Ed wrote:
> Actually, I think "independent learners" means that the child takes
> initiative to learn on his or her own, instead of waiting to be directed
> by a teacher or a parent. That is what we practice in our home, and since
> we home school, in our school. We cover the basics, but let our children
> learn at whatever pace they want in whatever subject they want.
I tend to think of "independent learners" as people with the ability to
learn outside of the structured environment. All too often we as teachers
tend to overstructure and overcompensate for our students. Then they do
great in the class, great in the dorms during the structured time (chores,
study hall, rec, etc.) but have a lot of problems (or more problems) out
of the structure. This really shows a level of independence in that they
can be successful in an arena that they have not been successful before
(the classroom or the home) but still have not aquired the skills to
generalize in other situations where problems may occur (the mall, free
time, etc.).
--"prkosuth" <prkosuth@mychoice.net>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>