Giving Compass' Take:

• Amanda Abrams argues that schools should embrace self-directed education to help students find their own way and avoid the trap of standardized tests. 

• How can funders help to determine the most effective teaching methods? How does context impact the outcomes of self-directed learning? 

• Learn about project-based learning. 

If you’re a kid, the idea is essentially nirvana: come to school and do whatever you want. That could mean playing video games all day, making forts in the woods, or spending hours reading Harry Potter.

It is the basic tenet of a learning style called “self-directed education,” which has been gaining momentum in recent years. Students decide how to spend their time, with the presumption that they’re natural learners who develop best when engaged in activities that genuinely interest them.

There isn’t a lot of research available, but several studies have shown that roughly three-quarters of self-directed learning program graduates go on to college or other educational programs, and the vast majority find fulfilling careers.

But do the students in these programs actually learn what they’ll need to know in the real world? Can self-directed education work for children of all socioeconomic levels, or is it only designed to function for those whose families can contribute much of the resources, structure, and essential learning they’ll need?

These questions, say proponents, misunderstand what self-directed education is and how it works. It’s not about children being taught. Rather, the method allows them—regardless of income status—to learn organically by focusing on what they’re really interested in and to teach themselves what they need to know.

Read the full article about self-directed education by Amanda Abrams at YES! Magazine.