Teacher Spotlight: Steven Reno

In the virtual independent study space, it is sometimes hard to know what is going on in the Zoom Rooms of our colleagues.  The Ripple Effect’s Teacher Spotlights move that velvet rope aside to offer VIP access to our colleagues’ work with students.  This week, Mr. Steven Reno shows us how he offers students multiple ways to demonstrate mastery in his high school social studies classes.

Differentiating learner demonstration of mastery

Taking on UCScout this school year, social studies teacher Steven Reno noticed that there were a lot of writing assignments. After digging deeper, he discovered there is a lot of essay writing in ELA, too. Steven finds that some students get burned out with so much writing in multiple subjects so he offers the opportunity to show mastery in ways other than essay writing for his social studies classes.

In the assignments for his social studies class, Steven gives his students choice in how they would like to show mastery. He communicates the expectations of the assignment but opens the door for how students might communicate those expectations. Some examples that he has accepted in the past include: essays, slide shows, newspapers, videos, Minecraft models, and more!

Providing students the freedom to choose how they demonstrate their mastery of a subject is an important part of supporting students’ voice and agency in the learning process. By offering various options for assessment, teachers can engage students and differentiate to meet students’ diverse learning styles and preferences. This approach encourages creativity and self-expression and, more importantly, allows students to take ownership of their learning. Teacher Steven Reno gives us an example of how to successfully implement this strategy. He effectively communicates assignment expectations while giving students the flexibility to express their understanding through various mediums. By offering such choices, Reno fosters a dynamic and engaging learning environment that empowers students to showcase their knowledge in ways that resonate with them.

Here is an example of an assignment with options for demonstrating mastery:Students could design a newspaper ad:

Or create a slidedeck: