Part B - Independent Learning
Promoting Independent Learning
The Curriculum Centre provides activities that require students to try to learn independently of the teacher. Therefore, we provide activities for students to tackle the subject matter with little or no direct or immediate teacher interventions. Students are provided with the information, directions and steps needed to learn the skill or understand the concepts required without the teacher directing the learning at the front of the class or in small group settings.
The steps that are presented to the student are small and incremental. If the student reaches an impasse and has exhausted his strategies to get unstuck, the teacher, at this point, will intervene so the student does not become frustrated and help the student bridge his hurdle.
The Curriculum Centre believes that learning how to learn independently is of the utmost importance and we encourage all teachers to make this part of their regular teaching practices. There are a number of ways that learner training can be weaved into their activities in order to promote more independence in learners and to help all students along the instructional continuum.
How to promote independent learning?
Here are ten ways in which teachers can assist with this process and promote lifelong learning skills.
1. Give Choices
Teachers can provide activities for students with the opportunity to make choices. This encourages them to reflect on their own interests and preferences. It will also make them start to take responsibility for learning.
2. Encourage Group Work
Group work is beneficial in that it provides learners with an opportunity to learn from each other in an active, involved way. In addition, it temporarily takes the control away from the teacher and gives it to the learners-- thus encouraging independence.
3. Encourage learners to predict how well they did on tests
Before doing a test or after doing a test, students are encouraged to predict how well they will do or how well they did. This exercise makes them reflect about their strengths and weaknesses and the progress they are making. The reflective aspects of this process also help the students make an appropriate learning plan and help them to see that they are responsible for their learning.
4. Use Authentic Learning Materials
Authentic learning materials are items which were not originally designed for learning purposes. They might include newspaper or magazine articles, TV, radio recordings and so on. These materials can be motivating as they connect the classroom with the outside world and make the students see that learning does not take place only in the classroom. The Curriculum Centre encourages students to bring in their own authentic materials to contribute to classroom activities in order to make them more meaningful.
5. Involve learners in lesson planning
The Curriculum Centre provides opportunities for students to develop lessons on a regular basis. This ensures that the lesson is interesting and relevant for them. In addition, it involves the students in the learning process and gives them the opportunity to reflect on their needs.
6. Encourage learners to keep learner diaries
These diaries can form a dialogue between the teacher and the learners which is mutually beneficial. It is an opportunity for teachers to see which areas students find interesting and where they might be having problems, and also it is a vehicle for students to reflect and write (or draw) honest comments about their learning.
7. Build reflection and extension into activities
Traditional classroom activities often require students to examine a text in order to answer factual, closed questions.
8 Encourage self and peer editing
Before students hand in their work for marking, teachers could encourage them to check it carefully with a friend. Teachers could help them make an editing checklist which encourages students to check for errors that they frequently make.
9. Provide Activities that require higher thinking skills
Students must complete “gateway assignments” which encourage the student to demonstrate their learning successes in a meaningful way. These exercises allow students to show their understanding by producing actual work that relates to the real world of the student—an essay, a lab report, a presentation, a portfolio, a drawing, a song or some other demonstration of competency.
Gateway activities give students the chance to go deeper into their learning. It also gives them opportunities for ownership of their studies and their activities. They get to know their content deeply, but they also get to activate their minds—which will last a lifetime.
10. Set Learning Goals
With the help of the student’s teacher, the student will be provided the opportunity to set learning goals. Goal setting is a worthwhile exercise which encourages students to reflect and self-evaluate. The learning goals should be visited regularly and re-assessed.
The Curriculum Centre provides activities that require students to try to learn independently of the teacher. Therefore, we provide activities for students to tackle the subject matter with little or no direct or immediate teacher interventions. Students are provided with the information, directions and steps needed to learn the skill or understand the concepts required without the teacher directing the learning at the front of the class or in small group settings.
The steps that are presented to the student are small and incremental. If the student reaches an impasse and has exhausted his strategies to get unstuck, the teacher, at this point, will intervene so the student does not become frustrated and help the student bridge his hurdle.
The Curriculum Centre believes that learning how to learn independently is of the utmost importance and we encourage all teachers to make this part of their regular teaching practices. There are a number of ways that learner training can be weaved into their activities in order to promote more independence in learners and to help all students along the instructional continuum.
How to promote independent learning?
Here are ten ways in which teachers can assist with this process and promote lifelong learning skills.
1. Give Choices
Teachers can provide activities for students with the opportunity to make choices. This encourages them to reflect on their own interests and preferences. It will also make them start to take responsibility for learning.
2. Encourage Group Work
Group work is beneficial in that it provides learners with an opportunity to learn from each other in an active, involved way. In addition, it temporarily takes the control away from the teacher and gives it to the learners-- thus encouraging independence.
3. Encourage learners to predict how well they did on tests
Before doing a test or after doing a test, students are encouraged to predict how well they will do or how well they did. This exercise makes them reflect about their strengths and weaknesses and the progress they are making. The reflective aspects of this process also help the students make an appropriate learning plan and help them to see that they are responsible for their learning.
4. Use Authentic Learning Materials
Authentic learning materials are items which were not originally designed for learning purposes. They might include newspaper or magazine articles, TV, radio recordings and so on. These materials can be motivating as they connect the classroom with the outside world and make the students see that learning does not take place only in the classroom. The Curriculum Centre encourages students to bring in their own authentic materials to contribute to classroom activities in order to make them more meaningful.
5. Involve learners in lesson planning
The Curriculum Centre provides opportunities for students to develop lessons on a regular basis. This ensures that the lesson is interesting and relevant for them. In addition, it involves the students in the learning process and gives them the opportunity to reflect on their needs.
6. Encourage learners to keep learner diaries
These diaries can form a dialogue between the teacher and the learners which is mutually beneficial. It is an opportunity for teachers to see which areas students find interesting and where they might be having problems, and also it is a vehicle for students to reflect and write (or draw) honest comments about their learning.
7. Build reflection and extension into activities
Traditional classroom activities often require students to examine a text in order to answer factual, closed questions.
8 Encourage self and peer editing
Before students hand in their work for marking, teachers could encourage them to check it carefully with a friend. Teachers could help them make an editing checklist which encourages students to check for errors that they frequently make.
9. Provide Activities that require higher thinking skills
Students must complete “gateway assignments” which encourage the student to demonstrate their learning successes in a meaningful way. These exercises allow students to show their understanding by producing actual work that relates to the real world of the student—an essay, a lab report, a presentation, a portfolio, a drawing, a song or some other demonstration of competency.
Gateway activities give students the chance to go deeper into their learning. It also gives them opportunities for ownership of their studies and their activities. They get to know their content deeply, but they also get to activate their minds—which will last a lifetime.
10. Set Learning Goals
With the help of the student’s teacher, the student will be provided the opportunity to set learning goals. Goal setting is a worthwhile exercise which encourages students to reflect and self-evaluate. The learning goals should be visited regularly and re-assessed.
