Creating Independent Learners-Connecting the dots!

I think it is important to create independent learners. I can be considered both and independent and a dependent learner. The difference between the two is that I become an independent learner once I care about whatever I'm learning. To become an independent learner, I have to be somewhat passionate about it. I have to understand the why. I think that educators create independent learners by giving them the opportuntiy to engage in authentic leaarning opportunities. By do this, you are relating the content to everyday life which is really important to preparing students for the future. I also think that I'm creating independent learners by letting students have control of the way that they present their projects in my project based class. I give them the guidelines and then I give them freedom to express themselves as they continue to learn. This gives them a chance to use their creativity as they learn which allows them to be engaged. I also try to tap in to things that they are interested in by bringing technology into the lessons because many of the teenagers I taught were passionate about technology. By doing these things, the students were invested in the learning because they could make it their own and often they would be independent learners. Creating a space for students to use their imagination and be creative while learning really did make a huge difference.