SEVENTH DAY 16 OCTOBER 2014

1ST SESSION

LEARNING STRATEGIES AND INDEPENDENT LEARNING THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

BY ANDREW STEELE

The way the students choose to learn new subject matter are referred to as learning strategies. Memorization and mind map are two common example.

Effective learners are aware of how they learn and think about which learning strategies they will use for different tasks. That it why, it is important for us, teachers to make the students aware of what are the learning strategies that can be adopted for different purpose.

Research has found that students vary widely in what they know about how to learn, according to a team of educational researchers from Australia the journal Instructional Science. Most striking, low-achieving students show “substantial deficits” in their awareness of the cognitive and metacognitive strategies that lead to effective learning—suggesting that these students’ struggles may be due in part to a gap in their knowledge about how learning works.

Teaching students good learning strategies would ensure that they know how to acquire new knowledge, which leads to improved learning outcomes, writes lead author Helen Askell-Williams of Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia. 

Taken here

Learning strategies to share with our students:

• Repetition/ Memorizing
• Observation
• Experiential learning - by doing it
• Association
• Experimentation - trial and error
• Ask questions
• Exploration - Self -study
• Research
• Note taking
• Using Mnemonic- short forms
• Carry out survey- questionnaire

Independent learning : Self-directed learning : Autonomous learning through technology

Using new media to encourage independent study among the students in a way helps to make them to be more interested in learning.

Teachers have to be up to date and equip themselves with the latest technology or so-called new media these days. The example of new media that we can adapt in the classroom are Blogs, Wikis, Social Bookmarking, Twitter and the most popular social network which is Facebook.

Some of the methods teachers can use to promote independent learning are:

1. Set up a class Blog where students can write reflection, comments, videos or audios to assist learning
2. Some students are more open/ prefer to ask and answer questions on twitter rather than put up their hands in class to ask questions. Therefore, use Twitter for problem solving questions for the students to respond accordingly.
3. Set up a closed group in the Facebook page, where students can share their problems, concerns, and do discussions on any topic arose. Other than that, the teacher also can use the closed group to notify the students earlier on the topic/ activity that will be carried out in the classroom so that they will enter the class well-prepared.

2ND SESSION

SUPPORT STRATEGIES AND MEETING THE NEEDS OF ALL LEARNERS

BY PETER ELLIS

Peter Ellis

In order to become familiar with the content and the language assessment in a non-native language, support is essential for learners. We, the teachers can help by modifying the assessment and providing support strategies to help them express their answers orally and in writing. This is called accommodation. 

Some examples of support strategies that we can use in class:

• Change vocabulary
• Simplify language structures
• Add visuals
• Some use of L1 or target language glossaries
• Modify test instruction
• Additional example
• Extra time
• Oral instruction repeated in L1
• Instruction read aloud
• Instruction explained
• Questions from learners in L1

*Tips: Identify support strategies that you can use for the students before, during or after 

 assessment.

Pen off- Oxford