The Self-Directed Learning Handbook: Challenging Adolescent Students to Excel

✍ Scribed by Maurice Gibbons

• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Year: 2002
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 205
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

The 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.

✦ Table of Contents

The Self-Directed Learning Handbook......Page 5
Contents......Page 11
Preface......Page 15
Acknowledgments......Page 19
1 The Case for Self-Directed Learning......Page 23
What Is Self-Directed Learning?......Page 24
How Does Research Support SDL?......Page 28
The Major Principles of an SDL Program......Page 31
The Essential Elements of SDL......Page 33
Approaching SDL in Stages......Page 35
2 A Framework for Teaching SDL......Page 36
Defining the Course......Page 37
Expanding Learning Options and Environments......Page 38
Building Independent Thinking Skills......Page 40
Negotiating Student Learning Agreements......Page 42
Establishing Assessment Processes......Page 43
Essential Planning Steps......Page 45
Understanding the Stages of SDL......Page 46
Linking the Stages to Grade Levels......Page 50
Designating Course Outcomes......Page 51
Developing Self-Managed Course Units......Page 56
Student-Planned Coursework and Projects......Page 60
Focusing on Competencies and Challenges......Page 61
Principles for Planning Lessons......Page 65
Designing Learning Episodes......Page 68
Creating Experiences......Page 69
Promoting Study......Page 71
Encouraging Productivity......Page 73
Involving Students in Project Planning......Page 74
5 Teaching Independent Thinking......Page 79
Inviting Inquiry and Initiative......Page 80
Developing Problem-Solving Skills......Page 86
Using Process Frameworks: Investigation and Action......Page 87
Cultivating Process Thinking and Attitudes......Page 90
The Learning Agreement or Contract......Page 95
The Elements of a Contract......Page 96
Negotiating Contract Agreements......Page 103
Sample Contracts......Page 109
Tracking Student Progress......Page 112
Encouraging Students to Pursue SDL......Page 115
Motivating Students to Motivate Themselves......Page 117
The Working Journal as a Motivational Tool......Page 121
Dealing with the SDL Crisis......Page 123
Working with Difficult Students......Page 128
8 Assessing Student Achievement......Page 132
Promoting Student Self-Assessment......Page 133
Assessing Coursework......Page 135
Evaluating Projects and Assignments......Page 141
Portfolios for Personal Learning......Page 143
Passage and Graduation Criteria......Page 144
Demonstrations, Celebrations, and Conferences......Page 148
The Teacher Is the Key Person......Page 154
Making a Difference to the Student......Page 157
Starting an SDL School......Page 159
Administrative Support for SDL......Page 160
Creating a Shared Vision......Page 162
Resource A: How Much SDL Are You Teaching Now?......Page 164
Resource B: How Self-Directing Are You? A Self-Assessment Instrument......Page 166
Resource C: The Passage Process......Page 170
Resource D: The Integrated SDL Unit: The Kinds of Activities Involved......Page 174
Resource E: Inner States for SDL......Page 176
Resource F: Sample Process Templates......Page 179
Resource G: Guidelines, Traps, and Boosters......Page 181
Resource H: The Support Group or Triad......Page 185
Resource I: Samples from a Student’s Working Journal......Page 188
Resource J: Some of the Many Ways Students Can Learn......Page 192
Bibliography......Page 194
Index......Page 199
The Author......Page 205