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What are some student-centered approaches or techniques for reading?

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What are some student-centered approaches or techniques for reading?

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Aaron Lowers

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How Would You Design the Learning Tool Kit Of Your Students’ Online Learning Environment

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How Would You Design the Learning Tool Kit Of Your Students’ Online Learning Environment

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Evan Williamson

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What student-centered approaches or techniques can you use to address differentiation?

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What student-centered approaches or techniques can you use to address differentiation?

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Sadie Rhinesmith de Martinez

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Collaborative Learning Defined Peer-to-Peer, Pairs, Small Groups

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Collaborative Learning Defined Peer-to-Peer, Pairs, Small Groups

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"Collaborative learning can occur peer-to-peer or in larger groups. Peer learning, or peer instruction, is a type of collaborative learning that involves students working in pairs or small groups to discuss concepts or find solutions to problems. Similar to the idea that two or three heads are better than one, educational researchers have found that through peer instruction, students teach each other by addressing misunderstandings and clarifying misconceptions."

https://teaching.cornell.edu/teaching-resources/active-collaborative-learning/collaborative-learning

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The Kinesthetic Classroom: Teaching and Learning through Movement

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The Kinesthetic Classroom: Teaching and Learning through Movement

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(Tedx Talks,2015)

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The Kinesthetic Classroom: Teaching and Learning through Movement | Michael Kuczala | TEDxAshburn

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The Benefits of Physical Activity on the Learner

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The Benefits of Physical Activity on the Learner

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Student-centered approaches that include physical movement are a form of kinesthetic learning that can be very effective, especially when introducing new concepts.  Research has shown that movement creates more oxygen in the blood, which in turn, means that there is more oxygen brought to the brain.  This leads to a significant increase in learning.

Gallardo, Mayra (2016)

Student-centered approaches or techniques that include physical movement as a central element

Classroom physical activity benefits students by:
• Improving their concentration and ability to stay on-task in the classroom.
• Reducing disruptive behavior, such as fidgeting, in the classroom.
• Improving their motivation and engagement in the learning process.
• Helping to improve their academic performance (higher grades and test scores).
• Increasing their amount of daily physical activity.

(2018) Strategies for Classroom Physical Activity in Schools

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Examples of Physical Activity in the Classroom

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Examples of Physical Activity in the Classroom

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There are certain student-centered approaches or techniques that include physical movement that could be used in any subject such as:

Independent projects
Group discussion
Peer mentoring of other students
Debates
Field-trips
Practical/ Rehearsals
Computer learning
Portfolio development
Poster presentations
Mind maps
Role play
Writing newspaper/ blog articles

Gallardo, Mayra (2016)

Student-centered approaches or techniques that include physical movement as a central element

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Student centered learning has 4 principles: it is personalized, students take ownership of their learning, it is competency based, and it can happen anytime, anywhere. (Source 1) Differentiation directly supports two of those principles - personalization, and competency based.
Differentiation is a type of learning where instruction is adapted to meet the student's needs, preferences, and/or goals (Source 2). This can lead to personalized learning and can be focused on competency based, allowing students to practice the same content but in the ways and speeds that work for them.

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The first step is getting to know your students! This can be through certain assessments like diagnostic tests, "all about me" activities, or even surveys (see a 1st grade example here). You will be looking for information in these three areas:
1) Readiness
2) Interest
3)Learning Profile
(Source 3)

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Page 3: Know Your Students

As discussed previously, when they differentiate instruction, teachers design lessons to address the needs of groups of students. Before teachers can do this, however, they must first get to know their students in terms of:

Readiness Interest Learning Profile

Readiness refers to a student's knowledge and skill level regarding given content. A student's readiness level might vary across subjects or content areas. For example, a student may have extensive knowledge about ancient Egypt but have little knowledge about the Incan civilization. Additionally, a student's readiness may be influenced by his or her background knowledge, life experiences, or previous learning. Teachers can determine the level at which a student is working in a given subject area by:

Did You Know?

Learning occurs when a student is asked to complete a task that is just beyond what he or she can do independently, or, in other words, in his or her proximal zone of development.

Examining the results of formal or informal tests (e.g., standardized test, unit pre-test)

Viewing a student's academic record

Examining work samples

Administering a student self-report measure
(View sample questions)

Asking students to complete a KWL chart
(View example KWL chart)

Sample Questions: Self-Report Measure

1. What was the purpose of the American Revolution?
_________________________________________________________________

2. When was the American Revolution? ___________________________

3. What countries fought in the American Revolution?
_________________________________________________________________

4. Name two people who participated in the American Revolution.

5. What was the outcome of the American Revolution?
_________________________________________________________________

Example KWL Chart
Topic of Study The American Revolution

1. We fought the British

2. We won the war

3. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and it was signed on July 4, 1776

1. Why did we fight the war?

2. What kind of weapons did they use?

3. Were people drafted?

1. We fought the war because we thought it was unfair that England was taxing us.

2. The war was mostly fought with guns.

3. During the war, lots of people in America volunteered, but sometimes the states drafted men.

Interest

Interest refers to topics, skills, or activities that pique a student's curiosity or inspire him or her. Teachers can discover their students' interests by determining what topics they enjoy or which activities they engage in outside of class. They can do so by asking students to:
Sample Inventory
Me

My name is ___________________________________________, and I am _________________

years old. I was born in a place called ____________________________________________

and have ____________ brothers and sisters. I have ________________ pets. They are

(describe them; dogs, cats, rabbits) _______________________________________________

and their names are _____________________________________________________________.

One of the things I like to do best is _____________________________________________.

Another thing I like to do is ____________________________________________. If I could

go anywhere in the world, it would be to ______________________________________. I

want to go there because ____________________________________________________. If I

could meet anyone, it would be ________________________________________. I want to

meet him or her because ______________________________________________. One day,

when I get older, I want to be a _________________________________________________.

Here are some of my favorite things. I love to eat __________________________________

I love to read ______________________________________________________. I love to watch

__________________________________. I love to listen to ________________________________.

My favorite color is ___________________. My favorite holiday is ______________________.

My favorite school subject is _______________________________________________________.

If I could do anything in the world, I'd _______________________________________________.

If I could have anything in the world, it would be ____________________________________.
Sample Ice-Breaker Activities
Interview your neighbor: Students work in pairs. They interview one another and then report their findings to the rest of the class. The students can interview each other about any topic, such as hobbies, sports heroes, family members, or favorite subjects.

Stranded on a desert island: Students make a list of ten items they would like to have if they were stranded on a desert island. The only items they cannot list are other people.

Biography bingo: The teacher collects a personal fact from each student and creates a bingo card with the information. The students ask questions of each other. They mark a square each time they match a fact with a classmate. The first to match five facts in a row gets a bingo.

Learning Profile

Learning profile refers to a student's preferred method of learning new information or skills (e.g., visually, hands-on, through deductive means) and to environmental factors that influence a student's learning (e.g., small group, bright lights, no distractions). A student's profile can also be influenced by gender and culture. For example, students from cultural backgrounds that value cooperation over competition may perform better in a small group versus working independently. Teachers can assess a student's preferred method of learning by:

Differentiation doesn't ask teachers to begin by individualizing instruction.... It asks teachers to look for patterns of need.

Carol Ann Tomlinson (2010)
Sample Questions: Learning Profile Inventory
Name ______________________________________ Date _____________________

1. I remember information better if the teacher:

1. Discusses it

2. Shows us pictures or diagrams

3. Allows us to do a hands-on activity

2. When Working on a project in class, I prefer to:

1. Work in a group

2. Work by myself

3. Work with one peer

3. When studying information for a test, I:

1. Visualize the information (e.g., text on the page, diagram)

2. Write down the important facts (e.g., make notecards)

3. Make up a rhyme

4. When I'm doing my homework, I like:

1. To listen to music

2. To have silence

3. To work where other people are

5. I enjoy:

1. Building things

2. Taking pictures or making movies

3. Making up rap songs

For Your Information

When they collect information to better understand a student's learning profile, teachers should also take note of each student's affect, or emotions and feelings. Teachers should strive to understand how students feel about themselves and what makes each of them feel successful or discouraged.

Teachers are often concerned about their ability to teach students with disabilities in the general education classroom. Carol Ann Tomlinson discusses how a differentiated classroom meets the needs of a wide range of students (time: 1:02).

Carol Ann Tomlinson, EdD
Professor of Educational Leadership, Foundations, and Policy
The University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA

Transcript: Carol Ann Tomlinson, EdD
Effective differentiation is very natural for students with exceptionalities simply because it's a classroom that says we can do more than one thing at a time here, and we can aim for more than one target, or we can do it in more than one way. The teacher can present information in more than one way. Kids can work with information. They can show they're learning in more than one way. Sometimes a teacher can work with anybody. Kids can work with each other. So I think it's much more natural in schools that I've observed where people really differentiate with skill. I've been pleased to see how many kinds of kids really find a place that works for them in a differentiated classroom. I think there clearly are kids for whom no classroom is going to be the best solution all the time. But one of the goals of differentiation is to create learning spaces that really make much more room for far more kids to learn much more vigorously and effectively. That's really what it's designed for.

Michelle Giddens discusses how differentiated instruction allowed her to better meet the needs of students with diverse needs (time: 0:33).

Michelle Giddens, MEd
Assistant Principal Intern,Former Third-Grade Teacher
Sarasota, FL

Transcript: Michelle Giddens, MEd
My students with disabilities and my struggling learners and English language learners responded to differentiated instruction well. Differentiating my instruction for these students meant that I was really tapping into what their needs were as a learner, and I was able to design my instruction, really fostering growth for them and their strengths and then working on areas where they needed to improve. So it really allowed me to cater my teaching and my instruction toward their needs.

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As discussed previously, when they differentiate instruction, teachers design lessons to address the needs of groups of students. Before teachers can do this, however, they must first get to know their students in terms of: Readiness Interest Learning Profile Readiness refers to a student's knowledge and skill level regarding given content.

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To differentiate content in a student-centered learning space, you can:
1. Provide a Variety of Materials - give students option as to what tools or resources they use to learn the content!
2. Tiered Content - think about the needs of each student and tailor the content (this often means changing difficulty level)
3. Chunking  - teach students how to break something down into small parts and work with that "chunk" only
(Source 4 and 5)

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Chunking helps students approach challenging texts by breaking down content into manageable pieces.

English & Language Arts

History

Social Studies

Most teachers are willing to tackle the difficult topics, but we need the tools.

- Gabriela Calderon-Espinal, Bay Shore, NY

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Chunking helps students approach challenging texts by breaking down content into manageable pieces.

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To differentiate the process in a student-centered learning space, you can:
1. Use learning centers - these are activities centered around a common theme and practice skills in various ways. These can also be organized by interest and students can move throughout the different centers in different ways
2. Jigsaw -  break students into groups, then break the content into pieces, and let the students explore those pieces. Then send students into heterogenous groups so everyone can present their piece of the content.
(Source 6 and 7)

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Page 6: Differentiate Process

When teachers differentiate process, they teach the same concept or skill to each student; however, the manner in which each student makes sense of the topic or skill can vary. Therefore, teachers should vary the activities students use to master the concepts or skills. They can decide how best to do this by taking into account their students' readiness levels, interests, or learning profiles. Teachers can break the students into groups or pairs to work on different activities or might assign individual tasks. The table below suggests several strategies for differentiating process. Click on each link for detailed information about implementing these strategies.
Tiered Activities
For Your Information

When teachers tier content, all students complete the same activity (e.g., a worksheet, report), but the content varies in difficulty. When teachers tier process, the activities by which the students learn information vary in complexity.

One way to differentiate process for heterogeneous classrooms is to design tiered lessons. When teachers tier a lesson, they design instructional tasks that are challenging for students at different levels of readiness: low, middle, and high levels. Although the students should master the same content or core skills, the means by which they do so vary. The activities assigned to the low, middle, and high groups often differ in complexity, depth of information, or level of abstraction.

Before tiering a lesson on a particular skill or topic area, the teacher should preassess the students. She should then use that information to help assign students to each of the readiness levels and to begin designing the lesson.

Step 1:

Consider your students' range of knowledge on the topic or about the skill, their prior knowledge, and their reading levels. Also keep in mind your students' interests and learning profiles.

Step 2:

Create an activity that is challenging, engaging, and targets the topic or skill.

Some teachers prefer to begin with the middle group and then design activities for students who are struggling and those who are more advanced. Others prefer to design an activity that is challenging for the advanced learners and modify for the average and struggling learners to ensure that high standards are maintained for each group. The table below outlines features for a tiered lesson with three groups that target struggling, average, and advanced learners.

Group 1: Students who are struggling with a topic

Requires less difficult independent reading.

Has materials based on the average reading level of the participants, which is usually below grade level.

Has spare text and lots of graphic aids.

Has a low level of abstraction (i.e., is as concrete as possible).

Requires fewer steps to complete the assignment

Converges on "right answers" to solve problems.

Requires only knowledge and comprehension levels of thinking for independent work.

Includes supportive strategies, such as graphic organizers or teacher prompting to help students infer and draw conclusions. (i.e., use higher level thinking skills)

Group 2: Average learners

Includes independent reading materials from the textbook or other on-grade level sources.

Uses concrete concepts to help students transition to more abstract concepts.

Includes questions or problems that are a mix of open-ended and "right answers."

Can have more steps.

Expects students to infer and draw conclusions with less teacher support. Teacher should count on being on hand if necessary to prompt students in this area.

Ensures that students can be successful with knowledge, comprehension, and application on their own, and that with help they can address some of the high levels of thinking

Group 3: Advanced or gifted learners

Includes reading materials from sources more complex than the textbook, if possible.

Requires more lengthy sources because students can read faster than lower or average students.

Focuses on abstract concepts as much as possible and uses open-ended questions exclusively.

Requires students to infer and evaluate.

Assumes students have knowledge, comprehension, and application abilities, and that they will be challenged only if you ask them to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate.

Adapted from Spencer Northey, S. (2005). Handbook on Differentiated Instruction for Middle and High Schools. Larchmont, NY: Eye On Education, p. 76

Below is an example of a lesson that is tiered in process (according to readiness). Note how each group is working on different tasks even though all students are working on the same key concept.

Key Concept: Reading books with chapters to show how ideas are advanced.
Lesson: Chapters 3 and 4 of the book Help, I'm a Prisoner in the Library (students have previously read chapters 1 and 2.)

This group will work on knowledge/ comprehension tasks for chapters 3 and 4.

1. Where does Mary Rose find the phone?

2. Which sister has the bigger imagination? How does she picture the librarian in her mind? Find the passage on p. 23 that describes her idea of the librarian and write down the descriptive words.

3. What is a blizzard?

(Note: For illustrative purposes, only 3 of 10 questions have been listed.)

Now draw a picture of some part of chapters 3 and 4 that you think is the scariest.

This group will work at the analysis level to study the events in chapters 3 and 4.

1. Make two lists, one with Mary Rose at the top and one with Jo-Beth at the top. Under each girl, list things about her that you find in these chapters.

2. Now create a Venn diagram in which you draw two circles with a part of each circle joining the other circle. In the joined section, put words that show things that are the same for both girls. In the part of the circles that is not shared, put your words from each of your lists about the girls.

3. Explain your circle diagram to the class.

Share with the class your descriptions in your Venn diagrams.

This group will work on synthesis/ evaluation tasks for chapters 3 and 4.

1. Tell the story from the point of view of the Mynah bird. Go back through chapters 3 and 4 and first list all the things the Mynah bird sees and says. Then write these chapters from its point of view.

2. Or-Think about all the scary things that happen in chapters 3 and 4. List them in order from least scary to most scary telling why each item is scary.

Share your work with the class during sharing time.

Adapted from http://www.doe.in.gov/exceptional/gt/tiered_curriculum/languagearts/la4r.htm
Learning Centers
A learning center is a defined area of the classroom organized around a topic, theme, or activity in which students learn, practice, or build on a concept or skill. Learning centers, most often used in elementary classrooms, are an effective way for teachers to offer a range of activities that can target students' readiness levels, interests, or learning profiles. The center should contain the instructions and the materials that students will need to complete the activity. If the teacher is using the center to differentiate by readiness level, it is helpful to color-code the materials. Although students can work in small groups or pairs to complete a learning center activity, they often complete these activities independently.

Learning Center

This is an example of a learning center based on readiness level (struggling students, red folders; average students, orange folders; advanced students, green folders).

Theme: Metamorphosis
Unit of Study: Insects
Materials: Plastic models of each stage of the butterfly's life cycle, pictures of all stages of the life cycle, poster of different caterpillars and the corresponding butterflies, books about the butterfly's life cycle, a bug box containing several caterpillars.

Tip

Students find learning centers more engaging if they are decorated with items that relate to the topic of the activity. For example, during a history unit on the Pilgrims, the learning center might contain a trunk of period clothing and be decorated to represent the deck of the Mayflower.

In addition to learning centers, learning stations and interest centers offer students opportunities to acquire information about a topic or skill.

Learning Stations

Learning stations are areas of the classroom organized around a topic, theme, or skill. They can target students' readiness levels, interests, or learning profiles. The teacher creates several stations that cover portions of the material. To learn about the topic, students must complete the activities at each station. For example, during a unit on weather, the teacher might create four learning stations: temperature, atmospheric pressure, clouds, and the water cycle.

Interest Centers

Interest centers are a type of learning center. They provide an opportunity for students to acquire in-depth knowledge about a topic of interest. Unlike in traditional learning centers, students are not required to complete the activities in the center but can choose to visit the center when time allows. The topic might or might not be related to the unit of study. For example, when teaching about metamorphosis using the life cycle of the butterfly, the teacher might also create an interest center focusing on the life cycle of the frog so that students can delve deeper into the topic.
Interactive Journals
An interactive journal, sometimes referred to as a dialogue journal, is a notebook in which the student and teacher communicate through writing. The teacher can differentiate instruction by varying the journal prompts for different groups of students based on interests or readiness level. The teacher should introduce journaling as an in-class activity. He or she can allow students up to ten minutes at the beginning or end of class once or twice per week to complete an entry. When students understand the procedures for completing a journal entry, the teacher might assign this activity as homework. After the students complete their entries, the teacher should read them and respond in a timely manner. Because this activity is meant to encourage students to write openly, the teacher should not correct grammar, spelling, or content. Instead, the teacher should model good writing. Below is an example.

When you told me about yourself, you said that last year you visited Spain with your family. That is wonderful! I want to know more about it. Why did you go and how long were you there? What did you see and what was your favorite part of the trip? What was the food like?

I went to Spain with my family last year. It was a vacation, we were there for two weeks. My mother speaks spanish. I saw Alcazar, a castle in Sevil that is really old. There were other castles too. I learned that Spain was once conquerred by the Moors, who were north Africans. My favorite part of the trip was the beach and swimming. Me and my sisters rode horses too. The food in Spain was really, really good. I liked patatas bravas, which is kind of like French fries. I liked the fish too but not chiperones. It is squid.

Tip

By staggering the reading of student journals across several days, teachers give themselves more time to respond thoughtfully.

For Your Information

Teachers can use journals as a form of ongoing assessment. By reading a student's journal entry, the teacher can determine his or her depth of understanding and identify gaps in his or her knowledge.
Graphic Organizers
A graphic organizer, sometimes called a web or concept map, can be a diagram, outline, or chart on which students arrange information. By using graphic organizers, students can:

Gather important information

Organize information

More easily process information

See relationships between ideas

More easily understand, remember, and apply information

As a general rule, graphic organizers should be simple in nature. To maximize differentiation, the teacher should be very flexible when using graphic organizers. The teacher can do this by:

Allowing students to choose the type of graphic organizer to use

Allowing students to choose how to complete the organizer (e.g., with text, with illustrations, in home language)

Filling in some, a little, or none of the graphic organizer for students at different levels

Providing direct access to the information needed to complete the organizer versus asking students to research the information independently

Providing a graphic organizer that requires basic information instead of very detailed information

To learn more about different types of graphic organizers, see the table below.

Venn Diagram

An organizer that helps students understand what information two topics have in common, as well as what is unique to each.

Frayer Model

An organizer that helps students learn about new concepts. The new word is written in the middle and the student fills in the remaining boxes.

KWL Chart

An organizer to determine what students know about a topic, what they want to learn, and what they have learned. The first two columns are filled in before reading the material and the last column is filled in as the student progresses through the unit (e.g., added to column at the end of each day) or at the end of the unit.

Flow Chart

An organizer that helps students describe a process or other sequential information.

Word Web

An organizer that helps students describe a process or other sequential information. An organizer that helps students gain a deeper understanding of the meaning of a word.

The word is written in the center and synonyms, antonyms, and examples are written in shapes that surround the center word.

Tree Diagram

An organizer that helps students understand hierarchical relationships.

Jigsaw Activities
Jigsaw is a cooperative learning strategy in which the class is divided into small groups consisting of five to six students. These small groups serve as the students' home base. Each member of the home-base group is assigned to an "expert" group to learn a portion of the content. After the students meet in their expert group and learn their specified content, they return to their home-base groups to share what they have learned with the other group members. This strategy allows everyone in the class to learn all the content relevant to the subject, as opposed to just the piece they were responsible for. The jigsaw strategy can be implemented during one class period or across a number of class periods, depending on the depth or complexity of the content or skill being learned.

1. Create small heterogeneous groups of five to six students (i.e., home-base groups).

2. Assign one student per group to be the leader.

3. Divide the lesson into sections. The number of sections will depend on how many students are in the groups.

4. Assign one student from each group to learn a section of the lesson. Teachers can assign students based on readiness or interest.

5. Allow students time to study the content for the section they have been assigned.

6. Direct students to meet with students from other groups who have been assigned the same section of the lesson (i.e., "expert" groups). Give students time to learn the content and to practice how they will present this information to their home-base groups.

7. Instruct students to return to their home-base groups.

8. Provide time for each student in the home-base group to report their findings. Also encourage group members to ask questions of the presenter for greater understanding and clarification. (Note: The leader will be responsible for making sure that each member of the group is given time to present their information and participate in the discussion.)

9. Monitor the groups.

10. Assess the students' understanding of the concept or skill.

In the example that follows, the teacher uses the ten steps listed above to implement the jigsaw strategy during a unit on Brazil. He implements this strategy across a one-week period.
Manipulatives
Teachers can differentiate instruction by providing manipulatives for those students who are having difficulty understanding a concept. Manipulatives are concrete objects that students can use to develop a conceptual understanding of a topic or skill. These objects help students represent the idea they are trying to learn or the problem they are trying to solve. For example, the teacher might demonstrate the idea of fractions by slicing a pie into pieces. It is important that the teacher make explicit the connection between the concrete object and the abstract concept being taught. Below are several examples of students using manipulatives.

A student uses a number line (i.e., a visual representation) to add two single-digit numbers.

Two students use an abacus to practice counting by fives.

A student uses colored cubes to work on pattern recognition.

Tip

Another way to differentiate process is to vary the length of time students have to complete a task. This allows struggling students more time to grasp the concept and permits advanced students more time to delve deeper into a topic.

Watch the video below to learn how one teacher differentiates process in her classroom. In particular, she discusses the use of manipulatives and learning centers (time: 4:21).

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When teachers differentiate process, they teach the same concept or skill to each student; however, the manner in which each student makes sense of the topic or skill can vary. Therefore, teachers should vary the activities students use to master the concepts or skills.

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To differentiate the product in a student-centered learning space, you can:
1. Learning Menu - build a menu of options students can choose from as to how they present their learning. You can even give a "wild" space for students to present their own idea!
2. Toolbox - students can create their own "toolbox", collecting strategies and skills they have learned over a unit and putting them together. (Original idea is to think of tools for self care but can be modified to other areas)

(Source 8 and 9)

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Page 7: Differentiate Product

When teachers differentiate product, they assess the same concept or skill for each student at the end of a unit of study; however, teachers offer their students a variety of ways to demonstrate their knowledge (e.g., video, written report). When doing so, the teacher strives to:

Make the product assignment challenging but not so difficult or complex that the students are unable to complete it on their own.

Provide clear directions.

Create a task that reflects real-world application.

Teachers should also include visual, auditory, and kinesthetic (i.e., involving movement or hands-on activities) options as well as analytic, creative, and practical ones. They might also allow the students to complete the product alone or as a group. Although teachers typically allow students to choose the type of product they complete, they need to make clear that their students cannot always choose to complete the same type of product assignment. The table below highlights a few strategies for differentiating product. Click on each link to learn detailed information about implementing these strategies.
Tiered Products
Keep in Mind

To design and match the product assignments to the students' readiness levels, teachers should refer to the pre-assessment and ongoing assessments results.

As activities can be tiered to differentiate the learning process, so too can products be tiered to differentiate how students demonstrate their learning. When teachers assess students' knowledge in this way, they design a range of products that are challenging for students at different levels of readiness (in general low, middle, and high groups).

The example below illustrates the use of tiered products. By being aware of her students' readiness levels, the teacher has developed a different assignment for each level of learner: Group 1, below grade-level learners; Group 2, grade-level learners; and Group 3, above grade-level learners.

Key Concept: Make and Revise Predictions.
Lesson: Students have been reading a novel, The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. They have just finished the first chapter and will make predictions based on the events that have transpired. Their predictions will come in written form and will be turned in at the end of class.

These students need to understand the events of the first chapter of the novel. They will have read the chapter but will answer questions given to them to check on their comprehension of the facts of the chapter first. After understanding the facts, they will write a letter from Kit to her friend in Barbados telling what she expects will happen next. The letter needs to be turned in at the end of the class.

These students will analyze the events in chapter one. They will analyze according to Kit's thoughts concerning her "disappointment in America." They will focus on analysis of why America would be disappointing to a person who was coming from Barbados. Do a prewriting exercise of creating a Venn diagram that shows a comparison of America (as Kit sees it) and Barbados (as Kit remembers it). Then use your information to write a journal entry from Kit's point of view that explains why she is so disappointed and predicts what she thinks will happen next. Turn in your journal entry at the end of the class.

These students will synthesize the words used in chapter one according to what the words help them learn about Kit. They will then predict what will happen next from a synthesis of the words used to tell the events in the first chapter. Important words to present to them to begin their search are embarrassment (p.6), dour-looking (p.7), impulsively (p.8), Heathen Island (p.11), Puritans (p.12), humiliation (p.13), respectable woman (p. 13), and nonchalance (p. 14). If they do not know word meanings, they should begin their search in a dictionary. Then they should write Kit's explanation (in any form they choose) of what has happened and what she predicts next. Turn in the piece at the end of class.

Adapted from http://www.doe.in.gov/exceptional/gt/tiered_curriculum/languagearts/la5r.htm
Tic Tac Toe
Tic-tac-toe, sometimes referred to as Think-tac-toe, is a method of offering students choices in the type of products they complete to demonstrate their knowledge. As in a traditional tic-tac-toe game, students are presented with a nine-cell table of options. The teacher should make sure that all options address the key concept or skill being learned. There are several variations on this method:

Students choose three product options that form a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line.

Students choose one product choice from each row or from each column (without forming a straight line).

The teacher can create two or more versions to address the different readiness levels.

In the example below, a high-school teacher creates a Tic-tac-toe assignment for a unit on Romeo and Juliet. The teacher wants the students to complete assignments for three categories: characters, setting, and theme. Notice that the teacher creates three assignments for each of these categories, resulting in a total of nine tasks from which students can choose.

Example

Directions: Complete one activity from each row.

Write an essay comparing and contrasting yourself to one of the major characters.

Create a list of at least five interview questions to ask Romeo or Juliet about what the reader should learn from their experiences. Create an audio including the questions and answers.

Now that you've read Romeo and Juliet and watched Westside Story, create a play that contains these two major characters and is set in modern times.

Choose your favorite scene and describe how the setting affects the mood of the play.

Choose your favorite scene and create a detailed scaled model of it.

Choose your favorite scene and write an essay describing the differences in the settings of Romeo and Juliet and Westside Story.

List five well-known quotes from the play. List the character who said the quote and describe how each quote relates to a major theme of the play.

Create a table that compares and contrasts the Montagues and Capulets with the Hatfields and McCoys.

Create a video trailer for a new version of the movie Romeo and Juliet.

Learning Menus
When teachers use learning menus, or choice boards, they offer students four to six options for producing a final product. Each choice should be challenging and should require approximately the same amount of time to complete. Below are some examples of product choices that teachers can include in a menu.

Although there are a number of ways to offer these choices, some teachers present them as a dinner menu. For this method, students often select one "entree" task and two "side-dish" tasks. Additionally, students may elect to complete a "dessert" task for enrichment. Below is an example of one such dinner menu.

The School Diner - Idioms

Appetizer (You must do this)

With a partner, select one idiom from the bulletin board. Discuss what you think the idiom means. Then look up the idiom in the book In a Pickle: And Other Funny Idioms, Scholastic Dictionary of Idioms, or Super Silly Sayings That Are Over Your Head: A Children's Illustrated Book of Idioms. You can find copies in the class library.

Entrees (You must do all)

Read one of the following books provided by the teacher:

Any Amelia Bedelia book

Butterflies in My Stomach and Other School Hazards

Reach for the Stars and Other Advice for Life's Journey

You Are What You Eat and Other Mealtime Hazards

Make a list of all of the idioms in the book and write their meaning.

Side Dishes (Select at least two)

Write an idiom you have heard used in your life and explain what it means. Draw a picture of what the main character of the story you read might do if he or she heard it.

Select an idiom from the bulletin board or one that you have heard used and add it to the story you read. Write at least 6 sentences.

With a partner, create a short skit using an idiom from the bulletin board or one that you have heard used.

Learn more about idioms from other cultures.

Read I'm Not Hanging Noodles on Your Ears and Other Intriguing Idioms From Around the World

Use the bookmarks on the computer to visit several websites that illustrate idioms from other cultures.

RAFT
Teachers can offer students product choices by using a RAFT (role, audience, format, topic). Each column specifies the role the student will adopt, the audience he will address, the format of the work, and the topic to be addressed. Sometimes, students are asked to choose a row, and sometimes they are asked to make a selection from each column. In other instances, the teacher may assign students a row that matches their readiness levels. Typically, RAFTs can be completed in a relatively short amount of time and can be assigned as classwork or homework.
Example
A fourth-grade social studies class is studying the colonization of America. The teacher creates the following RAFT for this unit.

Tip

Teachers often find Bloom's taxonomy helpful when differentiating product based on student readiness.

Bloom's taxonomy identifies six levels of learning, from the most basic (i.e., recalling facts) to the most complex (i.e., evaluating information). For instance, when she creates a tiered assignment, the teacher often develops three levels of activities. For the lowest level, she might develop activities that assess students' knowledge and comprehension; for the middle group, she might assess their ability to apply and analyze information; for the high group, she might require them to synthesize and evaluate the information. The tables below present the hierarchy of six levels of learning. For each level of learning, the table provides verbs teachers often use when designing product assignments or test questions.

Knowledge

identify, list, arrange, define, describe, label, match, order

Comprehension

classify, summarize, predict, locate, discuss

Application

compute, demonstrate, show, solve, write

Analysis

compare, contrast, experiment, model, separate

Synthesis

arrange, combine, formulate, revise, propose

Evaluation

argue, defend, justify, appraise

Remembering

identify, list

Understanding

categorize, summarize, compare, explain, give examples, predict

Applying

perform lab test, solve a math problem, write an essay using correct grammar and punctuation

Analyzing

differentiate, draw conclusions, organize

Evaluating

determine, judge, critique, test

Creating

generate, plan, construct, design

For Your Information

Differentiating product contrasts with how teachers in a traditional classroom typically assess their students' knowledge-administering a written test at the end of a unit of study. Teachers in a traditional classroom often assume that a written test is an accurate indication of what their students have learned. However, issues such as a student's ability to read and comprehend text sometimes interfere with accurately assessing what the student knows. Although they should continue to administer written tests, teachers should redesign or build their tests so that they are differentiated.

When they create written tests to use in a differentiated classroom, teachers should keep a number of factors in mind:

Using a variety of question types. In addition to using traditional question types (see table below), teachers should include nontraditional question types such as analogies, demonstrations, drawings, and real-world applications. This allows teachers to determine which students have mastered the content or skill. Different students perform better on certain types of question types than on others, so having a variety of question types maximizes the probability that each student will have the opportunity to demonstrate his or her knowledge. Teachers should also use a combination of forced-choice items (e.g., matching, multiple choice) and constructed response items (e.g., create a timeline, write a short essay).

Write in simple language and use as few words as possible.

Avoid negatives (e.g., Which of these is not an example of an insect?).

Make sure the construction of the stem or answers does not give the answer away (e.g., The stem ends with "an" and only one answer begins with a vowel).

Write the definitions on the left and list the words on the right so that students read a definition and then scan the list of words instead of vice versa.

Keep all matching items on the same page.

Include no more than eight items.

Note: This type of question is good for struggling readers because it requires minimal reading.

Provide answer blanks and adequate space for written responses.

Understand that students' handwriting is often difficult to decipher.

Write sentences so that the blanks are near the end to minimize issues with reading comprehension.

Provide adequate space for the students to label.

Understand that students' handwriting is often difficult to decipher.

Note: This type of question works well for literature, history, science, and math.

Grade only the content being tested and not the students' writing skills (e.g., grammar, punctuation); an exception is the spelling of content area vocabulary.

Allow students to convey their knowledge in the most efficient manner (e.g., bulleted items, diagrams). Requiring them to write complete sentences may impede their ability to fully demonstrate their knowledge.

Teachers may want to avoid true/ false questions because they often involve the use of negatives, which are difficult for many students (e.g., Plants do not need sunlight to produce chlorophyll). Additionally, this test format is typically a difficult one for struggling readers and for students who experience test anxiety.

Provide a "T" and "F" for true/ false questions for the student to circle. This avoids the misinterpretation of a student's illegible written T's and F's. It also prevents students with handwriting challenges from tiring during the tests when they are required to write out "true" and "false."

Preteaching test-related vocabulary. Teachers should preteach unfamiliar words or phrases included in test items such as "compare" or "contrast."

Making the format efficient for students. This allows students to demonstrate their knowledge without having to spend time and energy navigating the layout of the test.

Highlighting key words. When words such as four, most, least, and excluding are highlighted, students are less likely to forget the criteria while formulating their answers.

Making test items straightforward. The test items should assess the students' knowledge of the content or skill. Items that include negatives or require overly complicated logic interfere with students' ability to accurately demonstrate their knowledge.

Specifying the criteria for constructed response items. Items that require the students to formulate responses (e.g., essays, short answers) should specify the criteria (e.g., length of essay, number of examples).

Using authentic assessment. Test students in the same way they were taught. For example, if students have been working on the addition of two-digit numbers using only computation problems, the test should not include word problems.

Adapted in part from Fair Isn't Always Equal: Assessing & Grading in the Differentiated Classroom, by R. Wormeli, 2006.

Teachers are sometimes concerned that if they allow their students to demonstrate their knowledge in ways other than written tests, these students will not be prepared to take standardized tests. Carol Ann Tomlinson discusses why this is not the case (time: 0:49).

Carol Ann Tomlinson, EdD
Professor of Educational Leadership, Foundations, and Policy
The University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA

Transcript: Carol Ann Tomlinson, EdD

A lot of times, teachers will feel like the standardized test is not going to be differentiated, so I can't differentiate now because they won't be prepared for that test. Teaching is not the test. The test is one moment in a time. You can give kids hints on how to take tests. They can take a couple of dry runs. But to teach them in ways that are ineffective for nine months before the test comes is not likely to benefit them much. What some research suggests to us is that kids do better on standardized tests when the teaching-learning process is a fit for them, even if the standardized test is not in their preferred way of learning. And probably the two reasons for that is that they learn more on the way to the test, and they also develop more confidence as a learner.

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When teachers differentiate product, they assess the same concept or skill for each student at the end of a unit of study; however, teachers offer their students a variety of ways to demonstrate their knowledge (e.g., video, written report).

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Source 1 - Nellie Mae Education Foundation. (n.d.). What Are Student Centered Approaches? Connecticut Association of Public Schools Superintendents (CAPSS). Retrieved September 19, 2021, from https://www.capss.org/educational-transformation/what-are-student-centered-approaches
Source 2 - Basye, D. (2018, January 24). Personalized vs. differentiated vs. individualized learning | ISTE. ISTE. https://www.iste.org/explore/Education-leadership/Personalized-vs.-differentiated-vs.-individualized-learning
Source 3 - The IRIS Center Peabody College Vanderbilt University. (2021). IRIS | Differentiated Instruction: Maximizing the Learning of All Students. The IRIS Center. https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/di/#content
Source 4 - The IRIS Center Peabody College Vanderbilt University. (2021). IRIS | Page 5: Differentiate Content. IRIS Center. https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/di/cresource/q2/p05/#content
Source 5 - Chunking. (2021). Facing History and Ourselves. https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/teaching-strategies/chunking
Source 6 - The IRIS Center Peabody College Vanderbilt University. (2021). IRIS | Page 6: Differentiate Process. IRIS Center. https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/di/cresource/q2/p06/#content
Source 7 - Jigsaw: Developing Community and Disseminating Knowledge. (2021). Facing History and Ourselves. https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/teaching-strategies/jigsaw-developing-community-and-disseminating-knowledge
Source 8 - The IRIS Center Peabody College Vanderbilt University. (2021). IRIS | Page 6: Differentiate Process. IRIS Center. https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/di/cresource/q2/p07/#content
Source 9 - Toolbox for Care. (2021). Facing History and Ourselves. https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/teaching-strategies/toolbox-care

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Online Collaborative Learning *Is* Student Centered Learning

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Online Collaborative Learning *Is* Student Centered Learning

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OCL derives from social constructivism, since students are encouraged to collaboratively solve problems through discourse and where the teacher plays the role of facilitator as well as learning community member.

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Independent Study *Is* Student Centered Learning

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Independent Study *Is* Student Centered Learning

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This allows for students to move much quicker and at their own pace, but in our classroom we would like to focus on collaboration as much as we can.

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Seems familiar, right?  It's what we are doing, right here, right now.  And it works! In particular, check out the upper left, this is basically the Student Center Learning Theory that we use online with Moreland.

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When discussing student centered reading, one often hears reference to the "The Great Eight,"  or eight elements for helping readers cultivate stronger reading skills and, perhaps, become lifelong readers.

Cranage, S., (2008).

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The Power and Importance of...READING! | Luke Bakic | TEDxYouth@TBSWarsaw

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Monitoring involves asking, "Does this make sense?" and clarifying by adapting the strategic process to accommodate the response. Monitoring is knowing if meaning is being constructed and knowing what to do if it is not.

MacKenzie, B. (2019).

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Previewing is a way of introducing the text. It includes activating background knowledge, predicting, and getting a purpose. Previewing can be incorporated into curriculum or enmeshed within lesson plans. Previewing can be as simple as asking students what they know about a particular book or author. It can also involve reading the preface of a work, skimming the text, or looking through the contents.

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Self-questioning involves generating questions to guide thinking while reading.

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Making connections occurs when students think about the text in relation to self, text, and the world.

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Visualizing involves picturing in your mind what is happening in the text.

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Knowing how words work refers to understanding words through strategic vocabulary development, including using the cueing systems of visual, meaning, and structure to figure out unknown words.

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Evaluating means making judgments.

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Cranage, S., (2008). Student Centered Reading Strategies: https://old.ed.psu.edu/pds/teacher-inquiry/2008/cranages.pdf

MacKenzie, B. (2019) Teaching Students to Read Metacognitively. https://www.edutopia.org/article/teaching-students-read-metacognitively

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Flexible Classroom Design: How to Create a Student-Centered Learning Environment

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Flexible Classroom Design: How to Create a Student-Centered Learning Environment

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There's no doubt that learning environments play an important role in student success. That's why it's so important that teachers know how to create flexible classroom layouts, giving students a voice and even a daily choice in terms of their own learning.

Flexible learning environments can inspire students and keep them motivated. We look at why this is and how to adopt this model into your own classroom.

Creating Flexible Teaching and Learning Spaces

To create a successful learning environment, there are many factors to first consider. First and foremost, the needs of both learning and teaching must be balanced, according to intelligent learning space provider Envoplan. This ensures that both teachers and students achieve the most fruitful experience possible from the classroom space.

Next, the balance needs to extend between learners. One of the many benefit of flexible learning environments is that they allow space to test and optimize learning for each child or set of children. A successful learning environment can differ between groups of students, so a space designed to be flexible allows teachers to cater to these strengths as needed. Cristel Hutchinson at furniture manufacturer Haskell, says teachers can take a note from the design industry to test out what works for each group of students.

Since designers always test out prototypes and gather feedback from users before reaching the ideal design, teachers might consider testing out new layouts and asking students how they feel. In turn, this can make students feel more involved in their own learning, which can make them feel more connected to their personal success.

If you're interested in flexible learning environments but aren't sure where to start, an article by furniture design company Smith System lists its benefits and offers a few ideas for tackling the challenge. In the article, educator Kelly Almer stresses that it takes time and patience to adopt a more flexible room. It won't always work the first time, and it will require strategy and testing. However, being patient and prioritizing functionality can ensure that the switch is both fruitful and sustainable.

Increasing Student Choice

Flexible learning environments are becoming a priority in schools because they enable teachers to create unique environments that emphasize student choice. As explained by the office interiors provider Connecting Elements, flexible furniture gives students more autonomy regarding where and how they learn. As a result, this empowers them to feel more in control of their education, which may improve focus and productivity.

Justin Raudys at Prodigy agrees that flexible seating is an important way to expand student choice. He cites a teacher who uses bean bag chairs in a classroom with a large number of high needs students. The teacher says that providing seating choice allows mutual respect and trust to build between teachers and students, which are two key factors for improving learning outcomes.

In contrast, rigid classroom environments that don't change can actually have a negative impact on student learning outcomes, according to Clear Touch Interactive. Being stuck in a stagnant space that doesn't change visually or physically can cause one's mindset to also become stuck in the same thought patterns, making it harder to think outside the box.

Adaptable Work Spaces

Creating a more flexible classroom starts with using adaptable student desks and chairs. Mobile work spaces provide opportunities for individualization, which Learning Transformed authors Eric Sheninger and Thomas C. Murray say allow students to create a learning environment that bests suits their learning style.

Educational writer Bella Abdurachmanov at The Learning Mind agrees that moveable desks and chairs let students design their own workspaces, depending on what they require that day. If a student wants a more quiet space one day, for example, there could be options in the classroom for sitting solo. On the other hand, there might also be options for sitting in a group.

Richard Kahlenberg, a senior fellow at The Century Foundation, adds that the latter is especially important, as it enables students to engage in equal discussions. Having desks that can be easily moved into a circle, for example, can promote fruitful collaboration amongst students.

This also reflects a growing shift away from the traditional classroom model, where the teacher lectures at the front of the room. Creating opportunities for students and their teacher to work collaboratively helps decrease power dynamics and place more focus on student ideas.

Examples of Creative Desks and Seating

To see what adaptable desks and chairs in a classroom might look like, consider this roundup of classroom layout ideas by the Plato to Playdough blog. Here, founder Malia Hollowell showcases a wide variety of real-world flexible classroom environments.

One desk layout uses soft yoga balls instead of chairs, which can create a more dynamic seat for younger kids and keep them focused. Another idea is to add a working area with foldable beach chairs, which can change things up and keep learning fun.

A reading spot with a special feature could make learning even more exciting for younger students. The Simplified Classroom blog showcases a canvas teepee in one classroom. Sitting in the teepee to read is a privilege that can be earned after successful completion of chores, like putting things away and cleaning. So in addition to being a playful and creative classroom workspace that inspires creativity, the rules around using the teepee also teach responsibility and independence.

Edutopia executive producer Stephen Merrill highlights another teacher who uses flexible seating as a way to teach responsibility. In that classroom, there are multiple styles of chairs and seating, including high-top tables and a sofa. By setting expectations for how each workspace is to be used, students learn to sit in a place they can experience most success for the task at hand.

Comfortable, Welcoming Environments

A flexible, student-centered learning environment is one that feels comfortable and welcoming. The Room 241 team at Concordia University Portland points out that students can't learn well when they feel uncomfortable.

That's why it's so important to emphasize creature comforts in the classroom and make it a safe place in which to relax, share and learn. Keeping the classroom clean is a simple way to make students feel at ease, as messes and clutter can cause anxiety that deters student learning outcomes. Plus, clean classrooms emphasize flexibility because it's easier to move furniture and adapt to learning needs at a moment's notice when you don't have to clear clutter out of the way.

Another way to make classrooms more comfortable for students is to adorn walls with colorful stimulation and complexity. E-learning provider SweetRush points out that these two factors are key in enhancing the learning experience for students. Hanging art on the wall is an easy way to achieve both of these marks.

Creating a large bulletin board or other presentation space for hanging art can keep student work organized. The art can be changed on a monthly basis to keep things fresh for both teachers and students.

Blogger and kindergarten teacher Greg Smedley-Warren gives an example of how to organize a student work wall. He uses colorful, vinyl mustaches with clothespins, placed neatly in rows on the entryway wall into his classroom. Seeing their work displayed as they enter makes students feel excited and proud and can set a positive tone for the rest of the day.

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Flexible Classroom Design: How to Create a Student-Centered Learning Environment

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Flexible classroom design emphasize student choice and improve learning outcomes. Here's how to create a learning space that adapts to student needs.

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FLEXIBLE CLASSROOM
is a method of learning where students are given freedom in how, what, when and where they learn. ... Learning can take place in a variety of settings, including in the classroom, at home via the Internet, while commuting or as part of a work-study program.

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Innovative Learning Spaces for the Next Generation: Centerview Elementary School

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When creating classroom designs suited to enhance the educational experience of all learners, educators are focusing on cultivating student growth in creativity, collaboration, and communication. Along with the initiative for personalized learning, a core focus of modern classroom design is flexibility. Flexible classroom designs allow learners to make choices, experiment with learning techniques, and ultimately discover how they learn best. A flexible classroom layout also supplies teachers with a greater capacity to effectively respond to different students’ learning needs.

Flexible classrooms usually incorporate some type of group discussion area, a variety of seating options, and a flexible space, which can be adjusted for many specialized activities. With the central goal of providing the space for students to explore, share, and create collaboratively, flexible classroom arrangements provide the means for a variety of group set-ups and lesson formats in hopes of addressing all students’ needs.

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LAY OUT PROMOTES DISCUSSION
CHAIRS ARE COMFORTABLE AND CAN BE USED MULTIPLE WAYS
NO DESK
TEACHER IS NOT THE CENTER OF ACTIVITY

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STUDENT CENTERED!!!
COLORS
ACCESS TO INTEREST
ENGAGING

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Provides for group and individual work
Offers privacy and movement opportunity
Teacher would be facilitating the environment

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STUDENT CENTERED LEARNING V MODERN CLASSROOM ???

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STUDENT CENTERED LEARNING V MODERN CLASSROOM ???

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When thinking of student centered learning what type of environment would be able to foster these activities? A modern classroom is not a flexible classroom, it offers computer screens and touch boards but not an environment that provides space to be a LEARNER ... What do you think???

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Learner-centered approach. The Peak Performance Center. (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2021, from https://thepeakperformancecenter.com/educational-learning/teaching-training/principles-of-instruction/learner-centered-approach/.

Flexible classroom design: Student-centered learning environments. Planbook Blog. (2018, July 10). Retrieved September 20, 2021, from https://blog.planbook.com/flexible-classroom-design/.

Education Technology Solutions. (2018, May 24). How does classroom design affect a child's ability to learn? Education Technology Solutions. Retrieved September 20, 2021, from https://educationtechnologysolutions.com/2018/04/classroom-design-affect-childs-ability-learn-14-medical-educational-experts-weigh/.

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Carol Ann Tomlinson gives fantastic advice about meeting the needs of students during pandemic days, but we could easily apply it to anytime we work within online environments!

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Distance Learning with Carol Ann Tomlinson

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Digital Toolkit - The Must Have Tools

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I don't want to be advertising for Big Data Google, but the power and convenience of this toolkit is undeniable.

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#1 UNDENIABLE TOOLKIT MUST HAVE........ Google Suite

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#1 UNDENIABLE TOOLKIT MUST HAVE........ Google Suite

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Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Calendar, Sites, Hangouts, and Keep.  These are all fantastic tools with cross-integration.

You made a survey in Forms?  Instantly use the information in Sheets.

The Google Suite is the most comprehensive Kit for Student Centered Learning in the Online Environment.

Students can:

Communicate and share with Gmail and Drive

Do all of their word processing with Docs

Process data in with Sheets

Make presentations in Slides

Make surveys for data collection in Forms

Keep track of their appointments and due dates with Calendar

Build Their Portfolio With Sites

Cross-platform Communication with Hangouts

Take Notes With Keep

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Tool Kit (Online Learning Environment) for Collaborative Learning

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Tool Kit (Online Learning Environment) for Collaborative Learning

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Tool Kit (Online Learning Environment):

Google Suite/Google Classroom
Nearpod.com
Jamboard
KidBlog
Blogger
Padlet
Buncee

https://www.gettingsmart.com/2020/01/7-ways-tech-supports-collaborative-learning/

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Each element and available space in the classroom must promote collaborative learning (Should public school takes notes from the college level structure?)

Structure:
- Flexible (classroom structure can accommodate all subject areas.
-Eliminate Teacher Desk
-Embrace the use of Podiums/Tall portable table
-Classroom furniture should be more inviting and comfortable
-Mobile furnishings
-Writable/foldable partitions
-Stain resistant surfaces for students to write and demonstrate creativity

Technology:
-Doc Stations, Computer Monitors
-White Board/Projection Compatible Surface for collaborative learning and whole class learning
-Desks/table stations outfitted with built in electrical outlets and device chargers
-"Marker Spaces" allow students to demonstrate creativity via experimentation and project building-apps, programming, and other technologies that allow trial and error/ and lesson discovery

https://www.bdcnetwork.com/blog/rethinking-classroom-design-promote-collaboration

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Student Centered Collaborative Techniques:
Jigsaw Technique
Think-Pair-Share
Brain Writing
Daily Discussion Question
Peer Review
Break Out Group Discussion
Scaffolding

https://www.eduflow.com/blog/online-collaborative-learning-strategies-to-keep-students-engaged-while-at-home

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How can we establish assessment for Collaborative Learning?

Approaches to Assessment Techniques:

-Teacher observations during group work.
-Group grading for projects.
-Students grading each other or evaluating the level of contribution made by each member of a group project.
-Use of retake tests after receiving extra help from groups or the teacher.
-Use of individual quizzes, exams or assignments.

https://k12teacherstaffdevelopment.com/tlb/how-can-teachers-implement-a-collaborative-assessment/

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Differentiation in the Collaborative Classroom

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Differentiation in the Collaborative Classroom

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Differentiation Techniques:

-Graphic Organizers
-Listen-Draw-Pair-Share
-Mini Lessons in Small Groups
-Journal Prompts
-Mind Mapping

https://www.literacytoday.ca/secondary/differentiation/what-to-differentiate/content/

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https://teaching.cornell.edu/teaching-resources/active-collaborative-learning/collaborative-learning

https://www.bdcnetwork.com/blog/rethinking-classroom-design-promote-collaboration

https://www.gettingsmart.com/2020/01/7-ways-tech-supports-collaborative-learning/

https://www.eduflow.com/blog/online-collaborative-learning-strategies-to-keep-students-engaged-while-at-home

https://k12teacherstaffdevelopment.com/tlb/how-can-teachers-implement-a-collaborative-assessment/

https://www.literacytoday.ca/secondary/differentiation/what-to-differentiate/content/

https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-eight-ways-to-use-movement-in-teaching-learning/2020/07

https://www.edutopia.org/discussion/collaborative-strategic-reading-csr-comprehension-strategy-enhance-content-area-learning

https://www.thecorecollaborative.com/learner-centered-literacy

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Movement Techniques:

-Use music for lessons and transition to work stations
-Number students of into groups-movement to the assigned group
-Add gesture or movement to vocabulary words
-Use sentence stem

https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-eight-ways-to-use-movement-in-teaching-learning/2020/07

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Student Centered Approaches to Reading for the Collaborative Classroom

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Student Centered Approaches to Reading for the Collaborative Classroom

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Techniques:
-Preview the Text
-Click and Clunk
-Read-Pause-Reflect
-Partner Retell
-Vocabulary Fix Up Skills

https://www.edutopia.org/discussion/collaborative-strategic-reading-csr-comprehension-strategy-enhance-content-area-learning
https://www.thecorecollaborative.com/learner-centered-literacy

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All of these are amazing tools for collaboration.  I know it might seem basic, but these are tools that EVERY student should know.  I'm just learning most of them now and every additional bit of knowledge makes me tremble with the possibilities of the power contained within!!! (Imagine this punctuated with maniacal laughter)

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Padlet! Look at it! We're doing it right now!

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It's so obvious and important that it might be forgotten.  Like oxygen.  Upload, edit, cut, compile.

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Make beautiful mind-maps and flowcharts. Invite your friends. Visualize your thoughts! Show how you thought of it!

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How can you implement assessment so that it enhances student-centered learning?

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How can you implement assessment so that it enhances student-centered learning?

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Andrés Ignacio Irribarra Ramírez

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Anderson, T. (2011). The theory and practice of online learning. AU Press.

Picciano, A. P. G. (2018). Theories and Frameworks for Online Education: Seeking an Integrated Model. https://files.eric.ed.gov/. Retrieved September 21, 2021, from https://files.eric.ed.gov/.

Tomlinson, C. A. (2020, April 16). Distance learning with Carol Ann Tomlinson. YouTube. Retrieved September 21, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdWLErtB2x8.

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It's all about building assessment-capable learners

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It's all about building assessment-capable learners

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Often times, teachers tend to think of assessment as something they do to students. When we think about assessment this way, our learners are not at the center.

Instead, our goal is to build assessment-capable learners, a term coined by Michael Absolum et al.¹

Students who are assessment-capable ²:

are aware of their current level of understanding in a learning area.

understand their learning path and are confident enough to take on the challenge.

can select tools and resources to guide their learning.

seek feedback and recognize that errors are opportunities to learn.

monitor their own progress and adjust course as needed.

recognize what they’re learning and can teach others.

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Research tells us that formative assessment, paired with effective feedback, is an effective way of making students reflect on their results (Adesope, Trevisan, & Sundararajan, 2017)³.

Embed formative checks in your lessons!

Give students plenty of opportunities to practice. Use GoFormative to give students feedback on exit tickets, concept checks in the middle of your lessons, or longer practice assessments.

Make students reflect on the feedback after formative assessment: what are we doing next to achieve the learning targets?

Poll the class using Slido to gauge the perceived difficulty levels and progress.

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Make sure your feedback is:

timely

specific

understandable

actionable

Leaving corrective feedback behind
In order to foster our students' metacognitive skills, provide feedback that prompts students to reflect about their own work.⁴

For instance, for a math problem, instead of saying "Incorrect; the correct answer was this or that", say "I can see that your procedure makes sense but there are some calculation errors. Can you see where? What are some ways you can check your work for accuracy?"

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Learn more about how our brain understands and receives feedback

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Learn more about how our brain understands and receives feedback

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The secret to giving great feedback | The Way We Work, a TED series

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Involve the student in the production of feedback

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Involve the student in the production of feedback

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Give students space to self-assess
Assessment becomes more student-centered when students are able to gauge their performance against known success criteria.⁵ Make sure that your learning targets are clear and that students understand what success looks like.

Ask students to rate their performance for a given criterion based on your feedback before providing a numerical grade.

Give students space to assess their peers
Students should be able to use the wisdom of their classmates to obtain feedback and act on it. In fact, research tells us students benefit from the feedback of their peers when their peers are trained to give high quality feedback!⁶

Discuss the learning targets and indicators of success with the students; teach them what success looks like, how to identify success, and how to guide someone towards it!

Make a formative assessment, ask students who voluntarily want to receive feedback from the class to expose their work.

Engage in a whole-class discussion of the students' work with the purpose of making improvements. This removes layers of negative judgment and invites other students to seek feedback and not just receive it!

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In the 21st century, there are very few situations in the real world that require people to display knowledge of particular concepts and procedures by memory, without the use of any other sources of information. Instead, today we are asked to solve complex problems using a variety of sources and approaches, usually in teams.

Inject realism into your assessments by:

Allowing collaborative answers for complex questions

Adding meaningful contexts to your assessments that inject realism to the assessment

Example:
Instead of asking a student to recall basic and isolated definitions of metabolism in biology, consider giving the student a situation like this⁷:

Andrea and Luis are parents for the first time. Andrea had
a complication so she had to be taken to the operating room immediately after delivery. Because of this, she has not been able to breastfeed the baby. The father is very worried,
despite the fact that the doctor has told him that this is not a problem for the baby if s/he does not receive nutrients from outside sources during the first hours of life.

– Explain to the father the biological mechanism that allows the baby to support its metabolic requirements.
– After being breastfed, analyze the changes to the metabolism of this newborn.

Allow your students to collaborate and be "doctors"!

And to make the assessment even more student-centered...

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Offer choice in ways of demonstrating learning

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Offer choice in ways of demonstrating learning

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Let students own their learning!
Giving students choice over the ways they can demonstrate their learning of the targets is linked to reduced stress and stronger development of higher-order thinking skills.⁸ The previous situation in biology lends itself to many different avenues of demonstrating learning. Students could:

Write a report

Make an infographic of the biological processes involved

Record a Khan-Academy style video

Make a presentation to class

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Empowering Students to Own the Assessment Process

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Involve the students in the design of the assessment

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Involve the students in the design of the assessment

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Get the most out of your students' creativity by involving them in the assessment design!

You could...
1. Allow students to co-create success criteria with you

2. Allow students to create the assessment
This is particularly applicable in a subject that is traditionally seen as rigid: mathematics. Let's think about exponential growth. Give students a story without a question, such as:

The population of the comuna where our school is located has been growing by about 1% each year lately.

Let the students ask the questions! They could ask:

What will the population be in 20 years if this trend continues?

If this trend continues, when will the population double?

How does this rate compare to the growth of another comuna, such as Santiago?

Will the two comunas ever have the same population?

Have students answer their own questions!

3. Ask students to modify a basic or boring question (take a standard multiple-choice question from a standardized test) to make it more interesting and open ended! Discuss the question in class, include as evidence of learning.

4. Give students the opportunity to create new and challenging questions from standard, lower-level questions. They could do this by using the situations, the diagrams, etc. Ask them to justify why this is a better question to serve as a success criterion for a learning target!

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1. Absolum, M., Flockton, L., Hattie, J., Hipkins, R., & Reid, I. (2009). Directions for assessment in New Zealand: Developing students’ assessment capabilities. Unpublished paper prepared for the Ministry of Education.

2. Frey, N., Fisher, D., & Hattie, J. (2018). Developing "Assessment Capable" Learners. Educational leadership, 75(5), 46-51.

3. Adesope, O. O., Trevisan, D. A., & Sundararajan, N. (2017). Rethinking the use of tests: A meta-analysis of practice testing. Review of Educational Research, 87(3), 659-701.

4. Labuhn, A. S., Zimmerman, B. J., & Hasselhorn, M. (2010). Enhancing students’ self-regulation and mathematics performance: The influence of feedback and self-evaluative standards. Metacognition and learning, 5(2), 173-194.

5. Ratminingsih, N. M., Marhaeni, A. A. I. N., & Vigayanti, L. P. D. (2018). Self-Assessment: The Effect on Students' Independence and Writing Competence. International Journal of Instruction, 11(3), 277-290.

6. Li, H., Xiong, Y., Hunter, C. V., Guo, X., & Tywoniw, R. (2020). Does peer assessment promote student learning? A meta-analysis. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 45(2), 193-211.

7. Villarroel, V., Boud, D., Bloxham, S., Bruna, D., & Bruna, C. (2020). Using principles of authentic assessment to redesign written examinations and tests. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 57(1), 38-49.

8. Pretorius, L., van Mourik, G. P., & Barratt, C. (2017). Student choice and higher-order thinking: Using a novel flexible assessment regime combined with critical thinking activities to encourage the development of higher order thinking. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 29(2), 389-401.