Building learning power (BLP) is an educational tool that aims to improve the
way schools prepare young people to become more well-rounded. This means that by making students
more aware of who they are on a mental, emotional and social level it builds up their capacity to
cope with challenges and uncertainty.
In the face of a changing economy and with more demands to the workforce, these skills are
becoming more necessary in developing what some in education call ‘the well rounded
student’.
It highlights that the focus on academics is only one part of puzzle of success especially as
students gear up to enter A-levels and university.
The core beliefs of BLP is:
1. that the core purposes of education is to prepare young people for life after school;
2.
the purpose of education is valuable for all young people and involves helping them discover
things that they excel at and increase their capacity to pursue them
3. Confidence,
capability and passion can be developed as it is grows with time
BLP schools aims to develop gradually so that students and teachers alike become attune to the
new aims and culture of the school. The key feature of BLP is that molds and evolves as it
constantly has its ear to the pulse of current trends in child psychology, neurology and
sociology. This alongside getting BLP teachers who directly contribute to the practicality of
using the framework in schools gives the tool a relevance to the constant changes of young
people in the classroom.
The BLP framework was developed by Dr. Guy Claxton, a cognitive scientist and author. He proposes
that there are 17 learning abilities that are grouped into four core areas called reciprocity,
reflection, resourcefulness and resilience.
How does it apply to me?
Not everyone has the opportunity to attend a BLP school however these tools are still applicable
as one goes forward into further education. Though these tools are crafted for teachers, it is
vital information that can help you understand where your key strengths and areas of development
lie.
Key tools such as being resilient and reflective allow for you to persevere and plan adequately
when challenges arise.
As students in the classroom, being able to make links and question allows you to develop
critical thinking skills and fine-tunes your ability to understand how things connect.
Think about the different ways you can challenge your ways of learning, how can you become more
inquisitive, how can you plan ahead for your revision so you balance free time and your
studies?
Though this tool is used for schools and teachers, it plays a key role in emphasising that
students have to take a driver seat to their learning and BLP is only one step along the chain
of tools that can be used to improve your educational experience.
Additional
resources:
Debunking
Popular Learning Myths
Do You Know
Your Personal Learning Style?
Finding Your Own
Learning Method
