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When we adults think of children there is a simple truth that we ignore: childhood is not preparation for life; childhood is life. A child isn’t getting ready to live; a child is living. No child will miss the zest and joy of living unless these are denied by adults who have convinced themselves that childhood is a period of preparation. How much heartache we would save ourselves if we would recognise children as partners with adults in the process of living, rather than always viewing them as apprentices. How much we could teach each other; we have the experience and they have the freshness. How full both our lives could be.
John A Taylor (1991)
This book offers teachers a varied selection of frameworks intended to allow students choice and voice within a structure for responsible, independent learning. The frameworks provided do not, in themselves, teach students how to work independently. But in conjunction with the right kind of classroom culture and organisation they help build student capacity for independence.
The chapters are organised under four broad areas: thinking, learning preferences, inquiry and personal challenges. The learning task proformas presented within each chapter are designed to support students in working independently through an activity or sequence of activities. Most tasks have been designed using content drawn from commonly addressed topics in primary school curriculums and they vary in their degree of challenge. At the beginning of each chapter, a table is provided to indicate the approximate level for which each task is designed. Most can be adjusted to suit older or younger age groups. Many of these tasks were developed to provide a more differentiated avenue for learning once students had explored a topic together for a while.
It is anticipated that teachers will be able to use these tasks as part of a broader unit of work that explores similar or related content. Some of them have also been used as the basis for homework tasks.
The learning tasks consist of two proformas: one that provides a focus question and one that does not. These modified proformas offer opportunities for teachers and students to use and adapt the structures to create their own learning tasks to suit their particular teaching and learning goals. All learning task proformas are provided in the Appendix.
The learning tasks are designed for individual students or small group use. They are structured to allow students to decide what they will attempt to do, how they might go about it and, often, how they will present their learning. By providing students with these choices, we help them come to understand more about themselves as learners. In general, the tasks share several common features:
- students can make choices about what they will do
- there are guidelines and parameters to help students make wise choices and to help them manage their learning
- suggested activities are open-ended and allow for multiple outcomes
- frameworks are generally ‘integrative’ in nature, working across the curriculum
- there is a focus on higher order thinking
- most tasks are accompanied by some form of self-assessment
- tasks are designed to develop skills as well as understandings.
In using these learning tasks with students, it is very important that teachers do not simply ‘hand them out ’ and expect students to be able to manage them without support and guidance. We suggest teachers:
- model an example to the students (for example, enlarge a task to A3 size and show students how it could be approached, or model it on a board)
- discuss possible assessment criteria that could accompany the task so students are aware of your expectations
- hold regular, small group conferences so you can keep track of how students are approaching the task and the degree to which they are coping with its demands (there are proformas to accompany such conferences in the support materials section in the Appendix)
- identify the skills and processes the students will need to complete the tasks and ensure that they are adequately supported in the development of those skills.
Effective implementation of these ‘independent’ learning tasks requires some examination of three core elements: the skills and qualities of independent learners; the beliefs, behaviours and skills of teachers; and the nature of the tasksthemselves. These aspects are discussed as follows.
What is an independent learner?
Working independently involves thinking, feeling, and doing. Independent learners know and feel they can make responsible choices and decisions and they get the job done.
As self-motivators, independent learners:
- are eager and curious
- are proactive and willing to take risks
- are able to set goals and initiate tasks with less direction
- know that positive thinking is useful
- are likely to produce work beyond expectations, particularly when self initiated
- enjoy a challenge.
As self-managers, independent learners:
- are thoughtful and deliberate in their actions
- persevere despite distractions
- avoid procrastination, and need minimal reminders and prompts to reach their goals
- draw upon a range of ways of thinking to get complex tasks completed
- make plans and set goals using a range of systems to develop routines and organise themselves, their materials and their time
- attempt to sort through problems first before consulting others.
As self-appraisers, independent learners:
- are self aware and can articulate their needs and strengths as a learner
- take time to reflect on effective learning strategies
- use their own judgements to choose appropriate strategies and actions
- use positive self talk and other ways to motivate and praise themselves
- do not constantly seek approval or guidance from others
- can adapt more readily to change in routines and expectations
- ask questions to clarify their understanding of given tasks and readily act upon feedback.
What skills do independent learners have?
Questioning
Independent learners ask a range of questions to find out more, make connections, clarify, challenge, improve their understandings, and to identify ‘big issues’. Their questions go well beyond the managerial, for example: What do I need to do? How do I do…? They test opinions, question ideas, the learning process and their own progress.
Reflection and metacognition
Independent learners take time to think about their work, ideas and thinking. When thinking reflectively, they engage in active, persistent, systematic and careful consideration of ideas for a deeper understanding or to resolve states of doubt, a question, or a perplexing issue. When thinking metacognitively, the more independent learner is able to reflect and draw upon their existing knowledge and on their thought processes (including feelings). They can identify where they are in the learning process or in the process of solving a problem, their content-specific knowledge, and their knowledge about their personal learning or problem-solving strategies. They are aware of what they know, of what needs to be done, what has been done and what might be done in particular learning contexts. They can evaluate their ongoing knowledge and mental processes in progress. They can make judgements about their own thinking processes, knowledge, capacities and limitations.
Organisation
Independent learners develop systems for planning, organising and managing tasks to optimise progress towards their goals. They think about how they will manage their materials, time and themselves to get the job done. They pay attention to process and task completion.
Identifying, gathering and critiquing resources
Independent learners systematically, thoughtfully and selectively gather and appraise beyond the obvious. They check sources and evidence of validity/ relevance, will challenge texts, compare information and make connections among ideas.
Risk-taking and resilience
Independent learners are inquisitive and approach new situations without fear of failure. They do not avoid challenges. They enjoy a challenge and do not opt for the same approach each time. They are confident enough to try something new and design or try creative ways of doing things. They are also comfortable if what they try does not work. They do not get overly ‘bogged down’ when something is not worki...
