Who owns the learning?

Alan November talks a great deal about the question, "Who owns the Learning?"  Mike  and I reflect on this question weekly in skype discussions.  We want our students to own the learning, but that is easier said then done with state standards, testing and "data".  So, How do you get your students to have ownership of their learning?  What are Mike and I doing in our classrooms, when asked, 97% of our students say they own the learning?  Maybe they just say that like kids do at times, but the second image, tells a little more of the story and explains something eles is happening in our classrooms, something different that gives them ownership of their learning.     

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The image to the right, show 94% of our students feel we are teaching in a different way.  So, we teach in a different non-traditional way, and as a result 97% of our students feel in control of their learning. 
First here is what we don't do: 
1.  Not once, did I give my students a "worksheet"--well maybe the final student evaluation shown below.
2.  We don't lecture all period 
3.  We don't give page after page of notes on a topic
4.  We don't give pages of "readings" and then assessment
5.  We don't have them sit in neat rows and do independent work all period. 

What we try to do: We  both try to achieve a constructivist classroom that is relevant to our students.  We start teaching our classes very differently from day one (see first day post) and we focus on learning, not on teaching.  We trust our students.  We believe in them.  We encourage them. We listen to them (many many surveys during the year).  We don't try to motivate them, We strive to inspire them.  

I guess in a nut shell, we have changed teaching and learning in our classroom.  We guide students and let them connect the learning in their own way.  And frankly, they learn a great deal, their online book, movies, and blogs show their learning in ways, no test can provide.  They are learning and having fun, not bored and memorizing hundreds of unrelated facts.  

Mike and I will try to do our first summer web-show on this topic and explain in more detail how we "give" ownership of the learning to our students.  

Below is one of my student  final evaluations of my class (my report card).   I think it hints some ideas of how we get students to own the learning.    More to come soon.  Cheers, Garth
  

Student evaluation form provided by Paul Bogush over Google Docs. Twitter: @PaulBogush