Protect and strengthen students’ agency as learners and collaborators
Suggestion for implementing the strategy ‘Collaboratively planning a universally designed learning environment’
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Go to top of current page: Strengthen student agency
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Seek and respond to student voice
Seek and respond to student voice
The Lundy model of child participation ensures that children have the space to express their views, their voice is enabled, they have an audience for their views, and their views will have influence."
Offer learners options to reflect on their learning
Offer learners options to reflect on their learning
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to supporting students to take ownership of their learning.
Consider the following approaches.
Explore with students what will work for them.
- Story hui
- Learning maps
- Mentoring conversations
- Learner profiles
- Strengths chain
- Listening conferences
- Learning conversations using puppets
- Personal learning progressions using Google Sites
- Manutaki Māori
- Individual vision board
Support students to teach each other
Support students to teach each other
Helen Collins shares two stories about the impact of Developing Mathematical Inquiry Communities (DMIC) and inclusion.
No captions or transcript
Take an “ability-inclusion” approach
Take an “ability-inclusion” approach
All children can be asked and communicate their views.
Taking an ‘ability’ approach ensures you focus on how children with disabilities can participate and communicate their views on their own learning and the design of the learning environment.
Reflect on how you support student voice and learner agency in your learning space. Do you provide:
- learning and social environments accessible by wheelchairs?
- resources and materials created so every child can access and use them?
- self-review and feedback tools and approaches designed to allow all students to use them?
- access to sign-language interpreters or supporters who can interpret or support communication?
- multilingual resources?
- quiet spaces to take a break?
- regular communication opportunities and do you ask whānau and those who know the children how to improve support?
Source: Office of the Children’s Commission (opens in a new tab/window)
Reflection questions
Reflection questions
How do you ensure both tangata whenua and tangata tiriti learners can share their voices in ways that work for them?
What supports and options do you offer?
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Useful resources
Useful resources
Overview e-Guide Infinity Learning Maps
A practical tool for teachers, students and parents to explore the science of learning-how-to-learn.
Publisher: Infinity Learn Limited
Download PDF (791 KB)
Personalisation and UDL: A perfect match
Read time: 10 min
Introduction to a three-part approach to supporting personalisation: learner profile, learner backpack, and personal learning plan.
Publisher: ASCD
Engaging children in decision making: A guide for consulting children
Read time: 34 min
This is a practical guide for organisations that are interested in engaging children up to the age of 12 in effective decision making. It outlines best ways to consult with children and explores issues to think about as part of best practice.
Publisher: Western Metro Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD)
Download PDF
Next steps
More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Collaboratively planning a universally designed learning environment”:
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Current page Strengthen student agency
Return to the guide “Collaborative planning for learning”
How to use this site
Guide to Index of the guide: Collaborative planning for learning
Strategies for action:
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Collaboratively planning a universally designed learning environmentShow suggestions for Collaboratively planning a universally designed learning environment
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Making a collaborative learning support planShow suggestions for Making a collaborative learning support plan
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Coordinating community and cluster-wide learning supportShow suggestions for Coordinating community and cluster-wide learning support
