| Developing Self-Directed Learners |
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Various disciplines within education have long promoted self-directed learning as desirable. Research within the fields of adult education (Garrison, 1997), gifted education (Schillereff, 2001), and Web-based and distance learning (Scheidet, 2003) has shown the effectiveness of this strategy. But, will the concept work for K–12 educators and administrators as a way to enhance their responsibility to teach students within the current context of strict accountability systems and state standards? |
| Empowering Students to Act |
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By Maurice Gibbons. Becoming self-directed is not easy. There is much for students to learn both about managing learning tasks and about managing themselves. Some students who have experience in self-direction or a proclivity for it will readily adapt to the process. Others who are dependent, have low self-esteem or come fresh from a pattern of failure in other classes will find it difficult and need special assistance |
| Learning to Learn |
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ERIC |
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Problem-based learning (PBL) is an educational approach that challenges students to "learn to learn". Students work cooperatively in groups to seek solutions to real-world problems and more importantly, to develop skills to become self-directed learners. Here, the goal of problem-based learning is viewed as learning for capability rather than learning for the sake of acquiring knowledge. PBL is unique in its integral emphasis on core content along with problem solving (Gallagher, 1997). Within the context of reading in the PBL classroom, learning thus becomes much more than the process of mere knowledge seeking. Students develop critical thinking abilities by constantly relating what they read to what they want to do with the information. They question the writer's assumptions and analyze information presented, all within the context of finding answers to "What can I do with this information?" and "What does understanding this mean to me?" This digest discusses some of the challenges in learning that students face, and identifies web resources that teachers can use to support student learning. |
| Odyssey of the Mind and Homeschooling |
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I’ve been involved in the creative problem solving program, Odyssey of the Mind, for the past four years. When I read the following, I was immediately struck by how many of these skills children learn participating in Odyssey of the Mind. |
| Pizza and Homeschooling |
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So what does this have to do with homeschooling? No one ever taught me to make pizza. It wasn’t delivered, take out, or frozen. I didn’t hire a chef to make it or teach me to make it. |
| Self-Directed Learning |
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ERIC |
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Self-directed learners demonstrate a greater awareness of their responsibility in making learning meaningful and monitoring themselves. They are curious and willing to try new things (Lyman, 1997), view problems as challenges, desire change, and enjoy learning. Taylor also found them to be motivated and persistent, independent, self-disciplined, self-confident and goal-oriented. |
| Skills for Self-Directed Learning |
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By Huey B. Long. Self-directed learning is an increasingly popular topic. Educators and trainers who are attracted to potential self-directed learning applications often have questions about the skills needed to be an effective self-directed learner. Some answers are now available among the nuggets of information scattered through out a large body of research literature. |
| Summer School |
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This is what is different about homeschooling. My son recently attended a Dafur Awareness meeting. In July. It was hosted by another teen who had only learned about the extent of the crisis in Darfur in the past few weeks–since after the local schools let out. |
| Teaching Learners to be Self-Directed |
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By Gerald Grow. Based on the Situational Leadership model of Hersey and Blanchard, the Staged Self-Directed Learning Model proposes that learners advance through stages of increasing self-direction and that teachers can help or hinder that development. Good teaching matches the learner's stage of self-direction and helps the learner advance toward greater self-direction. |
