The Self-Directed Learning Handbook: Challenging Adolescent Students to ExcelThe Self-Directed Learning Handbook offers teachers and principals an innovative program for customizing schooling to the learning needs of individual students-- and for motivating them to take increasing responsibility for deciding what and how they should learn. Whether the students are struggling or proficient, the program is designed to nurture their natural passion for learning and mastery, challenging them to go beyond the easy and familiar so they can truly excel. The program can be introduced in stages in any middle or high school classroom and enables students of diverse abilities to design and pursue independent course work, special projects, or even artistic presentations, community field work or apprenticeships. Using this approach, the students take on an increasingly autonomous, self-directed role as they progress. The heart of the program is the action contract (or learning agreement) whereby the student sets challenging yet attainable goals, commits to a path for achieving them, and evaluates the results. Special emphasis is placed on developing skills and competencies that can serve the student well in his or her academic and career endeavors. |
Contents
The Case for SelfDirected Learning | 1 |
A Framework for Teaching SDL | 14 |
Rethinking Student Coursework | 23 |
Planning Lessons and Projects | 43 |
Teaching Independent Thinking | 57 |
Negotiating Student Learning Agreements | 73 |
Motivating and Empowering Students | 93 |
Assessing Student Achievement | 110 |
Pursuing a Path of Excellence | 132 |
Other editions - View all
The Self-Directed Learning Handbook: Challenging Adolescent Students to Excel Maurice Gibbons No preview available - 2003 |
Common terms and phrases
accomplish achieve action action learning adolescent answer approach assessment become begin British Columbia celebration challenge chaos theory choose classroom complete conferences contract course outcomes create curriculum decide demonstration dents Denver Public Schools develop difficulties dyslexia example excellent EXHIBIT experience feedback focus Geoff goals grades graduation help students high school ideas identify important individual investigation involved Keith Butler learning agreement learning episode learning guides Maurice Gibbons meet metacognition Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi motivate negotiate organize Otto Ohlendorf packages Passage performance portfolio possible practice prepare present problems productive progress projects proposals pursue questions responsibility rience Ron Miller SDL activities SDL program SDL school self-assessment Self-Directed Learning Handbook self-efficacy self-managed Simon Fraser University skills and processes solve students learn success support groups task teach students teacher template think independently Thomas Haney Walkabout