Independent learners

1. Independent learners Creatively creating independent learners

2. Starter • You will be working in groups of three completing different task. • Person 1 – go the library and research Australia • Person 2 – read the article and make notes. • Person 3 – use the article as basis to start your planning of a presentation on Australia. Creatively creating independent learners

4. Context • Independent learners are the last piece of the puzzle • We have created a dependency culture. • Emphasis on product rather than process of learning. • Applies particularly to A Level but consider applying the principles in KS3 and 4. Creatively creating independent learners

5. What is independent learning? Students taking increasing responsibility for: • identifying their own ‘need-to-know’ • searching for relevant information and gaining knowledge on their own • learning on their own with minimum supervision • actively seeking ways to solve their own problems and difficulties • assessing their own learning to see if their needs-to-know are met Creatively creating independent learners

6. The advantages of creating independent learners • Better utilizes class-contact time • Promotes active student learning • Caters for differential student needs • Helps students learn how to learn • Encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning • Prepares students for lifelong learning Creatively creating independent learners

7. Is Not: simply abandoning ‘lectures’ and telling students to learn on their own placing the responsibility for learning entirely on the students Is About: a different way of helping students learn facilitating and supporting students to learn increasingly on their own Promoting independent learning: Creatively creating independent learners

8. What does effective independent learning look like? • Pupil teacher interaction is still essential • Planning by pupils is still important, they need clear deadlines and outcomes. • The learning process is as important as the content. • Offer students choices, be flexible. • Independent learning does not necessarily mean individual work - pair/group work is just as important. • Variety • Support and encouragement

9. Creative ideas • Thinkers keys • Learning maps with a outline of the activity. • Structured note taking – give them sub headings to make notes on. • Give them lesson plan – get them to plan a present a 20 minute lesson. • Write a sheet on how to do a great presentation or PowerPoint. • Create your own wiki or website. Creatively creating independent learners

10. Teacher’s Toolkit • Use your copy of the Teacher’s Toolkit to identify one activity that you could use in your lesson to encourage independent learning. • Plan/discuss how you would use one of the ideas in your lesson with the person next to you.

11. Thank you for listening Creatively creating independent learners

12. Creatively creating independent learners

13. Starter • In the middle of your table is a image. • By yourself, write as many questions as you can think of when you see the image. 1minute • Discuss and decide as a group, which question you would most like answered. 1minute • Write down ways in which you could find the answers out to these questions as a group. 2minutes Creatively creating independent learners

14. Creatively creating independent learners

15. Start small, introduce changes gradually and progressively Clear instructions on tasks; What, How, and When Ensure availability of help Regular feedback on progress Making students feel ‘safe’ Creatively creating independent learners