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Moving toward Self-directed LearningMae L. JacksonPublished online: 09 Sep 2013.

To cite this article: Mae L. Jackson (1973) Moving toward Self-directed Learning, ChildhoodEducation, 50:1, 26-28, DOI: 10.1080/00094056.1973.10728136

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00094056.1973.10728136

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Moving TowanlSelf-direetedLearningMAE L. JACKSON

"SURE," you say, "I am concerned about teach­ing my children how to learn. Yes, I do wantto help them develop their critical-thinkingabilities, to equip them for coping with un­predictable change. Above all, I want to helpthem become purposeful learners, independent,capable of assuming self-direction for theirown education. But how do I get there fromhere ?"

In Eugene, Oregon, Betty Norwood's class­room of upper-grade children has such aprogram. Let me share some glimpses of howit looks.

First, cluttered, and second, very busy!Most classrooms simply do not have enough

things for the children to do-apart fromtextbooks and workbooks. Betty's room hasboxes and buckets full of rocks, as well asstacks of reference books and informationbooks on geology. But at the present time therocks are staying put, because a twelve-weekunit is in progress on "Plant Growth," whichis an interest-leveled elective unit for fourth-,fifth- and sixth-graders. (Other choices avail­able in neighboring upper-grade classroomsinclude "Modern Problems," "Experimentingin Science," "Animals" and "Space Age.")

As a result of the science elective class,which meets two days a week, the windowed­side of Betty's classroom looks like a green­house. Her biggest problem is running out ofsoil. "I didn't know that they'd be so turnedon and I misgauged," explains Betty.

Requirements are threefold:

:0 kitchen garden-made out of the topsand bottoms of vegetables

o terrarium:0 transparency-fronted container filled with

soil and seeds-to observe how seeds germinate.

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What else is going on ? Youngsters aregrowing all kinds of seeds, and watching theeffects of light, moisture, dryness, fertilizer,heat, soil, sand, rocks, etc. etc. etc. The plantshave now reached the stage where childrenare exploring such things as utilizing cuttings,grafting procedures, and even growing plantsupside-down.

"Seat-work" is replaced by a simple dittopage, blank except for vertical lines dividingit into a recording device-with the headingof EXPERIMENT and the column subhead­ings of Name of Study, Date, Activity andObservation. Walking around the room, look­ing over the children's shoulders at theirscience folders, leads to the discovery that thechildren are doing between twenty to thirtyexperiments each. Yes, they are "turned on."

In the center of the room, currently, is apile of "junk," which has been collectingthroughout the year. Each week as one visitsBetty's room, the "junk" is being transformed.At the present time it is becoming "monsters,"inspired by The Wonderful Flight to theMushroom Planet, by Eleanor Cameron. Ear­lier in the year, egg cartons, boxes, and plasticsof all sizes and shapes became other mysteriouscreatures, inspired by whatever.

CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

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Visit Betty's room after school on Mondaysand you'll find the Antipollution Club insession. If you visit on Tuesday after school,you'll find the Crocheting Club; and whenBetty isn't off attending meetings, other timesyou'll find busy children working on still moreprojects. A homemade spinning wheel standsin one corner, and generally a box full ofuncombed wool is nearby. As a result, wemight see anything from boys doing spool­knitting to girls doing very intricate work onshawls and lap robes.

Do I correctly anticipate your next ques­tion? It is an important one:

How about social living? Well, the wholeday is one continuous example of rich "socialliving." The general directions and commentsby the teacher are at a minimum. Most of hercontact with children is on an individual basisin conferencing situations. The class presidentstands and announces changes in activities, andthe children move purposefully from oneproject or activity to another. All of whichis not to deny that there is a content to thesocial studies program. Leis hanging from thelight fixtures indicate a focus on Hawaii­currently the in-depth study of a state (withthe exception of one boy who wanted to studyAlaska).

Most of the United States was "studied" byhaving the children participate in "A WagonTrain Across the United States"; that is,through a diary of the trip. Every boy andgirl in the class explored his or her ancestryat home. They then each decided upon a char­acter whose role they wanted to assume on thewagon train-actually attempting to get thefeeling of the characters they chose, and writ­ing about the real life situations of fire,

OCTOBER 1973

Happy vista: a "classroom saturated withan atmosphere of purpose and fun .

freedom accompanied by responsibility .and busy, non pressured, productive children.

Try it!"

Mae L. Jackson is Associate Professor,University of Oregon, Eugene.

flood and survival with which they had to cope.(Betty started a diary and became a characterherself, to help get the children involved.)

This "role-playing" approach required thechildren to do continuous research to deter­mine the authenticity of what they werewriting. Who did they become? A Germanwagon master, Jews from Yugoslavia, an En­glish trapper and trader, a saloon girl, a fiddler,or whomever else they wanted and couldjustify as a possible member of the wagon train.

Some of the diaries are filled with excite­ment and adventure; all are fascinating to read.The youngsters' writing reflects real feelingfor the characters they've "become." As thewagon train progressed across the map of theUnited States, the children's understanding ofinterdependency of people grew. Their aware­ness of others became much keener, as wellas their deeper comprehension of the elementsof the environment with which the pioneershad to cope. Concepts of geography, topog­raphy, climate, etc., developed more and morecompletely with each episode of the trip.

The diaries are as individual as the childrenwho wrote them. Since one of Betty's codes inteaching is to "try to avoid putting any childin a threatening situation with skill levelsof achievement," the children were given helpin research and writing as they needed it.

Betty finally sent out an SOS to all parentsin the school to see if she could get volun­teers to type the children's diaries. Two par­ents responded, and one mother is now so"hooked" by what the children are writing thatshe is typing all of the diaries-no small taskas some run twenty or more pages.

Several social studies textbooks were usedfor the research, as well as encyclopedias, fie-

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tion and nonfiction trade books, films, film­.strips and, of course, maps and globes.

To sum up, in watching children move to­ward self-direction as described above, we haveseen examples of involvement, plentiful anddiverse materials, a problem-solving approach,and a supportive teacher who tries to stay outof the children's way and let them learn.

Other teachers have discovered Betty, andif projects such as those described above donot "meet the children's needs" or are notappropriate to their situation, they come to askBetty about her ingenious ways of gettingchildren excited about writing and to borrowsome of the books her class has written-asmotivation for starting their own children onsimilar ventures.

The idea of becoming authors unfolds inBetty's class in the fall, with the involvementof her students one day a week-plus sparetime-in reading to the kindergarten childrenin the school.

Betty's youngsters begin by reading recom­mended picture-story books and, as they be­come comfortable doing this, they are encour­aged to write a book of their own for thekindergarten audience.

Photos courtesy of author

This authorship involves writing a roughdraft of the book, followed by a dummy copywith illustrations and script carefully plannedfor each page. And, finally, after all spellingand punctuation are correct, comes copying ofthe book into its final form. Usually theillustrations are done in crayon, but occasion­ally photographs or pictures from magazinesare used-depending upon the theme to beportrayed.

Since the books are designed to be read tothe kindergarten children, the audience is keptin mind in terms of appropriate vocabulary

and concepts being developed. Some bookscurrently being developed include the follow­ing titles:

Mike the Math Book (a child's third book this year)Preddy the Mouse (a child's first book this year)Haiku, A Year Passed By (a collection of poems by

one child)Poopsey the Pepsi Bottle (co-authored by two chil­

dren)Doe Doe the DinosaurThings You Could Do When You Don't Know

What To DoHow Tom Truck and His Friends Got a MedalAndy AntelopeLolly Lollypop.

As indicated, some of the children have writ­ten several books, and every child in the classby the end of the year usually has written atleast one.

And so language-thinking abilities are de­veloped. Individualization of instruction be­comes obvious as a component in moving chil­dren toward self-direction. And yet, much ofthe learning in this classroom is done coopera­tively-usually on a self-selection basis. Chil­dren work together in twos or threes, singly,or in other grouping combinations.

The reading and arithmetic programs arealso individualized by Betty Norwood. W ork­books? "I won't let them through the door,"states Betty. "But, I'm held responsible, andwhen my students leave this room, they havetheir skills."

The arithmetic program, which follows aconventional series adopted by the district,again requires diagnostic teaching on the partof Betty.

It is especially enjoyable to see her childrensprawled all over the room, reading to eachother, alone, or to Betty during the readingperiod. Large pieces of cardboard boxes ofvarious heights and shapes (painted brown)appear from behind some of the bookshelves,and act as partitions for children who wantsome privacy. The reading corner with itsshelves of hardback and paperback books, itsstuffed animals, and its throw rugs comesalive with involved readers.

To me, this classroom is saturated with anatmosphere of purpose and fun, with freedomaccompanied by responsibility, and with busy,nonpressured, productive children. Try it! Getyour kids involved, get out of their way, andsee what they can do.

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