Independent tasks require students to develop, practice, test, and retrieve targeted skills, knowledge, and understanding. Independent tasks are critical for individual assessments, but also are an essential piece of owning learning, being independent, and feeling capable.
Rules for Independent Tasks
- Eyes on Own Paper
- Silent
- Use help resource provided (not peers or teacher)
- Sustain focus for a given period of time
Teacher help students to persist and reflect on independent tasks with self-regulated learning prompts. See examples below of how teachers embed prompts in everyday tasks and worksheets to help students own their own learning and harness their will to tackle tough tasks.
Planning
- Set Goals
- Metacognitive Activation
- Motivation Activation
- Prior Content Knowledge
Monitoring and Controlling
- Thinking
- Motivation
- Behavior
Reflecting and Setting New Goals
- Evaluating Progress
- Evaluating Quality in Product/Performance
- Evaluating Process