Module 6 Reflection

• How can I help my students become self-directed learners?
As a teacher, I need to be ready to guide and support the students, helping them build the skills necessary to take an active role in their learning. By providing self-directing activities or projects, the students will learn to meet challenges and solve problems along the way. The students will pre-assess their own knowledge, giving insight to the key concepts of the unit, and be provided with directions, checklists, rubrics, and scoring guides to help direct their learning and assessments. Through collaboration on projects, the students help/assess each other and assess their own progress necessary to reach the learning goal. Allowing students to assess the work of their peers will help them become aware of the quality needed in their own creations. I will need to be there to make suggestions and try to give positive feedback whenever possible.
• How can I support the diverse needs of learners?
Varying the types of lessons will help accommodate all learning styles. Pre-assessments will help identify individual student capabilities. Collaboration and cooperative learning projects will provide opportunities for all students to take an active part effectively. They will also allow individuals to use their strengths in a “team” effort of creating a final project. Students that learn quickly are able to “teach” other students, providing leadership roles. Other students are able to take advantage of asking peers questions and are more comfortable in the learning process. Accommodations are made for students with special needs, allowing them to take part in the learning process. Self-directed projects help students at all levels find success, increasing their over-all learning.