It's also true dependency on instruction is tied closely to student age and […] Having the ability to learn and complete schoolwork independently teaches children they are capable. Top students often go beyond what they’ve been asked to do when it comes to producing extended pieces of work, especially if given the chance to conduct research. If you give them deadline with which to work, they will learn how to manage their time, how to overcome distractions, and things like planning and prioritizing. Why it’s important According to Kalisa, when teachers help students to become independent, it help them to develop their own ideas, rather than always looking to teachers on everything; which at the end will see such learners as problems solvers even in future. 10 Reasons Why Educators Should Step Out of the Way and Encourage Independent Learning | ArcheMedX, 10 reasons why educators should encourage independent learning - EdTech Times, Customized Instruction: Four Characteristics of Effective Instructional Explanations, Young Entrepreneurs need to have the traits of independent-learners | Entrepreneur Boot Camp for Teenagers, 4 Teaching Tips For More Effective Direct Instruction, Four characteristics of effective instructional explanations - EdTech Times, 50 Tips To Work Harmoniously With Parents : InformED, Writing To Think: When a Student Can't Write It, Can She Think It? Tim Barber 16th June 2016 at 4:02pm. Being independent implies having the ability to make decisions. (Coaching is a core driver here) The ability to make informed choices and to take responsibility for your own learning activities with planning, support and guidance from teachers. 9. These include: Motivation; Independence; Initiative; Time management; Organisation and multi-tasking; Strong reading and writing skills; How can I become an independent learner? The children in Ethiopia may have many many more disadvantages than our wealthy school systems, but they do have one advantage: There was no fear of failure, an abundance of innate curiosity, and a serious drive to learn and teach themselves for their own sense of satisfaction and pleasure. Let’s bring this around to the classroom and look more closely at the role of a teacher or facilitator in education. Below, here are the five strategies that Kim shared with her students. Independent learners are more aware of their own strengths and weaknesses. Vocational Education vs Short Courses: Which Path Should You Take? Online Learning Without Laptops: Record Short, How-to Videos for Mobile Phones, A Note to Our Community of Educators and Partners, Feeding Forward with Video for Teacher Professional Learning. Standardized testing is the benchmark for funding, and teachers are instructed to teach “to the test” to ensure good marks. You need to be independent in order to survive in the world. and […], […] Many parents are baffled about how to get clear or detailed answers about what and how they’re learning in school. The students enjoyed setting their own pace and holding themselves accountable. Here is what I came up with… Independent Learning is learning that is self-directed. The students are engaged because they are choosing how they will approach their learning. Creating an inclusive learning environment is an extremely important aspect of modern education, which, according to Gravells (2008: p18), ensures that “[…] all learners are entitled to be treated with respect and dignity. An independent life has always been essential in our society, but the more technology runs our world, being independent becomes both easier and more difficult. When students know their teacher and peers are counting on them, they won’t want to let them down. All teachers want to develop their students into independent learners. Study independently online with a Certificate in Education Support, An article in the MIT Technology Review in October discussed a bold experiment conducted by the One Laptop Per Child Organization. In a classroom with a traditional teacher, the students are relying on the educator to feed them the proper instruction, principles, and training. Internal factors are the skills that individual students have to … Educators (experts) may act as facilitators or guides. Although, ‘independent learning’ is not a new concept, Broad, (2006) believes that there seems to be a lack of agreement on what it actually means. The Importance of Independent Reading. Independence is a valuable end goal of education – whereas ‘independent learning’ is something that is developed through the expert guidance of a teacher. Overall, independent learning is a critical skill for students to develop because it promotes creativity and intellectual curiously. She provided a spreadsheet to her students that showed each other’s written paragraphs. They must also learn how to deal with distraction effectively. To gain a clear sense of the importance of personalized learning, it helps to envision how personalized learning can take shape in the classroom. They also feel more reassured in their friendship group. The role of the teacher is to facilitate learning. Independent learning requires the student to develop other secondary skills like planning and making priority lists and deadlines to achieve their goals. They learn to problem solve. Independent learning allows students to apply their own unique learning style (visual, verbal, auditory, etc.) We help educators stay up to date with the latest in EdTech and beyond with thought leadership in online vocational education. Independence is important for organisms to function effectively in the world. Being independent therefore means that you will be more likely to try out new things that you want, rather than what or how you are expected to. Perhaps you think of words like planner, coordinator, promoter, developer, or designer. Independent learners are ready and capable of navigating the process whereas pupils that are fed information from the teacher will get discouraged when they venture out on their own. External factors involve the creation of a strong relationship between teachers and students and the establishment of an ‘enabling environment’ in which ICT can be an important element. And, depending upon your industry, continuous learning could be vital to your employability. […] via Teachers or Facilitators? Many people are sceptical of the benefits of play, but one teacher argues that it is the best way to ensure that children are learners for life . Kim reports that quite a few of her students enjoyed the independent nature of distance learning. For instance, a practical way to personalize learning is through classroom activities. Independent learning requires the student to develop other secondary skills like planning and making priority lists and deadlines to achieve their goals. But this can be hard when students aren’t in the classroom. In a classroom with a facilitator, he or she sets up a learning environment and largely gives the students the ability to learn on their own. Julie DeNeen has her bachelor's degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of New Haven. 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