THE RESPONSABILITY FOR LEARNING
Learner-centered teaching encourages students to reflect on what they
are learning and how they are learning it. Learner-centered teachers ask students
what they are learning in a class they may talk about their own learning. They
challenge student assumptions about learning and encourage them to accept
responsibility for decisions they make about learning; like how they study for
exams, when they do assigned reading, whether they revise their writing or
check their answers. However, the autonomy does not develop overnight, language teachers should
be patient to take care of this process, since it is a crucial issue on which
teachers have to deal with. Nowadays, students may take charge of their own learning process. Likewise,
learner autonomy is so important because students can take active role in their own
learning. For that reason, developing autonomous learning is essential since
education should aim at helping the individuals how to think, act and learn independently
in their lives.
The main aspect is to create a nice environment into
the class where students can feel comfortable to acquire knowledge. Also, as teacher, we have to encourage students to
be interdependent and to work collectively. The less students depends on the teacher, the
more autonomy is being developed. That is why; we have to stablish a good rapport in order to
increase their motivation. There are a number of tools that teachers and learners can use to facilitate
autonomous learning. Logbooks are beneficial because they provide an overview
of the learning process, the organization of group work and reflection immediately.
References:
Weimer, M. (2002). Learner-centered teaching: Five key changes to practice. John Wiley & Sons.
Corno,
L. (1992). Encouraging students to take responsibility for learning and
performance. The
Elementary School Journal, 69-83.
