What is Self-Directed Learning?
What is self-directed learning? To be honest, I'm not exactly sure. I'm still in the process of figuring it out, which is why this website exists: to investigate what self-directed learning (SDL) is, document my observations from experimenting with it and reflect on how my thinking changes over time.
20% time. Genius Hour. Personalized learning. You've likely heard of them all. Self-directed learning, as described in this context, is essentially 20% time, but under a different auspice. For those new to the concept in education, it refers to giving 20% of the school day back to students so they can learn what they want to learn about. In our case, we weren't able to give 20% of the school day back to students, but we were able to give 20% of homeroom time back to student passions, interests and personal inquiries. In self-directed learning, students choose their interests, write their questions, and find their answers. They learn what they want to learn, with some flexible structure in place.
The video below will give those new to the concept of 20% time an idea of what it could look like in an elementary classroom. To find out more about the action research being conducted on 20% time in one elementary classroom, feel free to explore the site.
20% time. Genius Hour. Personalized learning. You've likely heard of them all. Self-directed learning, as described in this context, is essentially 20% time, but under a different auspice. For those new to the concept in education, it refers to giving 20% of the school day back to students so they can learn what they want to learn about. In our case, we weren't able to give 20% of the school day back to students, but we were able to give 20% of homeroom time back to student passions, interests and personal inquiries. In self-directed learning, students choose their interests, write their questions, and find their answers. They learn what they want to learn, with some flexible structure in place.
The video below will give those new to the concept of 20% time an idea of what it could look like in an elementary classroom. To find out more about the action research being conducted on 20% time in one elementary classroom, feel free to explore the site.
