The Learning Center
I Do, We Do, You Do
The Learning Resource Center (LRC) is a curricular program designed to guide students toward becoming independent self-directed learners. Students entering the program begin by determining their learning styles – strengths and challenges - and their present level of academic functioning across all subject areas. This process of identification is achieved through the compilation of formal diagnostic information, faculty observation, self-reporting and informal diagnostics such as Multiple Intelligences and Learning Styles surveys. The purpose of identifying and building awareness of each student’s academic profile is two-fold. Primarily, it is for the student to gain a deep level of awareness about their personal strengths, challenges and learning styles. The second purpose is for the academic and LRC faculty to create a learning environment that allows students to access important information (content), process it (learning) and then demonstrate that they have learned (assessment).
Once students have developed self awareness of their intelligence and learning styles, they begin to set goals. Goal setting gives students the opportunity to maximize their areas of strength and improve in areas that are challenging to them. Students may identify important academic, social and/or personal goals. Upon setting goals, students must determine the skills, strategies and techniques that will give them the opportunity to be successful. The LRC faculty works with individual students, guiding them through the process of setting goals, building skills and generalizing skills to other content areas. Students and teachers in the program work through this process on a continual basis to:
- Develop specific short-term, mid-term and long-term goals.
- Align strengths and interests with requisite goals.
- Identify and build specific skills to address areas of academic challenge.
- Identify and build specific skills to foster growth in areas of strength.
- Identify and employ community members to support goals and build skills.
- Monitor, adjust and create strategies as needed.
- Participate in activities that foster growth in identified areas.
The LRC teachers monitor and track growth as students solidify skills and internalize methods through goal attainment and accomplishments. Students demonstrate mastery of goals through independent practice and by applying strategies in problem solving situations. These observations are made by all members of the school community connected with the student and their goals. They may include: teachers, residence life parents, sports coaches, counselors, FAU parents and administrators.
Students continue to identify and set new goals as they build upon their skills and utilize strategies. Throughout the process LRC teachers guide student’s learning, monitor their progress and track growth according to their goals.
As students gain a high level of self-directed independent functioning, they have the opportunity to mentor other students as prefects in residence life, academics and in the LRC program. Continued participation in activities that foster, develop and sustain intrapersonal and interpersonal skills help to create a sustainable program that benefits all students and the community.