What is Self-Directed Learning?
In a self-directed environment, students create goals and make choices that drive them to success while they are utilizing their personalized learning plans (PLP). This carefully research-based process, allows students to truly own their learning as they set and achieve goals.
Setting a Goal
Setting a SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound) goal that is challenging. (This is done during Mentor time.)
Making a Plan
Developing a plan to achieve that goal that has clear action steps and milestones (during Mentor time.)
Learning
Learn the content knowledge and skills you need to reach your goal. (PLT and project time)
Showing What You Know
Leveraging your learnings to perform at the best of your ability to reach your goal.
(Note taking, content assessments, project time)
Reflecting on Your Learning
Taking time to reflect on your performance and understand what helped or hindered you in achieving the goal. Also think about how your performance affects other, or future, goals in your life. (Mentor time)
Elements of Self-Directed Learning
Self-Directed Learning (5 Elements): To become a self-directed learners, students should demonstrate these 5 elements, or behaviors:
1.Challenge Seeking: Self-directed learners know that they grow best by pushing themselves and embracing challenges.
2.Persistence: Self-directed learners are persistent even when a task feels difficult and challenging.
3.Strategy-Shifting: Self-directed learners realize when it is time to shift strategies, even if it means starting to tackle the problem from scratch.
4.Appropriate Help-Seeking: Self-directed learners feel comfortable asking for help from peers and teachers, and seek to understand the reasoning behind an answer.
5.Response to Setback: Self-directed learners learn from failure. They may fail as often, and usually more often, than others. They don’t get discouraged by these failures, but realize that these failures are opportunities to learn, shift strategies if necessary and grow.
1.Challenge Seeking: Self-directed learners know that they grow best by pushing themselves and embracing challenges.
2.Persistence: Self-directed learners are persistent even when a task feels difficult and challenging.
3.Strategy-Shifting: Self-directed learners realize when it is time to shift strategies, even if it means starting to tackle the problem from scratch.
4.Appropriate Help-Seeking: Self-directed learners feel comfortable asking for help from peers and teachers, and seek to understand the reasoning behind an answer.
5.Response to Setback: Self-directed learners learn from failure. They may fail as often, and usually more often, than others. They don’t get discouraged by these failures, but realize that these failures are opportunities to learn, shift strategies if necessary and grow.
Below are some short videos from Summit students and teachers about SDL.
Video: Hear Summit students talk about being a self-directed learner
Video: Teaches role in SDL
Video: How technology supports SDL
PDF: Student experience with SDL
PDF: Teacher experience with SDL
PDF: Parent experience with SDL
PDF: Administrator experience with SDL
Website: A day in the life of a self-directed student
Video: Teaches role in SDL
Video: How technology supports SDL
PDF: Student experience with SDL
PDF: Teacher experience with SDL
PDF: Parent experience with SDL
PDF: Administrator experience with SDL
Website: A day in the life of a self-directed student
SOURCES:
Students and Teachers Discuss Self-Directed Learning at Summit Public Schools. (2015, June 30). Retrieved June 29, 2017, from http://www.fsg.org/tools-and-resources/students-and-teachers-discuss-self-directed-learning-summit-public-schools
Students and Teachers Discuss Self-Directed Learning at Summit Public Schools. (2015, June 30). Retrieved June 29, 2017, from http://www.fsg.org/tools-and-resources/students-and-teachers-discuss-self-directed-learning-summit-public-schools