The child-centred curriculum offered through ‘Contexts for Learning’ provides an excellent opportunity to develop enthusiastic, self-motivated and independent learners. We are trying to develop individuals who develop lifelong learning skills with a true love of learning. Through Contexts for Learning teachers plan learning which will continue to develop each child’s capacity to learn within many different situations and contexts.
We aspire for all learners to be…..
Real thinkers and inquirers
Independent
Effective communicators
Risk takers
Principled
Problem-solvers
Caring and sensitive to others
Open-minded
Well-balanced human beings
Reflective
If we develop this love of learning and their repertoire of learning to learn in any situation, children will continue to build upon these throughout their life. Research shows that we need to equip our children with a highly developed capacity to learn for life in the 21st Century.
“21st century life presents everyone with high levels of challenge, complexity and individual responsibility where choice, problem-solving and learning are key so education needs to strengthen their ability to be good choosers, skilful problem-solvers and powerful learners.”
“One of the core functions of 21st Century education is learning to learn in preparation for a lifetime of change.” David Miliband, 2003
Children from an early age understand what makes an effective learner. Children have discussions about how to be a good learner and how they can develop as a learner. This is taken from a year 6 child’s learning journal – he summarises well what makes an effective learner :
A good learner is someone who is continuing to develop their four R’s; Resilience, Resourcefulness, Reflectiveness and Reciprocity in any learning situation. The table below shows what this actually means in terms of learning. By planning through contexts for learning, through active and enquiry based learning we are trying to equip children with the necessary skills to become better learners for life with a real love of learning.
|
Curious
(proactive)
|
Questioning
(how come?)
|
Clear-thinking
(logical)
|
Collaborative
(team member)
|
|
Adventurous
(up for a challenge)
|
Open-minded
(negative capability)
|
Thoughtful
(where else could I use this?)
|
Independent
(can work alone)
|
|
Determined
(persistent)
|
Playful
(let’s try)
|
Self-knowing
(own habits)
|
Open to feedback
|
|
Flexible
(trying other ways)
|
Imaginative
(could be…)
|
Methodical
(strategic)
|
Attentive
(to others)
|
|
Observant
(details / patterns)
|
Integrating
(making links)
|
Opportunistic
(serendipity)
|
Empathic
(other people’s shoes)
|
|
Focussed
(distractions)
|
Intuitive
(reverie)
|
Self-evaluative
(how’s it going?)
|
Imitative
(contagious )
|
