How to Start Self-Directed Learning in Your Class
Ask Why?
Start Small and Build Up
Create Structure and Gradually Release
How Will You Know?
Be Flexible, Adaptive and Open To Change
Reflect Along The Way
- Ask yourself why you want to experiment with personalized learning. Why are you thinking of implementing it? What hunches do you have as to why it might be beneficial?
- What do you hope your students can get out of it? What goals do you have as a teacher for what you would like to create more of in your class?
Start Small and Build Up
- Start by asking what gets cut? What needs to go in order to make room for self-directed learning? What can self-directed learning offer that is already being offered in other curricular areas, but applied through a different context?
- You don’t need to jump into 20% time right away. Play with 10% time and then find openings in the schedule when you can gradually increase the time as the year goes on.
Create Structure and Gradually Release
- Take it slow when you are setting up the system of expectations so it is done well, rather than jumping into it without direction or vision. Take 20% time during the initial month(s) to come to common agreements with your students for how it will function. There is no need to rush.
- Consider investing in the first two months of the year to just expose students to different self-directed skills and learning resources. When the soil has been tilled, then drop the self-directed seeds and let them grow.
- Directly instruct the basic initial skills and expectations students will need first (how to access learning resources, how to take notes, how to be a responsible and safe digital citizen, etc). Give them time to practice some of the skills they might need before they are turned loose in self-directed learning. As the year goes along, be responsive to “just-in-time teaching” and help students to fill in skill gaps you notice are missing.
How Will You Know?
- What data (qualitative or quantitative) will you, as the teacher, collect? What is your purpose for doing this? What will you be looking for?
- How will you know your students are learning? Will students have to document the process, create a product to demonstrate new learning or share out evidence in some fashion? What system will you set up to accomplish this?
- How structured or unstructured will you make it? Will students be required to complete a learning projection form? Will there be expectations about how much time is reasonable to spend on any given inquiry? How often will they be expected to share out and celebrate their learning with others? What are the class agreements for switching questions and topics mid-inquiry?
- How can you ensure there is a balance of knowledge, concepts and skills being learned during this time? How can you ensure one of your students isn't spending 150 days learning about Minecraft?
Be Flexible, Adaptive and Open To Change
- Things are going to come up that you did not foresee. Sometimes you’ll have to reflect as to whether self-directed learning’s natural evolution aligns with your purpose and beliefs.
- Have malleable parameters that you are willing to adapt and be flexible as the collective journey unfolds for the class. Be responsive, but wise, to your vision and goals for the initiative.
- Observe carefully what students are choosing to learn and how they are using their time. Allow your initial thoughts and beliefs to change as your students surprise you, but stay true to ensuring that learning is at the forefront of all decision-making.
- Be prepared for anything and everything. Be an enabler. Say, ‘yes’ as often as possible, but say ‘no’ when appropriate.
- Take days to stop and reflect on the purpose and goals of self-directed learning. If there are collective gaps or misconceptions, identify them and work through them as a class. If there are irresponsible or inefficient behaviors, stop and address them immediately. Do this during 20% time so that students can make the connections between reflection and applied action.
- Self directed learning is not a free-for-all. It is positive, it is purposeful and it is productive. Co-create a culture with your students, but always remember to guide them as the leader.
Reflect Along The Way
- What do you feel you need to be doing more of? What do you need to be doing less of? How can you be most effective during self-directed learning?
- How is your ideology towards your role as a teacher changing? How are your interactions with your students changing?
- What have you been doing in your teaching practice just because it was the way you (or your school) have always done it? How might you reexamine your pedagogy?
- Who can you share your experience with? Who else might benefit from knowing about your experiment with self-directed learning?
- How can you document your failures and successes for others? How can you model vulnerability and risk-taking for your peers?
