Developing Independent learners Barry Potter and Janine Remnant

1. Developing Independent learners Barry Potter and Janine Remnant

2. We hear this a lot • “Nat Stds have narrowed the curric” (We are so worried about our kids performing well in literacy and Numeracy that we don’t have time to focus on learning in other areas) • The wonderful world leading NZC has been sidelined • We have to focus on Literacy and numeracy at the expense of creativity. • Kids don’t know how to think or work independently

3. What about building independent learners? • Is supporting students to be independent learners something you deliberately include in the learning opportunities you design for kids? • Discuss: • What outcomes do you include? • How do you build them into the learning

4. Question • Is there any point deliberately designing learning activities that develop independent learners, especially when teachers have been landed with the responsibility for learners performance against the National Standards?

5. Successful independent learners are skilled in the key competencies and use them in combination with all the resources available to them to make sense of learning activities across a range of contexts. NZC P12 • Therefore; students who perform well have a strong orientation towards learning.

6. Learners orientation to learning Improving ones competency Proving ones competency

7. Independent learners have a well developed learning orientation rather than a performance orientation.

8. The difference between performance and learning Performance. • Measurable outcomes usually shown through marks, grades, scores • Performance is not learning but it may develop from learning.

9. 3 views of learning • Learning is being taught • Teaching is telling and showing • Learning is listening and watching and passively acquiring someone else's knowledge. • Learning is individual sense making • Learning is the activity of the learners. S/he is actively constructing meaning from the environment, not passively receiving it, and will reflect what s/he already knows and understands • Learning is building knowledge as part of doing things with others • Meaning is constructed together in social activity

10. Learners who are mainly performance orientation display negative effects • They use helplessness when faced with a challenging task _ I’m no good at X • They seek help less (from teachers and peers) • They have few positive strategies to call on • They continue to use strategies which aren’t effective • They have a focus on marks stickers and teacher affirmation, not process.

11. So what do students with a strong performance orientation know and do? • Think of a particular student you know of who appears to have a strong performance orientation. • Create a list of what you see/hear, that you think are the indicators. • Share with a colleague • Share ideas with another pair and make a comprehensive list Lets relate this list to the Key Competencies NZC p 12

12. So what do students with a learning orientation know and do? • Think of a particular student you know of who appears to have a strong learning orientation. • Create a list of what you see/hear that you think are the indicators that this is an effective learner. • Share with a colleague • Share ideas and make a comprehensive list Lets relate this list to the Key Competencies NZC p 12

13. Why focus on building a capability to learn • A focus on Learning (a learning orientation) enhances performance, where as a focus on performance (performance orientation) can lower performance

14. Applying our thinking • Design how you would help a group of students learn how to build and fly a Pump Pet Rocket. The rocket must fly as far as possible down the playground. • How will you factor in learning as making sense with others and building a learning orientation with your learners. • Think, pair, share

15. How should we help students get better at the key competencies? • should we design learning activities that provide opportunities for students to apply the practices of an independent learner (developing a learning orientation through osmosis)? Or • should we deliberately teach students to be independent learners (Developing independent learning by helping kids understand and develop the skills they need)?