TY: owning your learning journey
TY Choose Your Own Subject empowers students to take control of their learning journey. The
benefits have been multitudinous. Initially, the level of interest and excitement generated for these
‘core’ subjects, (sometimes unfairly regarded as ‘bore’ subjects), by the introduction of the new
system alone was encouraging. However, the real benefits emerged as students began to engage
with each subject on their own terms and at their own pace. In groups, pairs or independent, TY
Choose Your Own Subject has allowed some students to focus on projects with intensity while for
other students, mixing the subjects regularly kept them on task and interested. The option to
attend, for example, an English lesson to hear the topic/s for that half-term and then leave it for a
few days or weeks has seen students’ ideas germinate, students doing preparatory in their own
time such as researching, reading texts at home, up-skilling their videography skills, take acting
lessons and more. The proof as they say is in the pudding and the student output from the three
subjects has been outstanding. Some highlights include an entirely ‘homemade’ version of the
Cube gameshow in Maths, Comic Strips as Gaeilge and the creation of anthology of student
penned works. By-products of the model include increasing organisation skills and differentiated
resources and tuition.
The model involves the subject expert preparing an innovative course and uploading resources to
our online learning platform. The student is then introduced to the course by the teacher on a 1:1
basis through video or face to face and the goals are indicated. From this point on the student
takes ownership over their learning journey. It is then essentially a flipped learning experience with
the teacher present to facilitate and mentor the student’s progress, if and when appropriate. The
students have the initiative. A result of such empowerment has seen students research related
topics and suggest follow on projects. Using the model in the TY programme has been a perfect
combination, allowing the curricula freedom to truly educate through lighting fires rather than
filling pails. The teacher/s provides the student with ‘shoes that fit’ to run their race, as well as
encouragement and direction along the route. The concept of providing students with shoes that
fit and allowing them the freedom to choose their event is key to the TY Choose Your Own
Subject model. The concept is explained below.
benefits have been multitudinous. Initially, the level of interest and excitement generated for these
‘core’ subjects, (sometimes unfairly regarded as ‘bore’ subjects), by the introduction of the new
system alone was encouraging. However, the real benefits emerged as students began to engage
with each subject on their own terms and at their own pace. In groups, pairs or independent, TY
Choose Your Own Subject has allowed some students to focus on projects with intensity while for
other students, mixing the subjects regularly kept them on task and interested. The option to
attend, for example, an English lesson to hear the topic/s for that half-term and then leave it for a
few days or weeks has seen students’ ideas germinate, students doing preparatory in their own
time such as researching, reading texts at home, up-skilling their videography skills, take acting
lessons and more. The proof as they say is in the pudding and the student output from the three
subjects has been outstanding. Some highlights include an entirely ‘homemade’ version of the
Cube gameshow in Maths, Comic Strips as Gaeilge and the creation of anthology of student
penned works. By-products of the model include increasing organisation skills and differentiated
resources and tuition.
The model involves the subject expert preparing an innovative course and uploading resources to
our online learning platform. The student is then introduced to the course by the teacher on a 1:1
basis through video or face to face and the goals are indicated. From this point on the student
takes ownership over their learning journey. It is then essentially a flipped learning experience with
the teacher present to facilitate and mentor the student’s progress, if and when appropriate. The
students have the initiative. A result of such empowerment has seen students research related
topics and suggest follow on projects. Using the model in the TY programme has been a perfect
combination, allowing the curricula freedom to truly educate through lighting fires rather than
filling pails. The teacher/s provides the student with ‘shoes that fit’ to run their race, as well as
encouragement and direction along the route. The concept of providing students with shoes that
fit and allowing them the freedom to choose their event is key to the TY Choose Your Own
Subject model. The concept is explained below.
shoes that fit
Shoes that fit, explained...
Imagine yourself at the starting line of a 100m sprint.
Your coach hands you the shoes you’ll be running in.
You squeeze both your feet into them - they’re far too small.
The gun goes off and you struggle to get up to top speed -
though you try, the restriction of the tight shoes is holding you back - FRUSTRATION
Fast forward a few weeks, and it’s race day number 2.
Your coach hands you a different pair of shoes.
10 seconds to the gun BUT you feel more like a clown than an athlete.
On your marks, get set, GO! (gun)
You’re tripping over these shoes that are far too big,
you’re now so far behind the pack that you consider GIVING UP, you’ll never be good enough.
Then comes the 3rd race of the season.
A new coach, a new way and a new pair of shoes. The race begins, you start well, much
improved, you’re feeling good and its bearing fruits on the track You cross the line with a new PB.
ELATION.
The problem before - shoes too small, shoes too big The SOLUTION, shoes that fit!
ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL.
In the world of running and feet OR in the world of education - in teaching, in learning, even
timetabling!
When shoes are too small, we limit our students especially the gifted & talented - ‘Well done on
completing that work, just wait there now for the class’ or ‘have another go at that there while
you’re waiting’ - Frustration sets in.
When shoes are too big, students can feel disheartened, although perhaps well intentioned, the
student doubts they’ll ever ‘grow’ into this size shoe - they’re too far behind. they certainly wont
be performing at their best and progress at their most efficient rate.
BUT when shoes fit - the student is progressing at their optimum with their coach or teacher
adjusting their shoe size to help them as they run their race of learning. I believe this is greatest
benefit of technology in education. Just as olympic teams use technology to adjust minute details
of their approach, so to can the teacher for each of their students. Technology makes it easy.
This goal of providing our students with shoes that fit inspires and sustains the TY Choose
Your Own Subject initiative. The model provides the students with shoes that fit but it also
also creativity flourish as the goal can be a figurative ‘gold medal’ with the student enjoying
the freedom to even choose their event!
© Mr. Eoin Walshe, TY Coordinator, Le Chéile Secondary School, 2018.
Imagine yourself at the starting line of a 100m sprint.
Your coach hands you the shoes you’ll be running in.
You squeeze both your feet into them - they’re far too small.
The gun goes off and you struggle to get up to top speed -
though you try, the restriction of the tight shoes is holding you back - FRUSTRATION
Fast forward a few weeks, and it’s race day number 2.
Your coach hands you a different pair of shoes.
10 seconds to the gun BUT you feel more like a clown than an athlete.
On your marks, get set, GO! (gun)
You’re tripping over these shoes that are far too big,
you’re now so far behind the pack that you consider GIVING UP, you’ll never be good enough.
Then comes the 3rd race of the season.
A new coach, a new way and a new pair of shoes. The race begins, you start well, much
improved, you’re feeling good and its bearing fruits on the track You cross the line with a new PB.
ELATION.
The problem before - shoes too small, shoes too big The SOLUTION, shoes that fit!
ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL.
In the world of running and feet OR in the world of education - in teaching, in learning, even
timetabling!
When shoes are too small, we limit our students especially the gifted & talented - ‘Well done on
completing that work, just wait there now for the class’ or ‘have another go at that there while
you’re waiting’ - Frustration sets in.
When shoes are too big, students can feel disheartened, although perhaps well intentioned, the
student doubts they’ll ever ‘grow’ into this size shoe - they’re too far behind. they certainly wont
be performing at their best and progress at their most efficient rate.
BUT when shoes fit - the student is progressing at their optimum with their coach or teacher
adjusting their shoe size to help them as they run their race of learning. I believe this is greatest
benefit of technology in education. Just as olympic teams use technology to adjust minute details
of their approach, so to can the teacher for each of their students. Technology makes it easy.
This goal of providing our students with shoes that fit inspires and sustains the TY Choose
Your Own Subject initiative. The model provides the students with shoes that fit but it also
also creativity flourish as the goal can be a figurative ‘gold medal’ with the student enjoying
the freedom to even choose their event!
© Mr. Eoin Walshe, TY Coordinator, Le Chéile Secondary School, 2018.
