Autonomy in learning at Casvi International American School

Autonomy in learning at Casvi International American School is a key factor. It is the capacity that students develop to organize their own learning process. This fact makes it fundamental for us to promote it so that students can create their own work tools and thus be able to face the challenges of a society in continuous change.

While developing this autonomy, students acquire a leading and active role in the learning process where the classroom becomes a social space in which learning and interaction take place.

Education towards independence

Thanks to small daily activities that they can put into practice both at school and at home, children can learn to be autonomous. However, it is essential to know beforehand the capabilities of each child.

Self-assessment is very important when working on autonomy in learning. In this way, students do not need the teacher to tell them what is right or wrong, but they are the ones who realize and can correct themselves. In this way, students guide their learning in an individual way, personalizing it as much as possible.

The teacher’s role in student autonomy

Offering students at Casvi International American School autonomy in learning makes them better prepared for their professional and personal lives. That is why, in this process, the teacher “steps aside” and allows the students themselves to create their own learning path. However, their role is still essential in fostering, maintaining and supporting this autonomy.

Peter Voller, an expert in learner autonomy, identifies three roles of teachers in relation to the learner:

1. Facilitator. Supports learning.
2. Counselor. Help is requested.
3. Resource. It is a source of orientation for the correct sources of knowledge.

On the other hand, it is important to take care of the relationship between teacher and student. Both parties must understand that the teacher’s role is that of a facilitator and not a tutor. In addition, students should not turn to the teacher as a source of knowledge, but should seek it for themselves.

Autonomy, key to IB at Casvi International American School

The International Baccalaureate methodology stimulates students to think critically and question everything around them. These characteristics are closely linked to the process of autonomy in learning and, at Casvi International American School we work on it. We offer all the necessary tools to our students so that each one builds his or her own knowledge. Thanks to the different units of inquiry, they are the ones who have to investigate the topic studied, understand it, absorb it and put it into practice both at school and in their daily lives.