The Power of Self-Regulated Learning (SRL)

Reflections on Self-Regulated Learning (SRL)

Dearest Kevin,

Isn't this creation beautiful? My teammates and I made it today!

On a first glance, it just seems to be a bunch of arts & crafts, doesn't it? But check the following legend out:

• Sculptures: Identity. Each zone (where play-dough sculptures are standing) represents each person, expressed uniquely to their identity. If you see closely, there is a green mermaid looking sculpture that has many branching roots at her feet. The branches represents the ever expanding connections we make as we develop through lifespan. Do you see the shy red snowman by the end of the picture? That's mine! I built a snowman with a question mark coming out of my head, signifying that there is always something more to learn about. Too bad it is not shown in the picture, but there is a brick-lined wall behind me. The brick wall signifies the scaffolding one must takes to accumulate knowledge and experience.

• Wires: Community. Notice there are wires that connects each sculptures together. These wires represent community by connecting each zones together. In order for each of us to grow, we need community to support us, mentor us and to challenge us.

• Pillar: Journey. The black pillar/cylinder in the middle represents the journey we all need to take to reach the goal. My teammates and I put various mediums that connects the top of the cylinder to the bottom (ex. ribbon, paper, fuzzy wires) to signify that not one person is the same to another in the path they take to reach their goal. I can take a completely differently route to reach my goal than my teammate, and that completely ok :)

• Feathers: Happiness. At the top of the cylinder, there are feathers that represents freedom and liberty we feel from having and knowledge and the tools to regulate our emotions, behaviours and cognition. School is a place that ought to bring our students to happiness and we have represented here that SRL is one of the keys to empower students to reach that happiness.

This is some masterpiece - splendid, marvelous and creative.

Some people might think that there's time wasted doing arts and crafts, but rather, it was an activity that engaged each member of the group to creatively express our understanding of self-regulated learning. This is an example of self-regulated learning. It is to engage students to apply what they learnt in a personal and individual expression. This way, students build their own relationship with the concepts acquired in class. BAAM. Simply amazing, eh?

Reflection. How can the integration of SRL practices promote learning in my classroom?

While SRL is a wonderful concept, it takes a grand process for educators to truly implement SRL in teaching. The good news is, there are many modules that educators can follow in order to help us hone on SRL pedagogy.

Let me begin with Spirals of Inquiry:

Spirals of Inquiry are the necessary steps for an educator to take in order to implement student-centered classroom. Let me break it down further:

1. Scanning. what is happening your your context? This is stage to scan around the classroom environment, student progress and activities.

2. Focusing. what do you need to focus on? This is the stage to discern what calls for your attention the most in the given context.

3. Developing a Haunch. what do you think is going on? This is stage to develop a theory to explain the situation that is being investigated. Develop a haunch as to what the underlying root would be.

4. New Professional Learning. what do you need to learn about? Now that you have discerned what situation to address, this is the stage to learn more about the topic. Seek knowledge from your colleagues, books, personal experiences and students.

5. Taking Action. what will you do? After having gathered an extensive amount of information around the topic, come up with a strategy plan to address the situation.

6. Checking. How is it going? What's next? This is the stage to evaluate the strategy implemented. Assess where the success lies, and where there needs improvement.

Isn't this a neat way of organizing steps that educators should take to be mindful of the classroom dynamic and student progress? My hope is to use this module as I begin my class and thus, appropriately meet my students where they are at and give them enough scaffolding to advance through their learning.

I also want to share with you a quote that I really like:

"...the ultimate goal of learning and associated teaching... is to acquire adaptive expertise - the ability to apply meaningfully learned knowledge and skills flexible and creatively in different situations.

The capacity to continuously learn and apply/integrate new knowledge and skills has never been more essential.

Students should become... life-long learners, especially as they prepare for jobs that do not yet exist, to use technologies that have not yet been invented, and to solve problems not yet recognized as problems."

The idea here is adaptive expertise. Educators practicing self-regulated learning is devoted to raising students who are able to transfer skills adopted in classrooms outside to their life. That's why BC is pushing such emphasis on integrating core competencies in our teaching rather than just focusing on curriculum content.

Just think about it. How helpful was it to go about your living to know what year Christopher Columbus landed on America? Probably not as helpful as the academic emphasis that was put on. Now, how helpful is it to know how to argue soundly with supporting evidence? Or to take multiple perspectives when approaching a problem? Or to plan out step-by-step goal plan to reach a big goal? Yup, very helpful. It's because these are tool kit, adaptive expertise, that can be applied in any social setting and personal life.

So here's a takeaway from the week:

• Educate students so they develop adaptive expertise

• Plan strategically to implement reflective teaching (which will be discussed in coming weeks).

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Butler, D. L., Schnellert, L., & Perry, N. E. (2016). Developing Self-Regulating Learners. Don Mills, ON: Pearson. [Chapter 2]