Outcomes of Self-Directed Learning
Progressive schools are scary. They are a bit like deciding to take a road trip but instead of going directly from Point A to Point B, you decide to take your own route. When kids get to decide the route, parents bite their lip and wonder: "Is this wise? Will my kid end up lost? If I just give him/her the keys to his/her own education and a vehicle (the school), won't the freedom go to his/her head? How will s/he turn out?"
The good news is, this isn't a new experiment. There has been much research in the past thirty years that shows a majority of students turn out smarter, more adaptable, and happier than their public school counterparts. They learn to take their own roads and develop the essential skills that often can't be formed in a public school setting. Here are five that make the biggest difference.
Autonomy Toddlers have amazing autonomy. They explore, try new things, and learn new skills as they figure out how to navigate their world. They learn to walk, talk, play, get people's attention, etc. And they do it mostly on their own, with access to a few resources and models, only reaching out for help when they need it. But toddlers become preschoolers and suddenly all that autonomy is frowned upon. We want them to sit in chairs and color the picture in front of them. Sing the songs and read the books we give them. We want them to listen and obey and not waste time asking "Why?". And soon all that autonomy takes a backseat to accepting that an adult has to tell you what to do, how to do it, and when. Why becomes a question of rebellion that will get you labeled as defiant or uncooperative. If you try to do something in a way not prescribed you are marked as a failure. 12+ years of school later, we then expect those kids to go out into the world and be independent. Instead they are anxiety-ridden by the sudden number of decisions they are required to make on their own. They get sucked into debt because they've been told the only right path is a fouryear college. They are bombarded by advertisements promising this or that will solve their problem. They've been taught to listen and trust all the voices, except their own. Self-directed learning take a different path. They get off that highway and take the scenic, meandering, back roads. They learn to take control of their own decisions and learning. They constantly question, constantly detour to try different things until they find what works for them. Over the years, they learn how they learn and work best and can map out the ways to do that more efficiently so they can get the most out of the process. They become autonomous and confident in their own decision making.
Self-Determination When they get off the highway, they have options. They have to determine which path is right for them. And in a progressive school they have the freedom to determine their own road map. Think of education as a road trip. Everyone is trying to get from New York to Los Angeles. Most kids will listen to the public school GPS and take the interstates. Your gifted and talented students will fly direct (quicker, unique, but not necessarily better). But self-directed learners will look at the map and plan as
little or as much as they want, depending on dozens of individual factors from personality to learning style preferences to interests. Self-directed learners pull out a map (might be paper or digital, a US or dozen state maps) and they decide what is the next step. A kid interested in animals and nature might plan a route to stop at major zoos and animal rescue centers. They may prefer to stay over at campsites instead of hotels. Academically, this might look like a project on America's national parks and the wildlife you can find there. It will integrate all the core subjects in a unique way that allows storage in long-term memory. There may be a few bunny trails in there where they get excited about an endangered species and get their fellow students to come up with a way to raise money or to become part of a team to count bats or butterflies during migration season. But those are still engaged learning opportunities, that the public school RV doesn't have time to stop and do. All that learning requires the same skills public school kids are ticking off their curriculum, but because it is self-determined it becomes part of the core of their brains. The knowledge isn't obsolete and thus dumped at the end of the school year. Obstacles and roadblocks are not seen as things to endure (no sitting on the highway waiting for an accident to clear), but as an opportunity to go a different way. And that leads to the next thing self-directed learners develop — Discernment In a world of information, self-directed learners develop the ability to think critically and judge information. In most schools there is a top down model. If a teacher or textbook tells you something there is an assumption it must be true and worthy of learning. It's like listening to your GPS even though you know a stretch of road is under construction and it doesn't. In a self-directed learning environment, mentors encourage students to read multiple sources, compare them, to judge the research behind those sources, and to make choices based on the information they have available. This is an essential 21st century skill. The internet now bombards us with information. Knowledge isn't locked up in some library book you have to go to a university to get your hands on like it was 100 years ago. But this puts pressure on kids to decide what is credible information and what isn't. The research skills I was forced to learn in high-school are now something I'm teaching my seven-year-old as she watches YouTube videos. Kids have to ask, "Is that their opinion or is there evidence to support that position/argument?" It is essential that kids develop the ability to respectfully question a person or source of information and to learn to spot errors in logic. And as they do, they learn to — Communicate Ask any public school teacher and they will say effective communication both written and oral is one of the major goals of their lessons. The same is true at progressive schools. However, students are free to choose how they will express themselves. Written can be handwritten or typed. Oral can be a video, a
presentation, a conversation with their peers or a mentor. And there are other ways to communicate knowledge through art, building and service projects, that public schools have moved away from because they are not as easy to quantify for grade purposes. Students engage in negotiation, compromise, feedback and evaluation. Partnerships and small groups teach them to communicate not only with one another but with people of different ages, backgrounds, abilities, and intelligence. Public education has tried lots of ways to turn the standard classroom into a place where these skills can be learned. However it is limited by age and often a myriad of other demographics due to schools being geographically determined. Progressive schools, like Makarios, have the freedom to integrate students with all kinds of abilities, demographics, and because they aren't age segregated, a 10-year-old can teach a 16-year-old about their passion and a 14-year-old can teach a 7-year-old how to write. Progressive schools look similar to a big family going on a road trip. There are personality conflicts and personal space invasions. Kids have to learn to share not only space but the supplies on hands and work within the confines of a budget. All that conflict creates an opportunity for learning effective communication and compromise. Students create the rules for their schools and enforce them through a judicial committee where they can decide the best way to address a community problem. They learn to take responsibility for their words as well. And this leads to my last point, self-directed learners develop the ability to— Self-Advocate More than anything else, this is one of those areas that is underdeveloped in public school students. They feel they have no say in their education, the rules, their schedule and so they stop asking for what they need. Even Individualized Education Program students where their learning is tailored to them often say they don't feel like they get a say in what they do or need. It's the teachers, parents, doctors, therapists, but not them. In a progressive school every child is given a voice. If they want to do a project and need supplies, they can bring their request to a school meeting. If they need help with something they are trying to do, there is always a mentor or fellow student around to ask. If they are overwhelmed or something is going on outside school, they have the ability to take a mental health day. If they have a problem with another student, they can take it to a mentor, community meeting, or judicial committee and find a resolution. By giving kids a voice, they quickly realize that they are responsible for their words and actions. Their success is only limited by their own belief in themselves. Progressive schools have an amazing flexibility to form support networks to help students reach their personal goals. If there isn't an expert inside the school, then they can reach out to the surrounding community. The only limit to the possibilities is the willingness to find a solution.
These five skills are essential to becoming a healthy adult, lifelong learner, and productive member of society. They go to show that sometimes the best route is the one less taken. For more information
about progressive schools, please contact us. We'd love to help you empower your students to become life-long learners who are confident, passionate, and driven to get off the expressway of life and engage their world. Source: http://info.makariosschool.com/blog/outcomes-of-self-directed-learning