Our next step in the collaborative discussion on the components of Instructional Delivery is Independent Learning. We will reflect on all of the ways that we get students to high levels of rigor through independent learning tasks.
“The ultimate goal of instruction is that students can independently apply information, ideas, content, skills, and strategies in unique situations.” (Fisher, Frey. 2008) In order for students to apply their learning independently, students should be given familiar tasks that require application of information that was previously taught. In absence of good instruction through a concise and precise focus lesson, guided learning supports from the teacher, and collaboration with fellow students, most students, especially struggling students, will fail to successfully demonstrate what they have learned independently.
Independent learning is not a one size fits all approach. Since learning is a personal event, teachers should remember that they can require all students to complete the same independent task with the same level of difficulty, but there will be students who need lower level work while other need to be challenged beyond the work most students are doing. In other words, teachers should have in mind what they expect all students to demonstrate for mastery, and they should also provide students some differentiation in the complexity. For example, if students in a reading classes are engaged in an independent task over the concept of writing the summary of a story, differentiation would exist in the reading levels of the text. If students in a math class are demonstrating their understanding of ratios and proportions in problem solving situations, all students would have access to the minimum level of complexity for mastery but have the opportunity to demonstrate mastery through medium and high level tasks. It is the teacher's knowledge of the students that ensures that all students master minimum expectations but strive for the highest levels of learning possible.
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Engagement Component
|
Description
| Rigor | Content | Time Frame |
| How are challenging questions provided and responded to? | What content is covered? | The approximate time that the activity should take. | ||
| Independent Learning | Activity that allows students to interact with content individually and independently while teacher monitors and provides individualized support. | Provided to students at the rigor of the standard, but students are also challenged to tackle tasks at higher levels of rigor. | Content that students can handle independent of teacher. | 5-15 minutes |
After reading, contribute one question about the text to be compiled into an online review activity (quizlet, discovery education, etc.) to share with the class. Another quick online activity is the Board Builder on Discovery Education. Second graders love making their own e-bulletin board, including video clips (usually limit time on videos, but they all come from a safe site, Discovery Ed.)
ReplyDeleteI like that everyone contributes. Good idea for a quick check of understanding after collaboration. Great use of technology!
DeleteI try to put level 4 questions on tests but make them bonus so the lower level kids don't get too frustrated and feel they have to answer them. The upper level kids like the challenge. (Algebra 2 PAP)
ReplyDeleteThis is a great idea. Having questions as a bonus is a boost to the ones that get it correct and doesn't penalize students that don't.
DeleteAs I begin to research more, I am finding that technology is a fantastic way to modernize teaching strategies and offer the best possible learning experience to students. It seems to me that there are a plethora of opportunities to individual independent learning for each student by integrating technology in the classroom. Furthermore, technology in the classroom makes it easier for teachers to understand their students’ best learning styles. With so many versatile apps, games, quizzes, and media types available, students have an opportunity to experience a range of teaching styles and understand their best and favorite ways of learning. Teachers can use this information to tailor their teaching methods for each of their classes or even individual students. This is an awesome way to provide independent learning activities for students which challenge them to surpass the minimum expectation for mastery and reach for higher levels of rigor.
ReplyDeleteKim - So glad you are embracing technology - I looked at your blog - very nice!
DeleteI agree! Integrating technology into the lesson cycle is one way to make sure every minute counts. There is an engaging technology tool out there for every component of the lesson cycle.
DeleteI love Khan Academy for independent study because it tags questions that they miss, has videos, and hints. It also shows you which problems and concepts that they are struggling with so you can go over those things with them.
ReplyDeleteLaWanda Reider
DeleteI do this in my accounting classes by demonstrating the correct way to complete the exercise and providing them with a completed example of each new part of the lesson (Work Together exercises). Then, they work independently, and/or collaborate with others, to complete the On Your Own portion of the exercises. From time to time, I give them questions from a UIL accounting test to answer/solve at the beginning of class. This is intended to further challenge them to apply the concepts they have learned in class.
ReplyDeleteStudents build skills one level at at time in accounting. The "On Your Own" portion is great and gives them the opportunity to work problems where they can take on independent challenges. Questions from an accounting test might spark an interest for them to participate in UIL!
DeleteThis is Amanda Myers. In several units throughout the year, students in my class are given topics which they will research individually or with a partner and then present to the class. As students present, the class will take guided notes over each topic as I monitor and add specific information that may have been left out. This not only gives them the opportunity to study independently, but also to teach others.
ReplyDeleteI have had the opportunity to sit and listen to some of your students' presentations. The powerpoints that I saw were outstanding! I like the way you facilitate the learning!
DeleteI use IXL in Algebra 2. Each lesson starts at the minimum level for that objective and gradually increases in the level of difficulty. My lower level students might only get to 50 or 60%, while my high achieving students are required to get to 100%, hitting the advanced problems.
ReplyDeleteKindergarten is a great place to begin independent learning. Children listen to a mini lesson then I send them to their seats to complete a task. Writing is a developmental stage that shows the many different levels in one class. I have some students that can write on the lines and space words from the beginning and others who do not realize they have lines on the paper. We begin with many different writing papers to accommodate each writing level. It is fun to watch the children go through the stages of writing starting with the first letter only then you begin to see the first and last letter. This leads to phonetic spelling. Somewhere along the way, they realize that our "star words" are in books and can also be written. Each child must learn to concentrate and attend to his or her task which is also a challenge. I believe reading and writing are all tied to the development of the child and that each child goes through these stages at a different pace and sometimes this cannot be pushed. That is why I tell parents that a child NEVER fails Kindergarten, he or she is just not ready for the pace of first grade.
ReplyDeleteIndependent learning doesn't happen a ton in Science because of the number of labs we do in class. But, something new I started this year is "Write your own test questions." I have students compile note cards with test questions for the unit or topic we are currently in or are finishing up. Then they use those to quiz each other, the class, etc. I know we could make our own quizlets but I like for them to have it on them so that they can study a different times. Not all our kids have phones but everyone can use notecards!
ReplyDeleteI love that the students write quiz questions!!
DeleteJennifer...What an awesome idea! I wish I would have thought of this when I taught 8th Grade Science!
DeleteThumbs up! I always liked note cards.
DeleteI see lots of independent learning activities in Kindergarten and First Grade when students are doing journal writing. All the students are given the same writing prompt, but are able to express themselves at various levels. Some students in the class might be able to write four good sentences, while others struggle to write one or two. The teacher is able to circulate around the room and help students express their ideas in a way that helps reduce frustration for those who are struggling. In addition, students are usually encouraged to draw a picture to go along with their writing, so this gives those artistic students a chance to show off those talents as well.
ReplyDeleteIndependent learning happens many times in kindergarten. Our writing time is a time that the student definitely works on their own level. Some students can write beautifully and produce a couple of great sentences, while others are still at the stage of copying from an example. Other students may even be at the stage of tracing a sentence that the teacher has written in highlighter. The rage of these levels widen as the year goes on.
ReplyDeleteThere are many times that an activity has to be modified for specific students. Where some students can look at a picture and produce the math problem, some need the numbers to be written and only the answer to be solved.
Allowing the students to work through the independent learning in a variety of ways is important. Some students need additional supports (manipulatives like unifix cubes come to mind) while others are able to work through the content with little to no support!
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DeleteWriting is definitely an independent exercise. It is great when our babies learn to write their names independently!
DeleteIndependent learning can be implemented through individualized reading through our Renaissance Learning and AR. Students can read robust text and answer comprehension questions according to his/her reading levels. In third grade, we push students to move to reading longer text in chapter books. In math, our Motivation Math series offers Creative thinking activities that can be implemented to advanced thinkers and also, through RTi resources, lower leveled students can think through the math at a level more suitable for them. I try to offer creative thinking puzzles to all of my students throughout the week, with word rebuses, Sudoku puzzles, and problem solving activities. The kids are reluctant at first, but as the year progresses, they begin to enjoy this kind of learning. High interest topics are always the key to motivate students to do some independent thinking on their own. Current events and natural phenomenon are usually "hooks" for some students to research on their own. Open ended questioning sparks curiosity also. Students love to come back the next day and tell me and the class what they found.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE all of this.....multiple activities depending on students and levels. The key here is we must KNOW our students! Great Job, Ms. Caver!
DeleteIndependent learning is HARD in Kindergarten, especially at the beginning of the year. This is something that takes time to develop because our babies need so much modeling and guidance in the beginning. But once they develop this skill and can do things independently that's when things really get fun. One of the best ways to allow kindergarteners to be independent is during writing time. We usually start by reading a story and then brainstorming ideas together so the kids can come up with a writing topic. I will usually give the kids a word bank to pull from for the really hard words but I love to see them spell the words phonetically, on their own. The kids absolutely love to go read their stories to other teachers or to one of the principals. They are so proud of themselves when they can write a story that is several sentences long and then read it back to someone.
ReplyDeleteI love when your students visit my office to read their "story!" I also appreciate that you send your accelerated students who have written five awesome sentences and your struggling students who have written just one simple sentence! Both levels of performance are worthy of celebrating!
DeleteAmber - I have seen young (and even older) students that are so unsure of themselves - they don't want to get the answer wrong. I think you are building confidence when you let them read their stories to other teachers or one of the principals.
DeleteIndependent reading practice is another way that students practice independent learning.
ReplyDeleteIndividual book boxes are used to store books we've made and read during the year. Throughout the spring semester, I add leveled books at each child's readability level. S.S.R. is when the students practice independent reading using whisper phones.
I love the use of the kids' individual book boxes. Great idea!
DeleteI like to use Rubrics with expectations for high acheivement to minimum requirements. Students can decide based on the Rubric how engaged they would like to be in the task. For some lessons I give different assignment choices with task cards and a generic rubric to apply to all tasks. For example, some students may choose to write a poem, some a slideshow, a paragraph, a diagram etc. Choose tasks that work for the particular skill.
ReplyDeleteDifferentiation at its finest!
DeleteI used rubrics when I taught 5th grade. To me, it held the students accountable for their learning and how they like to learn based on their learning style.
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ReplyDeleteWe usually will watch a short video over a major event and have a class lecture where students will complete fill in the blank notes as we discuss. Students will then be asked to come up with 2 questions over the material they viewed and from the notes; this creating their review for the test. Their questions will range from open ended to short answer to multiple choice.
Independent learning is something that has to be taught and worked toward through the year in Kindergarten. Our little ones come not knowing what a pencil is or concepts of books. We take steps through out the year to allow the students to develop their learning. Writing is a great way to allow independent work. At the beginning of the year, most students are tracing words. Since every student develops differently, they are able to move to copying sentences then creating their own sentences as there independence grows.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right...independent learning has to be taught and it does not happen overnight!
DeleteI use rubrics for some assignments and projects. The kids can see what I am looking for for them to make an A, B, C etc. The students then have the ability to choose what grade they want and how much work they want to put into a project to get that grade. I also give extra credit for activities the students complete that I haven't assigned for a grade, for instance, when I teach costume design, any costume a student designs outside of what I assign, I will give extra credit for because that student has gone above what is required of them!
ReplyDeleteI always liked the A, B, C concept - so many times you see a struggling student strive for the A - makes a teacher proud.
DeleteThird graders enjoy having time to write in their journals. Students can independently express their thoughts and feelings in writing. I encourage them to incorporate the grammar skills that we have learned as well as use the Word Wall to help with spelling. Sometimes I give students a prompt to write about, sometimes they choose among several prompts that I provide for them, and other times they are free to write about whatever is on their minds that particular day. Writing is a great independent way for students to use their creativity!
ReplyDeleteI agree that various writing activities can be used for independent learning. Letting students choose the writing topic while still incorporating specific grammar skills will afford students the opportunity to think and produce authentic writing....and you as the teacher can still assess the specific learning. SUPER!
DeleteRosalind - You are certainly correct - sometimes independent writing makes for some interesting/creative reading!
DeleteProjects are a fantastic way for kids to engage in independent learning at a level they can master. My all-time favorite project was about proportions oddly enough! We'd worked on learning how to set them up, how to solve them, how to figure out what kind of clues a word problem gave to indicate that we needed to write a proportion to solve. The fun stuff came when they asked what good was knowing all of this 'junk.' Scale factor is a proportional concept. Not all people are the same size. What if everyone was suddenly shrunk down to the size of a gummy bear? And that's what we did--we researched the average height of people (5' 8" for men, 5' 4" for women) and measured a gummy bear. After that, everyone got creative. We had furniture, cars, houses, a public swimming pool--you name it. The rubric made it possible for everyone to have success, so the kids took chances. It was the most fun and amazing thing I ever saw my students do. It was also a ton of work, all done by them. And they loved it. We had stuff on display in our school library for weeks.
ReplyDeleteI love this!! Math was always difficult for me as a student; it was hard for me to see beyond the numbers and letters written on the paper. This gives students that real world connection I was always searching for.
DeleteAt the elementary level, one of the biggest challenges is teaching students to be independent learners and for many students, this doesn't happen until later in the school year (especially in Pre-K and Kindergarten). One of my favorite activities to watch is independent math work. Though all kids are working on the same content, each student is solving the problems in a way that suits their learning style and ability level.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Amber Isbell about independent learning being difficult in kindergarten because we are constantly modeling and guiding the learning.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with the other kindergarten teachers about writing being a great area for each child to excel at their own pace and ability.
During math, we discuss the concepts by watching an interactive video with our curriculum, playing a math games, and then going to our desk for the worksheet part of the lesson. We do the first problems together and usually on the last 2-3 problems they are eager to finish them independently. They beg me to let them do the last ones on their own and are so proud when they "rock it". Also during math, I have different students using different "resources" such as manipulatives, number lines, things posted around the room, etc. I tell them all the time if they are struggling to "use their resources!" I also love this because each student has the opportunity to use them when needed and no one picks on the other for using their "resources" because at some point they all have used them!
I know as kindergarten teachers we talk a lot about our learning stations but this too is a great time for independent learning. There are many stations that have recording sheets such as graphs, labeling items, journal entires, and sorting activities which the student complete independently. I also like that the students are independent (after expectations are taught) in how stations work and know what and how to do each station while I am teaching reading groups.
I agree that stations work well not only for collaborative learning but for independent learning, too! As Ms. Meggs would say...."Make them accountable at those stations." Recording sheets are terrific tools to keep students accountable to the content.
DeleteAn example of independent learning in my Kindergarten classroom is station time. While I am working in small groups on guided reading the children work independently on skills previously introduced. While the children can collaborate if needed they also have the opportunity to work independently.
ReplyDeleteI love to write with my children. We begin writing from the very beginning of school. We begin with the basics, capitol letter at the beginning of the sentence, spacing, end with punctuation. We read a story or research a topic, brainstorm a word bank for the words that are hard, like oviparous, giraffe, etc. The children generate their own sentences and write them by using sight words, the word bank or write them phonetically. At this time of the year most of them can write several sentences independently.
Another activity I use is book bags. Each child have books they can read independently. The children can get their book bags and read. We do this when we finish an activity at different rates. It keeps the children busy while we all finish.
We often use manipulatives in math to work problems independently. We use counters to add and subtract. Last week we used strips of paper cut in two piece that were not the same length and sorted the paper pieces shorter or longer. I think using hands on activities really allows me to see how they are processing what we are learning.
Independent learning in the class is vital to student growth in that it can put them in real life situations where they may struggle a little and maybe even fail, but reinforces intrinsic motivation of our students and a sense of accomplishment. Our teachers do a great job of supporting those struggling kids and pushing those kids that may be a little farther along.
ReplyDeleteYou are on target Mr. Watson. Intrinsic motivation is something we need to promote / encourage.
DeleteIndependent learning in my CTE class revolves around projects and activities where a rubric is used for student evaluation. The project or activity allows each student to apply and reinforce recent learning by linking prior knowledge or experiences which enhances their understanding in those real life situations.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to reiterate what most of my primary colleagues have already shared, but writing is a fantastic time to encourage independent learning. During the 6th 6 weeks we require our students to write 6 sentences. (1st 6 weeks, one sentence, 2nd 6 weeks two-you get the idea) Even though we require 6 sentences, the complexity of the sentences are different. I encourage replacing some words with 'hot' words, or higher level words and the students who are able to understand that concept really excel. (Last week several used the word 'majestic' in their writing samples.) I like to have little mini conferences with the students about their writing and of course they can write more sentences than the expectation if they choose.
ReplyDeleteMajestic!
DeleteI find that I-Station is a great independent learning tool. I-Station allows the students to learn and advance at their own pace.
ReplyDeleteIstation is a great tool because it is designed to align targeted practice with each student's ability level. Teachers who use Istation to its fullest have seen really good results with this program.
DeleteIn order to reinforce our study of WWII we made a game about the battle of Iwo Jima in which students played in groups of four. Each student drew to determine their identity as a soldier. As each progressed through the game cards were drawn revealing the consequences of the decisions they made. One student remarked, "I'm blind, lost one arm, a leg, and now I'm dead!" After a good laugh the class discussed the reality of those things happening during a war. Students actually began to reflect and discuss the reality and brutality of war. Based on the reflection of the students I am convinced our study of WWII has taken on a new depth of understanding.
ReplyDeleteLeAnn Williams
Personalizing independent learning was a great way to get your students more involved in the WWII lesson. The way you did this made history come "alive" to the students. Sounds like they enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI use independent learning after my Saxon Phonics lesson. I will place a Saxon picture card on the Elmo and allow the student to use their phonics spelling rules to spell the word independently. We will then review spelling rule and spell the word together for the students that don't get it correct. The students are very eager to try and spell the word to the best of their ability and are super excited when they spell all the words correctly.
ReplyDeleteWhen it came to independent learning, I liked to give my students options. For example, if we had just completed a vocabulary lesson, they would have the option to make up a story, a rebus puzzle with corresponding decipher codes, or write a sentence and illustrate it using the words correctly. If I was throwing the ball in their court, I wanted to make sure they could make those connections that were personal to them. A fun new way (if I were still in a regular ed classroom today) I would add to reimagine vocabulary would be to incorporate the words into a Google Slide, write a sentence, and then add a GIF using the word correctly.
ReplyDeleteOur independent learning in PPCD is mostly done in our center rotation. The skills tubs align with the materials covered during our whole group instruction. Early in the year, the skills will be basic color or shape matching. As the year progresses, they increase in difficultly. Currently, we have a tub that has puzzle pieces numbered 1-20, that when placed in the right order, create colorful pictures of different animals. Another example is our letter matching. One of our tubs now contains uppercase letter cards and they student must match the correct lower case letter. They check their answers by looking on the bottom of each letter tile to see if they chose the correct uppercase letter.
ReplyDeleteIndependent learning works best when students are working on their independent level. This means that kids are on different levels and thus one size does not fit all. As educators, we must remember that some students will need work on lower levels than others, while some students who have mastered concepts will need to be extended with project-based learning that challenges them to demonstrate their mastery through more challenging mediums.
ReplyDeleteA hyperdocs is an amazing, creative digital differentiating method that can be incorporated into the lesson cycle! They are especially beneficial for independent learning. Students are able to move at their own pace when teachers use interactive Google Docs that include the lesson outline, directions, and links to online resources, videos, the list could go on! While the students are working, the teacher is free provide needed support or give feedback. If you're interested, check out this website: https://hyperdocs.co/
DeleteOne of my favorite activities that incorporates independent learning comes at the end of the year when I have my students create their own non-fiction books. Some choose to work completely independent to make their own book, and some work with a partner or group and split up the work - researching, illustrating, and writing. I encourage them to incorporate the elements of expository text that we have been studying during the year, such as a Table of contents with chapters, a glossary, index, diagrams, etc. They love using what they've learned to create their own book, and they have the opportunity to challenge themselves and take ownership in the creation of their own product. It's a joy to watch the excitement and effort they put into this project!
ReplyDeleteGood example of independent learning! Students are accountable for the content through their writing. I would suspect that independent levels of each student would be reflected in each finished project.
DeleteIndependent learning at Pre-K level is a process that is developed over time. Some children become independent early in the year and are able to do activities alone but others take more time to have the confidence to complete a task without any assistance. We spend a large part of our time just teaching the children that they are able to do things alone and building them up so they develop a "want to" attitude.
ReplyDeleteWhen I taught junior high, I taught ELAR and science. One activity to gauge content mastery that I used for reading was a "Hamburger Book Report." Students knew what each "part" of the hamburger represented and they had to build their hamburger with the correct information. Students had to identify characters, character traits, conflict, rising action, etc. The students enjoyed working on these and I was able to assess comprehension of content through their project. When I taught science, I loved going to the lab. Students worked in collaborative groups to complete the lab -- discuss and analyze. Then their independent learning often took place once data was analyzed and each student had to draw conclusions and tell why through a writing activity.
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