Scaffolding

A. Why do we need to develop self-directed learners?

          Individuals have their own way of understanding or what we call learning styles. According to Time4learning, 2017 student will most likely not possess one style exclusively but you may be able to see patterns in their learning preferences. For example, a student who is visual may also be a very social and verbal learner and prefers to learn especially difficult topics using their primary skills. . We need to develop self-directed learners because individual should take the initiative and the responsibility for what occurs. Individuals select, manage, and assess their own learning activities, which can be pursued at any time, in any place, through any means, at any age.We are responsible for making the choices that help create our own paths, certainly once we become of age. Self-directed learning greatly increases a person’s ability to make sound, intelligent, self-affirming choices when the stakes are high. The more practice people have with making their own decisions–with reading their own ideas, feelings, wants, and needs and weighing them against available options–when they are young, the more likely they are to grow into mature, sensible, healthy, productive and compassionate adults.We need provide opportunities to pursue a far wider range of interests than is possible in a typical school with its predefined curriculum, fixed schedule, and inability to accommodate the needs and interests of individuals.

         Even those topics that are within the usual school curriculum can be explored in greater depth, and more meaningfully, in self-directed learning—such as by actually building and sailing a boat rather than merely reading about how others have done so, or by surveying a plot of ground rather than simply calculating the area of a polygon presented on a worksheet. And if the boat sinks, one can repair it and learn from the mistake, instead of having it marked wrong and moving on to the next “project.” When the boat floats, there can be time to take it for a sail—even a long one, perhaps one that results in the exploration of an entirely new set of interests. Whatever restrictions there may be, they are not the result of some predetermined curriculum.

B. As future teachers, how will you help your students become self-directed learners?

 
             The ability of a student to become a self-directed learner relies on the development of their meta-cognitive skills, or the ability to reflect and assess their own learning and thinking. Ambrose et al. 2010 states “to become self-directed learners, students must learn to assess the demands of the task, evaluate their own knowledge and skills, plan their approach, monitor their progress, and adjust their strategies as needed” and that this process is cyclical and dependent on the student’s beliefs about intelligence and learning. Some students may develop these skills on their own but many will benefit from guided (but not forced) instruction geared towards developing these meta-cognitive skills. Specifically, Ambrose et al. suggests a number of techniques in the classroom for developing each of the steps within the cyclical meta-cognitive process. Understanding how your student learns is perhaps one of the most important tasks a parent can undergo while homeschooling. Another is learning how to provide opportunities for learning through the use of these identified learning preferences. Cultivate an academic environment in your classroom by setting high, but not impossible, expectations for your students. Push students to achieve higher standards and they will eventually get there -- and along the way, offer lots of praise. Some may take more time than others, but all students want to be told, "You're smart and you're doing a good job." Give high school students college material to read and tell them, "This story/book/math concept is taught in first-year colleges around the country." Once the students tackle and master the material, tell them, "Good job students -- I knew you could do it."

B. What student-support materials will you provide your students to help them become self-directed?

The student-support material that I will provide to help my students become self-directed is scaffolding. It is a tool that provides the support and structure necessary for students to become independent, self-regulated learners. For example, I will let my students do the web-quest or the treasure hunt that i will provide for them to explore their self more.