I've never made a mistake. I've only learned from experience.
Thomas Edison
Self-modification centers around reflection and evaluation.
- "Did my report give the reader the necessary information about...?"
- "I didn't do well on that test. I should have studied differently."
- Even though I made some mistakes, I worked hard and feel good about that."
- The information I learned, today will help me when I ____."
Self-Modifying people reflect upon the task completed to determine the level of success of their work. A new personal standard for success may be established as a result of this evaluation.
Teachers support this thinking when they create a climate that promotes an environment which allows for risk taking.Threat of ridicule or unconstructive negative evaulation during learning should be absent.
The opportunity for reflection throughout learning needs to be part of the curriculum design. Instructional time needs to allow for students to make connections with their own background knowledge and reflect to make the learning personal.
Assessment should not be punitive or summative. Students should have opportunies to utilize assessments to reflect on their past, present and future learning. Teachers should design assessments to encourage this process.
Rubrics and other reflective tools allow students to guide their own learning and evaluate their progress. Self-evaluation is a basic habit of individuals that self-modify their behaviors. Asking students to use an evaluative tool such as rubrics, checklists, journals or discussion creates an opportunity prior to teacher evaluation for self-modifying. Providing these experiences teaches self-modifying.
Recognition of factors that contribute to success or failure is learned in the self-modifying process. Reviewing the outcome gives the learner information about what attributes did or did not contibute to the success or failure. The learner begins to create a sense of autonomy.
Self Reaction, the feelings students have about themselves, can be funneled toward finding a new determination for moving forward.
Adaptivity enables students to take information and develop personal strategies for using the new learning. Students look for ways to make it better the next time. This process catipults the learner to the next level.
According to Art Costa and Bena Kallick, we must constantly remind ourselves that the ultimate purpose of evaluation is to have students learn to become self-evaluative. If students graduate from our schools still dependant upon others to tell them when they are adequate, good, or excellent, then we have missed the whole point of what self-directed learning is about.
Written by: Kim Brown, Mary M. Gavaghan, & Doona Lawrence
Digital Age Literacy Coaches, MSDLT
STRATEGIES
- Provide opportunities & tools for reflection & self-evaluation
- Value, reward & report effort & progress
- Guide attributions; avoid equating failure with lack of ability
- Use achievement as a means for measuring progress
- Allow opportunities for reworking & refinement
- Have students keep records of progress
- Encourage & model transfer