Three Ways to Make Learning More Natural

Ideally~ learning should be a natural process.

Unfortunately~ with testing pressures and varied instructional approaches~ the process of discovering and mastering new skills and information is often contrived and~ frankly~ learned in an unnatural manner.

During his three decades of research into gifted education~ Dr. Joseph Renzulli developed what is known as the Schoolwide Enrichment Model or SEM. Within that model~ he explains that there are three types of activities~ which work together and are based on the natural learning process.

It is my goal in this blog to summarize these types of activities~ then~ demonstrate how this three-step approach can be used to enhance instruction in the general education classroom. Ultimately~ you will find that Renzullis work~ and other best practices of gifted education~ support and enrich the general curriculum and gracefully help educators achieve differentiation among students.

The three types of activities are as follows: general exploratory~ whole class training in the development of how-to-learn skills~ and individual and small group investigations. During type one activities~ students are exposed to various topics and subjects not normally found in the curriculum. This can be accomplished in a number of ways~ including the use of guest speakers~ demonstrations~ videos~ etc. The purpose is to help students discover their interests and passions. The second activity involves whole group training in research skills~ critical and creative thinking skills~ and other skills need to learn. The final activity involves students investigating topics in depth and developing products for real audiences.

The three activities support each other. For instance~ a student may become fascinated with medieval armor after viewing a video but requires research and other skills to further pursue this interest. Later~ the student might engage in an investigation of types of armor used during the time period~ with the goal of creating a suit of armor made of paper mache.
Lets take this interacting three activity approach and apply it to general classroom instruction. Perhaps the class is studying the Civil War during social studies. The teacher might provide a list of possible topics related to slavery in hopes of connecting students to their interests. Using videos~ presentations and other methods~ students might be exposed to the economics of the war~ the role of the President and government~ the lifestyle of soldiers~ slavery~ weapons and warfare tactics~ diseases and medical treatments~ photography~ etc. (type one activities).

Students could then choose a topic from the list that interests them~ which serves as a way to differentiate learning.
Next~ the teacher could provide basic training in how to use the Internet and other resources to gather and record information. This might include discerning between reliable and questionable web sites~ how to document and cite resources~ word processing~ and other skills (type two activities).

Finally~ students could break into small groups based on their original interest selection to conduct investigations~ with the goal of producing a product to share with an appropriate audience (type three activities). For example~ students interested in photography could study the methods and equipment used during the Civil War~ then~ create a video slide show that shares the information. Since students choose their own product to create~ the teacher is providing differentiation again.

The three activities overlap in a manner that may require students to return to a previous phase. For instance~ students investigating a particular topic may realize they need to go back and learn additional skills. Additionally~ as they study topics in depth~ students may discover new passions and interests that they want to later study.

The SEM models three types of activities provide a sure-fire framework for making learning more natural~ enjoyable and personalized. The beauty of the approach is that it is not confined to certain subjects or curriculum~ and it serves as a fluid~ flexible method to enhance instruction among any level of learner.

To comment on this topic~ please visit the Gifted/Enrichment group at http://community.educationworld.comcontent/how-make-learning-more-natural?gid=NTEyMQ==