in the activities. As a result they improve their language and ICT skills as well as their social skills.

Nina Tsoneva, Bulgaria.

2023-06-12 12:07:34 UTC

Some of the benefits in the school are that students improve their overall performance in all subjects. They learn to learn and then teach their peers. They make friends and become better team players. This leads to high exam results thus contributing to the good image of our school.

Jessica, Italy

2023-06-13 20:05:28 UTC

Hello, I'm Jessica, a highschool teacher. I've been teaching English for 3 years and I had several experiences before this with younger pupils. I'm trying to implement student agency in my classes and to reduce my role to that of a moderator. I hope to learn something new and useful in this course, something that can benefit my lessons!

Jessica, Italy

2023-06-13 20:11:30 UTC

I haven't taught for such a long time but I already perceived that group projects is actually what involves ss more. I think they feel more free to create, they can show me/other mates what they can do, they can present what they want (there's no right or wrong answer - as long as they remain on the task). Also the type of feedback is different and more formative. in a project they can be the agents not just the receivers.they can improve their skills and soft skills. I've never made a project online, but I guess that all this becomes enhanced by the idea of working with ss from different countries and cultures.

Jessica, Italy

2023-06-13 20:14:55 UTC

I think that if every teacher would student agency, the Italian school would improve a lot. now it's based on theory and concepts. We need allow our ss to put into practice in order to give every ss voice. learning disabilities could be, maybe not overtaken, but 'resized' doing these types of activities.

Ekaterie Arveladze, Georgia

greyeseka — 2023-06-14 11:05:36 UTC

Hello, I am Ekaterine Arveladze from Georgia. I teach English language at Kutaisi N31 Pubic School. I teach English language to different graders at school. I and my colleagues do our best to implement student agency in our school. We try encourage and motivate our students to be more actively involved in various interesting eTwining projects. I do believe our cooperation with colleagues and students will bring us success!

Ekaterine Arveladze, Georgia

greyeseka — 2023-06-14 11:10:52 UTC

I am teaching English language more than 5 years and I am sure that implementing students agency will create a more student-centered and empower learning environment. It also nurtures students' autonomy, motivation, and critical thinking skills while fostering collaboration, communication, and creativity. These benefits contribute to a more fulfilling and effective educational experience.

Ekaterine Arveladze, Georgia

greyeseka — 2023-06-14 11:16:03 UTC

I think, by implementing student agency in your school can improve learners' academic achievement, enhance their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Moreover, it can also cultivate of lifelong learners and strengthen self-confidence and self-efficacy of learners. These benefits contribute to the holistic development of learners and prepare them for success in the 21st-century world.