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My son Max just turned 15. He is in a dual-enrollment program in which he’ll earn his Associate’s degree before he graduates high school. How did he get here? I’d love to say it was my amazing parenting, but the truth is he’s always had a strong love of learning.

At age three he read billboards from his car seat.

At age five he took apart computers.

At age nine he read a 450-page book on salt - for fun.

There’s a reason I am sharing this, and it’s not just because I’m a proud Dad.  This love of learning didn’t always equate to a love for school, but it did result in him taking an active role in his own educational journey.

The pandemic and the transition to hybrid or virtual instruction has brought the notion of agency, or student ownership of learning, to the forefront. It’s the idea that students of all ages are identifying tools and applying their own style of learning in a way that drives their own engagement.

 I think back to when I was in high school.  My peers and I knew we wanted to go to college, but few of us took the steps to prepare in advance.   College applications weren’t something we worried about until half-way through senior year. Grades were something we thought about through the lens of our parents seeing our report cards.

Students today are more aware of the impact of their work. They understand the impact that their schoolwork will have on their future. As early as the 7th and 8th grade, many students have already started thinking about which colleges, universities, and careers they want to work toward.  (For the record, Max has known he wants to go to MIT since the 4th grade.  We tell him he better do well in school and get a good scholarship).  Students  have 24/7 access to their grades and assignments which makes it easier for them track their own progress and to advocate for themselves with their teachers when they have questions or challenges.

Students’ love of learning is rocket fuel for their current and future success.  Every educator dreams of instilling this kind of passion for learning in the hearts and minds of each student in their schools.  Not every student innately possesses this kind of drive, however. I have children that fall into that category too.   They need more prodding and pushing through this process. We still have to do a daily check-in with my daughter to review homework and make plans for getting projects done on time, for example.

While they haven’t developed the discipline to manage their own education yet, it’s our hope that with enough practice they will get there. And the good news is that the research says it can be done.  Research from Project Tomorrow – a national, education nonprofit supporting the implementation of research-based learning experience -- found 70% of students use online research to learn about things that interest them, and 76% of students turn to online video tools to learn how to do things.  This is self-directed learning that isn’t part of a class or a homework assignment.  It’s an opportunity to build a love of learning that can be transformed into self-ownership of education.

Learners today are more likely than ever before to use voice-technology like Siri or Alexa to get answers to questions, to watch a YouTube or Instagram video to learn a new skill, or to search out a TED Talk or Masterclass about a subject of particular interest.  As parents and educators we can tap into this interest and cultivate it into true engagement that drives students to take ownership of their education.

For some educators It may be uncomfortable to provide students with choices about how, when, and where they want to learn. But this year’s pandemic-driven shift to digital learning has forced many classrooms to take on the challenge. Students across the country have been able to learn at their own pace and are being given more tools and opportunities to sit in the driver’s seat in their educational journey.

We have an opportunity to use the newly adopted  online and digital learning tools to change not only how learning is delivered, but also how students think about their role in their own education.  It’s a chance for us to teach them valuable skills that will help them succeed in school, in higher ed, and throughout their lives.  Let’s use it to work together - parents, teachers, and students- to advance learning. For more information about Project Tomorrow’s research on the 90-Days That Changed K-12 visit content.blackboard.com/90DaySeries.