IATEFL Learner Autonomy Special Interest Group
A website to share news and resources related to learner autonomy.
Releasing worms and deciding on keepers
On Tuesday, 11th March 2006 at the 40th International IATEFL Conference in Harrogate, the newly-renamed Learner Autonomy Special Interest Group (formerly Learner Independence SIG) held its Open Forum. The incoming Coordinator Carol Everhard convened the meeting and presented to the members present her idea of ‘releasing’ some of the ‘worms’ from the ‘can’ which was opened in ‘Independence’ issue 37, Spring 2006.It was decided that 7 worms would be released initially and it was thought that one of seven key aspects of interest in the area of Autonomy in Language Learning could be assigned to each worm. The areas selected for the worms were as follows (in alphabetical order):
1) Assessment
2) Autonomy and its Appropriateness
3) Counselling / Advising
4) Learner Training
5) Motivation
6) Self-access
7) Teacher Autonomy
The Forum then deliberated on which experts might be approached to take up office as ‘Keepers of Worms’, the task of the said Keepers being to begin the process of ‘throwing light’ on these areas of concern, by producing a piece of writing to be published in Independence and then to be responsible for the route which each worm would take across the globe. Thus, the idea behind the releasing of worms is to generate a chain of correspondence and literature on each topic as the worm is passed on from one expert, on each particular topic, to another. Each ‘worm’ has a torch in its ‘head’, which symbolizes the fact that each expert will ‘throw light’ on their particular area of specialization and will ‘enlighten’ us with their knowledge and research.
Each ‘Keeper’ will both keep track and determine the course and progress of their ‘worm’ and the plan culminates in a ‘Gathering of Keepers’ at a Learner Autonomy SIG Pre-Conference Event at the 41st International IATEFL Conference in Aberdeen, Scotland on Wednesday 18th April 2007, where they will further enlighten members.
See the progress of the original worms
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