In the November issue of Educational Leadership there was an interesting article Students at Bat, I found a correlation to the article and conversations about self directed learning, both for students and adults. The article used an analogy of how playing neighborhood baseball taught many skills to children, for example: they chose teams, picked positions, decided where bases were located, what was considered a home run and determined batting orders. Older children taught younger children how to bat, run the bases and how to field the ball. Children resolved their disagreements through compromise and consensus.
Today most children don’t have the chance to play neighborhood baseball, their leagues are structured and run by adults who pick the teams, determine who plays what position, create the batting order and the schedule of when games are played. Organized sports today are much like school, kids are told where to sit, who they will work with, when to eat, when to get up, when they can talk, what they will learn, and how they will be measured on their learning. As students move up in grade levels their choices become fewer and fewer, schedules are more structured, and course requirements make their time in school more restrictive. They have fewer opportunities to learn about sharing, resolving disputes through compromise and consensus. They are rarely asked to participate in conversations to decide about their learning goals, rules of conduct, or classroom procedures.
Yet we talk of self directed learning and its importance education today. When decisions are made for students and 
they are given little voice they are unlikely to develop a sense of responsibility. If they believe their opinions and preferences don’t matter they are unlikely to take ownership of their learning. Without ownership what is their motivation to succeed? How do we begin to involve students in their education? What are we doing to prepare them to be self directed learners, what is taking place in your district to move students and forward in this area?
Flickr Image Source stefan
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Here is a text book correlation. Dan Meyers talks about math text books and the fact that all the information is dished out to the students so they never need to direct the line of quesioning required to become true problem solvers. He takes the questions, removes some of the information, and has the kids ask him for the facts that are relevant to solving the problem.
Students love coming up with their own rules for a contest or assignment for class. If you are willing to give up control of the rubric they will help plan your activities and lessons and possibly have more motivation to participate.
I will think about this dilemma often, thanks for sharing!
As long as our schools are based on 19th century models, students will be told what to learn and what time to learn it. I felt acutely aware of this today conducting a sophomore course selection assembly. One department chair told the students “Don’t ask to move up in track just because you are getting decent grades. Our [unnamed] department curriculum is carefully set up for the students in each track.”
PLP is helping us raise our oulook and awareness but it is going to be a long time before we can penetrate attitudes like this and their corresponding classroom practices.
Robin, another great post. I recently set up a wiki for my vocal class and am using it to select songs for an upcoming performance. The students are discussing theme ideas, suggesting songs and styles and so far, being constructive. They are surprised at the level of input and decision making i am giving them and they are truly enjoying the experience.
If this i any indication of the possibilities for my class, I have found a great direction.
And I agree with Larry. We need to break through old fifedoms and long held “traditions:” but it needs to happen, and now.