Choice boards are a fantastic tool for honoring learner variability and providing students with meaningful choices. Not every student enjoys the same task, so giving them options is critical to maximizing their motivation and focus in a lesson. Choice boards allow us to honor our students’ preferences, needs, and interests, making their learning experience more engaging and effective.

Additional Resources

• Blog Post: Designing a Standards-aligned Choice Board (with AI)

In this episode, I chat with Alexis Wiggins, 20-year teacher and author of, The Best Class You Never Taught: How Spider Web Discussion Can Turn Students into Learning Leaders. Alexis explains the purpose, process, and incredible outcomes of using the spider web discussion to engage students in collaborative inquiry and meaning-making. You can connect with Alexis on X at https://twitter.com/alexiswiggins

In this Ask Catlin episode, Catlin and Noelle answer your questions about grading practices and how to make grading more manageable. 

In this episode, I share three reasons teachers should consider using the playlist model to provide students with more control over the pace and path of their learning. https://catlintucker.com/2024/03/3-reasons-playlist-model/

In this episode, I talk with Angela Watson about her most recent work integrating AI into her 40-Hour Work Week Course for teachers interested in leveraging AI to create more work-life balance. Angela also shares a new project called Finding Flow Solutions that is designed to help students be more effective and self-aware learners. You can check out more of Angela's work on her website and podcast https://truthforteachers.com.

• Finding Flow - High School Unit

In this Ask Catlin episode, Catlin answers your questions about assessment.

In this mini-episode, I explore the role of pre-assessment data in designing with a high-level of intention. Incorporating pre-assessment strategies isn't just about collecting data; it’s about creating a responsive, inclusive, and engaging learning environment.

In this episode, I chat with Ben and Jenn about their new book, Eduprotocol Field Guide: Elementary Edition. We explore how these lesson frames empower young learners to build confidence and skills, while also providing educators with strategies to achieve balance in their professional lives.

In this Ask Catlin episode, I answer your questions about the playlist model. So, if you have ever wondered how a playlist is different from a choice board, how long students should work on a playlist, or how to track student progress through a playlist if they are self-pacing, this episode is for you! And find out what Taylor Swift album Catlin would choose to listen to as we transition from spring to summer!

Want to read more about this blended learning model? Here is my collection of blogs about the playlist model. 

In this mini-episode, I share some exciting professional and personal updates and describe a simple yet effective strategy for keeping students on-task during a station rotation lesson. Instead of assigning a "deliverable" at every station that teachers feel they need to grade, let's explore a checklist that asks students to reflect on their work at each station. Not only does it help students stay focused, but it provides valuable formative assessment data!