Core practices- Soltitude and Reflection

One of the benefits of a 7 hour flight is the opportunity to read. The expeditionary learning design principles of SOLITUDE and REFLECTION has provided some food for thought. Firtsly, our head of maths visit to China brought back the idea of all student having a daily(?) self study time as part of their daily timetable. Subject Teachers set tasks for the students to complete during this time. The students worked in silence and completed their tasks.  

This could be very powerful if the tasks involved not just practice of a skill, but deliberate practice. Deliberate practice requires  

-              bigger problem that can be broken down to smaller ones.

-              An understanding of the task at hand so that it allows investment into a conscious and focused effort.

-              An element of choice or control over what is practiced.

-              A chance to deconstruct and restructure learning.

Although this reflection is very much content driven I kind of like this idea. It is very easy to see how this routine could instil the character traits of scholarship.

Can Modialic provide a framework for structuring the choice and nature of these tasks. I do think that these need to be about revisiting concepts previously studied, and not  about learning new content.

The section on FOSTERING CHARACTER, devides this into two parts.

1.       Relational character for positive collaboration and responsible participation (eg Kindness)

2.       Performance Character or Habits of scholarship..

I like this dichotomy.

Where in our curriculum do we give students the space to be able to practice these skills?

How do the EL schools provide the time for this?