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goldfish jumping - improvement and career concept

Helping your learners to be . . . independent

The focus of this unit is on the development of Independent Learners who . .

have the skills, inclination and confidence to pursue their own lines of enquiry and to solve their own problems with minimal external support.

Independent learners engage a blend of learning behaviours:

They …

  • Identify questions to answer and problems to resolve;
  • Plan and carry out research, appreciating the consequences of decisions;
  • Seek, analyse and evaluate information, judging its relevance and value;
  • Support conclusions using reasoned arguments;
  • Pull a range of ideas together into a coherent whole
  • Are self-regulating.

 

The activities, think pieces and questions in this online unit aim to help you to make a start on:

  • introducing students to the key behaviours of independent learners;
  • using the language of independent learning effectively with students;
  • designing the use of independent learning behaviours into the way you teach;
  • developing the confidence and skill in helping students to grow their independence.

The following sections will help you to tailor your classroom practice to support the development of these dispositions.

  • Section 1 explores the learning behaviours of independent learners
  • Section 2 discusses the classroom culture that supports the development of independent learners
  • Section 3 offers ideas to practise in your own classroom
  • Section 4 contains some suggestions about how you might talk to encourage independence
  • Section 5 makes suggestions to move practice on
  • Section 6 explores progression in independence.

 

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