Engagement vs. Empowerment

In recent years there has been much written and shared in Education regarding Engagement. It is said and written that students must be engaged in order to learn. I’ll admit that I jumped on that train as well. I often discussed with teachers the need for engaged students in their classrooms.

I have read and reread a book titled Innovator's Mindset and came across two profound quotes cited in the text by Bill Ferriter, an educator and author. The quote related to engagement was this, “Engaging students means getting kids excited about our content, interests, and curricula.”

More recent discussion has taken engagement a step forward or perhaps in a different direction. This new thought for educators is on empowerment. Innovator’s Mindset also had a quote in the text from Bill Ferriter regarding empowerment. This quote was, “Empowering students means giving kids the knowledge and skills to pursue their passions, interests, and future.”

I started thinking about these two terms from a personal perspective. I am an active triathlete. It seems that I am constantly in training for that next event, always striving to improve. Training, though enjoyable for me, can, at times, become routine. I can become disinterested. This is when I see myself as “engaged in the training.” I am completing the laps in the pool. I am finishing the miles on the bike or on the run, but is there any real purpose? Am I profiting from the effort? Am I improving through this engagement?

In contrast, there are times (and I hope it is a majority of the time), that I am truly empowered. I am highly motivated. The purpose is clear. The desire is present. When I am empowered I am invested in the training. I am focused on the effort. I see the purpose within the big picture of improvement.

There is a difference. When I am engaged I am doing what is written on the training plan. When I am empowered I am instilled with the purpose of the training activity and invigorated with desire.

It seems that we need to get students “empowered to be engaged.” We need to look at the bigger picture of inspiring our students to be curious and motivated about learning. Sure, there are times that we have to teach things that are of little interest to some students, but that is when we need to work hard to make it relevant and meaningful, which can raise the level of curiosity. We need to help students see the big picture for the learning. We need to help students be empowered about their own learning and progress.

I would venture to say that a curious student is an empowered student, and yes, an empowered student is an engaged student.