Overview
Whether teaching remotely or in person, engagement can be a challenge in the classroom. Providing opportunities for choice can be a helpful way to get students invested in your lesson, allow them to choose how they will demonstrate their learning, and engage in something they are interested in. Choice boards can be used both to allow students to choose the sequence of their learning and to choose what type of assignment they want to complete.
While teaching remotely, use your learning management system (LMS) to create choice boards that will allow your students to demonstrate their knowledge of a lesson. On some systems, there are premade activities that you can use as a template when creating your own choice board. For example, the Indigenous People of the Pacific Northwest Choice Board from Highline Public Schools allows students to choose between watching a video, reading an article, watching a teacher screencast, and more to expand their understanding of the different indigenous peoples in the area. The PNW Folktales & Story Elements Choice Board allows students to choose a folktale and also allows them to choose whether they’d like to listen to or read the story.
When creating choice boards, you can allow students to:
- Choose the sequence of activities
- Choose how they want to get information
- Choose content that supports their understanding of a lesson
- Choose the way they will demonstrate their knowledge
It is important for educators to be clear with students on the steps they’ll need to take to engage with a choice board. Identify what the learning objective or goal is, what the choices are, and exactly what students need to do to complete the assignment.