Self-Directed Learning ... It's a whole spectrum of teaching and learning - Not just kids teaching themselves!

CityNews: GTA school adopts "Self-Directed Learning" Program 

CityNews reporter Stella Acquisto speaks with students at Don Bosco Catholic Secondary School about a new program being adopted by the school in September called self-directed learning. 

 

This is a programme that Mary Ward CHS has been using for years ... it's gaining greater attention and respect and now other high schools are attempting to implement it. 

 

Here at Epiphany, in order to better prepare our students for their continued learning, we also gear our teaching in some respects in our Intermediate division utilizing a blended Self-Directed Learning model. 

 

WATCH IT HERE

 

What is Self-Directed Learning (SDL)?

Self-directed learning (SDL) involves initiating personally challenging activities and developing personal knowledge and skills to pursue the challenges successfully (Gibbons, 2002).   For students engaged in self-directed learning, there will be: Ownership of Learning Management and Monitoring of Own Learning Extension of Own Learning         What are some indicators of SDL? Students who are self-directed learners might display some of the following behaviours: Construct 1: Ownership of Learning  1. Student sets learning targets for himself/herself. Construct 2: Management and Monitoring of Own Learning  2. Student knows which parts of the lessons he/she does not understand.  3. Student asks questions when he/she is not sure about the lessons.  4. Student looks for more information to help understand the lessons better.  5. Student makes a list of what he/she needs to do for his/her learning.  6. Student completes his/her schoolwork on time.  7. Student tries to understand where it went wrong in schoolwork.  8. Student tries different ways to solve problems on his/her own. Construct 3: Extension of Own Learning  9. Student uses what he/she learns in class after his/her lessons. 10. Student finds out more than what teachers teach in school. 11. Student uses the computer to:         - go online to ask people outside the school for ideas on lessons;         - become better at a skill that he/she is interested in;            - get ideas from different websites and people to learn more about a topic.  Self-Directed Learning with ICT Theory Practice and Assessment.pdf