This are a continuation of notes on a discussion about self-study with Irina Buchinska. This post describes how self-study could be implemented and used with Class 7. The learners had been working up to self-study since the 5th Class with the activities described in a previous post Self-study, Class 5 - a discussion with Irina.
• CLASS 7: Self-study
They make their own aims for the next lesson at the end of each lesson (based on questions about that day’s work). In parallel they have self-study – fill in forms on computer.
HOW TO START
Take time-span of one month. They make a plan in the following way:
1.They make a list of their problems in English.
2. They have to answer the questions, What are they going to do about these? What materials will they use?
3. Before they make their plan for the month they have to collect /find the materials they will use. Where will you find the materials? Often the internet, the library, films etc. At first (maybe in Class 5) teacher could collect a bank of materials, exercises etc that they could choose from – a box at the back of class. Later they have to find their own. At first they are not good at actually selecting appropriate material, so when they come to evaluate if they have improved, they find they haven’t. This needs to be reflected on and they gradually learn to find more appropriate material for their needs.
4.How will you evaluate your learning? How will you measure your success?
5.How much time will you devote to this in the next month? Give whole amount, eg 5 hours. Now split this time up and write exact dates and times when you are going to do it, eg 24.5. ,9am, 30 mins.
6.When the month is up:
Answer the questions, What have you learned? What advice would you give others as to how they could formulate their problem better in the future?
• They should be working towards making an algorithm for self study which will be a tool to help them plan it.
• Motivation: many pupils don’t like to spend so much time planning. Help them to understand that good planning and organisation save a lot of time. By creating an algorithm for self-study they save a lot of time in the end and have more free time to do other things.
Thinking: identify tool and use it to solve a problem. A plan is one tool for solving a problem; how to improve and plan an activity and how you can improve your own learning. At first filling in guidelines. Reflecting, creating. They learn to create their own tools. By upper secondary they should be organising their own self-study – no longer in school lessons.