There is a provocative conversation going on over at the future of education NING site.  If we are going to reform education or see a breakthrough in education strategies, self directed learning is important.  The conversation is entitled  Self Directed Learning May be THE most important skill for learners! and I thought I would give a quick synopsis here:

It started when a friend of mine started to teach on line and commented that her students who were not self directed were the ones who were struggling.  If we believe the stats of Christensen et al in Disrupting Class then within the next 10-15 years over 50% of all education will go on online. Therefore her comment today that her undergraduates are suffering because they are not self directed learners and that they have to be online strikes home.

Ryon Patterson brought in the connection with global awareness and education, but was hesitant about online as children need personal interaction (for that matter we all do).

Ken Long presented skepticism about too much "go our own way" elements in education, especially when it comes to certifiable results.  He ended with this comment: i think that's short sighted and self centered, and presumes that only your own education matters. In the long run this will undervalue the work of knowledge centers, and then it will be back to the wild west with no way to rely on the quality of whatever hits your search engine results. There are no "quality" economies of scale, and no incentive to create multi-person knowledge centers/projects
Interested? Follow the Read More Link

Do you have quotes or other inspirational messages up in your office space? I do. And two today are provoking this blog as I consider trends in education and what it will REALLY take to create a breakthrough in education strategies? The first comes from John Dewey:"To find out what one is fitted to do, and to secure an opportunity to do it, is the key to happiness." The second, and in contrast, comes from Sartre:"We only become what we are by the radical and deep-seated refusal of that which others have made of us." I compare and contrast them here as a means of starting a conversation about the outcome of systemic schooling.

As you think back on the curriculum of your school environment, did any part of it help you to find out what you were “fitted to do? On the flip side,.....(follow the ReadMore link)

1. Larry Rosenstock
   Project-based Learning at High Tech High
   http://www.mobilelearninginstitute.org/21stcenturyeducation/films/film-larry-rosenstock.html
   In this film, Larry Rosenstock, describes a vision for educaiton that blends the head, the heart, and the hands. High Tech High embraces learning that flows from personal interests, passion for discovery and a celebration of art, technology and craftsmanship.
   2.
   Elliot Soloway and Cathie Norris
   Educating the Mobile Generation
   http://www.mobilelearninginstitute.org/21stcenturyeducation/films/film-elliot-cathie.html
   In this film, Soloway and Norris take a road trip through Texas and Louisiana to see firsthand how mobile devices are being used in schools.
   3.
   George McKenna
   Personalizing Public Education
   http://www.mobilelearninginstitute.org/21stcenturyeducation/films/film-george-mckenna.html
   In this film, veteran educator George McKenna ruminates on the fundamental ingredients of effective teaching – making direct connections with students, never giving up on them, and embracing teaching as a high calling.
   4.
   Randall Fielding
   Designing Schools for 21st Century Learners
   http://www.mobilelearninginstitute.org/21stcenturyeducation/films/film-randall-fielding.html
   In this film, architect Randall Fielding demonstrates the connection between where and how students learn in the 21st century.

2.  

Taylor, K., & Lamoreaux, A. (2008). Teaching with the Brain in Mind. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 49-59.

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to add to the body of reliable literature on how to teach with the brain in mind. “Current brain imaging techniques reveal not only the architecture of the brain but how its functions create "thought," "personality," and "consciousness"-and how the brain changes itself” (Taylor & Lamoreaux, 2008, pg. 58). While no specific number of students was mentioned, the scope of this research appears to be young children. The methodology was a rigorous analysis of how learning changes the way the brain functions.

Findings include:

1. Learning changes how the brain functions by increasing the capacity for innovative, flexible responses to external conditions.

Riesenmy, M. R., S. Mitchell, et al. (1991). Retention and Transfer of Children's Self-Directed Critical Thinking Skills. Journal of Educational Research 85(1): 14.

Abstract

The purpose of this article was to “examine the degree to which fourth- and fifth- grade pupils who were trained in self-directed critical thinking skills could retain and transfer those skills” (p.14). The scope of this study is 38 children from 10 fourth and fifth grade classes as compared to 28 control children from the same school district. The methodology included 12 small group discussions and individual testing.  Students were evaluated on the variables of their use of “self-directed thinking skills, amount of information used in solution, and quality of answer” as well as transfer problems (p. 14).